5 comments about Truth & Beauty: A Friendship.

1. wonderfully written. if you put a gun to my head and ask who was a better writer, patchett or her friend lucy grealy, the friend that makes completes this companionship, i'd say grealy. much more forceful, passionate and wild writer, hence grealy is not alive now, but patchett is. good book however. check out grealy's writings too.



2. I don't like memoirs, but I read this one in one day. The two writers Anne Patchett and Lucy Grealy meet at Sarah Lawrence and later are roommates while pursuing Master's Degrees at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Fate deals them both great success as writers, yet their personal paths take completely divergent courses. The bond of friendship spans two decades and countless heartbreaks. Anne Patchett does portray herself to be the 'saint' in this friendship but you would almost have to be to endure the suffering that being friend to Lucy Grealy demanded. The themes of friendship, art, loneliness and love are rendered with realism and depth. Patchett's obvious love for writing and her poet friend is shared in this gift of a book.



3. I'm giving this book 3 stars because I like Ann Patchett's writing very much, but the story isn't as interesting to me as a woman in my mid-40s as it would have been had I read this in my 20s. In my 20s, this would have been a grand sweeping tragedy - a life changing book, a standard by which to judge loyalty and friendship. In my 40s, I went "eh." I read this as the story of two highly dysfunctional people in a suffocating relationship. It feels like Patchett wrote it as a way to exorcise her grief; and also perhaps examine her own less than healthy behavior. It did make me want to read more of Patchett's fiction. I picked up a copy of Patron Saint of Liars and am going to give that a try next. Part of me wants to say, Ann just forgive yourself already. We've all been there and done that. Maybe not in such an extreme way or for so many years... but we've all been sucked in by a charming selfish user. Learn a lesson and move on.



4. Readers will likely recognize the author's name from her previous novels, including Bel Canto, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award, and The Patron Saint of Liars, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Readers also may recognize Ann Patchett from her articles that appear in such publications as Gourmet, the New York Times Magazine, and the Paris Review. No doubt, some readers will recognize Patchett's friend, Lucy Grealy, as the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Autobiography of a Face.
   
   Truth & Beauty is the story of the friendship shared by Lucy Grealy and Ann Patchett. It is at once tender, heartwarming, heartbreaking and complex. Truth & Beauty is neither the story of Lucy nor the story of Ann, but of the parts of each life that were shared. What one lacked, the other offered for the relationship. What one shared, the other reached out to receive.
   
   Ann and Lucy met in the early 1980s while attending college. At the Iowa Writers' Workshop, they began a friendship that would become a lifelong process. This is no ordinary friendship. It is one riddled with emotional upheaval, creative successes and disappointments, health crises, and ultimately the lecherous hold of drug abuse.
   
   This is a phenomenal look at the way in which two exceptionally creative people lived, loved, wrote, and grappled with the realities of life. It is also an extremely sensitive description of the way a woman wrought with illness, despair and depression can one minute create beauty and the next minute search for ways to destroy herself.
   
   Truth & Beauty is the story of two friends who loved one another through the best and worst of times. It is a portrayal of loyalty and devotion over more than twenty years of friendship, and a haunting, heartbreaking portrait of the belief in the invincibility of one who lives so largely despite their diminuitive size. Only to find that no one is invincible...no one.
   
   by Lee Ambrose
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



5. The reason I even looked at reviews for this book is so that I could gage how trustworthy other book reviews on here are and how seriously I should take them. Now that I look at the negative, totally ridiculous critiques of Truth and Beauty, I'm never trusting another sour review on here again! When somebody asks me, "What's your favorite book?" I used to say something by T. Capote or M. Angelo, but now I reply, without hesitation, "TRUTH & BEAUTY by Ann Patchett!" Seriously. This book is awesome and I'm annoyed even reading other bad reviews on here about it. Patchett writes in a way that makes me stop, re-read the page, and then say to myself, "Damn, this is great stuff! Why didn't I think of something like that?" I think if you are an aspiring writer, or just somebody who appreciates intelligent, well-written prose, then you should read this one. Do not trust the other reviewers on this page - they're probably the kind of people who'd give a Harlequin novel 5 stars.

5 comments about Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia.

1. The author relates the story of Sultana, a Princess of Saudi Arabia, from childhood to adulthood. We see Sultana's life of unimaginable luxury with palaces, servants, and jewels but, alas, being a female she is a prisoner in her home, subject to the iron will of her father and brother.
   
   This is a good story, but I took it as a fictional story. I never once believed that Sultana was real and that she told these stories. I know the cruelties described in the book exist, but I think "Sultana" is a combination of many nameless Saudi women. Had the author not tried to present this as a memoir but just factually reported the officially-sanctioned abominations that women endure there, I would have liked it better. She tried to manipulate me into feeling pity for the poor little rich girl with tedious and amateurish fiction. None of it rang true.
   
   The author lived in Saudi Arabia for ten years; I would have rather read an account of her experiences than this phony-sounding autobiography. It's right to expose these injustices but the truth is enough; there's no need to embellish it with trumped-up characters.
   
   For a moving and much better-written story of women behind the veil, I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns.



2. I first read this book when I was 16, and I loved it. It is a work of non-fiction, and based on a true story of a Saudi Arabian princess and her family. She opens up about the injustices the women of Saudi suffer (sexism, FGM, favoritism, not having a say in one's marriage, how society turns a blind eye to abusive husbands, and how she supports a woman's right to freedom.) It is an empowering read, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
   
   It also has 2 sequels, "Daughters of Arabia" and "Desert Royal" which are equally stirring and totally worth the buy if you like "Princess". The sequels are tough to find at a library, though.



3. I read this book without regard to ethnicity or political belief. I read it as a woman -- as a human being who suffered at the thought of what other women are enduring in the name of "religion" or "culture."
   
   There is no explanation possible to make this palatable to anyone with a conscience. To let it pass without mention is an abomination, akin to denying the Holocaust. There is no justification possible in the eyes of God.
   
   To the perpetrators of this inhumanity to women, I can only promise you that God is watching. Any other comment on these perpetrators is superfluous.



4. I read this when I was high school and was shocked and appalled at how those poor Middle Eastern women live. Now grown, I have Middle Eastern female friends who laugh their head off at this book. Perhaps some of the incidents that are related happened, but I highly doubt they happened to the same person. It's like if someone from Saudi Arabia came here and wrote a book, "Senator's Daughter" or something. The girl was sexually abused starting at age 3, starved by her mother so she wouldn't get fat, pressured into sexually servicing the football team. The father has affairs with both women and men, is a pedophile, and likes to torture cats. The mother is a beaten-down woman who undergoes dozens of plastic surgery procedures and ends up locked in an insane asylum. Have these incidents, separately, happened to American females? Yes. Are they representative of American women, or senator's daughters? Nope. I suspect Jean Sasson did something similar, and it completely destroys any argument she was trying to make! A fun read, but don't take it as gospel.



5. I read Princess the first time many years ago and was very intriged by it. It also made me look into Islam and I can say today I am a Muslim. I read the book again recently and did not find it as good. What must be said is that a lot of horrible things that happened in that book were culture and *not* Islam. (I will also say that Saudi is not a good example of a Islamic country.)
   
   Other than that issue I think it's a good read. Just don't read too much into it. If you really want to get a look into life in Saudi there are Saudi feminist bloggers on the net. That would give you a better view than this book.

5 comments about The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive.

1. Marvelyn shares the truth about being naive, just wanting to be loved and how one endures alot to find one's self. Her book shares a journey to God's Divine plan for her. A great read for everyone, especially young women!



2. First, I really enjoyed this book. There is nothing better than telling "The Naked Truth". When I get the chance to meet Ms. Marvelyn,I will give her a friendly hug because she is very special. I believe that she was placed here on earth to tell this story. Her story was very entertaining and educational at the same time. I watched her when she made an appearance on 106 and Park. I really admire Ms.Brown for sharing her personal life story with the whole world. This book was well worth the price at the bookstore. This book should be at every library around the world. This story is a prime example of how PEOPLE will turn their backs on you just when you need them most! It also shows how people will fight reality even when it means lying to loved ones. Even today in (2008), PEOPLE are still very uneducated about HIV and AIDS. It surprises me that so many adults fail to educated themselves on AIDS. The bottom line is that PEOPLE are so focused on LIFE and not the REALITY of it. Over all, I enjoyed this book and will continue to pass it along. THANKS MARVELYN



3. It is my belief that this book should be required reading for every teenager and their parent(s)and that they should sit down afterward to discuss the contents.
   
   I can only imagine that it isn't easy trailblazing a path to erasing the stigma attached to being HIV+.
   
   Marvelyn Brown is a very brave young women and I'm willing to bet that if you were to spend time talking with her she would say that she doesn't see herself as being brave but rather as someone telling the 'Truth' about her life.



4. I thought this book was remarkable and I praise Marvelyn Brown for coming forward so that she can educate women like myself. You won't want to put this book down.



5. I was introduced to Ms. Marvelyn Brown and her story during CNN's 'Black in America' special that aired in July. Marvelyn Brown and Courtney Martin have written a book that is both riveting and shocking in it's candid description of the choices and events that led to Ms. Brown's positive HIV test.
   
   The authors have shined a light on the continuing ignorance and naiveté of many people in this country as it relates to understanding HIV. Marvelyn's story could be the difference between a positive and negative test for a lot of sexually active teens (and adults) in this country.
   
   I pray that many will read this book and share this story with people they love. It is truly a cautionary tale.

5 comments about Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution (Testimonies from our Imprisoned Sisters).

1. This book, and its partner "I'll Fly Away" by the same author, is at times both tough and uplifting. These are essays that women have worked on in a writing class inside the prison. They are their personal stories, which usually reveal so much about their circumstances and decisions that led them to incarceration.
   
   Some of it is rough to read, such as troubled family lives and things happening to them that we don't like to think about. You get a chance to see the real consequences of poor treatment and bad circumstances. It's must-see information so we can all be more empathetic and alert when it comes to how we treat loved ones, watch over our neighborhood, and care for the society at large.
   
   But beyond the painful histories, these essays reveal how these women are searching inside themselves to identify and correct troublesome thoughts and habits, and rehabilitating themselves in the process. In this respect it is very inspiring and uplifting. Most of us go through our days without thinking much about the deep things. In these essays we can follow the path of discovery with these women, some further along than others, and the progress they have made even in spite of their handicapped backgrounds and current incarceration. It can't help but motivate the reader to higher aspirations with his own circumstances.
   
   I could recommend these two books to anyone who is interested in: child care, teaching, psychology, dealing with challenges, religion, or caring about our fellow man.
   
   It was especially helpful in this book that the author includes a brief paragraph at the end of each essay identifying what the person was convicted of, which really helps the reader see how the life story connects with a crime.
   
   As an aside, I bought these books because I responded to an ad in our local paper looking for "weekend puppy-raisers". This prison has a program of training inmates to raise puppys for future life as an assistance dog to a handicapped person. The inmates work hard for the privilege, and dedicate themselves wholly to making the ideal dog for its future needy owner. On weekends, the dogs go home with a family to get socialized to life outside the prison walls. We signed up as a weekend family, solely because I missed having a dog, and with my work schedule, a full-time dog was impossible. What I didn't expect, was that I would begin to care as much about the inmate raising the pup as for the pup herself. The transformation that the woman is undergoing, as she works on herself and learns more about how her actions impact others and her own future, is actually very moving and motivating. I was surprised to find "real people" in prison, and so I got these two books to learn more about who they are and what led them to that point. We all have less-than-ideal life histories and personal choices, it's just a matter of degree, and I've found this helps me open my eyes to a world I avoided even thinking about - troubled families and people living in rough circumstances or making bad choices. It's good take off the blinders.
   
   I'll post the same review on the companion book.



2. I was honored to hear the voices of these women. The book was filled with turmoil, pain, hopelessness, redemption, and everything in between. The women should be commended for their courage to tell their stories so candidly to the public. Much thanks to Wally Lamb for assisting in the making of this book.



3. Can't put it down since it arrived. already on the waiting list for the follow- up. Great stories written without excuses , just explanations about how and why they got to this point . If you've never felt any sympathy about someone being incarcerated , this might make you feel differently.



4. GREAT. I thought Couldn't Keep It To Myself was the best book I have ever read. The second greatest is Correctional Institution.... I am sure that I have read nearly 10,000 books in my life but this is best author and I lend my book out and then call people to see where they are and I keep reminding them to not lend it to anyone else without my permission. So good that I bought a second copy just to make sure that if the first one gets lost, that I will always have a copy.



5. I purchased this book on a whim and after reading the reviews of others, and after reading it I would recommend the book as well.
   
   This is a compilation of a number of different stories written by women at the York Correctional Institution (and one teacher). What I found most interesting was what each woman chose to write about. Some wrote about their childhood or other history, others wrote about their time in prison. Those that wrote about their childhood gave us a glimpse into what "went wrong" that led to their crimes. Others that wrote about prison, opened our eyes to what these women must endure now. In some cases, prison was a safer place for them.
   
   The only thing that I thought lacked from the book was the crimes and what made the women commit them. Lamb explains why these aren't included in the book, but still it left me wondering. For the women that killed their husbands, what one thing set them off the edge?

5 comments about West with the Night.

1. My grandparents went to East Africa in the 1920s. My grandfather, a Scotsman, was looking for gold, my grandmother, a South African was looking for romance. My mother was born in the year this book opens.
   When I was a child my mother regaled me with stories of scorpions, leopards amd pythons, and this book rekindled my memories of childhood.
   It is a well-written account of a wild child's life in Kenya, hunting with the local people, being hunted by the local animals, and seeing the tribes as they were before tourism took over.
   
   The author seems to take everything in her stride, and nothing seems to bother her. A bull elephant intent on killing her, flying blind over the Med, engine problems over Newfoundland, nothing seems to faze her.
   I wasn't surprised to see that this book flopped on its original release in 1942 - it was an every day account of life as it was then.
   
   But in 2008, things are very different and this is a very good account of early settler life in Kenya, White hunters and early aviation. I was sorry when I finished it, and wished it had been much much longer.



2. An excellent book!
   Ernest Hemingway wrote, "She writes rings around us!" and he wasn't just being nice!
   A good story, well written; what more could you ask for?!



3. I read this book because someone suggested my family might have been related to Beryl Markham, which is not the case, but...
   What a woman - this is a true account of one of the first bush pilots in Africa, Beryl Markham, who was the first pilot to fly westward across the Atlantic from England. Although there is some dispute whether she actually wrote this autobiographical account (some say that her paramour, who edited the book, actually wrote it - she never confirmed or denied it), the stories are true and fascinating, encouraging the reader to learn more about her. The writing style is wonderful and interesting - no wonder Hemingway loved it. You wouldn't know this book was first published so many years ago.



4. I agree with Hemingway that this is a piece of high literature that reads like fiction and spreads itself before the reader like a well-produced film. It drove me to learn more about the author and her life.



5. Absolutely captivating personal account of times and places long gone. As a fan of "Heat of the Sun," this book was a treasure.

5 comments about I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie.

1. I last read this almost if not 20 years ago so I would be hard pressed to recall specific details. I need a new copy!
   
   A truly wild and fascinating adventure about something I can never get enough of hearing about: dirty sex with rock legends!? Amazing. She was so lucky to be around and in the scene when the music and culture was so pure and incredible. I always thought I was born too late, missing out on the good years.
   
   Pamela's got a great sense of humaor and she's a true music fanatic. I also think it's a great testimonial to women taking control of their own lives and desires. Why shouldn't she have been seeking out her idols? Look who they were, why not!? Good for her.
   
   Very recommended, total fun.



2. Reading this book reminded me of that enervating feeling I once felt, circa 1979 or so, during a midnight viewing of Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same." It was a flash of horror in which my excitement over the rock n' roll life (I was in a band at that time, my head filled with ambitions and pretensions) gave way to a feeling of aimlessness: What is with all this cheesy medeival imagery? How come these guys don't look cool, but just scrawny and strung-out? Do I really need to hear an eight-minute drum solo? What the hell have I been doing wasting my time with all this?
   
   Des Barres' book left me with a similar feeling of the blahs: some books make it seem like there was more to the 1960s-70s rock culture than previously realized. This book makes one feel like there was a lot less.
   
   I picked up the book hoping that it would bring the sights, sounds, and philosophy of a unique time back to life. It didn't. Despite having had dalliances with titanic figures ranging from Mick Jagger to Jimmy Page to Gram Parsons to Don Johnson, the author conveys very little of their artistry. In fact, she rarely tries to discuss or describe their music at all: passages on what makes a Mick Jagger or a Jim Morrison sexy sound as though they could have been written about any high school bad boy, musician or no.
   
   And indeed, that adolescent attitude pervades this book. The book begins with the author entering a boy-crazy period in high school, and is related largely through excerpts from her diary, replete with CAPITAL LETTERS and exclamation marks(!!!!!!) about how COOL this guy is and how WHEN HE KISSED ME I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO FAINT!! Blecch. Most of the remainder of the book has a similar tone, merely transplanted to a larger stage.
   
   The effect is more trivializing than anything else. I had hoped this book would reveal something about this woman and her ability to connect with these creative figures. Instead, this book made it sound like her life was nothing more than a series of hedonistic distractions, draped over a nothingness. The book makes the reader feel not as though her generation was liberated from the hidebound ways of the previous ones, having moved on to higher, more exciting pleasures, but rather that no more original ideas existed in her life or in her head than finding the next naughty guy to sleep with.
   
   That's perhaps a bit harsh: she does deliver a couple of winning passages in the book, one on the excitement of a Led Zeppelin performance, another on her less-than-stellar acting debut. She also managed to convince me that she had an aesthetic value or two, specifically in advocating for the Burrito Brothers' injection of folk/country influences into the psychadelic scene.
   
   But the lingering images of the book are the downers: the poor three-year-old son of irresponsible substance-abusing-party-addicts who let him plummet to his death through a skylight -- barely interrupting their partying lifestyle for a few months. The look of scorn and contempt on John Lennon's face, when witnessing the author's pathetic attempts to put meaning in her life by flinging herself at the band. I didn't find myself judging the author so much as feeling badly for her. Well, I *did* judge her writing, I suppose, and not favorably.
   
   It's not a terrible book; it's too light a read to be that. But if you are looking for a book to make you feel that the 1960s were a time fraught with meaning and revolutionary philosophy, you'd be well advised to avoid this one.



3. I got this book for Christmas from my mother, who knows that I have a great love for classic rock and roll. I couldn't wait to read it, and it did not disappoint in the least. This book wasn't a tell all, but a look into what it was like to be part of the "scene".
   There were parts I would have liked to have heard a little more about...she seems to skim over being on the road with a simple, "I spent the next five days on the road with Zeppelin." Kind of would liked to have heard a little more about that. But the stories that she does share are amazing.
   She gives us great insight into some of the most amazing artists of our time. This is a must read for anyone with a love of rock and roll and the 60's. I can't wait to read her other books.



4. I was disappointed with this book by Pamela Des Barres. It was predictable and quite boring. I managed halfway through the novel already and have lost interest.
   Even though she was able to meet many famous musicians throughout her life, you already knew she would use sex to get attention from them and then they would just move on to the next groupie. Nothing new.



5. Okay, so I'm a late bloomer! I wanted to read this book *years* ago, but never got the chance. Now I'm older and couldn't get backstage if I wanted to- so I can't exactly use the book for 'helpful tips and hints' as I would have as a teenager. *smirk*
   
   Anyway, it's a great read and very tasteful. If there are any nay sayers about that, they need to stop and think about what the subject matter is about. Considering what Ms. Des Barres is writing about I think she did so very eloquently.
   
   After all, how tactfully *can* you write about Mick Jagger's testicles?

5 comments about Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations.

1. This is a very well written book about a remarkable woman. It gives a great deal of history about the middle east.



2. Much has been said about the book's contents in previous reviews. What I would like to add is that the author did a masterful job with bringing history so alive. The historical facts were well researched before the book was written. Instead of presenting them in a rather factual manner Georgina Howell converted them in a gripping story which makes it hard to put the book aside. She stays humble in the back and let the protangonists speak for themselves. When reading books of popular history one often gets the impression that writers project their personalities into the stories. This is absolutely not the case with this book, except perhaps with respect to the author's interest for clothing matters which is not distracting however. The relations between Gertrude Bell and her environments are so well described that one gets literally the feeling to become part of them. This only happens with extraordinary books to which this one certainly belongs.
   
   I got interested in this book through a similar well written book by Ronald Florence on the relation between Aaron Aarohnsohn and T.E. Lawrence. Reading both books gives a good impression of the Arabist and Zionist views after the fall of the Ottoman empire. Both also demystify the role of T.E. Lawrence in shapening the Middle-East whose epic book "Seven pillars of wisdom" I find a rather boring read.



3. One measure of a fine book is if it captures and holds the reader's attention even if the subject is outside the reader's background and interests. This is such a book. Gertrude Bell (1868-1926)led an extraordinary life, whose many facets are captured in this superior biography. Born to a wealthy Yorkshire family, she was the first woman to receive a First Class degree in modern history from Oxford. She next took up challenging mountain climbing (my only criticism of the book is too much space is devoted to this topic). But the book's core is the period when she becomes interested in the Middle East, which the British designated as Mesopotamia and TransJordan, but which we know today as Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
   
   She mastered the pertinent languages (Turkish and of course Arabic among others), traveled all over the region between 1900 and 1914 conducting archeology research and photographing sites (many of which photos are available on the web in the Gertrude Bell Photographic Archive of Newcastle University), authored a number of books, and became well acquainted with the Bedouin tribes that roamed the area. Later she joined the British colonial administration in Baghdad, and helped (along with her friend T.E. Lawrence) foment the Arab uprising against the Turks during WWI that is the central element of the "Lawrence of Arabia" film. She argued for self-determination for this area at the Versailles Peace Conference, and even confronted Churchill on the issue when he had responsibility for colonial administration. She helped map the boundaries of what we now know as Iraq, was instrumental in selecting Faisal as its first King, and played a prominent role in the governance of the new nation. As if this was not enough, toward the end of her life (she committed suicide in 1926, probably due to advanced lung cancer) she founded the National Museum of Iraq, the same museum that the American military allowed to be ransacked during the Iraq War. She is buried in Baghdad.
   
   The book is over 400 pages in this paperback edition, but it moves along quickly as it is quite a fascinating tale. The author has included extensive notes, some excellent Bell photographs, a chronology, and a fine bibliography. A major side benefit to reading the book is that the reader learns quite a lot about the background of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, obviously topics greatly on our minds at the present. To have led such a life is amazing; to have contributed in so many ways during that life is even more so. The book Ms. Bell deserved.



4. The author gives absolutely no insight into Gertrude Bell and just recites the itinerary of one trip after another. Bell is made out to be an obsessive cartoon character running around the map like Bugs Bunny. After climbing the Matterhorn, she mysteriously decides to expensively explore the desert -- alone. I'd really like to know more about her. Someone suggested Desert Queen" by Janet Wallach.



5. I have come to enjoy memoir because it is full of feeling as well as information. But Georgina Howell's biography is so full of excerpts from the letters of Gertrude Bell--the subject of this excellent book--that we get a comprehensive sense of Bell's feelings. Howell makes it clear that Bell consistently understated the difficulties in her life. It is certainly a life to know about and to be celebrated.
   
   Gertrude Bell, who died in 1926, is known as the woman behind the creation of modern Iraq. She was born into a wealthy socially conservative family and displayed her brilliance and non-conformity early on. She attended Oxford and was the first woman to attain First Class Honors in History. She traveled to Persia, began her studies of Persian language and literature in Teheran, and fell in love with a man unacceptable to her family. She returned to England, where she continued her studies, adding Arabic to the mix. Never one to live life half way, she discovered the challenge of mountain climbing and conquered several peaks in the Alps, sometimes being the first woman to do so.
   
   Bell made three trips through the uncharted Arabian Peninsula, visiting archeological sites, carefully creating maps, and dropping in to visit sheiks in full evening wear. An important purpose of her travels was to learn about the alliances and customs of the numerous tribes. This knowledge was applied when she began working with the British government to build a unified Arabic nation after the defeat of the Germans and their allies the Turks in WWI.
   
   The unification was a struggle. Howell writes: "The army wins the territory, and the administration takes over; but in Mesopotamia the struggle to install conditions conducive to peace and eventual prosperity would prove as daunting as the battlefront itself...Arabs spoke a common language but were not a common people..." This struggle, which took place almost 100 years ago, has many similarities with the Iraq struggle today. Bell's later life was so intertwined with the founding of Iraq that the details of the political struggle cannot be left out.
   
   Howell does a splendid job of bringing the astonishing Gertrude Bell to life. Her descriptions of the often bleak landscape, the oases of sheikdoms, and the contrast of desert life with Bell's luxurious wardrobe, living style and traveling entourage enliven the biography. Fortunately for us, Bell's family and friends saved her detailed letters. Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations illuminates the many centuries-old causes of the current struggle in the Middle East.
   
   by Judith Helburn
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women

5 comments about Confessions of a Video Vixen.

1. I am not sure where to start on this one. This book was a recommendation from a friend and as an avid reader I tried it on for size. Well, It took me one day to read it becasue I refused to waste another. I can never start a book and then stop, so I had to finish it, but believe me when I tell you, it had nothing to do with the story. I think that Ms. Steffans has some soul searching to do. I was hoping (praying) that redemption was somewhere between the covers, but I was disappointed. I think that Ms. Steffans is a master hustler. I don't hate the player, nor do I hate the game in this case. What I hate is the story and the fact that she simply took the oldest profession in the world and tried to sell it to readers as though it was something new. Karrine, I'm not mad at you girl. If those men let you use them like that then they each deserve what they got. I can't believe that men as innovative and successful as Jay-Z and Puffy would even have anything to do with the likes of you, but then again; they are men, so it is what it is.



2. I lived the same life in my early twenties, but instead of rappers, my life revolved around rock stars & Dj's, so I definitely was able to relate. It's just sad that this book got so many negative reviews commenting on how she's just "exploiting the black community" and "making money off of exposing people" and "blah blah blah". I'd bet that over half of these negative reviews are given by other black women. Here's a story of a young woman trying to find herself as well as her self-esteem & is looking for it in all the wrong people & places and finally gets the courage to write a book & make a little money by telling all. And instead of praising her for it, all of you other black woman have to hate on it and give it a bad review, so typical for another black girl to hate on another fellow black girl. It's so much easier for you to hate on her than give her the benefit of the doubt. Be happy that she found her way and made a couple of dollars to top it off. Nope can't do that can you?



3. This was a good read but not a lot of information like you might think.



4. I must lift my hat to KS who had the guts to paper her life as a whore among hip hops' unfinest. This book is obviously a best seller not because of the writing skills of the author but because of the telling revelations so candily splattered from across the not too many pages. Honestly, I would have loved to hear a lot more of what she has to say.
   
   The saying that all men are dogs seems indeed true. Married or not, these men were having their cake and eating it and paying dearly for it.
   KS did good, she brought these scumbags out in the open for all the young girls to see that yes, it is true, you are just being used.
   I wish KS all the best. She is indeed a troubled woman, rich but troubled nonetheless.
   
   Bottomline is, if you are naive like I was about what goes on in the hip hop circles, this book will have your eyes wide open. I read it in one day.



5. After hearing all the hype of Karrine Steffins book Confessions i had to read it, i had to know who was going to be outed and how her experiences changed her life. To my sadness and my dismay i must say that this is a novel i refer to as a "fake" book. I finish the 250 page book in two hours. The book told me exactly what i wanted to know but in many interviews she told that this was the biography of her life and she couldn't tell her life story worth out mentioning names of the people that played a part in her life i feel the purpose of the book was not to teach young girls to think better of themselves but to put money in her pocket simply because she didn't mention any normal average Joe Blow she was with no the only mention of any men in the book other than her father and the boy who raped her were famous powerful most of them married with children i can not be told that the only men Karrine ever slept with were the rich and famous. I am highly disappointed with her book and will not be purchasing the Vixen Diaries I can simply read the "tell-all" parts in a blog somewhere since that is the only reason worth reading this excuse of a book.

5 comments about Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin'.

1. I enjoyed reading this book. I have seen Paula Deen on TV for the past 4 years and I like her style. The book gave me a closer look into the person, not just the cook. She has many interesting people in her life and I like how she is very honest and up front about the part they played in her life and her untimate success. If I ever get to Savannah, GA I will stop by The Lady & Sons restaurant, I won't mind the wait in line. Thanks to you Paula for sharing your story with us.
   Carrie.
   Tracy, CA USA



2. You should know that I am not a cook and I don't particularly like cooking. So reading this book I wasn't reading it as an awe-struck groupie of a Food Network star. I do occasionally watch her cooking program but I think more for her TV style than the dishes she prepares.
   
   I admire Paula Deen because I believe she has a success story from which we can all learn a lesson or two. I am fascinated by the success of others. I like cheering for the underdog and the good guys. To me, Paula Deen's success story is right up there with the best. Her book Paula Deen A Memoir - It Ain't All About The Cookin' is an inspiration to all of us who aren't so perfect, who've made some big mistakes and yet, know we want to succeed and find happiness in our life.
   
   If you're looking for a Pollyanna story, this isn't it. If you're looking for sweet talking motivation, this isn't it. If you are looking for a real-world story about overcoming depression, anxiety and having the unstoppable determination to succeed then this is the book for you.
   
   I congratulate Paula Deen for telling us the real story and not holding back. Nothing is sugar coated when she tells us about her marriage, her anxiety attacks, her age and her depression. Thank goodness she writes the way she speaks, open and honest and with a great sense of humor. Paula tells us about an everyday woman who lived, loved and messed up. She's a real woman making real mistakes and some bad choices. She found the answers and the deep-down motivation to pull herself out of the abyss and make her dreams come true. In that story, there is a powerful lesson for all of us to learn.
   
   This is a book about personal and professional success. If you're going through a bad time in life right now, I suggest you carefully read and "feel" the lessons in this book. If you're thinking of starting your own business, I suggest you read about Paula's trials and tribulations carefully. If you're in business already, you'll enjoy this great success story. If you're a cook, you'll enjoy Paula's recipes at the end of each chapter.
   
   I recommend you take your time and read this book when you can give it your full attention. Paula Deen A Memoir - It Ain't All About The Cookin' has many self-development and success-oriented lessons. I think what really struck me was Paula Deen's tenacity. I applaud her ability to pick herself up and make things happen for the better.
   
   Her success seems to be a combination of hard work and coincidences. But all of us who believe in self-development know there really are no coincidences. Nothing happens by accident - something we are consciously or unconsciously believing, affirming or thinking is drawing these coincidences into our lives. I particularly enjoyed the stories of how the right people at the right time appeared in her life to offer her the right opportunities for success.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who is going through a life-change, depression, anxiety attacks, and divorce or contemplating beginning your own business. There are valuable lessons to be learned from Paula Deen's successes and mistakes. Paula Deen is a true personal and professional American success story. Thank you Paula Deen for sharing your story with all of us!



3. I was a HUGE fan of Paula Deen before I read this book. Based on her Food Network Chefography I was looking forward to learning more about her struggle to succeed and the more personal side of her divorce and rebuilding at age 40. However there are some stories that don't need to be told. While her life wasn't picture perfect it was pretty close. The introduction on her show makes it seem as though her husband left her at 40 and she had to scrape together pennies to put herself back together. That is not the case! She left her husband, she slept with a married man for 10 years and she used her sons as workhorses. While she does own up to most of these things and I can appreciate her honesty I can no longer watch her show or her Smithfield commercials. If you want to read a wonderful story about a Food Network star, pick up Made From Scratch: A Memoir by Sandra Lee.



4. A fantastic book about a truly amazing woman who deserves everything that she has attained in life. She told a life story that most people would never tell that are in her position. She is a remarkable lady.



5. This was the most insightful and honest books I have ever read. Paula deserves everything she has worked so hard for. She should also be congratulated on managing to keep herself and her entire family together They all appear to be wonderful, loving, generous, caring and generally all around great people. Her current husband sounds like he was meant to be part of this, sometimes crazy, family but all of them have a wonderful outlook on life. Congrats! to Paula and family!

5 comments about My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams.

1. I am very pleased with the quality of this book. I watched the John Adams series on HBO and this makes a nice companion piece to that miniseries.



2. A collection of authentic letters between a man and his wife documenting the actual events as they occur from their first meeting, the beginning of the revolutionary war, the first meeting of Congress to negotiaing a system of government through freedom of our liberties through the written and signed Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Although early years were spent much apart, this extraordinary couple persevered a deep love, an emotional partnership and friendship while enduring personal tragedies of early Colonial life in the 1700's. These letters are Historical Documents. This was the life of Abigail and John Adams. A story that aided this reader in understanding a period of History so unassuming, so important in acknowledging the birth of our nation.



3. A beautiful book as I was sure it would be. Now in the possession of another John Adams admirer who happens to be a resident of Cornwall, England.



4. I must shamefully admit that prior to the renewed interest in John Adams with the recent miniseries, I really had only a general knowledge of his role and importance in the founding of our country. This book gives a private, personal and wonderful view of the strength,deep,abiding love of this first family. I could not put it down & would highly recommend it to anyone.



5. If you are a history buff or just a little interested in the history of our nation you will love this book. The letters exchanged between John and Abigail Adams are wonderful. Abigail was definitely John's rock. She kept him focused and steady. John was a very passionate man in his beliefs and at times would become a tyrant trying to convince people that his way of thnking was the only way to think. Thank goodness he had Abigail as he ran everything by her to see how she thought the people would react to his perception. Abigail would let him know when he needed to press an issue or just be quiet and let it happen on its own. Besides being lovers as husband and wife they were truly best friends. An inspirational read.