Raise your hand if you are a data nerd just like me. If you are, then you will love this episode of Shelf Life. I had the privilege of chatting with Pulitzer Prize winning author and data expert Walt Hickey about his amazing book ‘You Are What You Watch’ which came out last October.
Warning: you will be mesmerized by this book and it won't take you long to appreciate Walt's perfect mix of research, deep reporting and 100 - yes 100 - data visualizations created by the equally talented and amazing Heather Jones. Anyone who loves films and TV shows and appreciates the data behind them will be hooked.
Did you know that Paramount spent more on Tom Cruise than every plane, carrier and base in Top Gun? Or that after Jurassic Park was released in 1993, university physical science departments were mobbed? Just two examples of the thousands of facts that you will learn and enjoy when you read 'You Are What You Watch.'
I promise that you will never look at a movie or TV show the same way again!
11 Sept 2024
Author Attica Locke - The Highway 59 Series
Attica Locke knows Texas although she hasn't lived in the Lone Star State for almost three decades. She also wears many hats: New York Times best-selling author, screenwriter, TV producer for shows like Empire and Little Fires Everywhere, mother, wife, daughter and sister.
I’ve been a huge fan of Attica’s for many years and it all started with a book: Bluebird, Bluebird, the award-winning 2017 thriller that will captivate you from the first line and stay with you after the last one. The characters are beautifully flawed, the settings transport you and evoke every sense, and the twists and turns will leave you stunned and amazed.
The Highway 59 series - which starts with Bluebird, Bluebird and ends (spoiler) with Guide Me Home, gives readers the opportunity to follow Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger, who knows first-hand the power and mystery of East Texas. It’s an incredible series and the perfect antidote to homesickness.
For our chat, Attica and I talked about what the word ‘home’ means to her, why we need to look to the past for inspiration and what books she would want next to hers on a shelf. Great literature frozen in time.
Buy the Highway 59 Series at your favorite local independent bookstore. Here is one of my favorites: https://www.blackpearlbookstore.com/
28 May 2021
Author Monica West - Revival Season
If you are looking for a stunning debut, look no further than 'Revival Season' by Monica West. This book is truly magical and I'm not the only one who thinks so:
'Spellbinding debut' - The Washington Post
'Invigorating novel' - The New York Times
'Must-ready for May' - Barnes and Noble
‘Revival Season’ is all of those things and more. When you pick up this book and join 15-year-old Miriam Horton on her physical and spiritual journeys, you’ll quickly understand why so many people, including me, love this book.
Miriam and her family pack up every summer and travel through small Southern towns for revival season: the time when Reverend Samuel Horton, Miriam’s father, holds massive healing services for local communities. Whether people need healing for ailments and disease or just want to witness Reverend Horton’s powers, each revival season is one to be remembered.
And the memories aren’t always good ones. When Miriam witnesses a shocking act of violence after a healing session, she calls into question everything that she’s known to be true. Her confusion only grows as she begins to discover her own ability to heal. But this ability and power is denied to women, right?
Throughout the book, Miriam struggles with her special ability, forcing her to decide between her religion, family and power. Should she disobey her father and potentially save others or should she deny her true gifts as a healer and woman?
This book is about faith, feminism, and how our natural abilities can help us build strong, sturdy foundations for the future , even when our belief system is crumbling around us.
I loved ‘Revival Season’ and my chat with Monica so much. We talked about the book’s beautifully complex characters, the relationship between mother and daughter, the violence and anger that occurs throughout the book and what it means to have a special healing power.
Check out the events on Monica's website: https://monicawestwrites.com/
Buy 'Revival Season' at your local independent bookstore. Here is one of my favorites: https://blackpearlbookstore.com/
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
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