Neil Gamon Announces House on the Rock American Gods Weekend

Neil Gamon's American Gods to Return to House on the Rock?
By Alan Eggleston, writer, editor, bookseller


Neil Gamon, award-winning author of the immensely popular Coraline book (and movie) and The Graveyard Book just announced via Twitter (@Neilhimself) a House on the Rock American Gods Halloween weekend.


Gamon featured House on the Rock as the setting for his 2001 novel, American Gods. You can read more about the October 29 and 30 event and a little bit of the background on the House of the Rock blog. This sounds like a wonderful event if you liked the book and you like his works.


I visited House on the Rock many times as a college student, when my parents moved to Madison, Wisconsin. I actually attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, then spent holidays and summers in Madison. My parents lived in Madison until about 1985, and we would go to the House on the Rock near Dodgeville, Wisconsin, as it grew in size and complexity every year. The House on the Rock is a modern architectural splendor that sits atop a rock pillar, but it is but a small part of what became a much larger collection of wonderful artifacts of invention and art, including pneumatically driven instruments, a large room filled with doll houses, a gigantic clock and the world's largest carousel. Last I knew, it was a county park property that people could pay to go inside and tour -- and well worth the price of admission.


Correction
With reference to the statement that the House on the Rock was a county park property.  The House on the Rock was built and operated by Alex Jordan until he sold it in December, 1988 to Arthur T. Donaldson, a Janesville, WI businessman and friend of Alex.  It has always been under private ownership.

We are looking forward to Neil Gamon's return to the House on the Rock!

-A. Donaldson, June 22, 2010-

Review Disclosures: Commission may be paid on purchase from book links only.

A Beverage for All Seasons

A Glass of Wine, a Good Book, and Thee...
By Alan Eggleston, bookseller and wine seller?


We are quickly moving from the hot tea, coffee, or cocoa and a good book season into the iced tea, coffee, or soft drink season. The combination that bridges all seasons is a good book and a savory glass of wine. After a long day at the office or behind the counter, nothing relaxes like a well chosen glass of wine, and nothing takes us away from the cares of the world like an adventure into the other world of the book.


Some Suggestions
Set back on your lounger with your romance novel and a glass of Rose and a chocolate.

Cava Rose Duo with Godiva 8-piece Chocolates - Wine Collection Gift


Follow the clues in your mystery novel with a variety of snacks and a delicious Pinto Gris from Oregon.

Harry & David Party Pack - Gourmet Gift Basket


All these available from wine.com with great deals on wines. (Commissions may be paid on purchases.)

Back to the Basics of Faith

Book Review: The Year of Living Like Jesus
By Alan Eggleston, writer, editor, and bookseller


My usual Lent is spent trying to avoid something: chocolate, fattening foods, or something else that I like but that isn't good for me. I usually fail, and early into Lent I give up. Often, Lent is disappointing because I set myself up from the beginning to fail. This year, rather than take something away that I'm destined to give in to, I decided to give myself into something from the beginning: reading something that might enrich me spiritually.


I stumbled into The Year of Living Like Jesus by Ed Dobson on the new books table as I walked into Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, MI. The idea of living like Jesus intrigued me, and I wondered how a pastor of an evangelical wing of a traditionalist Protestant church would approach the subject. I am Roman Catholic, so I was wary of buying a book that might easily spend more time exploring the ills of Catholicism than how Jesus lived, but that's not the way Dobson approached the topic. He really explores Jesus' life and times, and he explores it through the practices of various other faiths including Roman Catholicism, the Orthodox Church, and Judaism. I found I actually had much in common with Dobson that I didn't expect to, and I learned a lot about Jesus, his own faith, and the times he lived through, as well as other faiths and peoples. This is a deeply personal journey made more resonate because of his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). 


This book isn't at all preachy, for anyone who might shy away from such a read for that concern. It is an exploration of a man's personal faith through exploring the roots of Christianity. It is full of interesting insights. It is written by a man of amazing wisdom and observation, who isn't afraid to buck convention. 


The one fault I found with the book is that the chapter on July is very short. He didn't spend much time exploring the topic that month and I felt a little jilted. Otherwise, I felt The Year of Living Like Jesus was a valued read. I hope to reread it next year, but to read it over a year, month by month, trying to prolong the sense of his experience by spending more time thinking about what he went through instead of speeding through it for one Lenten season.


Find me on Twitter: @BizBooksPlus @AlanEggleston @a_copywriter


Review Disclosure. No compensation received for reviewing this book or author. Link to book above through my online bookstore: commission may be paid for purchase.

I Support Google Fiber for Grand Rapids

I support Google Fiber for Grand Rapids, a movement to encourage technology leader Google to build their incredibly fast test fiber optic broadband network in Grand Rapids. If you haven't already joined the Google Fiber for Grand Rapids Facebook Fan page, please do so today. And please go to the  Google Fiber page to nominate Grand Rapids for this program.

Google already has offices in Ann Arbor, so it would make sense to expand their reach into Michigan by coming to Grand Rapids for this test. They are also working with Grand Rapids independent book store Schuler Books printing books-on-demand with their Espresso Book Machine at the 28th street store from Google's vast repertoire of Google Books, so they have connections here.

Furthermore, Grand Rapids' medical, art, technology, university, and other data-heavy industries makes it an ideal candidate for Google Fiber. What they need is our encouragement and examples of why we'd make suitable partners. 

And follow Google Fiber for Grand Rapids on Twitter: @GoogleFiber4GR

Cesar’s Way Becomes My Way

Book Review: Cesar’s Way
By Alan Eggleston, writer, editor, and bookseller

In the summer of 2008, we bought a Scottish terrier from a breeder in the Thumb area of Michigan and brought her home to West Michigan. For the 32 years my wife and I had been married, we had always owned Scottish terriers and they had always proved to be a loving, quiet, loyal family pets. They were always standard black Scotty, but calm. This year, our 22 year old daughter wanted something different, but we weren’t ready to give up on Scotties. The compromise was a different colored Scotty -- wheaten.

McKenzie as a pup.

We were told that McKenzie was the calmest, most endearing of all the litter. Wheaten Scotties are hard to find and we’d gone as far away as Kansas to order one, but the litter failed. Suddenly we found this litter and it was practically in our back yard. And the one puppy not spoken for was the calmest. We brought her home and what developed was a puppy with an attitude. She not only liked to play, it was all she wanted to do. She was always full of pep and energy and she continually nipped at us. Furthermore, nothing on the ground was safe from her, especially tissue paper, including tissue wrapping paper. And nothing discouraged her. She crawled all over us when we kept her with us on the sofa and she wouldn’t settle down. Outside, she barked at everything that moved. When we went somewhere, she barked incessantly. In the mud room where we kept her kennel, she chewed on the woodwork. Paper training was out of the question because it never remained in one piece. 


Then one day I noticed a program on the National Geographic Channel called The Dog Whisperer. At first I was just fascinated, but then I realized the host, Cesar Millan, worked with dogs who often had similar problems to our McKenzie’s. They were never all the same problems, so it took a long time to watch enough programs to knit all the pieces together, but over time I’ve seen close to a complete picture.


Cesar Millan has a website where he also deals with dog “issues” and where you can get help, including books and DVDs. And one day while browsing my favorite book store, I also found three of his books. One of them is Cesar’s Way by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier. I’ve been reading it and trying to apply it to our McKenzie. It’s helped a lot, although McKenzie is still a work in progress. 


What I really appreciate about Cesar’s Way is that Millan explains everything about dogs, their habits, and their way of looking at the world. Then he turns that into solutions for the issues that dogs develop because of the way humans overindulge their pets. It’s about problems and their solutions. And it explains many things you see on The Dog Whisperer but don’t often get expressed. For instance, on the show Millan sometimes puts a doggie saddle on a dog when they go on walks, but he didn’t always explain why it’s effective on the dog. In the book, he explains that the dog looks at carrying a saddle as doing a job and it accepts the psychology of going on a walk more easily by wearing one (it isn’t always necessary, because going on a walk is a job in itself).


Cesar’s Way contains helpful recommendations along with their sound reasoning. It also contains examples stories of real people and their dogs that show how his theories and solutions apply. And it contains diagrams and pictures showing how to do certain things. 


I’m glad I ran into The Dog Whisperer and I’m glad I ran into Cesar’s Way. I hope I’ll be able to find solutions to McKenzie's "attitude" by applying all I’m learning from both. If you have a dog with “issues” I’d highly recommend both. Also available: Cesar’s Way Deck 50 Tips for Training and Understanding Your Dog (like flashcards or index cards for quick reference.)

(Note: I just discovered I had written this some time ago and forgotten to post it. I have since bought two more Cesar Millan books that I will review in the future. This guy is amazing. If you have cable TV or satellite TV and access to the National Geographic Channel, watch The Dog Whisperer and see the amazing work he does with dogs and their owners.)

Review Disclosure. No compensation received for reviewing this book, program, or channel. Commissions may be paid for purchases made from book links made through Amazon.com. I bought the book I reviewed. Books also available on Cesar Millan's website.

Follow me on Twitter: @Booksville.

When Will There Be Good News? in Paperback Week of January 11

Book Review: Kate Atkinson's Third Jackson Brodie Novel
By Kate Eggleston, avid reader


Coming soon to a comfy chair near you? The third in a series of highly acclaimed novels featuring private investigator Jackson Brodie, When Will There Be good News?, by Kate Atkinson, is available at book stores this week. 


This was my first reading of a Kate Atkinson novel. It follows her two national bestsellers, Case Histories and One Good Turn. Unfortunately, I wonder if it will follow popular suit when it hits the bookshelves.

Available January 11 in trade paper (larger paperback), When Will There Be Good News? begins with a scene that shocks and takes your breath away with its violence, yet loses steam as it takes its sweet time picking up momentum afterward. If you are patient, you are rewarded with a more satisfying second half, wherein the pace picks up with a more suspenseful read and a surprising end.


I wish this were a better crafted novel, because then I would be tempted to read Atkinson's other two Jackson Brodie novels. However, it took an honest effort to work my way through this book, with its over development of a minor character (Reggie) at the expense of more important characters, and its frequently distracting parenthetical comments. 


I am a big fan of mysteries and thrillers. I was really looking forward to picking up this book, but not finally setting it down. I hope you find it more satisfying.


Review disclosures: Free copy of the book was furnished by the publisher for review before publishing date. No recompense for review. Book links above through our bookstore, for which we may receive commissions for sales.


Follow us on Twitter: @BizBooksPlus

Welcome Kate Eggleston to Our Book Reviews

Book Reviews: Meet My Book Mate 
By Alan Eggleston


As a writer, I'd rather spend my writing time earning an income. As a reader, I'd rather spend it writing book reviews. Unfortunately, the former wins out and I don't get much time to read or review. However, my wife Kate is able to fit in far more books into her schedule than I. So, why not let you benefit from her voracious reading habit.


Thus, I introduce you to Kate Eggleston, avid reader. It's taken me a while to talk her into penning her impressions of the books she reads, but I hope she will do more of it. She's smart, creative, and she reads a lot of different kinds of books. Mysteries, histories, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, romance, biographies, and on and on.


With that, I invite her to take it away. Her first review will be a mystery. Enjoy!


Kate doesn't Twitter yet, but maybe if you invite her here, she will!


Review Disclosures