News of the World by Paulette Jiles

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website

Published: 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Historical, Literary, Western
Hardback: 224
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
Wichita Falls, Texas, Winter 1870
Captain Kill laid out the Boston Morning Journal on the lectern and began to read from the article on the Fifteenth Amendment.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land.

Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember—strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become—in the eyes of the law—a kidnapper himself.

My two-bits:

This western road trip tugged at my heart at parts. All the elements of a western old-timey tale were in place including the pacing. Loved it.

And, loved the relationship and interactions between Captain Kidd and Johanna throughout.

~*~
* National Book Award Finalist—Fiction

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge: Escape (here)

* part of Bout of Books 23 (here)

Blog All About It: Escape

ESCAPING to Texas with western vibe...


READ:

Billy Old, Arizona Ranger
A Historical Novel Based on a True Story
by Geff Moyer
-Historical, Thriller, Western
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles
-Historical, Western
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

Law of the Desert Born
by Louis L'Amour, Charles Santino
-Graphic Novel, Historical, Western
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

LISTEN:

Bluebird Bluebird
by Attica Locke
-Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads | my review: DNF

WATCH:

Hostiles (2017)
Director/screenplay: Scott Cooper
Based on manuscript by: Donald E. Stewart
Stars: Scott Shepherd, Rosamund Pike, Ava Cooper
-Adventure, Drama, Western | imdb | my review | my rating: 4

Jane Got A Gun (2015)
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Screenplay: Brian Duffield, Anthony Tambakis, Joel Edgerton
Story by: Brian Duffield
Stars: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor
-Action, Drama, Western | imdb | my review | my rating: 4

The Sisters Brothers (2018)
Director/screenplay: Jacques Audiard
Screenplay: Thomas Bidegain
Based on book by: Patrick Dewitt
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly
Release date: September 19, 2018
-Western | imdb | my review | my rating: 5

~*~
* header from cover of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

Bout of Books 23

Bout of Books 23
read-a-thon
hosted by Bout of Books
August 20 to 26, 2018
signup | details | daily
instagram | #boutofbooks @boutofbooks
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

TBR pile:

A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
-Literary, Family, India, Muslim
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4
8/20/18: Started - been working on this one slowly and want to finally finish it this week.
8/22/18: Finished

Murder on the Left Bank
by Cara Black
-Mystery, France, Paris
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4
8/20/18: Started - part of my picks last month for Paris in July - finally cracking it open.
8/25/18: Still working on this. Should be done today. Finished in the evening.

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles
-Historical, Western
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5
8/20/18: Started
8/26/18: Reading this in bits but will post review next month for a Western theme I am plotting.

Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton
-Historical, Humor, Retelling, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5
8/23/18: Started - loving it so far
8/24/18: Loved it to the end.

Reservoir 13
by Jon McGregor
-Literary
Amazon | Goodreads | my review: DNF
8/20/18: Started
8/23/18: Stopped - lost my attention

Children of Blood and Bone
Legacy of Orïsha #1
by Tomi Adeyemi
-Fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review: DNF
8/20/18: Started
8/21/18: Stopped - just could not get into it


CHALLENGES:

Monday 8/20 (daily post)

Introduce yourself #insixwords

adventurous, anxious, curious, reader, observer, open

instagram-a-day: currently reading

Tuesday 8/21
Book Plot Emoji - for News of the World by Paulette Jiles.

👧 🐎 🔫

instagram-a-day: favorite color covers

Wednesday 8/22
Literary Villain - he who must not be named aka Lord Voldemort

instagram-a-day: book spine poetry

maestra, open me
sacré bleu
cruel beautiful world
Thursday 8/23
Book Trip - Venice in October for the infamous Masquerade

Masquerade in Venice
by Velda Johnston
-Mystery, Gothic
Amazon | Goodreads
instagram-a-day: 5 star read

Friday 8/24
Bookish Playlist - feeling French with my current read, Murder on the Left Bank, so pairing it with Claude Debussy's Suite Bergamasque - Claire de Lune



instagram-a-day: unfinished book series - Crazy Rich Asians

Saturday 8/25
Discover Books - I was excited to see this cover on a Bout of Books related post.

Lethal White
by Robert Galbraith - but we all know it's J.K. Rowling ;-)
-Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads
instagram-a-day: published in 2018 - just picked this up from the library

Dance of Thieves
by Mary E. Pearson
-Fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Sunday 8/26
Stretch Goal

I found that I had to revise the reading pile as a couple did not work out for me this round of Bout of Books.

Feeling pretty good that I got around to reading from the tbr pile.

instagram-a-day: series love - Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series

Twitter Chats
(chats last approximately one hour)
TZC = Time Zone Conversion

Monday: 8pm CST (TZC)
Saturday: 10am CST (TZC)

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 4.22.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~

I am participating in an Art-a-thon today and spending most of the day working on my comic book journal. There will be music performances and artists of all ages joining in. If you are in the Bay area come by. All is welcome.

Please support arts education and give lower income children the tools to give form to their dreams. Visit Artseed Art-a-thon 2017 (here) for more details. It would mean a lot to me.


~*~
Bought:

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles
-Historical, Western
Amazon | Goodreads

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)
by Jenny Han
-romance, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

P.S. I Still Love You
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)
by Jenny Han
Amazon | Goodreads
For Review:

MacArthur's Spies:
The Soldier, the Singer, and the Spymaster Who Defied the Japanese in World War II
by Peter Eisner
-History, 1940s, WWII, Non-fiction
courtesy of Penguin's First Reads -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Independent Bookstore Day is coming, April 29. I have been visiting independent bookstores during the month. See the complete list of places I visited (here).

My latest visit was to...

#7 Alexander Book Company
San Francisco, CA (here)
with two books by Jenny Han
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
P.S. I Still Love You


AND watched: in theatre - part of Cherry Blossom Japanese Film Festival (details)

Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Soshite chichi ni naru (original title)
Director/Screenplay: Hirokazu Koreeda
Reference: "The Twisted Bond - 17 years of a Changing Baies Affair" (Bunshun Bunko) by Okuno Shuji
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yôko Maki, Lily Franky
-Drama, Japan | imdb | my rating: 5
Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. When he learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth, he must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.

WHOA. Got me thinking of parenting and of the relationship between parents and their kids.


AND watched: in theatre

Colossal (2017)
Director/Writer: Nacho Vigalondo
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis
-Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi | imdb | my rating: 4
A woman discovers that severe catastrophic events are somehow connected to the mental breakdown from which she's suffering.

COOL monster and mental mashup concept.

I caught a preview screening of this which included a Q&A with the director. Nacho shared his love for the rock band, Queen which is something in common he has with Bear McCreary, the composer who did the soundtrack.


AND watched: on DVD

Allied (2016)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Steven Knight
Starring: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard
-Action, Drama, Romance | imdb | my rating: 3
In 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.

Oscar nominated for Costume Design

THIS romance/love story set during the war questions honesty and trust. The chemistry between the couple did not work for me.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
aka The Conscientious Objector
Director: Mel Gibson
Screenplay: Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer
-Biography, Drama, History | imdb | my rating: 5
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Oscar win for Sound Mixing and Film Editing

AMAZING story about an amazing person that everyone MUST get to know. Ahh, the wonders of the human spirit!

side note: if you have any hangups due to this being a Mel Gibson film, get over it, this story inspires

~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

:-)

Waiting on Wednesday - 10.12.16

Waiting on Wednesday
sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine (details)
~*~
I'm waiting for...

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles
-Historical, Western
Release date: October 4, 2016
Amazon | Goodreads
It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forging a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land.

Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember—strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become—in the eyes of the law—a kidnapper himself. Exquisitely rendered and morally complex, News of the World is a brilliant work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

=====> Piqued my interest when it became a National Book Award Finalist–Fiction 2016.