Bare Bones: I'm Not Lonely If You're Reading This Book by Bobby Bones

From Goodreads:

"A touching, funny, heart-wrenching, and triumphant memoir from one of the biggest names in radio, the host of The Bobby Bones Show, one of the most listened-to drive time morning radio shows in the nation.

Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out—a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones, while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ. Bobby’s passions were pop, country music, and comedy, and he blended the three to become a tastemaker in the country music industry, heard by millions daily. Bobby broke the format of standard country radio, mixing country and pop with entertainment news and information, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the business, including Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, and Jason Aldean.

Yet despite the glamour, fame, and money, Bobby has never forgotten his roots, the mom and grandmother who raised him, the work ethic he embraced which saved him and encouraged him to explore the world, and the good values that shaped him. In this funny, poignant memoir told in Bobby’s distinctive patter, he takes fans on a tour of his road to radio. Bobby doesn’t shy away from the curves he continues to navigate—including his obsessive-compulsive disorder—on his journey to find the happiness of a healthy family.

Funny and tender, raw and honest, Bare Bones is pure Bobby Bones—surprising, entertaining, inspiring, and authentic."

Goodreads - Bare Bones

Every morning while I'm getting ready I listen to The Bobby Bones Show.  I sometimes get irritated if I don't get to listen to it while getting ready to go to work.  The first few times I listened to the show I was not amused at all because they had taken the place of Big D and Bubba on my radio.  I don't like change, and I didn't like that they were talking all the time instead of playing country music.  Eventually I warmed up to them after they did a segment (I don't remember what the segment was about) and I started enjoying their show.  This love for the show has grown over the past two years and now I get angry when they decide to interrupt their discussions and conversations to play a song.  So naturally when Bobby Bones started throwing it around that he was publishing a book I got excited.  I love to read and I love Bobby Bones, so it was a perfect combination for me.  I was pumped up to buy the book and when it was first released it hadn't been released in any of my local stores (crazy since I live in Arkansas!)  I went to the nearest "big city" to visit Books-A-Million to hopefully purchase the book.  I showed up and searched and searched and searched.  I couldn't find it and eventually inquired if they had the book.  They said they were sold out!  I was like that is insane!  And then the lady told me they only sent her four books.  Yes, four books.  They sent four copies of Arkansas native Bobby Bones' book to an Arkansas bookstore... four books.  That baffles me.  I ended up placing an order for the book and a few days later the book was released at Wal-Mart.  I canceled my order and bought the book at Wal-Mart.  I was THAT excited to start reading it.  I ended up moving the book around my house because I wasn't ready to read a nonfiction book, (I go through spans where I want to read fiction and spans where I want to read nonfiction).  Eventually I got pumped up about reading it and started the book in late May.  I read a few chapters and found they were quite lengthy (and I'm not a huge fan of lengthy chapters).  I ended up having to hang out at a car dealership for two hours while my truck was serviced and my Mom's truck was worked on.  I read a BIG portion of the book while sitting and waiting.  I had gotten into the book at that point and was determined to finish it, which I did that night.

The book chronicles the life of Bobby "Bones" Estell.  He talks about his childhood with his alcoholic mother and how his grandmother took care of him.  He tells stories from his childhood and how he got a nickname that stuck with him forever.  Bobby tells of his hard work in college and working at the radio station.  It was clear in the book that he was destined to be in the radio business.  Bobby discusses the ups and downs of being in radio and all the fun and trouble he has caused.  The entire book tells the great tale of Bobby Bones and his journey to become the number one morning radio show in country music.

I loved this book!  There were so many hilarious moments in the book.  While I was sitting waiting on my vehicle to get serviced I was literally laughing out loud because of something that Bobby had done (yes, people were staring).  I absolutely loved the panty hose story, even though they got into some trouble, it was still hilarious.  There were also times in the book that were heartbreakingly sad.  Bobby talked about his mother and her alcoholic tendencies.  He wrote about her death and how everyone around him in the studio was heartbroken, but Bobby focused on finishing the show before dealing with the loss.  I loved how real this book was.  This was a book that was as raw and real as it gets.  When reading I could almost hear Bobby Bones' voice talking.  Everything had his voice in it, and maybe that is because he does radio and I always hear him talking!

I also enjoyed getting to see how the Bobby Bones Show developed and grew into what it is today.  It was great to read of the adventures that Bobby had with his radio pals as they were first getting started.  I felt that this book not only captured the essence of Bobby Bones, but also captured the essence of the friendship that exists every morning while they are doing the show.  I really enjoyed reading about how they try to keep the show as spontaneous as possible and only Bobby knows what the topics of the day will be.  I love that!  While Bobby has an outline of the show, he doesn't know what any of the others will say or do.  It makes the show very unscripted, very comical, and very real.  They try to be as human as possible, instead of acting like big time radio hot shots.  Their ability to keep it real is probably one of the biggest reasons why I've come to love listening to the show.

If you are a fan of country music and a fan of The Bobby Bones Show then I advise you to read this book.  This book deserves 5 stars because the book is so genuine and raw.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

From Goodreads:

"Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity. "

Goodreads - Asylum

I'm the type of person who will start four different books, read about 10% of each and then decide which one I want to continue reading and finish first.  It is the easiest way to get myself to really delve into a book whenever I start getting burnt out on reading.  I ended up starting Asylum, The Little Prince, The Tiger Rising, and Lucy in the Sky at the same time.  I read about 10% of each book and then continued which one really grabbed my attention.  I honestly didn't figure I would like the book Asylum by Madeleine Roux, but I loved it!  Before I tell you my thoughts I'll go ahead and give you my brief summary. 

Our main character Dan is attending a college prep school for five weeks over the summer.  He meets Abby and Jordan and they become close friends.  The big twist to this story is that the college dorms they are staying in used to be an asylum.  Dan ends up sharing a room with Felix who went and checked out a locked room that belonged to the asylums warden.  Felix tells Dan all about it and Dan convinces his new friends Abby and Jordan to go check it out.  Dan eventually becomes obsessed with the asylum and its dark history.  He soon finds that his full name, Daniel Crawford, is the same as the wardens.  Dan keeps blacking out and finds that he only remembers bits and pieces from the summer.  Things escalate as someone is murdered and another is found close to dead.  The story continues this high energy pace until we finally find out details of what was happening, or at least what we believe is happening.  The story concludes, but leaves it open for the second book, Sanctum, which I started promptly after finishing Asylum.

I absolutely loved this book.  I don't typically read books in the horror/mystery/thriller genre, but I am so glad that I did.  The book is lengthy with 313 pages, but has lots of pictures throughout the book, plus the chapters are really short.  I really enjoyed the pictures that were included in the book because they were incorporated into the storyline.  When Dan talked about the missing letters on the warden's door I was able to flip a page and see what it looked like.  Reading a book is all about visualizing what is happening.  You have to be able to see the picture in your mind to be able to understand what is happening sometimes.  What is interesting about reading and visualizing is that ten people can read the same book and have very different views on the characters and what they look like, no matter how much description is given.  That's why I loved having the pictures included in the book.  I was able to read and visualize what I thought something would look like and then I would often flip the page and see the object or note that Dan was talking about.  This book format was like the adult version of a children's picture book.  And if an adult version of a picture book doesn't excite you, then I don't know what will.  

Another big selling point of this book was that I was constantly engaged and interested in the book.  I wanted to know what the real connection was between Daniel Crawford the student and Daniel Crawford the warden.  I was also constantly wondering what was up with Dan and why he kept blacking out and forgetting things that had happened, that he had apparently been present for.  I never really got a good solid answer which irritated me, but also intrigued me enough to start the second book.  I was so interested not only in what was happening with Dan, but what the history was with the asylum.  I seriously wanted to read a full backstory on the asylum, but then again the book wouldn't have been quite as interesting if I knew everything from the beginning.  I also think that another big part that kept me intrigued was that most chapters were left hanging and the ending was a cliffhanger as well.  The book was so well written and simple to read with the right amount of suspense, horror, and mystery.  

I am so excited to read Sanctum and Catacomb because I am so pulled into the Asylum series.  I also found the book Escape From Asylum and it is a stand alone book that is also a prequel to Asylum.  I'm excited to read the rest of the series before I go back and read the stand alone, which also had the history of Brookline Asylum.  This book deserves 5 stars for its unique style.  I am so glad that I ordered this book through Scholastic, and even happier that I bought Sanctum and Catacomb at a Books-A-Million sale.  It is a young adult book that is geared towards high school kids, but I'm an adult and I enjoyed it.  If you want a creepy/horror/mystery/suspense filled book then this book is absolutely for you!  

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

From Goodreads:

"Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them.  There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. 
When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish.  Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn... "

Goodreads - Eight Keys

Awards and Nominations:

• Charlie May Simon Award (2013-2014)

When I purchased this book a few months ago I had VERY high expectations.  The main character, Elise, lives with her Aunt and Uncle because her parents are dead.  Elise has faint memories with her father, but knows that her mother died shortly after she was born.  Elise grows up with her Aunt and Uncle and is best friends with Franklin.  Franklin and Elise eventually go to middle school.  Franklin seems to have no problems or cares that people think he is weird.  It really bothers Elise that people think they are weird, plus she is getting bullied by her locker buddy and she is struggling to keep up with the classwork and homework.  One day Elise sees a key in her Uncles shop/barn and she realizes that it has her name on it.  Elise gets into some trouble here and there and eventually takes the key from the hook and tries to unlock one of the eight doors that are located upstairs in the barn.  She finds that it is full of pictures of her mother and there is a note.  This continues and she receives seven more keys after finding the first.  Elise's aunt and uncle knew that she would one day discover the key and would investigate.  This ends up being her father's final gift to Elise before he died.  The story continues and we learn about each of the rooms and then book finally ends.  

Okay... Now to talk about how I really felt about this book.  I really expected this book to be really good due to the description.  That was not the case.  It is so rehearsed that Elise would find the key and that she would be a typical kid and try to unlock a door.  I really figured that her Dad would set up some really cool rooms so that she would feel that her parents were always with her throughout her life and different points.  This wasn't the case.  The rooms were filled with "life insight" as I'm going to call it.  Things like choosing to live and love, and blah blah blah.  It was so cliche.  I'm not sure what I was expecting to be in each of the rooms, but I sure didn't like what was in the rooms.  It was great and all that her Dad took the time to plan it all out and decide who would get the keys and so forth.  Also on the distribution of the keys I thought it was kind of dumb that the people who had them were supposed to give the key to Elise when they felt she was ready.  Within a week they had given her all the keys!  I find it interesting that they ALL felt she was ready for the rooms.  Why not give it a little suspense!?  I wanted Elise to have to search for some of the  there to be searches happening for Elise to find the keys instead of them just lying around in her bedroom and in the barn rooms.  There needed to be more central focus on the keys... I mean the book IS titled Eight Keys.  There was a lot of opportunity for adventure to be dispersed in the book, and it just didn't happen.

Another big issue I had in this book was the bullying.  I know that it is a realistic thing that happens, and a lot of times it isn't reported to an adult.  But what really grinded my gears was the fact that Elise told a teacher about what was happening and the teacher didn't investigate it or do anything.  The author is really giving teachers a bad rep by making it seem like we really don't care if kids get bullied or not.  This isn't true.  I care about each of my students and take action when they tell me something is happening.  I was also really expecting Elise and Amanda (the bully) to become friends through some magical thing they had in common.  That didn't happen and it kind of made me sad because I wanted to see them get along on civil terms.

The book was okay.  It's not a book I would recommend off the top of my head.  You would have to have some pretty specific book requirements for me to suggest this book.  This book is geared towards middle school kids and I think that elementary kids would find it too old for them and high school would find it too juvenile.  I give the book 2 out of 5 stars.  

Assassination and Its Aftermath: How a Photograph Reassured a Shocked Nation by Don Nardo

From Goodreads:

"The world was shocked and frightened when President John F. Kennedy was gunned down by an assassin's bullet in 1963. What would happen to the government of the most powerful nation on Earth? When Kennedy s vice president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, took the presidential oath of office on Air Force One just hours after the assassination, the White House photographer was there. Cecil Stoughton's iconic photo showed the world that the smooth and orderly transfer of power called for in the U.S. Constitution had occurred. His photo helped ease the shock, tension, and fear in an anxious country."

Goodreads - Assassination and Its Aftermath

This is a fairly short book, but is heavy in content.  The book tells how four people became connected in Dallas in 1963.  It also tells how Cecil Stoughton took pictures of the Kennedys and how he captured one of the most iconic photos in history.  We learn about what he was feeling while in the midst of history taking place.  This book focuses on the photographic evidence from history and the impact it made on Americans at that time.

I really enjoyed this book.  I love the awe and fascination that surrounds the Kennedys.  My mom was just a kid when Kennedy was shot and my dad was just a teenager.  I think it is so interesting that I have such a fascination for JFK considering I'm so young.  I wonder if other youngins have the same wonder and desire to read about JFK that I do.  I read the book "The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson and I found it very interesting.  It really focused on the details of the day and what happened with Kennedy before, during, and after, as well as what was happening with Oswald before, during, and after.  Assassination and Its Aftermath took a different path and focused on the photographer, Cecil Stoughton, who was on hand and captured history.  It was so interesting to read how he felt and his split second decision to go with Lyndon B. Johnson after he found out Kennedy was dead.  I wonder what his photographs might have looked like if he had chosen to stay with Jackie instead of going with Johnson.  Would he have taken pictures of the widow?  Or would he have respected her while in mourning and shock from the death of her husband?  This book portrayed what Stoughton really felt while trying to get everything together and ready to photograph Johnson taking oath of office.  It was a high energy event that was nerve-wrecking for all involved.  I also really enjoyed hearing stories from other people who were present and seeing the same facts, details, and personal accounts cross between books.

I honestly feel that photography is a lost art.  A lot of people claim to be "photographers" and they have a business, but I don't feel like they understand the magic that exists in photography.  I'm definitely not a professional photographer, but I enjoy taking pictures of events for people.  I enjoy capturing that one moment that no one else captured.  For example, when I was on the yearbook staff I was able to get up close and personal to take pictures during the homecoming ceremonies.  I was the ONLY person that captured the ever famous and loved kiss that is given to the queen from her two escorts.  I was the only person that captured it!  In today's world everyone has a phone and everyone can take a picture of anything or everything happening.  I love that this book really embodies the significance a photograph can have, especially the significance of this event.  If that had taken place a week ago the media would have been all over it and everyone on the plane would have had phones out to record the event or even live stream it.  I just really like how this book captures the value of the photographs that Stoughton took instead of focusing on everything else that was going on that day.

This book is very short at 64 pages, but has very large pictures throughout the entire book.  I really enjoyed reading about the events from the photographer's perspective and seeing how Kennedy, Johnson, Stoughton, and Oswald's paths crossed at one location.  There could have been a LOT more included historically, but this is geared towards middle school aged children, and with that in mind it is just right.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and it will be a book that will remain on my shelf for years to come!

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

 From Goodreads:

"John Reynolds Gardiner's action-packed canine adventure story of a thrilling dogsled race has captivated readers for more than thirty years.

Based on a Rocky Mountain legend, Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy, who lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. When Grandfather falls ill, he is no longer able to work the farm, which is in danger of foreclosure. Little Willy is determined to win the National Dogsled Race—the prize money would save the farm and his grandfather. But he isn't the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy and his brave dog Searchlight must face off against experienced racers, including a Native American man named Stone Fox, who has never lost a race.

Exciting and heartwarming, this novel has sold millions of copies and was named a New York Times Outstanding Children's Book.

Supports the Common Core State Standards"

Goodreads - Stone Fox

Awards:

• George C. Stone Center for Children's Books Recognition of Merit Award - 1987

There are spoilers that are in this review.  If you haven't read the book or are seriously wanting to read the book, then I strongly advise you to not continue reading.



This book follows Little Willy as he tries to save the family farm after his Grandfather becomes sick.  Little Willy eventually registers to participate in the local dogsled race with his dog Searchlight.  After Little Willy registers he finds out that Stone Fox, a Native American racer who has never lost a race, has entered the race.  Little Willy participates in the race and he quickly pulls ahead since he knows the path.  Stone Fox slowly closes in on him.  At the final stretch his dog Searchlight gives it her all in order to win, but then the unexpected happens.  Searchlight dies from her heart bursting.  Stone Fox ends up telling the other racers that he will shoot if they cross the finish line.  Little Willy carries Searchlight the rest of the way and wins the money needed to save the farm and help his Grandfather.

I teach fourth grade and after state testing we decided to participate in an all day read in. For about three months my kids had been BEGGING me to let them read Stone Fox.  I had had the books in a tub on a shelf and they had been constantly asking to read it.  I kept putting it off and before I knew it it was the end of the school year.  We pulled the books out and started reading.  I had a few moans and groans whenever I said we were FINALLY going to read Stone Fox (why they were complaining, I'm not sure).  We started by listening to someone reading the book online.  We got to Chapter 3 and they were begging for me to turn it off and read it to them.  They said that I put more "fanciness" in my reading than the lady who was reading.  So I took over and read the rest of the book to them.  It was my first time reading it and we were all blindsided by the ending.  I heard a gasp from everyone in my class.  I stopped reading and said, "Whoa guys.  I did NOT expect that to happen.  I don't know if I can finish reading this."  My kids were like, "Ms.Tanner, we HAVE to finish it.  You can get through this!"  It was a wonderful book that my kids really enjoyed reading, but they were definitely upset at the ending.  I had more than a few kids who teared up, and I definitely had a few who cried.

I really enjoyed this book and so did my kids.  It was a short book that took no time at all for us to read.  I think that they would have lost the enjoyment of the book if we had completed comprehension checks with the book.  There were a few moments that were kind of iffy for kids nowadays.  There was a town drunkard and a guy smokes a cigar in the book.  And of course there is the whole fact that Little Willy's beloved dog dies at the end of the book! Most kids can connect with this book because they have a pet that they cherish, should that be a dog or a cat or some other animal.  Some even connect with what it feels like to have a pet die.  What's really interesting is that this book is based loosely on a Rocky Mountain tale.

This was a great book that definitely made me a tad emotional while reading it.  Students will love this book (I know mine did!) and adults will probably love this book too!  I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrook

From Goodreads:

"Two boys – a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces – forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. A wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss."

Goodreads - Freak the Mighty

Awards:

• Grand Canyon Reader Award for Grand Canyon Reader Award for Teen Book - 1996
• Charlotte Award - 1998
• The Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Honor - 1994

I was in junior high or high school when I first read this book.  I remembered bits and pieces of the book, but knew that I would enjoy reading it again if I had the chance.  I ended up ordering it from Scholastic so that I could get my read on over the summer... and I did just that!

This book is about a boy who is kind of a slow learner and his friend who is small and sick.  The boys befriend each other and go on great adventures together.  The entire book is from the perspective of Maxwell the giant, and we eventually find out why the book is from Maxwell's point of view.  We learn more about both of the characters and we discover how they came to be the way they are.  The book has two unexpected twists that involve both Maxwell and Kevin.  Together these two unexpected friends become Freak the Mighty.

This book was absolutely wonderful.  The dynamics of the characters are so complex, but so simple too.  The way that the two boys become friends isn't very interesting, but what keeps them together is intriguing enough to keep you reading.  Kevin is a brainiac who uses his wits to make up for his small size.  Maxwell is often judged because of his father's actions, he is stared at because of his large size, and made fun of because of his learning disability.  This is a wonderful story of how friendships can develop.  Kevin and Maxwell didn't become friends because they had something in common,  but because they complimented each other in a tremendous way.  Maxwell was large and slow, but Kevin was tiny and smart.  Together they became an unstoppable force that was witty and able to conquer anything.

There is also a movie that is based upon this book.  The movie is called The Mighty and it is really good.  It follows pretty closely to the book, but has some minor changes.  It still does the book justice and captures all of the feelings that are in the book and puts them into a visual.




After reading this book and watching the movie it really reminded me of the movie The Cure.  The movie The Cure is about a boy who befriends another boy and they go on adventures only to find out that one of the boys has AIDS, which ends up killing him.  The Mighty and The Cure had a some similarities which makes me wonder if the two movies were released at the same time in a competition of companies.  This book also made me think of the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  In the book Wonder the main character Auggie has quite a few physical ailments that cause him to be different from others.  He befriends a few students and struggles to maintain friends until they go on a camping trip and he is protected and defended by kids from his school.  These two books really have the same theme of friendship and that is one of the best things to read about.

Overall, this book is wonderful.  It has some up and down moments, but it is still an excellent book.  This book really shows that befriending someone who you least expect to be friends with will often turn into an amazing friendship.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and advise everyone to look for someone who needs a friend, and be a friend to them.