Rhode Island revealed: with humor, grit, and tears
589645
A first novel from someone who surely knows RI, its excellent newspaper, and its never-ending corruption.  Liam Mulligan, Our Hero, is a skilled and relentless investigative reporter, looking to solve a series of murderous arson fires. Anything more would be a plot-spoiler. Read it.
1607920
This is without a doubt my favorite history of Newport, RI.  Much of my own research has been on the colonial era in Newport, and this is one of the resources I have come back to again and again.  It is beautifully written and exquisitely concise.  A must read for any one who wants understand revolutionary war politics better.
1889663
An amazing debut novel from native New Yorker Eddie Joyce, this story traces the history of the Irish-Italian-American Amendola family of Staten Island and their grief over the loss of their son/brother/husband, Bobby, a firefighter who died on 9-11. The characters are complex, yet very real -- they will be familiar to anyone who grew up in the outer boroughs of New York. Given the novel's plot, it is no surprise that it has moments of heart-wrenching sadness; but there are just as many moments of joy and downright hilarity. I highly recommend this book.
1969253
The Hawaiian Islands have long been a place of exotic richness. But, visitors have brought disease to the islands, one disease being leprosy. The appearance of lesions can send you to a special hospital, destroy your family, and eventually send you to Moloka'i, the leper colony.

Rachel Kalama is six years old when she has to say goodbye to her uncle. It seems that leprosy has claimed him and she misses him. But, a year later, Rachel is in the same predicament. As her parents try to hide the two lesions, a hastily said slur from her sister rips Rachel from her family. Thus begins Rachel's journey into something no seven year old should have to face. Moloka'i becomes her home, and while Rachel has many difficult moments, her youthful resiliency wins. Through the horrors, setbacks, and poignant scenes, Rachel shines through as an example of living. If you choose to take this journey to Moloka'i, you may find your life changed. Why not come listen to Rachel tell her story?

This is a wonderfully poignant book full of good and bad times, happy and sad times, and a good deal of history. I came to love the many characters I met and felt sorrow when one died. The descriptions of leprosy can be intense, but add so much to the richness of the story. Living life to the fullest seems to be an overriding theme here. I recommend this book to individual readers as well as groups. There is so much to discuss here!
3921540
If you want to know anything intimate about the folks
who dwell and stand out in Provincetown, you must read this
book.

Not only informative, but totally exciting and it would
interest anyone in its close details of the lives of the
people there. In fact, most of their names, telelphone
numbers and addresses are in the Cape Cod telephone books:
Orleans and Hyannis.

Norman Mailer, Jay Critchley and others are discussed, also a famous murder, Christa Worthington, and more.

Traveling to P'Town and Cape Cod is a bit expensive, coming
from Central MA where I live, but if I could, I'd be happy
as a writer to travel there often to interview some of the
well known people there.
1852798
This is a riveting and often hilarious account of former Mayor Buddy Cianci's terms as Mayor of Providence.  It is hard to put the book down once you pick it up, and anyone who loves politics will love this book.

Some of the things he recommends to Mayors are text book examples of how to succesfully run a city:  aggressively seek and recruit new business, attract new restaurants as a symbol of how well your city is doing, and, above all, work hard every day of your term to be out meeting the public.  Cianci, was everywhere, and had relentless energy and drive.  His account on how to prepare for a snow storm was right on the money, and should be required reading for every new Mayor.

Reading the book you understand why some people of Providence, despite Buddy having been twice convicted of serious offenses, still revere him.

The best parts of the book aren't his grand plans and visions, which have been well documented elsewhere.  The best reading were his personal relations, his feuds, and his accounts of his efforts to settle scores.  Some of it is not what we want our elected officials to do, but all of it is well written and entertaining.  His account about his efforts to get his nephews into a prominent Ivy League school was so hilarious that that it makes the reader-- just for a moment-- forget that we do not want our elected officials using the power of government to benefit themselves and their families.

Being the Mayor of a small city, I read biographies of Mayors all the time-- and this ranks as one of the best.
2565079
Having grown up Jewish in NYC definitely contributes to the fact that I enjoyed reading Dough. This is a memoir about an extremely dysfunctional family told in a matter of fact style that lends a bit of humor to an otherwise sad history. The author portrayed his family in such detail that I felt I knew each family member and could identify with most of them. I loved the nostalgia of revisiting the city I grew up in.
3648089
Who knew kitchens were so rock n roll?  This narrative trips along with both humor and grit.  I recognized many of the characters from my days working in the hotel business.  Anthony Bourdain paints a vivid picture.  Couldn't put it down.
2549194
Ganja Man

Ron McDonough has portrayed a larger than life, true character that will tickle your funny bone, send you to a Jamaican field map, and rekindle memories of desire against a tale of survival. Aaron Thompson or Storm is a likable rogue driven to succeed despite a struggling, poverty stricken childhood, prison escapes, selling pot, first to the local fishermen followed by questionable business partners. We follow the development of the marijuana trade from Jamaica to the U.S. through Storms successes and failures on land and sea. Life is punctuated by pithy, philosophical pronouncements, cry, cry to God till ya reach ya grave. This is a modern day Zorba the Greek. Storm matches the corruption of Babylon (the police) with his own unscrupulous tactics. McDonough, a piece o pork (white man), was completely taken into Storms confidence and has written an engaging, entertaining book that reads as much as a Graham Greene novel as well as Caribbean history.
452034
I just loved this book. It is humorous, witty, inspirational and truly captures the essense of life in New England. If you're looking to laugh at the absurdities of life and chuckle with T.W. as he shares holidays with the in-laws and debates whether he can sell items at a yard sale from inside his garage, this book is a must. I've recommended this book to my non-New England friends and all have truly enjoyed it.
386706
I liked how descriptive this book was, it was easy to enter in and relate to the characters. Also, I liked that the author wrote about how things are, not how they should be. This book is full of emotion and honesty, and it's surprisingly gritty and humorous.
3210235
This is a beautifully written book.  Having been a frequent visitor to Hawaii I've often wondered about the 'real' Hawaii behind the tourist veneer of glitz, surfers and barbecue buffets. The stories are gritty, providing the reader with an insight into the warmth, love and pride in the hard life people living on the edge of paradise endure.
4834214
This was an excellent show. The characters are all well-drawn and completely believable.  The acting was superb, including every member of the supporting cast.  Comparing the parallel lives of gangster brother Michael with politician brother Tommy and showing how their two worlds collide and occasionally overlap was quintessential Providence, RI, the town that was run by Buddy Cianci, who eventually served 4 years in Federal Prison.
4155216
As I read this, I remembered the drudgery of my first minimum-wage jobs, empathizing every time an impatient customer demanded a refund, and really reexamine the privilege in my life that allowed me to leave those jobs behind. It includes a cast with a wide range of experiences and perspectives, each uniquely endearing and all united by feeling trapped by the professional options available to them. Readers will be riveted as they wonder if these characters will make it through, and the more reflective will wonder what they might do in the characters' place.

As the Pizza Burns is definitely a worthwhile read; the nerd references and humor keep it light, while the characters bring home some hard truths of modern life in a very compelling way. Plus, I'll be singing that unofficial Pizza Corp theme song for the rest of my friggin' life.
3738181
I grew up in Eastern Oregon and I know these people.  Froman has drawn unique portraits of real characters.  All the grit, prejudice, honor and strength of real country are here. And the laughs - you could bust a gut!  By the time you finish this book, these people will be family and you'll wonder how they're getting along as you go to sleep.  In a small town, everybody knows everybody and somebody knows all your secrets.
1612660
Ann Patchetts COMMONWEALTH depicts two families, each with multiple children, who become embroiled in each others lives. It all begins at one of the families youngest daughters christening and life will never be the same for the course of many years to come for both sets of parents and all of their children. The children are bound to each other through their shared homes and memories.

Patchett was interviewed by Parnassus Books, the bookstore that she co-owns in Nashville, for the stores blog, and was quoted as saying when asked if this novel is closest to home: [Or, as my mother said.] None of it happened and all of its true.

Whether any of COMMONWEALTH is based on Patchetts experiences, she has woven a great tale  deep with characters who come alive on the page, you feel their regrets and their pain. The disappointment of what some oftheir lives could have been and what they are fearful of. It is so rich with description that you can visualize a scene as if it were taking place in front of you and dialogue that resonates like you are part of the conversation.

There are so many familiar issues going on including shared secrets, sibling rivalry, divorce, adoration, revealing secrets, and each one takes an ugly turn, or maybe just a turn, in these two families lives that makes for a riveting, sprinkled with humor, story.

This is a book not to be missed.
3830714
Having a long time interest in Rhode Island's railroad history, I was excited to learn about Mr. Heppner's new book.  This book did not disappoint as it covers the entire history of every rail line in the state from its formation to today - including all of the short lines in the states history.  Having read many of the books listed in the bibliography for this book,  I still found there was still a lot of new information that the author was able to glean from locals as well as his personal experience heading the Friends of the Kingston Station.  Overall, the book is an entertaining read and offers a number of stories about the formation and operation of the rail lines in the state.  If you enjoy the history of New England's railroads, it should be on your book shelf.