In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White

Being a white collar criminal, Neil White gets sent to Carville, Louisiana to a Hansen's Disease colony. He has to serve time for one year. Yet when he enters, he is determined to just muddle through. But after meeting some of the patients there, things look completely different. He must find a way to get through his time served and he has an idea to write this book.

Mr. White truly looks at things and is very honest about a lot of the situations that happened. He shows that everything is not as it appears on the outside. The phobias we have in society are not always founded in truth. There is a lot more underneath the skin than what we may first think. He also shows how he got to the colony and what happened. But his main focus was his time spent on the inmate side of the colony.

I'm at a loss for words since this book was not only well written but opened up my eyes. I never knew that such a place existed in America. But they truly do try to make the patients comfortable and I was blown away with the care that they do have in the colony. If you are looking for something different to read, this is it. It not only makes you think but makes you grateful for what you do have in life.


Neil White/ New author/ Non-fiction/ Louisiana/336 pages/ 5 out of 5
I've got a lot on my mind so may not start anything new to read till tomorrow. Here is another review of this book. :) http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-sanctuary-of-outcasts-by-neil-white.html

Ghost Hunting by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Jan

Awesome book! Okay serious it was, I got a glimpse into more of what they do and how they go about doing their work. There was some repetitiveness that drove me crazy from time to time, but I truly felt that they wanted to make sure they said things correctly so people would understand that this is serious work. It truly is, I used to watch the show. I say used to because I have a very vivid imagination.

I remember my first episode, I believe it was last year, all I remember is that they were at this old Physic Hospital that is now abandoned. I think that is what it is but what sticks in my mind is how there was a black form that they saw down the hallway. It “floated” out and “floated” back into the shadows. Steve and Brian (at least I think that is who it was lol) had to go over this a couple of times to make sure that they had seen it. It freaked me out till no end!!! No joke.

Reading about some of their old cases that I had never seen was interesting cause I got a better glimpse of how they did this. They do their best to find out what is really going on and that is what kept me going back to the show time and time again. But well having a young child in the house, not wise to watch it till he is asleep. That meant I couldn't watch the show till 10pm. Umm yeah, bad idea for me!

But I truly appreciated what these guys did and what they are doing now. They truly make sure they try to figure out what is going on whether it is faked, stuff in the house that is making the noises, or it is really real. So yeah, definitely a book to read if you love this show or if you're curious at what they do and not sure you can watch it. :) It still has some jumpy moments but not so scary at least for me. :)

Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Jan Michael Freeman, Non Fiction, Ghost stories, 5 out of 5

Acting Class Take A Seat by Milton Katselas

Mr. Katselas has worked with some of the best names in the business. His main thing now is to teach acting classes. But he does it in a way that the students do all the work. He wants them to be able to do pretty much anything that is required and go after the roles that they think they would fit the best. He understands that type casting happens but you can break out of that too if you work hard enough. It all comes down to business. Reading through the chapters, I saw how difficult it is even for actors. The exercises presented in this book were great! I have taken an acting class and have seen similar things done.

They want the parts but they have to believe in themselves before they can get anywhere. They also have to prepare for any situation and script. There is a time and place for improvisation but rarely in that industry. You have to get along with others as well as cut the gossip. I can see everything he says is true. It is nice to have someone who spells it out as it is now. And with the involvement he has had, this one guy I would pay attention to.

I may not be an actor but I was impressed with how well things were laid out. This is one author who knows what he is talking about and not just writing for the fun of it. Lots to learn and knowledge to acquire; a must have for any one who is an actor or who wants to be one. Being involved whether in theatre or film, the principles still remain. I learned a lot from it myself.

Milton Katselas/Non-fiction/ Acting/ 320 pages/ 4 out of 5

Off to rest. I have one more review book and then back to my own pile. :)

Lust in Translation by Pamela Druckerman

It’s crazy to think that books are written about this topic but I was mildly interested to see what this author would have to say. She gave a lot of facts and figures but it all came down to the simple fact that people do cheat on their spouses. Oddly enough, preconceived notions about who does the best or not true at all. Italians and Latin Americans are on the low scale for cheating while Togo and Cameron are the highest. That surprised me a lot; I would have thought it would have been what I had always believed. Though there are some countries that do not talk about sex at all like Russia, there are countries like South Africa where they should not be so much going on but that is the opposite case. With the spread of aids, you’d think that would slow things down but not at all. Then there are men who live double lives in China and the wives would rather not know that it happens. Or in countries where polygamy is accepted, it is not considered cheating.


Ms. Druckerman does her best to get statistics but finds it is not an easy task if morals are not where they should be. Or people just don’t want to admit to what they are doing at all. Now mind you some people feel no guilt at all like in China where there is a village of second wives. Or here in America where truth must be told and things can change. Some people never are able to get over it.

After reading this book, I definitely do not want to cheat. Whether I would feel guilty or not, there is a lot of possibilities, I could get sick or get pregnant and it is sincerely not worth the risk or excitement. I need to learn to do better about enjoying what I have than wanting something I do not. Life has moments where they could be heated up or cooled down; weathering the difference is not easy. That is why I read as many romance novels as I do, so I can appreciate what I do have and maybe learn something from them. I appreciated everything Ms. Druckerman had to say for her complete honesty and wanting to figure out what is truly going on in the world of infidelity.

Pamela Druckerman/ New Author/ Non-fiction/ 304 pages/ 4 out of 5

This is a book I got requested to review. Defintely an eye opening book. Now off to An Incomplete Revenge by Jacueline Winspear.

The Tokyo Look Book by Philomena Keet

This book is a guide to fashion on Tokyo primarily. It shows everything from mainstream well known brand names to the underworld of fashion. There are characteristics to each side but they can often be blurred. But that is the fashion world; nothing has to stay the same. Everyone interprets what he or she wants from each designer. I really liked the individuality of each person pictured in this book. I was even surprised that the author got people to pose for her. Sure they only had their first names or character names mentioned in the book but it took a leap of faith to get that much information.

A couple things that I really enjoyed were the fact that the designers were real people. They started out on the bottom like everyone else. I also liked the fact that they were doing their best to stay true to who they are. Whether that meant creating their own line or selling things that were second hand. They had a gathering that was amazing. And even some celebrities were after some of the clothing of the Japanese designers.

Having a fashion week in Japan didn’t surprise me at all. Though I was surprised that it didn’t start till later on. I guess some things take time but that would be fun to go too. Not sure I would buy any of the clothes, but it would be fun to watch it all happen in front of me. I do sew from time to time so seeing the creations that happened were fun and brilliant. Some of them I’d never wear in a million years but applauded the brave souls for them anyways.

If you love fashion and want to learn more about a culture this would be the book for you. I was impressed with how it was put together and I certainly learned a lot from it. Definitely one I am glad I have read. I also have to applaud Yuri Manabe for being able to capture people so well with her camera!

Philomena Keet. New Author, Non-Fiction, 224 pages, Fashion

I have a couple more review books and then I hope to get back to a few of my own.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

The deaths of women are always difficult to deal with. Not more than most but when life is taken in its prime in a small town, life changes for the whole town. And most of all life changed for two men, Ron Williamson and Denis Fritz. They were convicted of a crime that neither committed. The thing that was most mind-boggling was how they couldn’t prove either way of their guilt or not. Too many snitches got involved and it was 15 years later that they both were exonerated. The process taken was long and drawn out but surprising to read.

This is the first book I have ever read by John Grisham. I enjoyed it a lot. It took me awhile cause there was so much information to pass along so that you could understand the undertaking not only of the men to try and prove themselves innocent but the process that they had to follow. Mr. Grisham had a lot of resources after the fact that he could look at to be able to write his book from letters to transcripts to even personal testimony from a lot of people involved. I was pleased how he didn’t bash the wrong doers for what they did yet he made sure to point out where they went wrong in their quest for the truth. I have seen with living in a small town how crime rarely happens of this magnitude but when it does there is serious pressure to get it solved.

I was thoroughly appalled by what happened to the men in this book who were not guilty and not just Ron and Dennis. Other men were mentioned of other cases at the time as side notes and it surprised me that people could get away with so much. I give this book a 4/5 because it seemed a bit slow. But there was so much information that he had to present and I am sure he left quite a bit out to make sure the book was still interesting. It could also be that I have not read Non-Fiction in quite some time. I recommend this to people who think the justice system has no faults. Nothing is perfect and I have come to realize that but when justice is truly served than one can only hope things will get better.

360 pages/ non-fiction

Now off to read Gourdfellas by Maggie Bruce and then two romance novels. LOL Oh joy! :)