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June 23
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Julie
gave
 
to:
The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (Paperback)
by David Simon, Edward Burns
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Julie said:
"I picked this book up because I am a big fan of The Wire. I thought it is was a good book, but much more unrelentingly depressing than the HBO series. There was a little bit of humor in The Wire to keep you from feeling totally hopeless, but I found ...more
I picked this book up because I am a big fan of The Wire. I thought it is was a good book, but much more unrelentingly depressing than the HBO series. There was a little bit of humor in The Wire to keep you from feeling totally hopeless, but I found this book to have little upbeat about it. The culture of the corner is so ingrained in poor neighborhoods, that I didn't see much hope for ending the cycle of poverty and drug use in inner city neighborhoods. It did a good job of describing life in an inner city neighborhood though....less
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Julie
gave
to:
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon (Hardcover)
by Crystal Zevon
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Julie said:
"This is an oral history of the self-destructive life of Warren Zevon, told by the people involved in his life. We hear from Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne among others, about Zevon's turbulent life in the 70s and 80s, and newer friends such as Carl...more
This is an oral history of the self-destructive life of Warren Zevon, told by the people involved in his life. We hear from Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne among others, about Zevon's turbulent life in the 70s and 80s, and newer friends such as Carl Hiassen, Billy Bob Thornton and Mitch Albom in the 90s and 2000s. His children, wife and many girlfriends also add to the tapestry. Zevon was a creative genius, but drugs and alcohol tormented him throughout his life, alienating him from those who loved him. This is an unblinking look at one of the greatest songwriters of our time, who found success, but never quite found peace in his life....less
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June 11
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Julie
is currently reading:
Steve Goodman: Facing the Music (Paperback)
by Clay Eals
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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April 29
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Julie
gave
to:
Lying Awake (Paperback)
by Mark Salzman
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Julie said:
"This is the story of a cloistered nun who is on a sometimes frustrating journey to know God. When she begins suffering from what she thinks are migraine headaches, she has a spiritual breakthrough and achieves a closeness with God she never thought p...more
This is the story of a cloistered nun who is on a sometimes frustrating journey to know God. When she begins suffering from what she thinks are migraine headaches, she has a spiritual breakthrough and achieves a closeness with God she never thought possible. When she is diagnosed with a neurological condition, she must decide whether to seek medical treatment, even if it may change the way her brain perceives faith.
This is a serious exploration of religious fervor, and the choices we all make when it comes to faith. The book addresses the fact that even those in religious life struggle to believe at times, and that as humans, having faith is an ongoing process that changes with our circumstances in life....less
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Julie
gave
to:
Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia (Paperback)
by Dennis Covington
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Julie said:
"I've been wanting to read this book since it came out. The author of this book was an interesting narrator for this unusual story. What started out as curiosity led to a much more personal relationship with the church members. I enjoyed reading Covin...more
I've been wanting to read this book since it came out. The author of this book was an interesting narrator for this unusual story. What started out as curiosity led to a much more personal relationship with the church members. I enjoyed reading Covington's take on the phenomemon, and felt that he did a good job in putting the snake handling in context of the culture of the Appalachian people, while still getting drawn in on a personal level. It certainly got me interested enough to try to find out more about these people. I haven't been able to find much nonfiction about the snake handling, strychnine drinking crowd, but some of the characters in the book are featured in videos on You Tube. It seems like the book sparked an interest in the practice during the mid 90s that has died down today....less
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June 11
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Julie
gave
to:
Middlesex (Paperback)
by Jeffrey Eugenides
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
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March 31
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Julie
gave
to:
How Can I Talk If My Lips Don't Move: Inside My Autistic Mind (Hardcover)
by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Julie said:
"The autisic author of this book gives a fascinating view into the mind of a severely autistic person. It was hard to believe that the author could be such an eloquent writer, given the severity of his autism, but it was very interesting to hear him e...more
The autisic author of this book gives a fascinating view into the mind of a severely autistic person. It was hard to believe that the author could be such an eloquent writer, given the severity of his autism, but it was very interesting to hear him explain why toys or someone calling his name held no interest to him at all, while he could be totally obsessed and fascinated for hours by his own shadow, or an electric light switch. It is certainly a different way of viewing the world. His mother seemed to be a remarkable influence on his life, allowing him to be himself, while insisting that he not retreat completely into a world of his own making. Anyone interested in autism will gain insight into how the autistic mind works by reading this short book....less
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Julie
gave
to:
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography (Hardcover)
by Andrew Morton
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Julie said:
"There is one thing for certain. Andrew Morton is no fan of Scientology. This unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise sets Cruise's life story against the backdrop of Scientology, and how it has shaped his life. The book was as much an expose of Scientol...more
There is one thing for certain. Andrew Morton is no fan of Scientology. This unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise sets Cruise's life story against the backdrop of Scientology, and how it has shaped his life. The book was as much an expose of Scientology as it was an expose of Tom Cruise. I enjoyed the glimpses into the inner workings of the Scientology movement, since there wasn't much remarkable about Cruise's life before he became involved. Morton spends a lot of time talking about one of the top leaders of Scientology, David Miscavage and his mentoring relationship with Tom Cruise. According to Morton, Cruise was aggressively courted to be a lure to others to join the group. Morton stresses the sinister aspects of Scientology, and their ambitions to overtake the planet. It would be much more unsettling if it didn't seem so silly at the core. Anyone who has been following the controversy over Scientology will enjoy reading about the infrastructure of Scientology and Tom Cruise's important role in the recruitment of new members....less
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March 05
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Julie
gave
to:
Free For All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library (Hardcover)
by Don Borchert
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Julie said:
"This was a fun book. The author seems to me to capture the spirit of what it is like to work in a library. Despite the many frustrations in the life of a public servant, this book also talks about the rewards of a library career. The political setup ...more
This was a fun book. The author seems to me to capture the spirit of what it is like to work in a library. Despite the many frustrations in the life of a public servant, this book also talks about the rewards of a library career. The political setup of the California library as a city library with a union in place made that part of the experience a little different than it is here, but anyone who has ever wondered what the librarians do all day will get a good picture of "a day in the life"....less
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