On the Southern Literary Trail discussion
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General Bookishness
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Retired: What are you reading?
Jan wrote: "A nonfiction book to put on your radar: A Spirit of Charity: Restoring the Bond between America and Its Public HospitalsI attended the book talk at the Carter Center this evening..."
I'll be interested in what you think of this. It looks up my alley.
I see it's at NetGalley--I think I'll get it.
Omg. I got my hands on an ARC of Michael Farris Smith's DESPERATION ROAD. Squeee! I may be up all night.
I have it too, Leanne but will wait a bit.
..."Jan wrote: "A nonfiction book to put on your radar: A Spirit of Charity: Restoring the Bond between America and Its Public Hospitals....Sue wrote: "...ll be interested in what you think of this. It looks up my alley.
I see it's at NetGalley--I think I'll get it.
Then I'll find out what you think. I promised not to buy any books this summer due to plan to attack my stack, so it'll be a little while.
Jan wrote: "..."Jan wrote: "A nonfiction book to put on your radar: A Spirit of Charity: Restoring the Bond between America and Its Public Hospitals....Sue wrote: "...ll be interested in what ..."
It may bea bit before I get to it, but I did pick it up from NetGalley. I'm glad you mentioned it.
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This sounds like something that would prove useful background information in the world I work in.
Jan, have you read the Katrina book, Five Days at Memorial? It is an outstanding nonfiction account of the alleged murders that went on at the hospital. The Pulitzer prize winning author made a point to compare and contrast what happened at this hospital (where my oldest son spent four months of his life) and the local charity hospital which functioned quite well - relatively. Fascinating!
LeAnne wrote: "Jan, have you read the Katrina book, Five Days at Memorial? It is an outstanding nonfiction account of the alleged murders that went on at the hospital. The Pulitzer prize winning author made a poi..."No, nothing like that before. It was the Grady connection that hooked me. Thanks. Sounds like a real-life drama show.
Tom wrote: "...This sounds like something that would prove useful background information in the world I work in."Medical, then?
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Medical, then?"
Healthcare administration and insurance.
Tom wrote: "....Healthcare administration and insurance."Yep!
Under the former system it used to make sense.
LeAnne wrote: "Diaaaaaaaane....read it with me???"When do you want to start. It is not out until next year. But ready when you are.
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And don't give a thought to all the poor underprivileged souls out there who don't have a copy. ;>)
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In all honesty, I probably wouldn't. I would like to know how you managed to score copies, though.
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Diane S always gets the good goods early!!! Diane, I started a few chapters last night but am intentionally stopping myself from gulping. That little town - McComb - is where 20 or so relatives live. Makes it special.
McComb, Mississippi? My sister used to live there, we visited a few times. Now she lives in Natchez.
Kim, no kidding??!! You have GOT to buy Desperation Road for her!!
My sister's son-in-law was on the Deep Water Horizon. They've had some tough times.
I am library acquisitions, why I get the early books I think. Will read slowly along with you Leanne but we are not supposed to post reviews this early before the street date, I think.
I just finished A Passage to India by E.M. Forster. My review is here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Diane, my note told me to review. Maybe the publishing house has exceptions for sycophants ;)
I think they like to generate early buzz, LeAnne. Helps with pre-orders.
I finished The Sunlight Pilgrims. 4 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... A wake up call about global warming but about so much more .
Diane S, I couldn't wait any longer! Y'all, Michael Farris Smith has hit it out of the ballpark again. I just finished an ARC of Desperation Road and it is as good as Rivers. The atmosphere is not as dark as what we experienced with the ceaseless rains, but the main characters' lives have plenty of anguish in their pasts that each is trying to put behind them.While all of us hated Aggie, the egomaniac cult leader in Rivers, when Smith opens him up to reflect on his past a bit, we ALMOST relate to him. He didn't seem like the mustachioed villain tying the hero's lady friend to a railroad track, you know - he was real.
There is another messed up dude in the story that has it in for one of the two main characters...but I actually cried tears for the bad guy. Crazy what this particular author can do. Maybe its a regional thing for me because he writes in the settings and the voices I know best. But it was five stars for me.
Here's my review if you'd like to hear me blather more. Loved it and I think anybody in our Southern Lit group will too.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not going to read your review until I have finished. Have just started this.
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Just finished "Dorothy Day: A Radical Devotion" by Robert Coles well written, extensive pertinent notes and many hours of conversation with Day taped by Coles. Dorothy was a Catholic Worker who co-founded the Catholic Worker Newspaper and hospitality houses in the 1930's. She was dedicated to the causes of helping the poor and giving them a step up to feel wanted and to be wanted by the Catholic Church. Was she successful. She was one of four people selected as exemplary Americans by Pope Francis last September at his speech before the U.S. Congress. The other three were Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thomas Merton.
I finished a good crime novel, Brighton by Michael Harvey. My review is here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Diane, sorry - no Aggie! But you know how we all ended up feeling a teeny tiny smidge of compassion for Aggie? He did that again with one of the bad guys. I boo-hooed for him!
Finished The Natural. Starting Gone With the Wind tomorrow.
I tend to read lots of baseball related books during the season. I doing a buddy read of GWTW and managed to block out time for it so I might actually get to finish ahead of schedule.
Finished Strawberry Yellow by Naomi Hirahara. Started The Servant by Fatima Sharafeddine. both are good and written by authors new to me.
I saw Absalom's Daughters by Suzanne Feldman featured by my library as a hot new book. I was wondering if any of you had read it already and is it worth getting my name on the long holds list, thanks.
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I enjoyed it. It's definitely worthwhile if you are getting it from the library. It's something of a gender-bending retelling of Absalom, Absalom! with a little magical realism thrown in.
Tom I saw your review and placed a hold at the library. It's a new book but I'm "only" 26 so I should get it soon. I love magical realism but usually I'm partial to Latina writers. I will give it a try, it looks fun for the summer.
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Actually, I think the release date is July 5th.
I'll tell you what. Message me your address and I'll send you my copy. It's currently sitting in my donation box.
Done. That's such a good idea- a book exchange so after we read hard copies of ARCs we can pass them on. Maybe we should make a new thread about this???
LeAnne and all of you privileged readers out there , I am sticking out my tongue right now and blowing spit everywhere ! If you know what I mean ! I am so tired of reading and reviewing and going to book signings and still no one approaches me to read a new release early for a review . Yes, I am totally and completely jealous ! I just do not understand what y'all do that is so special ! Oh ! No! Y'all don't go there ?? HA! Book hookers ! Hahahaha !! Well , if that is the case , you two can have your advanced copies ! Hahaha ! REALLY, SERIOUSLY ! What does a reader have to do to get an advanced copy of a book and not have to wait two years for the next book to come out . I am hurting for about five books to be released that I know y'all have right now . I just can't hardly stand it.
I HAVE BOOK ENVY SO BAD IT IS BREAKING MY HEART ! I WOULD SETTLE FOR A PDF COPY ! RON RASH, MICHAEL FARRIS SMITH, DAVID JOY, BRIAN PANOWICH, WILLIAM GAY , WILEY CASH , AND MORE ... YALL ARE BREAKING WHAT LITTLE HEART I HAVE LEFT !!! Whaaaaa !
Sneak me just one , PLEASE ....
Dawn
Dawn wrote: "LeAnne and all of you privileged readers out there , I am sticking out my tongue right now and blowing spit everywhere ! If you know what I mean ! I am so tired of reading and reviewing and going t..."LOL, Dawn this was only the second ARC I've ever gotten my hands on. Everything else that I've requested was denied. People who work in libraries and book stores or have bookish blogs seem to get the most of these things. In the meant time, there are a jillion great books still on the TBR stack :)
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On the Southern Literary Trail
Books mentioned in this topic
Happy Land (other topics)Take My Hand (other topics)
Happy Land (other topics)
Happy Land (other topics)
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bennett Parten (other topics)Wes Browne (other topics)
Hubert Skidmore (other topics)
Mark Twain (other topics)
Delia Owens (other topics)
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I attended the book talk at the Carter Center this evening; one of the panelists, Dr. James Curran, formerly of the CDC and now Emory, said it was a compelling read. It's for the mainstream reader; four of the five hospitals profiled are in the south. On how these big charity hospitals impact the whole healthcare system, on the inequitable distribution of healthcare, on how southern states accept federal funds for roads etc but can get away with turning back billions in Medicaid since it's a poor people's program, on prospects for change, and more
I'll read it in part because my second job was as a psychiatric assistant on the ward at Grady. Back in the day you could get that job--a glorified nursing assistant job--without a college degree.... Adventures at Mother Grady! But aside from my personal connection, the book looks like a worthwhile read that I wanted to mention.
Recent opinion column by the author, journalist Mike King:
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Oliv...