Guess who made Indie Bestseller List
Debuting at Number 9 on the Indie Bestseller List for the week of March 18th in No
n-Fiction Hardcover is Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier. Surely everyone in the State knows about Ree Drummond and her fabulous blog. Now a new cookbook………
On her site, there are cookbook giveaway announcements from her online friends. She takes the best food pictures I’ve ever seen. Plus she has insights into producing great photography.
She has links to Pioneer Woman sites, her favorite sites and great food sites.
You can spend hours just admiring and looking at all the interesting and fun stuff. So check out a staple of Oklahoma, Ms. Ree Drummond.
Literary Kittie’s site is your Library YouTube Break #31
Miracle Jones has built a new site of literary videos on Reddit. Apparently in frustration over YouTube not having a “Literature” category. You can find:
“Poetry videos, short story videos, live readings, spoken work performance, audiobook links, animated storytelling videos, documentaries about writers, book trailers, author interviews, and anything else you can think up that combines literature and other media. “ (quote from GalleyCat)
Here’s an example from Reddit’s LitVideos (and it doesn’t hurt that there is a Cat on the page).
You’ll enjoy Joe Lansdale if you haven’t already.
Document of Expectations not expected
Document of Expectations by Devon Abbott Mihesuah is a difficult review for me. Laying my cards on the table, I’m not Native American and this is definitely a book dealing with Native American issues. While the first part of the story is a straight forward mystery, with a strong Native American female character, academic politics, a dead professor and missing artifacts, the continued dwelling on Native American separatism, discrimination, and stereotypes makes the novel appear heavy handed with social messaging.
I liked Monique Blue Hawk as detective. Her handling of everyday work pressures was refreshing and tackled several gender and racial issues. The Department of Anthropology where anthropologist Tony Smoke Rise was murdered was certainly rife with overly ambitious, racist and professionally bankrupt individuals. Mihesuah handled issues of repatriation and cultural significance of ritual objects very well.
For me the novel went off the rails at Tony’s funeral. I’m all for justice dosed with a little revenge, but the finale just seemed way over the edge. It was almost comedic and did not serve to reinforce the issues Mihesuah had carefully brought to light earlier in the book. Sorry I can’t give this one two thumbs up, because I do think she is a very good writer.
If you’ve read Document of Expectations, do you agree with my review or do you have a different opinion?
Library YouTube Break #30:
Anita Hill on MHP
OK, technically, this is not from YouTube. But I figure YouTube is to video as Kleenex is to facial tissue. Anyway… that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!
I had to throw this up because 1) it features a bona-fide Okie; and, 2) it relates to a previous post on Okie Reads.
So enjoy you hump-day video break!
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Stop at the American Cafe
Sara Sue Hoklotubbe’s second Sadie Walela mystery takes us to eastern Oklahoma for small town murder and mayhem. Sadie has decided to follow her dream of owning a restaurant and has purchased the Liberty Cafe from owner Goldie Ray. She’s going to rename the cafe after her great aunt’s place, The American Cafe.
First day of ownership sees Sadie threatened with a shotgun by the town’s crazy woman and saved by the local coffee regulars. She also learns Goldie Ray has been murdered. Not a very auspicious beginning to a new career.
The book is reminiscent of a Billie Letts novel, where seemingly diverse characters become family. And like all families they display both good and self-destructive behaviors. The novel is thick with family secrets and Sadie is challenged to find out the truth.
Oklahomans will appreciate the setting, and insights into Native American culture. This novel will hold your interest until the very end. It made me want to go back and re-read the first Sadie Walela mystery, Deception on All Accounts.
The American Cafe was published by the University of Arizona Press in 2011. Enjoy!
