Book Reviews by Richard Cummings

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Book Review: The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

In this book review of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, I will share with you what I liked, what I didn’t like, and whether this is a book that you should have on your bookshelves or in your Kindle collection.

This is the first book that I have read by Lisa Jewell. I have heard her name, and heard people mention her books, but until now I have never been compelled to read one.

As a picture of food often compels us to visit a restaurant, I will admit I do judge a book by its cover and perhaps that is the reason that I have never before read this Lisa Jewell book.

Why Read?

“Why should I read?”, my older nephew asked me as he was waiting for me to finish my book, eager to get to the pool.

“Reading,” I told him “will teach more about the world you live in.”

“Like what?” he asked.

My Favorite Books

What are your favorite books? This page is filled with my favorite books. Do you like my choices? Let me know what you think in the comments…

Often, a person’s personal library says a lot about them.

I have no idea what mine says about me, but I’d thought I’d share with you some of my favorite books. These are the books that I usually have near the nightstand and am apt to pick up and read time and time again.

Also, as I am traveling now and had to part with physical book collection, this list will be helpful to me as I will be re-buying all of these in their Kindle version so I can take them with me anywhere.

Without further ado, here she is!

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Seven Habits of Highly Effective People [Book Review]

It annoys me that the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is on my favorite book list.

The title itself is manipulative. We as a society are known to respond when given a numbered list.

It’s typical of self-help books to provide you with one directive and then provide 30 supporting pages of evidence, as if you’re a dummy and cannot understand the directive.

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins: The Review [Best Book in Your Life?]

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins may be one of my favorite books of all time.

Tom Robbins combines profound and playful in perfect proportion. Also, he teaches you how to live forever. Two of the remedies are: lots of sex and lots of baths. Two things I love!

Every Tom Robbins book is similar in this respect: expect the unexpected…like utensils having a conversation or a love story that takes place inside a pack of camel cigarettes. I usually would not be a fan of such absurd notions, but with Tom Robbins, it all just works.

Have you ever seen an author speak?

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being Book Review: One of the Best of All Time?

The Unbearable Lightness of Being is an outstanding book and a horrific movie, unless you like depressing European movies with little dialogue that slowly plod along. (If so, make sure you also see 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days).

But really, one of the challenges of life is to live lightly, but not too lightly. Montainge mentions that in his essays:

“The most manifest sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness; her state is like that in the regions above the moon, always clear and serene.”

Magical Thinking by Augusten Burrroughs: A Review

The book Magical Thinking by Augusten Burrroughs may not be his first book, or his most popular, but it’s definitely the best!

The first Augusten Burroughs book that I read was Running With Scissors. This was more of a novel and I enjoyed it. However, after this book, all of his other books have been filled with short stories about his life. I have enjoyed all of them but my favorite is Magical Thinking.

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The Century: Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster [A Review]

If you want to read one of the best books about the 20th century, pick up a copy of The Century by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster.

When the change of the century occurred, many books came out chronicling the 20^th century.

One of the most popular was Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation. My parents have this book on their shelves and I’m sure they enjoy reading the stories of selflessness and patriotism that embodied America back then. I too have read many of these stories and enjoyed them immensely.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand: A Review

You will not often find me endorsing books of an overly serious nature but The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and Atlas Shrugged, for some reason, defy my usually aversion to topics of seriousness and self-absorption.

The Fountainhead is written by Ayn Rand and many of you, yes you, were suppose to read it in one of your college courses. But you didn’t! So, now it’s time to go buy it on Amazon and see what all the fuss is about.

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The Best Poems of the English Language: A Review

If you’re not familiar with the book The Best Poems of the English Language, you may be missing a chance to drastically improve your love life!

I always have a book of poetry by my bed. Ok, yes, that me seem a completely prop, a ruse.

But, I swear, it’s not.

In college, my teacher challenged me to memorize 10 poems of substantial length. If I did, I would get no lower than a B. Perfect, I thought, I will do this and nothing else. I’m comfortable with a B. I’m an English major after all, who cares what my grade point will be when I graduate?