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Books

• A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett

  I recently read my first Jimmy Buffett book, A Salty Piece of Land. I found it to be well worth reading. On the back cover Michael Harris of the Los Angeles Times Book Review says, “It goes down like a pina colada: smooth and sweet.” Upon picking up the book I found this difficult to believe, now that I read it, I have to agree.

  While I am not a hardcore fan of Buffett’s music, I do appreciate the emotions that he captures in his music and somehow this also communicates in his writing. It is almost like the music is a soundtrack for the main character’s life.

  This book captures the feeling that all of us have had to be somewhere else, leading a different life without thoroughly romanticizing the “beach and margarita” lifestyle. The little bits of humor throughout, including some of the characters names such as Ix-Nay and Captain Kirk are well done without being overbearing. The improbable adventures of the characters are made probable.

  This is definitely a non-cerebral read. But it is a fun little adventure.

  
• Atlas Shrugged - A Book Review for Mike

  Okay Atlas Shrugged is by far the most academic/philosophic novel I have ever read. I read it over Christmas break 3 years ago. It is also the most "dense" book I have ever read.

  This book reads like a manual for capitalism. What I found to be most amazing about this book was the foresight that Ann Rand had for what could happen if business was suppressed and what communism would actually do to a country that had been operating on capitalistic values.

  I for one am opposed to giving something to someone who has not earned it. Although I am not opposed to assisting someone who is temporarily down on their luck. I believe that we need people who come up with bright ideas and are then acknowledged for their good contributions in the form of consumption and as a result of consumption, money. I don't think that money is the end all be all, but it rather a form of energy or a communication. Take Bill Gates for example. Love him or hate him, he built an empire on a product that is in virtually every household in the western world. He has earned his money. I for one admire Bill Gates immensely.

  There is a part about 3/4 of the way through the book where one of the characters makes a radio address. I was thoroughly bored with it in the first few pages as it pretty much covers the viewpoints expressed earlier in the book. I looked ahead and it was something like 90 pages long. So I skipped it, vowing that if something seemed confusing, I would go back and read those pages. I never found it necessary to do so.

  The book did also have some unusual twists in it that were interesting to read. I never fully knew what direction it was going to go. I think the key to actually finishing this book is to have plenty of time to sit down and get into it. I would re-read it if I had this kind of time. It might also be noted that I am not a huge fan of overly philosophic books. This is one of the few fiction books that actually caused a shift in my viewpoint.

  Happy Reading -Jen

  
• Book List

  The following is a list of books. I have read and recommend most of them.

  Gone with the Wind
  Fortune's Rocks
  Memoirs of a Geisha
  Life of Pi
  Time Traveler's Wife
  Da Vinci Code
  Snow Falling on Cedars
  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
  The Divine Secrets of the YA-YA Sisterhood
  Like Water for Chocolate
  The Red Tent
  Girl with a Pearl Earring
  The Princess Bride
  Empress By Shan Sa
  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night
  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
  Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
  The Five People you meet in Heven by Mitch Albom
  The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
  Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
  The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
  A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett
  Ender’s Game by Orsen Scott Card
  Alvin the Maker (series) by Orsen Scott Card
  Lamb: The Gospel of Jesus Christ According to His Childhood Pal Biff
  The Stupidest Angel
  A Dirty Job
  Outlander Series
  The Stand
  Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
  The Other Boleyn Girl
  One Thousand White Women
  Secret Life Of Bees
  Atlas Shrugged
  Great Expectations
  The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus
  Kite Runner
  Forever by Peter Hamill
  Janet Evanovich
  The Good Earth
  Battlefield Earth
  Flowers for Algernon
  Dark Tower Series by Stephen King

  
• Need Books to Read

  Personally, there is almost nothing worse than spending good money on books that suck. I am fresh out of books at the moment, having finished two Janet Evanovich books back to back. Please send your suggestions.

  
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night

  This book is by Mark Haddon and was recommended to me by Kate. At first I was truly skeptical because it is about an autistic boy. (In fact it is written from his viewpoint.) I was concerned that there was going to be a lot of psych based simpering in this book and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is none at all.

  I did enjoy this book. While I was reading it I felt like I got a glimpse of what it is like for an autistic person and I could see the mechanisms that created this situation, what the being was operating off of. While this was not pleasant necessarily to confront, it was interesting because I know that there is a tech to handle that.

  I would not say that the book is funny, but there are parts of it that are amusing and it is certainly interesting. The main character is not a victim and I actually admired him very much.

  

Suggestions

• The Music of Ron Rutherford

  Ron Rutherford's hotly anticipated debut solo album, "Lone Wolf" is now available from several online locations. This site provides information about Ron as an artist, plus information about the album, photos of Ron and the studio sessions, as well as audio clips of the songs.

  Ron Rutherford
  Rarestar Music
  Rarestar Records
  Tujunga CA 91042
  www.ronrutherford.com
  www.cdbaby.com/ronrutherford
  www.myspace.com/rarestar

  

Comedy

• Jorjeana at Late Night Live

  Join Aaron Nicholson, Deedee O'Malley, Jorjeana Marie and a very special guest artist this Friday night at the Hub starting Oct 27th for a concert not to missed.

  Aaron Nicholson - Singer/Songwriter
  "Some music has the ability to stop time, and Aaron’s music does that." - Deedee O'Malley
  "No cheap date!" - Ed Asner

  Deedee O'Malley - Singer/Songwriter
  "Mind-blowing power like you’ve never heard" - Inside Indie Music Magazine
  Winner of the Lilith Fair Competition

  Jorjeana Marie - Comic Hostess
  Fun AND funny - a sarcastic breath of fresh air and engaging physical comedianne.

  This Week's Special Guest - Bethany and Rufus
  “Unbelievable!” is the word most used by audiences when first hearing Bethany & Rufus,hose cello and voice duo breaks new musical ground, sliding with seamless ease between groove, jazz and a gritty, unvarnished approach to traditional folk music.

  Each Friday - Oct. 27 thru Dec. 8th, 10:30pm
  Hub Theatre, tickets $15
  5245 Lankershim blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601
  info: 818-859-7056 - myspace.com/latenightliveLA
  A Woodriver Production

  

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