Book Recommendations...

Quote for the Day:

"I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three."

 ~Elayne Boosler

I've finished a couple of books in the last couple of days, so I thought I'd share my "book reports" with you.  Remember "book reports" from school?  Wow...that was a LONG time ago!  LOL

First on the list..."The Soloist:  A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Poser of Music" by Steve Lopez.  

In 2005, the only thing hurting Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez more than his face from a recent bike accident was his pressing need for story ideas. That is when he discovers Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally ill, homeless street musician who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his half-broken instruments. Inspired by his story, Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles about Ayers and attempts to do more to help both him and the rest of the underclass of LA have a better life. However, Lopez's good intentions run headlong in the hard realities of the strength of Ayers' personal demons and the larger social injustices facing the homeless. Regardless, Lopez and Ayers must find a way to conquer their deepest anxieties and frustrations to hope for a brighter future for both of them.

If you are thinking this sounds familiar, it probably is...it was made into a movie a couple years ago.  I've not seen the movie, yet, but I'm pretty sure a friend gave it to me on a DVD, so it's just a matter of taking the time to watch it.  

Even if you have seen the movie, I would still recommend reading the book because there is so much that goes on "behind the scenes" in Lopez's thoughts that would seem difficult to capture adequately in the movie version.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.  It is a long book, but I listened to it on audiobook. 
 

Next up is "Holy Ghost Girl:  A Memoir" by Donna M. Johnson.  

Donna Johnson's remarkable story of being raised under the biggest gospel tent in the world, by David Terrell, one of the most famous evangelical ministers of the 1960s and 70s. Holy Ghost Girl is a compassionate, humorous exploration of faith, betrayal, and coming of age on the sawdust trail.

She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell, and before long, Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher's inner circle. At seventeen, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger- than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that's just what went on under the tent.

As Terrell became known worldwide during the 1960s and '70s, the caravan of broken-down cars and trucks that made up his ministry evolved into fleets of Mercedes and airplanes. The glories of the Word mixed with betrayals of the flesh and Donna's mother bore Terrell's children in one of the several secret households he maintained. Thousands of followers, dubbed "Terrellites" by the press, left their homes to await the end of the world in cultlike communities. Jesus didn't show, but the IRS did, and the prophet/healer went to prison.

Recounted with deadpan observations and surreal detail, Holy Ghost Girl bypasses easy judgment to articulate a rich world in which the mystery of faith and human frailty share a surprising and humorous coexistence.

WOW!  That's about all that comes to me at this time!  This is a riveting book...most nights I had trouble putting it down and going to bed!  Not to sound redundant, but I highly recommend this book, too!  :)

Hope you find these book reviews helpful...or at least, interesting!  Now let's get reading!  :)

Loretta