What Chicks Are Reading

All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg.

I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book. It has some of the same feel as Poisenwood Bible (not exactly) and takes place in dirt-poor northeastern Alabama. It is the story of Rick Bragg who became a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, but while growing up he was definitely destined for either the penitentiary or the cotton mills. His father was a hard-drinking man with a terrible temper, running out on people who need him most, but his mother was a person whom I will long remember. She was determined her children would not have to live on welfare. She went eighteen years without a new dress so her sons could have clothes to wear to school. It was this family life and the country at the time that nourished and shaped her sons' lives; the story of life in the South told so beautifully. Chick Jeanette

This book is an autobiography. Rick Bragg was born in Alabama in the 50's and was raised by his mother and an "alcoholic" father that often abandoned them for years at a time. Known as"poor white trash" his mother sacrificed al ot trying to raise him and his two brothers. Rick becomes a journalist and wins the Pulitzer Prize despite having very little education. This was a very interesting book. Chick Julie
  

This book was selected by my book club. A man allows a so-called "hippy" to camp on his property and the way their relationship develops and how it relates to the man's own son is quite unique. It starts slow but becomes a good story and I'd recommend it to other book clubs. Chick Julie
  

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.

This is a story of two sisters, one of whom dies under ambiguous circumstances in the opening pages. The survivor, Iris Chase Griffen, initially seems a little ambivalent about this death in the family, and others that follow. It was distracting that the author chose to thread throughout the book a novel, written by the dead sister, published posthumously. In this double-decker concoction, a wealthy woman dabbles in blue-collar passion, even as her lover regales her with a series of science-fictional parables. Complicated? You bet. Worth reading, not in my opinion. Chick Susie
  

J.K. Rowling has successfully found the child in me again. She has taken me back to my earlier days of reading such favorites as The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I am having so much fun adventuring with Harry and his wizard friends and enemies! Initially, I couldn't understand why I saw adults reading these books, but now I know why - we're living vicariously through Harry and his encounters. And now it's cool to read about witchcraft and wizardy. Thanks J.K.!  Chick Kristin
  

So, I couldn't stop at just one. I asked my mom to buy me both this one and Sorcerer's Stone for Christmas so I could get caught up with everyone else. I finished J.K. Rowling's second Potter book while on vacation with a group of 20 Scuba divers. I took a little grief because I was reading a kid's book, but hey, while they were living their underwater adventures, I flew with Harry on his Nimbus Two Thousand, stood by his side as he defeated Riddle's serpent and then Voldemort himself. Are you intrigued yet? Go get the book - I bet you you'll finish it in one night's reading!  Chick Kristin
  

Not your typical Grisham book, no mention of the law and lawyers in this one. This novel is a story inspired by Grisham's own childhood in rural Arkansas, which is the setting for the story. The narrator is a seven-year-old farmboy named Luke Chandler, who lives and works the cotton fields. This is truly a coming-of-age book about this boy and this lifestyle. Beautifully written, keeps you very interested, and you really get to know the characters and story setting. Chick Susie
  

Real Life Stories of J.C. and The Breakfast Club by J.C. Corcoran.

Awesome book about the radio life of an extremely controversial radio broadcaster. No, this is not a shock-jock tell all but rather the recollections of a local morning show host (whom I know quite well and is likely to do an interview about the Chicks book). J.C. Corcoran changed the airwaves for morning radio in St. Louis and this is his account from his perspective. Yes, I know almost all of the people in the book from my days with the Blues and at KMOX Radio and while he may recollect things a bit different from others who experienced the same events, he is always colorful and entertaining and so is this book. The incident that perked my interest the most was the "almost auction of Paul Cavallini's finger tip which was severed in an on-ice accident" and yes, it was a spoof. Very entertaining book and a quick read. Chick Susie