The Fall of the House of Zeus by Curtis Wilkie (Crown, October 19, 2010)

“As they plotted into 1994, word of the plan to use Mississippi’s Medicaid program as the fulcrum for their [tobacco] lawsuit spread among politicians in the state, and it did not meet unanimous approval.” (page 52)

[Charlie Capps, legislator for Bolivar County]: “The state is not going to pay for a single pencil.”

[Mike Moore, Attorney General]: “You see how much help we’re going to get from the state.”

“Scruggs called P. L. Blake and told him, ‘We don’t want a rear-guard attack by this group.’ He promised to pay Blake ‘to keep his eyes and ears open.’

“For good measure, Scruggs called Steve Patterson . . . Scruggs wanted Patterson to stay on top of things, to serve as a back channel, passing on information quietly.” (page 53)

The Fall of the House of Zeus by Curtis Wilkie goes on sale October 19th.

We hope to see you at the signing/reading event with Curtis Wilkie on Thursday, October 21st, but if you cannot attend, you can reserve a signed copy online.

Click here to open an account on our website and we can save your information for future visits to LemuriaBooks.com.

You can also call the bookstore at 601/800.366.7619 and we can put your name on our reserve list.

Read other excerpts from The Fall of the House of Zeus.

qqqq

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow (Penguin, 2010)

This is not your daddy’s biography on Washington…it’s Ron Chernow’s.

If that name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe some of his former books will. His first book was The House of Morgan which won the National Book Award. He followed that with biographies on Alexander Hamilton and most recently, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller,  Sr. Both of those were nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award in biography.

In an interview with The New York Times recently, Chernow explained what prompted him to undertake this newest subject matter. He had learned that there was an ongoing project at the University of Virginia dealing with Washington’s papers that was begun in 1968 and to date has filled roughly sixty volumes with information, much of it new. Chernow felt this was the time to write a “cradle to grave” biography of arguably the most important person in our nation’s history.

When one thinks about the lives of other famous American patriots like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin there comes to mind a good bit of knowledge–both important and antidoctal. We know enough to have a full picture of them as patriots and men but not so much with Washington. What pops in our heads is: cutting down the cherry tree, his wooden dentures and crossing the Delaware. And he really doesn’t look very interesting in that portrait that hangs on the wall of every elementary school room.

Chernow was determined, though, to flesh out this person not many of us know. Washington was an accomplished horseman, an elegant dancer, a hunter and an extremely vain man. He worried to death over what he should wear to his inauguration! He had a very difficult mother, was infatuated with an older married woman named Sally Fairfax and left strict instructions in his will that his slaves at Mount Vernon were to be freed upon Martha’s death and that’s only the beginning…

I am a history buff so this book looks fascinating to me but even if you are not, as Americans, it would behoove us all to know more of our nation’s past and those people who played a particularly important part in its creation, none more so than George Washington. -Norma

In late November of 2008, when Kathryn Stockett came to Lemuria to discuss a signing for her first book, no one had any idea that The Help would become the phenomenal success that it has, least of all Kathryn herself.

My first inkling of what was to come arrived in the form of a galley proof of The Help from Kathryn’s editor Amy Einhorn.  Accompanying it was a glowing cover letter explaining that as a 20-year veteran of the publishing business Ms. Einhorn had just been given her own imprint and from many options had chosen The Help as her first title.  After reading the manuscript it was obvious to me, as well, that Kathryn was a gifted storyteller with a book whose message would have universal appeal.

With the signing and reading set for mid-February, our next job was to get the word out.  By the time the event itself took place, the word was indeed out and consequently it was a huge success with a great turnout.  Meanwhile Joe and Maggie, after some debate, decided to make The Help a First Edition Club choice.

And—as they say—the rest is history.  Since its release in February of 2009, The Help has spent 73 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List–with many weeks at the number one slot. It has sold over 2 million copies world-wide and has been translated into 40 languages.

Through it all Kathryn has remained the charming, unaffected young woman she was when she was absolutely sure that her book would be read only by her family and a few close friends. -Billie

Click here to see all of “Lemuria Reads Mississippians.”

Editor Neil White will be signing at Lemuria on  Thursday, October 28th.

Reserve your copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.

xxxx

The Fall of the House of Zeus by Curtis Wilkie (Crown, October 19, 2010)

“Zach was meeting with his own attorneys in a conference room at the law firm when Mike Moore took him aside. ‘We need to talk,’ Moore said. They were joined by Scruggs in Zach’s small office.

“Scruggs took a seat in an armchair by the window, looked at his son, and said, ‘This is the latest government offering: They’re willing to give me five years, Sid three, and one for you.’ He paused. ‘I’m going to take it. I wish you would, too.’

“Zach was stunned. He had never expected the case to come to this. ‘Hell no,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to do it.’ He rose from behind his own desk, repeated his vow and walked out . . .” (298-299)

“‘Look,’ Keker said, ‘we’ve been overruled on every motion. I can destroy Tim Balducci and I can destroy Henry Lackey on  cross examination, but at the end of the day we’re still looking at this November the first tape.’ He reminded Zach of the negative results of the mock trial in Shreveport where the ‘jurors’ had little sympathy for the lawyer defendants. A real jury in Oxford would likely come down hard, too, Keker said. ‘Zach, they’ll look at you like a rich, white boy.’

“‘I’m not going to do it,’ Zach said.

“‘You don’t want to blow up the deal, put your Dad in trouble.’

“‘All right,’ Keker said. He did not press Zach further.

“Zach walked back into his own office. His father was still there, sitting quietly, staring out the window. His son was overwhelmed by the poignancy of the moment. He thought the scene would stay with him the rest of his life: the sight of his father, as if he were a monarch, looking out at his kingdom and watching it disintegrate–Zeus, the King of the gods, falling.

“Father and son sat together saying nothing.” (299)

The Fall of the House of Zeus by Curtis Wilkie goes on sale October 19th.

We hope to see you at the signing/reading event with Curtis Wilkie on Thursday, October 21st, but if you cannot attend, you can reserve a signed copy online.

Click here to open an account on our website and we can save your information for future visits to LemuriaBooks.com.

You can also call the bookstore at 601/800.366.7619 and we can put your name on our reserve list.

Read other excerpts from The Fall of the House of Zeus.

qqqq

I was looking through some old records and found the first one I ever bought by B. B. King, Sweet Sixteen. I can’t remember which year, but it was a long time ago. My first live baptism from B.B. was probably in the late sixties at the Jackson Colosseum. Also, I can remember an early Medger Evers’s Homecoming in Jackson. However, my favorite memory was at a 70s New Orleans Jazz Fest on stage between the Wild Magnolias and the great Jazz Mack-Truck drummer Art Blakey, a special night of music.

In high school, during a Hot Stax show, I caught Bobby Blue Bland as a first. I think the Bar-Kays backed up the opening act for Bobby for Sam and Dave and Otis Redding. I was an instant fan for all of these guys. Bobby’s two steps from The Blues is an all-time favorite Blues/Soul album. I saw Bobby last at the Biscuit (Arkansas Blues Festival) in Helena, Arkansas. A fine evening of music sitting on the Levee in the cool October air soaking in my favorites once again.

Ken’s photo of B. B. and Bobby B is priceless, a classic, perhaps my favorite in Ken and Scott’s new book. Love radiates off these old pros.

B. B. is something very special and will be at the Helena Blues Festival. He’s still touring, still King of the Blues. The thrill may not be what it was, but it’s definitely not gone.

Click here to see all of our blogs on Mississippi State of Blues.

Ken Murphy and Scott Barretta will be signing at Lemuria on Thursday, November 11th.

Reserve your copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.

jjj