This book has a fantastic cover that initially drew me to it. The idea of an adult man reconnecting with a childhood love of building bricks was also fascinating. It's billed as a memoir, or at least that was what I thought it was, and has elements of a "project memoir" wherein the author delves into a certain subject or theme with a goal in mind. In this case, Jonathan Bender wanted to research AFOLs (adult fan of LEGO) as well as become one himself. But I would call LEGO: A Love Story more of a researched book than a memoir. Yes, Bender shares some of his personal experiences, and the story is told through his eyes as he joins LEGO conventions and tours the headquarters in Denmark and the U.S. headquarters in Connecticut, ...
Category Archives: Men’s Interest
The Council of Dads
When Bruce Feiler is diagnosed with cancer, he wonders what his two young daughters would do if he wasn't around. That led to his idea of forming a "council of dads" to be his voice. The Council of Dads is not at all maudlin, as a book written by a guy at a time when he is pondering/fearing his own death might be. It's really a story about men -- men's friendships and fatherhood specifically. Feiler tells the story of his "lost year" (the year he underwent treatment) with letters that he wrote to friends detailing how the family was handling each step of treatment, chapters introducing each of the men he invites to join the council and telling about how he met them, and flashbacks to early life with his wife and daughters. It was well-written, interesting, ...
Chicken Soup for Mom and Dad
The calendar may only say April right now, but before we know it, we shall soon be celebrating those wonderful people we call Mom and Dad. The folks at Chicken Soup for the Soul have the calendar in mind with their two latest releases, Thanks Mom: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love, and Good Times and NASCAR: 101 Stories of Family, Fortitude, and Fast Cars. With a foreword and personal story written by Joan Lunden, Thanks Mom is full of stories of motherly love and the appreciation expressed by their children. When I became a mother myself, I found myself looking at my own mom with new eyes, and I believe we all need to remember to say a resounding THANKS! to our moms... and not just on her special day in May. Reading these lovely ...
Children of Dust: A Memoir of Pakistan
Children of Dust is sort of "A Memoir of Pakistan" as the subtitle suggests, as we follow the author from Pakistan to the U.S. and back. But the most appealing part of this story to me was the coming-of-age angle. I chuckled in recognition as the teen and young adult Ali Eteraz was always convinced that whatever viewpoint he held was THE right viewpoint and the one that everyone should hold. It is also a religious memoir, and for that reason, I would think that a more telling subtitle would have been "A Memoir of Islam" (although, to be fair, the fact that he is a Pakistani Muslim is very important). Every decision that he makes -- who to date, how to find the date, how to dress -- is made in relation to his religion, and where he is ...
Father’s Day Giveaway 3: Manly Men
Our Father's Day Giveaway 2 dealt with some inspiring stories that also happened to be pretty manly (an extreme sportsman and a farmer), and today we are offering more of the same. Blue Ice by Frank Ewert Blue Ice is a collection of 6 short stories about Canadian Hockey. Written by Frank Ewert (himself a Canadian) and published by Canon Press, this is a quick but action packed read. Somewhat surprisingly (from my experience with Canon Press) there is some foul language included. It is randomly thrown in here and there. Other than that, the book remains completely unobjectionable as Ewert shares his lifelong love of this particular game through fictional (and otherwise) characters. He dedicates this book to his father who "taught [him] to love his wife, work ...
Father’s Day Giveaway 2:
Books to Inspire from Harper Collins
Books serve many purposes. They help us escape, they give us instruction, and often they inspire. This giveaway package offers a selection of three books from men have inspiration to share. Enter to win here, but keep these books in mind this week as you are doing some last-minute shopping for the fathers on your list. Start Where you Are by Chris Gardner I enjoyed the movie based on Chris Gardner's story about pulling himself and his small son out of homelessness, The Pursuit of Happyness. So although I don't usually read "how to succeed in life" sort of books, I was curious about his new book Start Where You Are, and thought that he had earned the right to give "Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" as the ...
Outcasts United
Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town is the story of a soccer team made up of refugees living in small town Clarkston, Georgia, as told by the New York Times journalist Warren St. John. The book documents the struggle between the town and the large influx of refugee inhabitants, and tells the story of how the coach, Luma Mufleh worked tirelessly to help these boys transition into American culture, by giving them a taste of home on the soccer field, along with moral support of their families, and tutoring to help them stay on track in school. The team tutor is quoted as saying that people put Luma on a pedestal for the way she's reached these kids and their families, and she thinks that's the wrong attitude. She said, "One person can't do everything. ...
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Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor -
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