Gather Together In My Name

This next book was another one written by Maya Angelo. It tells the story of a woman who looks for a job to support her son. She changes her name to Rita to get work. She then starts out in San Fransisco, Arkansas, California with many adventures ensuing along the way.





The End Result:


I liked it! A mother does what she has to for her son. The only thing I didn't like were the situations where she found herself in at times due to a man or someone to take advantage of her.


BUT, in the end:

I did enjoy this book!

The Bears Of Blue River

This next book was one that I read out of curiosity. It was written by Charles Major. It tells of the TRUE story of the history of my hometown, Shelbyville, IN. A young boy, Balser, finds adventure while growing in early rural Indiana. Although he is familiar w. frontier life, he becomes lost in the forest and encounters a one-eared bear. Deciding to finish an unwanted fight, they prepare for the fight of their lives.




The End Result:



I Enjoyed It!


The rush of adventure throughout this story. What makes it even better was the fact of this story being TRUE! and finding out history of my hometown of Shelbyville and the story of Blue River.

The adventure from Balser and the rest of the characters gives you a rush for the events in this story.


In The End:

I liked it and Found it Full Of Energy!

Delta Style: Eve Wasn't A Size Six And Neither Am I

This next book was written by famed actress and former beauty queen, Delta Burke. Told by Delta herself, she tells of her life growing up in Florida, her start in the pageant world, which started from her mother from very low self-esteem.

She delves into her life as an actress and how she met her husband, Gerald McRaney. She tells of how the difficulty of anxiety and detail ended her departure from the hit CBS series 'Designing Women' and about the creation of her designer line 'Delta Burke Designs' built for the plus size woman. How she lets women feel good about themselves, no matter what the size.

In the end:

I really loved this book. How a woman learns to love herself just the way she is.

The only thing I really didn't care for were the "Hair" tips, but other than that. . .

I loved this book!

Never Too Late: A Prosecutor's Story Of Justice In The Medgar Evers Case

This book was a very detail accurate account of the EXTRAORDINARILY TRUE story of truth, justice and doing the right thing. The book was written by the case's lead prosecutor, Bobby DeLaughter. In 1963, Mississippi, Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist, was shot in his own driveway within the late hours of June 12th.

After 2 mistrials, his white assassin, Byron De La Beckwith, had prided himself that he had gotten away with murder that had lasted over 30 years. In the 90s, district attorney DeLaughter decides to re-investigate the case, with the help of Medgar's widow, Myrlie Evers.

The End Result:

I Loved It!

The way history is made and the way how much, although a widow, a woman loved her husband. How after 30 years justice prevailed.
This book gives a full detail of what REALLY occurred throughout this case.



A movie was featuring the many details of this case in 1996 titled "Ghosts Of Mississippi" starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alec Baldwin and, James Woods.

Bobby DeLaughter initially published this book in 2001, 4 years after the case and 5 years after the movie's release.


In the End:


I Loved It!


IS IT ever too late to do the right thing?

Ryan White: My Own Story

This book was written personally by heroic Indiana's own Ryan White. It tells through his own eyes the life he lead, before he passed away from the AIDS virus. It delves into deep detail of the way he dealt with hemophilia, which was diagnosed at birth and how he contracted the disease at age 13, the treatment he endured due to this disease; which includes hatred within his own hometown to where he was forced out and had to move to a more accepting town.

You also hear of the work he did by spreading the word and speaking with compassion the truth of this virus. It was told that many different things would've happened to others by anything more than just association with Ryan, which he had to relocate schools, due to the ignorance of this town.

He fought for the right to an education, since the school in which the district remained, tried to deny him one.

With great courage, Ryan began speaking at schools and fundraisers around the country, becoming a spokesman on the fight for AIDS.

In The End:

I Loved It!

I found it to be inspiring and grateful to have read it!


The way Ryan DID NOT let his disease define who he was. Although a sad ending, this book can teach you to be grateful for the small meanial things in life.



Ryan White (1971-1990)


Thanks to you Ryan White for sharing your story.
And remember:




"Education takes time. Ignorance dies hard"

- Ryan White

Runaway

This next book was one written by Wendelin Van Draanen. It tells of the fictional story of teenage girl, Holly, who after being abused in the foster care system runs and lives a life alone on the streets.

While scary, she faces tough turmoil and the only one she can trust and confide in is her journal. Without giving too much away, hard battleships force her to trust NO ONE.

The end of this book leaves you with a grateful attitude for what you DO have.

In the end:

I LOVED It!

How a girl goes through what she has, realizes it and doesn't let it stop her.

I Genuinely Loved and Appreciated This Book! And Remember:

Be grateful for what you have and remember those that don't have much!

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

This next book was one written by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is the TRUE story focusing on her journey from a spent and exhausted housewife who decides to escape an emotional prison to a journey through the following countries listed above. A movie was also filmed of the same name and released in August of 2010 of the same name starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth.

Without giving too much away but, through this journey of self-discovery, she walks away from what she was earlier in her life and can no longer relate to whom she is today.




The Final Result:

I LOVED IT!

The appreciation one has when you realize your unhappiness and risks it all to find the happiness that she forever longed for.

I mean, imagine giving it all up to find out this trip gave you back something 10x's greater than you ever imagined.

In The End:

I LOVED IT!

Party Monster

This next book was one written about one of New York's famous party promoters of the 80s, Michael Alig. It is told through the eyes of his best friend and confidant, James St. James, who actually wrote this book. It tells of his successes and stories of the 'Club Kids'. It also goes into events that actually and TRULY really did happen starting with the transcendence into drugs leading to murder.

The basic truth and all of the in-between is also seen on-screen with an independent film of the same name starring the once child actor and new author, Macaulay Culkin, as well as, actor Seth Green.

This book did have an original title which was titled, 'Disco Bloodbath', but was later changed to fit the film. It also has some really weird and odd stories, but were ALL TRUE. If you are looking for a weird story that really did happen, this is for you.

The Final Result:



I read this book, yes after seeing the movie, walking away thinking, "I can't believe things happened the way that they did . . . but I thought of it to be good."

In the end:

It was a good read and I liked it cover-to-cover.

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

This book was written by one of the late great rappers/philosophers of our time, (2Pac)Tupac Shakur. If anyone has read his poetry or listened to his music, I'm sure others would agree. Well, that is what this book is. It is a collection of the many poems that he had written throughout his life. It touches on many issues he had either been there himself to see or had seen what others themselves had gone through. A small collection of many of the writings he left for others to learn.

The Final Result:

I Genuinely Loved and Honored this book.

There was a lot of it that you could just take away with you and value and pass it on!

In the end:

I loved and valued this book!

Singing Songs

This next book was written by actress Meg Tilly. It speaks of her life growing up in Wonnock, along with her sister Jennifer. It is written entirely as the author narrating. It speaks of her life growing up and overcoming many types of abuse. She tries to then tries to deny the facts of what happens to her and her sister in their own home and how she dealt with this horrific past.

The End Result:



I really liked this book. Some of what I read was shocking to read. The way that Meg(Anna) had to life the life she had to endure. The way to explain it is this: trying to catch your breath when the water is rising fearing you will drown. It is HONESTLY captivating. I really enjoyed it.



To speak honestly,
I didn't really know much of Meg's career as either an author/actress. All I knew of was her work in the film "The Big Chill". I really wanted to know more of the background of her sister, Jennifer Tilly.

I know that all siblings have a different idea of what the past is. But this would have given me some sort of an idea of what it was like. But in all SERIOUS HONESTY, I really did thoroughly enjoyed this book cover-to-cover.




In The End:

I really did enjoy it!