Books aren’t going out of style. They are just taking on a different format. Here is a way to give a book and preserve some memories for generations to come. If you ever wondered what to give someone who has everything, this might be the answer.
How to Paint Chickens or The Way My Life Was and How it is Now, the main title of Vladimir A. Shvartsman’s book, is not a course in modern art – he literally painted chickens during his youth for identification purposes. Growing up in rural Russia, dirt poor and learning the ins-and-outs of responsibility, he would put a chicken “to sleep” by tucking its head under its wing, and swinging it back and forth like a pendulum.
There is a real group of “different” men, those that like to wear women’s clothing – the cross dresser. When the man turns out to be “your husband” falling within this group, The Cross Dresser’s Wife, by Dee A. Levy and B. Sheffield Hunt, is the resource you need which is written to help guide you through the stages of confusion, depression, and anxiety all too common among women shocked by this harsh realization.
Hollywood biographer Darwin Porter has outdone himself with Hell’s Angel. His previous two intimate portraits, of Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, set a new standard for detailed, tell-all biographies. Now, with 814 pages on Howard Hughes, “America’s Notorious Bisexual Billionaire,” Porter raises the literary bar again.
Author Darwin Porter, following his remarkable 2003 book on the private life of Humphrey Bogart, has surpassed himself with this incredibly detailed biography of Katharine Hepburn, one of the 20th century’s premier stage and movie stars. “Write anything about me you like,” she told Porter, “just don’t ever tell the truth.” Sorry, Kate. Here comes the truth. Although Katharine the Great catalogs her work on 25 films up until 1950, including how close she came to landing the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, the author focuses on what happened behind the movie camera – on the set and off. And in the bedroom.
Honor Few Fear None is the riveting, true life story of Ruben Cavazos and his life as past President of the Mongols Outlaw motorcycle club. Some people may be surprised to find that Ruben leads a double life as an extremely intelligent, productive member of the community, as well as, the former head of one of the world’s most notorious motorcycle clubs. Only you can decide whether they were the outlaws that law enforcement made them out to be or just a bunch of misunderstood motorcycle enthusiasts.
Barbara Waite’s biography of her grandmother’s experience teaching in a one room Arizona schoolhouse is a labor of love. Elsie: Adventures of an Arizona Schoolteacher celebrates the state’s centennial.
Odds are, you’ve heard the classic 1979 Pop and R&B tune, “We Are Family,” by Sister Sledge, co-written by Nile Rodgers of the 70s R&B group, Chic. Rodgers released his memoir in October, entitled “Le Freak,” named after Chic’s 1978 smash hit. Go behind the music scene with Edwards as he details working with industry legends, including David Bowie, Madonna and Diana Ross. Le Freak is more than another narrative about a self-indulgent musician. It’s a story of the human spirit’s ability to self reinvent…
Helen Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated an extremely popular series of books for children that included ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ (written in 1902), ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’ (written in 1903) as well as ‘The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies’ (written in 1909). Beatrix was born in London on the 28th July 1866. With watercolor illustrations, her simple stories for a child recounted the adventures of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit and other delightful characters.
This book had a lot going for it when I looked it over prior to making the purchase. Unfortunately, it proved disappointing. I found it overly focused on Ms. Leifer’s lesbianism, Judaism, weight, wrinkles, feminine hygiene issues and boring family relationships. I might be quoting a line the writer herself came up with in saying this, but let me make an important point before continuing: “Not that there’s anything wrong with (any of) that! Anyway, that’s just me. I can’t say I wasn’t warned. In his book jacket blurb, Bill Maher specifically noted that this book is “made for a woman.” So, I accept responsibility-what was I thinking?
