Front Page

The 'Zine

Sunsphere City

Bonus Track

Market Square

Search
Contact Us!
About the Site

Comment
on this story

 

Mountain Lit

Knox Lit 101

Recommended Reading

Pre-Owned Books

Local Tomes

  Recommended Reading

What are Knoxville's public figures reading this summer? Here are a few reading lists from some familiar names.

compiled by Brad Ridenour

Ted Hall, WBIR Channel 10 news anchor

The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession (Tyndale House) by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins: "I really enjoyed the first one (Left Behind) and this is number seven in the series. They are not very good books but I just got hooked on the story line."
The Bible: "Of course."
The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith (John F. Blair Pub.) by Fred Brown and Jeanne McDonald: "I'm really interested in unusual things that people do for their religion. And I think that this is a really interesting topic. I am looking forward to finding out why they do this."

Jodi Manross, local singer

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Harper Collins) by Zora Neale Hurston: "This is my favorite book that I read about every three years. It's such a powerful book about a strong woman in search for love and a sense of identity—such a beautifully written, lyrical book about self-discovery that reads like poetry."
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! (Ivy Books) by Fannie Flagg: "Ever since reading Fried Green Tomatoes, I've loved Fannie Flagg's novels. In this book Flagg creates endearing characters and such a wonderful sense of place that you feel like you've actually been there and have known her sweet characters your whole life."
Confessions of a Record Producer: How to Survive the Scams and Shams of the Music Business (Miller Freeman Books) by Moses Avalon: "This is such an honest account of the music business as well as the pros and cons that come with starting a career in the music business. It's a great, realistic resource about how to be successful, independent singer/songwriter who doesn't have to rely on a record label."
Ender's Game (Tor Books) by Orson Scott Card: "Just a great science fiction adventure and a fun summer book!"

Bill Snyder, UT professor of Engineering and Chancellor Emeritus

Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and Life (Putman Pub. Group) by Spencer Johnson, Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives (Warner Books) by John Naisbitt: "These books deal with change and I am fascinated with change, particularly with change at UT, and how to cope with it."
My Fair Lady by Alan J. Lerner, My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber: "I recently listened to these books on tape while on a trip to Flint, Michigan with my wife. What I liked about My Fair Lady was the wonderful insights into what goes into conceiving, writing, and producing a successful musical, the interactions of the various personalities including composers, lyricists, actors and actresses, producers, directors, marketing people, financial supporters, critics, etc. It involves an incredibly complex collection of persons to produce a success. And gauging the reaction of the audience in advance is a terrifically uncertain process. There are audience reaction surprises, both positive and negative, at the first performance. I was interested in the James Thurber book to get some insight into his life and background. I am always interested in the factors that influence the life and thinking of creative people."
Conversations With God (Putnam Pub. Group) by Neale Donald Walsch: "My interest in Conversations With God is to experience one thoughtful person's ideas about religion and expression of traditional religious images and messages in modern language that is comprehensible and relevant to our own personal experiences."
Marshal Andy, host of "Eddy Arnold: Then and Now" on WQBB 1040 and "Riders of the Silver Screen" on WSJK Ch. 2 and WKOP Ch.15
Eddy Arnold: I'll Hold You in my Heart (Rutledge Hill Press) by Don Cusic: "He is a good friend and I really like his story. I really like the fact that he came from a poor-boy background and achieved the heights that he has achieved. He is really an All-American story. And the more I know about him the easier it is to host my show."
Roots (Dell) by Alex Haley: "Alex gave me this book and I told him that I would memorize every word of it. I saw the movie and from what I have read, it is much better than the movie. It really means a lot to me since Alex gave it to me."

Scott Miller, local singer/songwriter

A Widow for One Year (Ballantine Books) by John Irving: "Irving, as I have heard many people say, takes three-fourths of his novels setting up the characters and then the last quarter of them gives you the goods. 'Tis true and I like it. Irving writes good sex, too, and since I'll be in Virginia with my folks much of the summer, it's a good way to appear intellectual to them while being true to my adolescent inner being. Hey, whatever works."
A Distant Mirror (Ballantine Books) by Barbara Tuchman: "Some may have read her Guns of August about the first World War. She was an historical writer with a gift for making it exciting and very human, which history is to me. A Distant Mirror is about the 14th Century, full of landed gentry, crusades, and my personal favorite: Black Death (some may know it as the plague—Black Death has so much more panache)."

Danny Mayfield, 6th district city councilman

Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Wisdom House) by Hallerin Hilton Hill: "I'm re-reading this because he has provided therein tasty morsels of insight that keep me coming back for more. An example is with Pillar #7 'Lend yourself to the Poor' where he shares 'the Service Mindset'. This book is easily read and re-read."
The Word and Power Church (Zondervan Publishing House) by Doug Banister: "I'm reading this because I sense God is moving in Knoxville churches. Doug raises the question, 'What happens when a church experiences all God has to offer?'. I want to know what he found!"
The God Chasers (Destiny Image) by Tommy Tenney: "My pastor recommended this book."
"But, really, this is a C.S. Lewis summer at the Mayfield home. For my own enjoyment (I love science fiction), I'm reading his Space Trilogy that starts with Out of The Silent Planet (Scribner), continues with Perelandra, and concludes with That Hideous Strength. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying his visions of Mars and Venus and outer space as being filled with life rather than being a great void. My family is reading (aloud) that other, and more well known, series of his, The Chronicles of Narnia. My wife and I agree that these seven books will help our son and daughter develop mental images for some of the concepts expressed in the Bible, including the incarnation and resurrection. Our children were enchanted by the first book The Magician's Nephew (Harper Collins) and long for us to begin the second The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."

Pat Summit, UT Lady Volunteers Basketball Head Coach

It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life (Putnam) by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins (contributor)
Junction Boys: How Ten Days in Hell With Bear Bryant Forged a National Championship (St. Martins Press) by Jim Dent and Gene Stallings
Becoming a Person of Influence: How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others (Thomas Nelson) by John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan
Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson) by John C. Maxwell
Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson (Doubleday) by Mitch Albom
Lead to Succeed: The 10 Traits of Great Leadership (Broadway Books) by Rick Pitino and Bill Reynolds

Scott Partin, co-owner of Lula

Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (WW Norton & Co.) by Jared Diamond: "I picked this because it won a Pulitzer Prize and it is a fantastic read. An account of human history that looks at the fundamental reasons behind the major conquests in world history."
It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life (Putnam) by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins(contributor): "I have been a bit of a geek about Lance since his Tour De France victory last summer so this book was a natural read for me. It gives the whole story of Armstrong's rise to cycling prominence and his subsequent battle with and victory over cancer."
Serious Cycling (Human Kinetics) by Edmund Burke, Ph.D.: "Lance's book inspired me to ride my bike more and a friend loaned me this to hone the training."

Ina Hughes, Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist

Waiting (Pantheon Books) by Ha Jin
On a Street Called Easy in a Cottage Called Joye; A Restoration Comedy (Broadway Books) by Gregory White Smith and Steven Naifeh
The Van Gogh Cafe (Apple) by Cynthia Rylant
Evening (Knopf) by Susan Minot
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies (W.W. Norton and Co.) by Jared Diamond
Left Behind (Tyndale Press) by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
The Hours (Picador) by Michael Cunningham
Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Women (Owl Books) by Nuala O'Faolain
A Celestial Omnibus: Short Fiction on Faith (Beacon Press) ed. by J.P. Maney
A Congress of Wonders (Counterpoint) by Ed McClanahan

Amy Hubbard, local actress

Taming of the Shrew (Viking) and King Richard III (Viking) by William Shakespeare: "I am spending a lot of time reading Taming of the Shrew, which I am directing this summer for the East Tennessee Shakespeare in the Park and Richard III in which I am playing Queen Elizabeth. I am reading them over and over and over!"
Gap Creek: A Novel (Algonquin Books) by Robert Morgan: "This is the prose fiction that I am going to sleep with at night. My fiddler friend Sarah Pirkle recently lent it to me."
Maus: A Survivor's Tale: And Here my Troubles Began (Pantheon Books) by Art Spiegelman: "I have also promised my husband, John Wright, that I would read (this) his favorite book."
 

July 13, 2000 * Vol. 10, No. 28
© 2000 Metro Pulse