Friday, November 5, 2010

MY READING LIFE: REVIEW AND GUEST REVIEW PLUS GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
MY READING LIFE
BY PAT CONROY

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Bestselling author Pat Conroy acknowledges the books that have shaped him and celebrates the profound effect reading has had on his life.

Pat Conroy, the beloved American storyteller, is also a vora­cious reader. He has for years kept a notebook in which he notes words or phrases, just from a love of language. But read­ing for him is not simply a pleasure to be enjoyed in off-hours or a source of inspiration for his own writing. It would hardly be an exaggeration to claim that reading has saved his life, and if not his life then surely his sanity.

In My Reading Life, Conroy revisits a life of passionate reading. He includes wonderful anecdotes from his school days, mov­ing accounts of how reading pulled him through dark times, and even lists of books that particularly influenced him at vari­ous stages of his life, including grammar school, high school, and college. Readers will be enchanted with his ruminations on reading and books, and want to own and share this perfect gift book for the holidays. And, come graduation time, My Reading Life will establish itself as a perennial favorite, as did Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Pat Conroy is the bestselling author of nine books: The Boo, The Water is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides, Beach Music, My Losing Season, The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life and South of Broad. He lives in Fripp Island, South Carolina.


MY OWN REVIEW:

Pat Conroy’s latest book is MY READING LIFE and quite a departure for those who are fans and followers of his work. It is, in fact, a memoir that pays tribute to people and places and books that over the years have inspired Conroy. The memoir still shows Conroy’s sense of humor and delightful writing style. Each chapter is written as an homage to a singular theme, be it book, experience, place, or person that has played a part in Pat Conroy’s life over the years and helped to make him the writer he is today.

Included in the topics over the fifteen different chapters are authors such as James Dickey or books like my favorite as well, GONE WITH THE WIND. While I find it admirable of Mr. Conroy to write such a lovely memoir, and I do think it was written in his always well produced, inimitable style, unless you are a huge fan, I wonder if many will care about the contents? If you enjoy books on the subject of Reading itself, you will be satisfied, but if you are looking another lush, get-lost-in, heart felt story by Pat Conroy, then this is not the book for you. However, if you love the written word and this author, I think you would not regret the time spent on the concisely written memoir as you get to know more about the man, the author, Pat Conroy.  


GUEST REVIEW:
    Guest Reviewer: Alex Leras, retired English Teacher and NASCAR Public Relations Director, responds with her thoughts about Pat Conroy's newest book, MY READING LIFE.
In reading Pat Conroy's book, "My Reading Life", I found myself wavering from enjoying it to the opposite spectrum and thinking why am I wasting my time with this book?  Finally, I finished it and decided Mr. Conroy told some interesting anecdotes but I learned nothing new about this author. Neither did I learn anything new about his previous writings.  I learned he loved reading and books and appreciated his mother's influence in this area, explaining she thought "Gone With the Wind" was "the greatest book ever written".   He named a particular teacher who guided him and encouraged him. Of course, he went back to his relationship with his father.  But all of this his readers know from his previously published works.

Finally, I will note three points he made that stayed with me as I went through the 231 pages.

First,  Conroy writes, "Books are living things and their task lies in their vows of silence." Okay, I get that.

Secondly, he tells the reader, "Here is what I want from a book, what I demand, what I pray for when I take up a novel and begin to read the first sentence: I want everything and nothing less, the full measure of a writer's heart."  Okay, I get that, too.

Finally, Conroy describes a good book: "...it puts readers on their knees. It makes you want to believe in a world you just read about--the one that will make you feel different about the world you thought you lived in, the world that will never be the same."

Conroy's latest did none of the above for this reader.  I have enjoyed his many novels but this work seemed to be just a way for the author to get something published to make a financial return.  No thanks.

GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO ADRIENNE AT RANDOM
HOUSE, I HAVE TWO COPIES OF PAT
CONROY'S LATEST BOOK TO GIVE AWAY 
 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
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---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
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COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:
READ "ABOUT THE BOOK", "ABOUT THE AUTHOR", AND BOTH REVIEWS ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING AND WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: VISIT PAT CONROY'S WEBSITE BY GOING HERE AND READ ABOUT THE MANY THINGS THERE. COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING THERE

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ADDITIONAL ENTRY

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GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 20
GOOD LUCK!

73 comments:

debbie said...

As a very avid reader myself, I can always appreciate a book like this. I would love to read it.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

petite said...

I am a follower. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Memoirs are always fascinating and this one sounds wonderful. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

His website is so infromative and the books are all great. I read an earlier one of his years ago and enjoyed it. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

traveler said...

The author's book sounds compelling especially so since I read his bio on his site. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

He is a man to reckon with from what I read about him on his website which is refreshing. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I am interest in the fact that Pat Conroy noted his thoughts about other book. I would like to compare them with my own. This book reminds me some of Stephen King's book on writing. I add so many books that he like to my TBR list. This book should be great, sort of a long conversation with the author.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

When I go to an author's website the first place that I head is the biography. Pat Conroy bravely refused to allow corporal punishment of his students and was fired for it. I like people who stand up for their principles and as per his biography, this is consistent with the rest of his life.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I tweeted. My twitter name is Carolee888.

http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html See the above link for giveaway of 'My Reading Life' by Pat Conroy.


CarolNWong(at)aOL(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I follow this blog by GFC.


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Anonymous said...

I follow this blog by FB.


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Anonymous said...

I follow this blog with Twitter. My Twitter name is Carolee888.


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Anonymous said...

I subscribe to this blog by
e-mail.


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Anonymous said...

I voted for you One the Fence.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Steve Capell said...

I agree with the author that books shape a person's life. I can't imagine where I would be today if books were not part of my life. Zig Zigler once stated that there are two things that can dramatically change a person ... the books you read and people you meet. I have read some outstanding books and met some extraordinary people. GREAT review.

steven(dot)capell(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I think the personal notes, espeically from when he was a young reader would be very interesting.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I didn't really know a lot of Conroy's background and am happy he was able to pull himself out of some dark times by becoming an author.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I am a GFC follower.
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holdenj said...

I follow via RSS feed.
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holdenj said...

I voted at we're on the fence today!
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Laura said...

I love to read books about other people's ideas and reading of books. I would love to win this.
I am a follower.
Laura
laura.leahj@ gmail dot com

Colleen Turner said...

I would love this book! Not only have I heard wonderful things about this author I am an avid bibliophile and love to find out what books other lovers of reading can't live without. I love the fact that each chapter is dedicated to one book. Thanks for the great giveaway!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I read more about South of Broad on his website and really want to read that book of his as well!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I voted on We're On The Fence!
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Colleen Turner said...

I am a GFC follower of Bookin with Bingo (Colleen Turner).
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Colleen Turner said...

I am an email subscriber to Bookin with Bingo.
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Colleen Turner said...

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Colleen Turner said...

+5. November Facebook fan.
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rubynreba said...

I think it would be interesting to read more about the author, Pat Conroy. I like memoirs.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

He has a cookbook called Pat Conroy Cookbook. He says it is my autobiography in food and meals and restaurants and countries far and near.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

I am an email subscriber.
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rubynreba said...

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rubynreba said...

Voted for you
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Reading said...

I enjoy when I find someone that loves reading as I do and I think this would be an interesting read.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Reading said...

I voted for you On the Fence.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Theresa N. said...

He was a school teacher, love his books.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com

hendy said...

I love Pat Conroy and this seems like the perfect book for avid readers. I love that he takes special not of language and phrases with allow him, I'm sure, to be a better writer. I can't wait to read this book.
hmhenderson AT yahoo DOT com

hendy said...

I'm so glad you've joined Picket Fences-I voted for you and Good Luck!
hmhenderson AT yahoo DOT com

hendy said...

Follow via GFC
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hendy said...

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hendy said...

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hendy said...

tweeted
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Chèli said...

I've heard so much about tis book and I'd like to know how his reading prcess differs from mine.

cyderryATyahooDOTcom
Chèli
Cheli's Shelves

Chèli said...

I follow through Google

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Unknown said...

I love to read this book, about his love for reading and his memories. Since I missed out growing up reading. I could play catch up and learn a lot I did not know about a lot of books.

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I'm at all the these he did after graduation. Sounds like a very giving caring man.

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