Volume 10 | subscribers | 1 different countries | 9 December 2008 Contents Part 1 - Welcome! Dear %$firstname$%, I was sorting out some old magazines a couple of weeks ago and found a copy of ‘Everything America’ (Dec 04/Jan 05). Flipping through I saw a short article on a news roundup page that made me sit up. Entitled ‘He Has a Dream’ it related how history was made in Illinois, where, for the first time ever, both major parties fielded black candidates with Barack Obama standing for the Democrats. The winner (unconfirmed as the magazine went to press) was set to become only the fifth African-American senator in US history. It went on to say that Obama was already being talked about as the potential first African-American president. The rest, as they say, is history. Reading the article made me think about how things come to fruition when the time is right, that there is always a process to go through and that if you really want something and truly believe in it, then you have to keep going no matter what. The year is nearly over and it is tempting to look forward (I already appear to have a diary appointment for April!). Do take some time however to look back over the previous months and evaluate things or simply reminisce. I’d like to thank you all for reading my monthly newsletters
and sending me your comments and wish you an enjoyable festive
season and a prosperous and peaceful 2009.
Leda Sammarco It's a book thing. Part 2 - Feature Article What's on the List? I had envisaged a serious article to encourage all
of you in your writing endeavours. However, it is the party season
and a time for winding down and I just couldn’t bring myself
to do it! For all cat lovers look no further than Dewey – The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. Written by library director Vicki Myron, the book traces Dewey’s life after he appeared one winter morning in the returned-books chute of a library in Iowa. It is topping the New York Times bestseller lists and the film rights have already been sold with Meryl Streep to play Myron. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling includes the tales translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, author illustrations and notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore (by permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archive). Originally published in ornate leather-bound limited editions and auctioned for charity, this latest version is now available to everyone. Perfect for any Harry Potter fans young or old. If you have a relative who simply has to win at Monopoly every year, then you may want to distract them with a copy of Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, which disputes the fact that a high IQ is the most significant contributor to success. The author looks at a variety of people who have risen to the top in their field and concludes that the key to their achievements lies in the circumstances and influences of their upbringing combined with excellent timing. Now this may seem quaint in these days of emails, texting and instant messaging, but believe or not people do still write letters. In her book entitled Envelopes, Harriet Russell decided to put Royal Mail to the test and began sending out letters with the addresses hidden in decorative or cryptic ways. Remarkably most of the letters she sent arrived safely even when the postman had to fill out a crossword or join the dots to work out the exact address. The book features all of these unique envelopes. Not a recent publication, but I can never resist an opportunity to recommend What Should I Do with My Life by Po Bronson. If you know anyone who is searching for their passion in life, then this engaging and authentic series of real-life stories (combined with the author’s own experiences) really does fit the bill. BookDiary published by Wise Dog Books is the must-have accessory for the bibliophile in your life. It includes recommended reads, quotations, literary events, photographs and space to record your own notes and key dates. Quite delightful! If you have any comments on the above or would
like to share your recommendations, please go to my
blog.
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Copyright © Leda Sammarco 2008. All rights reserved.
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