Book Sense: **NEWS JUST IN**

Junot Diaz wins Pulitzer Prize for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life for his wonderful work of fiction, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Riverhead Books).

Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fuku-the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.

WOW! What a story. This is definitely a must read in my opinion. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is rich with history and a familiar family presence. Diaz not only gives his readers context that we can relate to but he delivers the text in a way that continuously pulls us in and leaves us wanting more. Do you believe in Fuku? Weigh in by leaving a comment!

A great big hug to Jamey for letting me in on the scoop!
A huge shout out to my Dominican friends and family everywhere!

Check It Out,

Miss Know It All

Book Sense: **NEWS JUST IN**

Book Sense: Killing Johnny Fry

Walter Mosley






"When Cordell Carmel catches his longtime girlfriend with another man, the act that he witnesses seems to dissolve all the boundaries he knows. In that instant, the calm existence of this middle-aged New York City man becomes something unrecognizable: he wants revenge, but also something more. This is the story of a man's dark, soulful, and sexual odyssey to uncover the powerful and sometimes disturbing connections that occur between people when life is lived without limits. " - Barnes & Noble.com

Killing Johnny Fry by Walter Mosley is one of the most mentally engaging books that I have read in quite some time. In his personally coined "sexistential" novel, Mosley leads his reader into a quiet and dark place that most of us dare not venture. A place locked deep in our inner most thoughts, a place that we call taboo.

Although the New York Times Book Review complimented this novel as "frankly pornographic", I could not help but to connect with the humanness in the experiences of the characters. The protagonist, Cordell Carmel, sets out on a whirlwind of self discovery that not only challenges him and everything that he thinks uniquely makes him Cordell but it in fact liberates him from himself and gives him the gift of new life.

Here is an excerpt from this book...

"I decided to kill Johnny Fry on a Wednesday, but it was a week before that I was given the reason. I'm almost embarrassed about my decision to take a life. It was so pedestrian really."

This quote is actually from the opening lines of the book. It left me engaged from the beginning and wanting to know more.

Although Mosley's text will be too rich for many palates, it will undeniably leave one's mind stained by the taste. Delicious!

Go Get It!

Miss Know It All

Book Sense: Killing Johnny Fry