“Capsules: 'Noah's Compass' and other book reviews - Trentonian” plus 1 more

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Capsules: 'Noah's Compass' and other book reviews - Trentonian Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:32 PM PST By The Associated Press Click to enlarge In this book cover image released by St. Martin's Press, "The Murderer's Daughters" , by Randy Susan Meyers, is shown. (AP Photo/St. Martin's Press) "The Murderer's Daughters" (St. Martin's Press, 320 pages, $24.99), by Randy Susan Meyers: Lulu's mother told her not to let her father in the apartment, but it's hard for a 10-year-old to say "no" to a parent. So Lulu opened the door and then ran for help as her father stabbed her mother and sister. Death comes quickly in "The Murderer's Daughter," Randy Susan Meyers' debut novel. Within pages, Lulu's mother is dead, her father is in prison and her 5-year-old sister, Merry, is recovering in a hospital. Then the girls are shuttled rapidly from their grandmother's home to an orphanage to a foster home. Lulu, desperate to leave behind the stigma of being a murderer's daughter, orders Merry to tell everyone their parents died in a car crash — and shuts herself off from most close relationships. Meyers' writing is dramatic without being overdone, and the plot is eminently plausible. Lulu buries her grief in schoolwork and eventually becomes a successful doctor. She marries the son of an alcoholic who, like Lulu, just wants a peaceful home and a quiet life. — By M.L. Johnson "Noah's Compass" (Alfred A. Knopf, 277 pages, $25.95), by Anne Tyler: Anne Tyler takes ordinary people and shows the reader how fascinating they can be. In her latest novel, "Noah's Compass," Liam Pennywell, a very laid-back man of 61 who has just been fired. Like the biblical Noah, who rode the waters of the great flood without a compass, Pennywell has drifted through life. His personal philosophy is to avoid anything that will take an emotional toll. He tries to make the announcement of his job termination easy on his boss and moves quickly to cut expenses. Far more distressing is a missing spot in his memory. It's a constant worry. Pennywell's life takes a turn when he meets a "rememberer," a young woman who helps an elderly businessman ward off his failure to remember things, and hits on the idea that she can help him. This is Tyler's 18th novel, and if not on a level with her best, she's very much at home in her funny, sad tale of wasted moments and unexamined lives. — By Mary Foster. "Just Kids" (Ecco, 304 pages, $27) by Patti Smith: "Just Kids," the new memoir by Patti Smith, recalls the life she shared with Robert Mapplethorpe. While Smith sometimes veils her meaning in poetic flourishes, a touching tale of love and devotion — part-Sid and Nancy, part-Romeo and Juliet — shines through the semantic haze. She portrays herself and Mapplethorpe as star-crossed lovers united and ultimately divided. From their modest beginnings in an apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y., Smith became a rock 'n' roll star, marrying poetry and music on the stage, while Mapplethorpe blossomed into an acclaimed and highly controversial photographer. They had a relationship rich with love — and a hunger for art — that lasted nearly a year. Their romance burned quickly, and soon Mapplethorpe retreated into himself, dismayed by his growing sexual desire for men. By 1968, he had fled to San Francisco. When they met again in New York, he was involved in an intimate relationship with a man. "Just Kids" is a touching recollection, but far too sympathetic to Mapplethorpe. Smith is quick to forgive his sexual indiscretions, and often dismisses his emotional reclusiveness as the price for loving an artist. Perhaps the duo didn't have as much time for each other after career and families, something Smith tacitly alludes to by not revealing many details about that period. But there are enough details about their life together to satisfy the reader, despite the omission. By Ryan McLendon.   Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

"Heartbreak Bootcamp NYC"; An Extraordinary Six Week Program to Get ... - YAHOO! Posted: 22 Jan 2010 03:35 AM PST This intense, tough but compassionate "bootcamp" pushes healing into overdrive in a group setting where members can find and give support. (PRWEB) January 22, 2010 -- For many the road to recovery after a breakup is long, lonely and tedious. Not knowing where to turn or how to start can leave one in shambles, or worse, lead one to another bad relationship or into self-destructive behavior. Leading the bootcamp will be Susan J. Elliott, the author of "Getting Past Your Breakup: How To Turn A Devastating Loss Into The Best Thing That Ever Happened To You." The bootcamp will give you the push you need to get over this loss and get on with building a great life. The bootcamp is designed with two goals in mind: 1) help people learn everything about moving past a breakup and building a wonderful life; and 2) teach participants how to give and get compassion, understanding and, yes, tough love. Like the Getting Past Your Breakup book the bootcamps are inclusive without regard to gender, sexual orientation, or length of relationship. Ms. Elliott's book, seminars and blog are well-known for "telling it like it is" and helping people move past their breakup. Her no-nonsense approach has helped many people through the extremely difficult post-breakup period and onto bigger and better things. One former seminar student explains, "She tells you, flat-out, when you're screwing up or being a victim but is patient and kind when you're trying your hardest. You can trust her feedback because she's extraordinarily gifted in knowing what you need and when you need it." All the book reviews are very positive and the readers have given it 5 stars across the board on Amazon. But so many seek her personal guidance. Elliott explains, "I started the bootcamps in response to people requesting personal attention and private coaching. While private coaching is available by email and in person, I think people learn more and progress quicker in a group setting. I can not only teach them how to get on with their own lives but how to give and get support which is so important for a healthy life. So if they live in or near New York City, I encourage them to come to the group." The bootcamps start in March, one night a week for six weeks and are limited to 8-10 participants. Currently there are plans for a Tuesday bootcamp and a Thursday bootcamp, but due to the interest, other nights and weekends are being considered as well. If you cannot make the Tuesday or Thursday group, please inquire about other nights (and Saturdays) because they are being added all the time. For more information go to http://www.GettingPastYourBreakup.com and click on "Heartbreak Bootcamp" in the header. # # # SUSAN ELLIOTT 646-539-8582 E-mail Information Trackback URL: http://prweb.com/pingpr.php/SW5zZS1TdW1tLUhvcnItQ291cC1IYWxmLVBpZ2ctWmVybw== Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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