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  • Winter 2018 Book Picks January 24 2018

    Winter 2018 Book Picks, What I ReadFour of the best books I've read this winter.

    Four Books to Read This Fall October 29 2016

    Four Books to Read This Fall, Graham Nash, Jackie O, Tattoos on the Heart

    Here are a couple of books I've been listening to while working production at my studio. I listen via the Audible app or through the Overdrive app. The Overdrive app let's you read and listen to books you borrow from your library. You can listen while commuting, getting your workout in, making dinner or folding laundry (which makes that fun task go by MUCH faster).

    1. If you liked All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr or The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins read

    The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - I've been listening to The Goldfinch for about a year and a half now. It's long at 32 hours of listening! Have you ever read two or three books at a time? That's me with The Goldfinch. I've listened to other books in around listening to this one but keep coming back to it here and there. The book is very detailed but engaging. I have to be in the mood for it which is why I've gone back and forth between this and other books. Donna Tartt doesn't disappoint and if you're an avid reader you've likely read her other books The Secret History or The Little Friend.

    2. If you liked Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill or What Remains by Carole Radziwill then read:

    Jacqueline Kennedy: Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy, edited by Michael Beschloss. I highly reccomend listening to this book rather than reading it because it includes the actual audio from an extensive interview given by Jackie Kennedy in 1964 just months after JFK was assassinated. The interview, conducted by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., includes over eight hours of audio featuring Jackie Kennedy sharing her thoughts on her life with JFK. The tapes were previously sealed and then released in 2011 with permission from Caroline Kennedy. They were edited by presidential historian Michael Beschloss. It's incredibly fascinating to listen to her speak at length about her life and her husband directly in that time period. 

    3. If you liked The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace by John Paul Lederach or Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me about Meaningful Work and Service by Mary Poplin then read: 

    Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle. Father Greg Boyle shares tales from his experience running a gang intervention program in East Los Angeles. From the publisher: "From ten-year-old Lula we learn the importance of being known and acknowledged. From Pedro we understand the kind of patience necessary to rescue someone from the darkness. In each chapter we benefit from Boyle’s gentle, hard-earned wisdom. These essays about universal kinship and redemption are moving examples of the power of unconditional love and the importance of fighting despair." I found this book perfect for short bursts of listening (car rides, cleaning up the kitchen, etc.) because it has many separate tales united by one powerful theme.

    4. If you liked Long Time Gone by David Crosby or Laurel Canyon by Michael Walker read:

    Wild Tales by Graham Nash - I first learned about this book when I heard Graham Nash promoting it in a radio interview. Something about his voice and accent in that interview was very relaxing which made me want to order it and continue listening to him and his tales. I flew through this book in just two days while doing production. A bit of backstory: my dad is a HUGE Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fan. Growing up I listened to my dad's records and he had every combination of the group from Crosby, Stills, Nash to Stills & Nash, to just Stills, to CSN&Y, etc. Because I am so familiar with this music it was a bit of a no brainer to grab this book and devour it. It's fascinating to listen to Graham Nash's perspective about his career, some fun tales about the 1960s & 70s as well as stories on how their songs came to life.