Will I run out and buy Rob Lowe’s Stories I Only Tell My Friends?

Probably not.  But I must admit that the title is fetching.  In finance, language such as “… an insider’s look at … “  might induce me to buy.

Lowe’s title is perfect for his genre — the tell-all bio.  The title suggests he’s going to include us in his circle of friends.  Insider knowledge?  No, gossip.  And gossip has an allure all its own.

Or maybe the operative word here is “stories.”   We all listen to various radio and TV interview programs.  We are good listeners and audience members if someone will be candid and tell us what it was really like to … fight in a war … fly to the moon … or survive celebrity.

And then there is the blurb in the print ads from The New York Times review by Janet Maslin –

“He … emerges as a canny observer of both himself and others.”

Nice.  He’s good looking and smart.

I’ve enjoyed Lowe’s work — especially on  West Wing — and wish him well with his book.  If he truly makes good on the promise the title suggests,  he has a winner.

Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times

Keren Taylor found her calling by helping at-risk girls learn to write.

Featured in the Los Angeles Times, Taylor makes clear why writing well can be the foundation of a fulfilling life.

The WriteGirl non-profit group teams professional women writers with teen girls who have faced challenges early in life.

WriteGirl, now celebrating its 10th year, has won awards for its effective work in the community.  Yet still seeks funding for the program that now serves about 300 girls from the Los Angeles area.

Go here  WriteGirl to learn more about the California Nonprofit of the Year.  Benefit coming up May 11.

The name Henning Mankell has been familiar to me for quite some time.  But last week was the first time I’d picked up one of the Swedish writer’s books at the local library — the first in his Kurt Wallander series.

It didn’t take me long to become a fan.  When I was about halfway through the book, I noticed that 3 previous readers had written their reviews on the copyright page.

The first review was scrawled in green in ink.  “Boring!”

But another reader with a pencil drew a line through that word and penciled in,  “No, very enjoyable.”

That review was nixed with a line of black ink by another reader who wrote, “TERRIFIC!”

I agreed with all 3 reviews.  The book was “boring” only if compared to other American crime books that have a faster pace and sensationalize murder and mayhem.  “Very enjoyable” was exactly how I felt after a chapter or two.  I immediately liked the Wallander character, despite his various flaws.

By the time I finished  the book “TERRIFIC!” was how I felt about the experience of discovering — belatedly — a new writer.

Meanwhile, the same week I was discovering Mankell, one of my favorite writers Michael Connelly received a wonderful review in the Los Angeles Times by a reader who said he intended to just get a feel for the book — then finished it 5 hours later.  The review — more than one word or one sentence — praised Connelly’s impressive track record of great writing.

Thanks for sharing.