NonFiction Book Club The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness by Joel ben Izzy Buy book: $15.39
In the spirit of "Kitchen Table Wisdom" and "Tuesdays with Morrie," a master storyteller uses the age-old medium of parables and fables to illustrate his search for meaning in the events of his life.
I really like this book, I don't receive the non-fiction book club, but clicked on the the sample for this book. It's funny when you receive something that helps you with some problems you are having in your life and it seems to come when you need it most, like a godsend. Thanks for letting me read with you.
I have finished reading "Unspoken" by Francine Rivers. "Unspoken" is based on the Bibical David and Bathsheba. This book will be an interesting aside to "Unspoken". This account tells of the love affair between these two lovers and ancestors of Jesus, makeing them come alive in the story as real people, not just people in the Bible, which all we know are the basis and not what might have happened."The Beggar King" a fanatasy is not what I usually read, but will plan to read this one.
It appears that this book is about making choices and suffering the consequences. I would like to read further to see what happens to King Solomon and how he survives the temptations of the demon.
I really like this book. I like the author's style of writing and the way the book moves along. I sent an excerpt to my daughter in college and she e-mailed me back right away (a first!). She wanted me to reserve it for her at the library. I think I know what I'm going to buy her for Christmas...
I'm LOVING this book!! The words so easily transport me to another place, that I'm finding a non-fiction book entertaining. (That rarely happens because a lot of times I find them dry.)
I'm eagerly awaiting the remaining excerpts to this one!
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"What wild desires, what restless torments seize
The hapless man, who feels the book-disease..."
- Dr. John Ferriar (from the poem Bibliomania, 1863)
I am a public librarian and use Dear Reader as a selection tool for growing my library's collection. I must say that this is one of the better non-fiction titles that I've read in a while, or at least it is starting out to be.
As the purchaser of non-fiction I usually compare the readability of any non fic book to John McPhee's "The Control of Nature." If it is even half as good as McPhee, I buy it. This book will be purchased.
Another one of our librarians who subscribes to Dear Reader came running to my office the other day with a Purchase Request Form filled out for this book with her name on the list to be the first to be called when it arrives. I think that also speaks to the quality of this book.
I am not a librarian but am a library volunteer and I do love books. So far I very much like this one and plan to read it in it`s entirety asap. I have discovered so many excellent non-fiction books through reading in this category that I am very glad to have joined it, as well as the mystery club. (I have been a mystery fan since about age 9 when I read Augusta Hewell Seaman`s mysteries for young readers and became HOOKED! I love books and libraries and appreciate the good auspices of our local Friends of the Library who sponsor the book clubs.
I googled her name because I too read every book by her that I could find in the library starting at about age 10. I never saw a Seaman book outside of the library, so I don't own a single one. Do you?
Okay - I loved the Beggar King - which I read a year or so ago - and the author is a great guy, so I think he would really enjoy these messages -
but Augusta Seaman goes way back to my childhood, when I read a lot of her books from the public library - and even many years later I still remembered them vividly -
not only did I get hooked on mysteries, I got hooked on history....
the sad thing is that the library in the small town where I used to live no longer has a single copy - as the years have gone by, they have gotten too worn out -
however, a few years ago I decided she wasn't going to just disappear as an author - so I began collecting her books, and wrote an article about her life and the books -
you can find it if you do a google search - just make sure you spell her maiden name correctly - Huiell...
only read the first installment, but it promises to be a good story, well told. and non-fiction? can't wait to get it from the library and read the rest.
I am now transfixed. A man writing about facing such a demon, about how it affects his various roles in life and those about him: I'm ready to watch how someone else handles it. THANKS for this book.
I love this book, or at least what I've read of it so far. I woke up in the middle of the night to check my e-mail in the hopes the last excerpt had been sent early -- and my computer is as far away from my bed as it can get! I like the stories at the beginning of the chapter. They help me focus on the topic of the chapter, guided reading so to speak. Joel ben Izzy is a wonderful story teller. The first day or two I wondered if he ever regained his voice so that he can tell stories again. Then I realized he *is* telling a story. Through the tragedy of loosing his voice many more people will get the chance to 'hear' him tell stories. God must be laughing (but Mary is tapping her foot and glaring). I am glad that Joel ben Izzy has apparently recoverd his mind.
This book has moved to the top of my 'must read' list, but do I search for the book under Izzy or ben Izzy?
It's another one of those perfect timing things. I subscribe to both the fiction and non-fiction, however, I usually delete the non-fiction without reading it. This caught my eye, and came at the perfect time. The subject is very relevant for me, and reading it is bringing some much needed relativity back onto my life. I will definitely buy this book!!
Maybe I'm the wrong person for this job. I find this text so far a bit boring, doesn't hold my interest. I don't want to read any fiction or nonfiction on cancer for a long, long time. (I hope I haven't ordered this book, and if I haven't I wouldn't buy this book.) Plus it sounds more like fiction than the kind of nonfiction I
purchase. Are you going to fire me?
Sincerely, David
