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Local Pages ~ The Daily News Staff Share Their Thoughts on Books by Local Authors

No. 4: The Promise Keeper

February 15th, 2012, 3:32 pm by

I’ve been debating what locally written book to read next  for a while now (since December, really) while flipping between some Luann Rice, Debbie Macomber, Joyce Meyer and other kinds of books. But I’ve finally made a decision: The Promise Keeper by Ellen Whitman Bynum.

In a 2009 article about the book, Aniesa Holmes wrote:

Author Ellen Whitman Bynum is taking her readers on a journey through the lives of those who witnessed the life and death of Jesus Christ.

Bynum, 86, has published “The Promise Keeper,” the third book in a planned 14 book series titled “The Eagle and the Stone” The biblical historical series that gives fictional accounts of those who lived during the death, trial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the early church from 33 through 42 A.D.

Read the article here.

We may be starting with the third book, but there’s always the option to start with No. 1 yourself, or read along and backtrack if you like what you see.

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More than 48 hours later…

December 28th, 2011, 3:49 pm by

Apparently my promise wasn’t worth much since I promptly forgot all about posting the end result of Yana’s.

Here’s my take: If you want to read about a local eatery with a long history and great reputation, go for it. Georgie Stone-Wilson writes about Yana’s like she’s filling her best friend in on one of her favorite places, which is great.

The book lets you “meet” some of the staff and regulars, hearing their stories while getting briefed on Yana’s all at once.

The next time I go into Yana’s, I’ll know a lot more than I did before picking it up. That alone is worth reading through it while peddling on my exercise bike.

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Nearly there

December 21st, 2011, 2:28 pm by

I know it probably seems like forever since I started Georgie Stone-Wilson’s book about one of Eastern North Carolina’s best places to grab a bite to eat, but I promise this week I’ll finish it.

I know this because I need to not be thinking about fabulous cheese burgers come Jan. 1 and each time I pick up this paperback about Yana’s, I desperately want to get in my car, drive to Swansboro, walk down to the restaurant and stuff my face while I read.

Here’s where we’re at so far with this one:

1. As you read you get to know many people in Eastern North Carolina all through one common topic: Yana’s.

2. If you’re on a diet (yay me) be full when you start reading. The book could be detrimental to your diet results if reading on an empty stomach.

3. More to come within 48 hours, I promise.

Posted in: Georgie Stone-Wilson • Yana's | 1 Comment »

While you wait

November 29th, 2011, 12:32 pm by

If you’re looking for something locally written to read while you wait for my slow-moving self to finish Georgie Stone-Wilson’s book about Yana’s, Aniesa Holmes had a piece in Sunday’s edition of The Daily News about a local author’s debut Christian novel.

From Aniesa’s article:

A local author is helping others to find peace and inspiration through life’s challenges with the release of her first novel.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, Newport resident and author Andrea Wrenn Riggs has released her first Christian novel “Providence Rings True.”

“It has really inspired people to seek God in an intimate way in their prayer lives,” Riggs said. “People are really enjoying the story and it’s really ministering to their needs.”

For more information, details about Riggs’ book signing or where to buy the book, click here.

And I promise to finish Yana’s this week. Then I may treat myself to lunch there over the weekend.

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No. 3: Yana’s

November 23rd, 2011, 3:29 pm by

Finding time to read lately has been hard to do, but in my free time “Yana’s: A taste of the past where goodbyes never happen” has been in my hand.

While I’m not sure the 70 page book is worth more than  couple bucks, it certainly captures the essence that is Yana’s.

Unfortunately, each time I start reading I start craving a burger, fries and a milkshake.

Posted in: Georgie Stone-Wilson • The reading list • Yana's | Post a Comment »

A piece of history

November 11th, 2011, 10:50 pm by

It took longer than anticipated, but tonight I finished Soldier Artist. And, I have to say, that while I probably wouldn’t read it again, it was worth reading.

Stories like this of Julius Farago are a part of history. In his case, the story’s part of the history of multiple countries.

When I initially read the back of the book, I was hoping for an action packed story full of details and tidbits. I wasn’t counting on it being essentially the not-very-detailed journal of a man who made it out of oppressive countries and traveled to America.

Highlights:

  • If you’re fascinated by military process, you’ll enjoy the tales of his 20 years in the Army. I personally enjoyed the stories of the Special Forces guys who refused to get out of their car when asked and German officials decided, basically, to sweat them out of it with large lights and that of the British vs. Army singing contest where winners got beer and losers got thrown out the window in to the snow before the judges got beer.
  • If you’re fascinated with escape tales of those who got out of countries run by dictators, you’ll enjoy the beginning of this book.

On another note, it’s fitting that I finished this on Veterans Day. Thank you, Mr. Farago, for your service to this country. But I have one question (or a few): What was it like, going from a child in Europe to a 20-year veteran in America? What was it like escaping from countries run by dictators then being sent to Vietnam to fight against exactly what you left? What is it like knowing that your story, and those of the many who served alongside you, will remain a part of history?

Posted in: Soldier Artist • The reading list | Post a Comment »

Initial impression

October 26th, 2011, 11:05 am by

I’m on page 85 of Julius Z. Farago’s “Soldier-Artist,” and I have to say that while his story is fascinating, I’m kind of disappointed so far.

Stories like his are what history is made of, and details are what make the stories interesting.

Farago hits the main points: He’s constantly moving, some people are kind, his father is hard to like. But I’d love to read about how it felt while on the train crossing borders to an area where he’d be free.

The feelings, details are missing so far and I’m hoping that when I get further in, the details will be there and it’ll read less like a lecture in an online history class.

Posted in: Soldier Artist | Post a Comment »

Meet bestselling author James Rollins during a live Skype interview at Onslow County Public Library

October 20th, 2011, 3:25 pm by

The following is a press release from the Onslow County Public Library:

Onslow County Public Library will host a live Skype interview with New York Times Bestselling author James Rollins on Tuesday, October 25 at 7:00 pm at the Main Library in Jacksonville.

James Rollins is the author of seven thrillers in the bestselling Sigma Force series (Sandstorm, Map of Bones, Black Order, The Judas Strain, The Last Oracle, and The Doomsday Key, The Devil Colony); the blockbuster movie novelization, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; and six individual adventure thrillers. Rollins is also writing the Jake Ransom series for kids and adults including, Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow, and Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx.

Known for building high-octane adventures on a solid science foundation, Jim juxtaposes the familiar with the exotic and then turbo-charges his tales with suspense. Always mindful of history’s legacy, Jim reveals how secrets, some hidden for centuries, can change the course of human events. His novels explore how advancing technology can impact society not just by the physical threats of unchecked developments, but also the spiritual and moral challenges that result. The true terror of technology is not the cogs and the wheels, but how it will change us, he says.

As a boy, James Rollins immersed himself in the scientific adventures of Doc Savage, the wonders of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and pulps featuring The Shadow, The Spider, and The Avenger. From there sparked the desire to become a writer himself. Already an accomplished storyteller, spinning elaborate tales that often were at the heart of pranks played on his brothers and sisters, Jim went on to hone his writing skills.

Before he would set heroes and villains on harrowing adventures, however, Jim pursued a career in veterinary medicine, graduating from the University of Missouri and establishing a successful veterinary clinic in Sacramento, California. This hands-on knowledge of, and interest in, medicine and science help shape the research and scientific speculation that set James Rollins’ books apart.

When Jim is not writing, touring, giving seminars, or making presentations, he can be found spelunking, scuba diving, hiking, and/or traveling. Jim and his two- and four-legged family members live amid chew toys and paleontological treasures in Northern California.

This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by OCPL’s quarterly Book Club Social. For more information on this and other upcoming author events, please call Karen Moore at 910.455.7350, ext 242 or visit OCPL online at www.onslowcountync.gov/library. For more information on James Rollins, please visit www.jamesrollins.com.

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Second on the list: Soldier-Artist

October 15th, 2011, 7:00 pm by

Among the books by local authors reporter Aniesa Holmes has aquired over her years working at The Daily News is “Soldier-Artist” by Julius Z. Farago.

Read an article Aniesa did on Farago in 2010 here.

According to the back of the book, Farago was born in 1930 in Ethiopa and crashed the Communist border under fire when he was 18.

The book is described as a “compelling, first-hand account of one man’s yearning for freedom from Nazi and Communist dictatorships…” on it’s cover.

I hope that’s accurate, because I’m really looking forward to this.

Posted in: Soldier Artist • The reading list | Post a Comment »

My opinion: Best one yet

October 14th, 2011, 12:07 pm by

Nicholas Sparks’ new release, “The Best of Me,” may not leave you with tears streaming down your face, but it’s definitely worth reading.

In my opinion, it’s Sparks’ best one yet (probably because I didn’t go through a box of tissues while reading it)

The novel has all that Sparks is known for: Heart break, tragedy, love, a bit of God and quotes worth writing down. But this one’s different. It’s not based solely on two people. Instead, you get a sense of how everything and everyone is tied together in the grand scheme of things and, sometimes, folks need that reminder.

Just a few things:

1. I love that the human side of people was shown in this novel: vices, violence, crappy decisions and hard decisions all make an appearance.

2. I love that the story line didn’t include the typical “someone has life threatening illness and dies” part of his novels that many men  who do not love his books as I do hate.

3. I LOVE this quote from Amanda’s mother:

“Don’t take my advice. Or anyones advice. Trust yourself. For good or for bad, happy or unhappy, its your life and what you do with it has always been entirely up to you.”

In my personal opinion, that quote should be on the fridge of every young adult in America because that’s one thing I know I struggle with. At 25, I’ve been a legal adult for years but I don’t feel like an adult 95 percent of the time. I still feel like on Thursday nights I should be at a club drinking with classmates, not in bed exhausted from working all week.

But I digress.

Sparks fans and haters, what did you like about “The Best of Me”?

Posted in: Nicholas Sparks • The Best of Me | Post a Comment »

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