Tag Archives: Lists

Musical Eye Candy…’Cuz “Top Ten Sexiest Male Musicians” is Already Taken

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I follow Zooey Deschanel’s blog, Hello Giggles.  It’s cute, she’s cute, and I love that she is good friends with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who is adorable).  Mostly I scan and move on, but today’s entry intrigued me, because I’m a musician (and therefore a music buff), and…well…when you see the title Top 10 Sexiest Male Musicians, followed but a photo list (ranked from 10 to 1) and an invitation to offer your opinion, if you’re me, you read on.  Pointless to post my opinion there, of cou6 – rse…but making a top ten list of musical eye candy is an idea I can’t resist.

In brief, the list (as compiled by Hello Giggles’ Almie Rose):

10 – Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones (No, not even a single year where he was sexy.)
9 – Kanye West (No…sorry…no…really…no.  I really don’t understand.)
8 – Serge Gainsbourg (Who the heck is he?  And <after looking him up> no.)
7 – Ludwig van Beethoven (No.  Awesome, but no.)
6 – Beck (Ewwww.  He looks 12.)
5 – Roger Daltrey, The Who (OK, yes.  He was hot when he was younger.)
4 – George Harrison, The Beatles (No.)
3 – Jarvis Cocker, Pulp (No.)
2 – Paul McCartney , The Beatles, Wings (No…really…no.  Again, awesome, but no.)
1 – David Bowie (I confess it, I agree on this one.  I can’t explain it, but YES!)

And a much better (according to me) list of the Top 10 Sexiest Male Musicians (or as I like to call them, musical eye…and ear…candy):

10 – Stephen Tyler, Aerosmith (it’s the smile)

9 – David Gahan, Depeche Mode (new wave hottie)

8 – Freddie Mercury, Queen (I can’t explain it, I really can’t)

7 – Nikki Sixx, Motley Crue (yep…he’s hot)

6 – Tommy Shaw, Styx (getting better with age)

5 – LL Cool J (Just damn.)

4 – Trace Adkins (tall, hot, and awesome)

3 – Darius Rucker, Hootie and the Blowfish (going country makes him even sexier)

2 – Jon Bon Jovi (the only thing to dislike is his politics)

1 – Dave Matthews (the total package for me…musicianship, stage presence, hilarity, the accent, a family man…and lest we forget, hot!)

And, as we were invited to do at Hello Giggles:

Do you feel like gazing at photos of hot musicians and then arguing over who really is the hottest and who I left out? Great, comment away!

Regina Brett’s 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on | cleveland.com

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To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here’s an update:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

rbrett@plaind.com, 216-999-6328

via Regina Brett’s 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on | cleveland.com.

Oh, HELL No!

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He loves his mom and eats meat.

By Kristin Wong Fri 5:26 PM

Well, the guys are going to love this one.

While there may be someone out there who’s perfect for you, we all know the perfect person simply doesn’t exist. Still, researchers wanted to know what qualities women want in men, and their results reveal “the perfect man.”

According to the poll by Austin Reed, the perfect man earns about $77K a year, drinks beer and drives an Audi.

But wait, men. Before you get bent out of shape, there’s even more.

Women also want men to have stylish clothes, a good body and a clean-shaven face. In fact, in the survey of 2,000 women, they list those qualities as a “must.” The hipster beards just aren’t cutting it anymore.

The perfect guy also can swim, rides a bike, and makes family his top priority.

Anything else?

Yep. Eighty-six percent of women polled say they want a sensitive man who calls his mom regularly and cries during movies.

According to The Huffington Post, a spokesperson for Austin Reed said:

“It would seem that women have high expectations when it comes to the perfect man. How a man is presented is obviously going to be a huge part of that. While women don’t want a man to be too preened, they would like him to be stylish and up to date with current trends.”

And we’re not even done yet. Women also prefer men to be 6 feet tall with short, dark hair and brown eyes. Can we be any more specific? Yes, we can. He must also be a carnivore.

I, for one, respectfully disagree with these results. Among other “imperfect” traits, my ideal man drives a ’97 Nissan and can’t swim for crap.

Here’s a full list of qualities the perfect man apparently possesses:

  1. 6 feet tall
  2. Toned and athletic
  3. Brown eyes
  4. Short dark hair
  5. Smart dress sense
  6. Beer drinker
  7. Non-smoker
  8. Wears smart jeans, shirt and a V-neck jumper
  9. Gets ready in 17 minutes
  10. Stylish
  11. Wants a family
  12. Earns £48,000 ($77,000) a year
  13. Loves shopping
  14. Eats meat
  15. Clean shaven
  16. Smooth chest
  17. Watches soaps
  18. Enjoys watching football
  19. Drives an Audi
  20. Educated to degree level
  21. Earns more than his other half
  22. Jokes around and has a laugh
  23. Sensitive when his wife/girlfriend is upset
  24. Says ‘I love you’ only when he means it
  25. Admits it when he looks at other women
  26. Has a driver’s license
  27. Can swim
  28. Can ride a bike
  29. Can change a tire
  30. Calls mom regularly

Read this and more at MSN Living.

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Must be a slow news day.  I mean, WHO comes up with this stuff??  I find I must respond, lest one really believe that all women are this shallow.

FIRST, if you’re going to write an article about “the perfect man,” and you’re going to include a picture, it might be good to make sure he is actually good looking.  Just a thought.  And no, the man pictured above is not particularly good looking.  Kinda looks like a pretentious fop, if you ask me.  But you didn’t ask me, which is why I’m responding here.

Now, about the list:

  1. 6 feet tall…Why??  If he’s the perfect guy for you, who cares how tall he is!?
  2. Toned and athletic…Sure, but only if you’re toned and athletic as well.  Otherwise it’s pie in the sky.
  3. Brown eyes…Really??  This matters??
  4. Short dark hair…Again, this matters?
  5. Smart dress sense…An equivalently smart dress sense to me, or maybe enough sense to let me dress him.
  6. Beer drinker…I’d rather a man with discriminating beer taste.  If you’re gonna drink it, don’t drink pisswater.
  7. Non-smoker…Wouldn’t want a habitual smoker, but a cigar with the guys now and then is fine with me.
  8. Wears smart jeans, shirt and a V-neck jumper…What the hell does this mean??
  9. Gets ready in 17 minutes…As long as he doesn’t make me wait for him, I don’t care if he takes 7, 17, or 27 minutes.
  10. Stylish…Has is own style, ‘cuz for most men, the current androgynous, metrosexual pantywaist look doesn’t work.  Ever!
  11. Wants a family…Generally speaking, this is desirable.
  12. Earns £48,000 ($77,000) a year…Why does the dollar figure matter??  If he can pay the bills and maintain a budget, that’s what really matters.
  13. Loves shopping…WTH??  I don’t want a girlfriend, I want a spouse!
  14. Eats meat…Why exactly is this important?  Because if you’re vegetarian or vegan, that doesn’t even make sense.
  15. Clean shaven…What difference does this make?  ‘Cuz if he’s rockin’ your world, let’s hope it’s for something more meaningful than facial hair.
  16. Smooth chest…OK, I’m the girl in this relationship??  Got it??  If he’s not a competitive swimmer, then stop with the chest shaving already.
  17. Watches soaps…Not only NO, but HELL NO!!
  18. Enjoys watching football…The sport matters?? My “perfect guy” watches NASCAR.  Just sayin…
  19. Drives an Audi…Again, WTH??  Drive something manly, for heaven’s sake!!
  20. Educated to degree level…Only if your education level is equivalent.  Otherwise, why exactly does this matter??
  21. Earns more than his other half…Yes, but only because I want to stay home and mother the 482 kids we would like to have.
  22. Jokes around and has a laugh…Perhaps the least shallow point on this whole list, because a man who can joke & laugh is good indeed.
  23. Sensitive when his wife/girlfriend is upset…And says “I’m sorry” when he has caused it.
  24. Says ‘I love you’ only when he means it…And says “I love you” a lot BECAUSE he means it…and shows it by his actions, also.
  25. Admits it when he looks at other women…Only if he wants to have a fight.  WHY is this even on the list??
  26. Has a driver’s license…Setting the bar high, aren’t we??!!
  27. Can swim…WTH??  Really, this is important??
  28. Can ride a bike…Huh?  OK, nice to go on bike rides together, but critical?  Perfect??
  29. Can change a tire…AND change the oil, and do a tune up, and fix any number of other car issues that I don’t comprehend.
  30. Calls mom regularly…He should treat her respectfully.  THAT should be on every list, because it indicates how he will treat you.

OK, so my overall reaction is that this sounds more like a girlfriend than a man, and if it really is what constitutes the perfect man, he’s not a man’s man, that is for sure.  I want’ a man’s man, not some over-sensitive, soap-watching, metrosexual excuse for a male.

That really pushed the snark button today, but I’m finished now!  😀

Favorite Quote(s)

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I am jumping into another blog challenge, mostly for the writing prompts, but also for the incentive to continue being disciplined about writing every day (or almost every day).  For those who have been reading, the Blogging A to Z challenge was one of the most fun months I have had as a blogger, not just because I was writing every day, but because I was meeting so many other bloggers.  So here we go again…

Day Three of the 31 Day Blog Challenge…Favorite Quote(s)

Psalm 73:26…My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.  –Mark Twain

Galatians 6:17…Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.  –Mark Twain

Acts 20:24…However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.  –Mark Twain (The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It)

Flowers are red, young man;
Green leaves are green.
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.

And the little boy said…

There are so many colors in the rainbow,
So many colors in the morning sun,
So many colors in the flowers
And I see every one.

–Harry Chapin

April 19 (Q)…Queue Up, Q, and Quick!

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Without question, Q is one of my two favorite Scrabble letters.  As something of a word game addict, I have come to appreciate the letter Q in a way I never thought I would.  Not only is it one of the two most valuable letters in Scrabble, Words with Friends, Lexulous, Wordscraper, and a host of other crossword inspired games, it is essential to spelling some of the most interesting words in the English language.

Without it, I would never have learned, for instance, how many Q words do not require a “post-q” u:

Qwerty…of or pertaining to a keyboard having the keys in traditional typewriter arrangement, with the letters q, w, e, r, t, and y being the first six of the top row of alphabetic characters, starting from the left side.

Qi…vital energy believed to circulate round the body in currents.

Qat…1) a white-flowered evergreen shrub of Africa & Arabia whose leaves have narcotic properties; 2) the leaves of this shrub, chewed or prepared as a drink.

Qaid…a Muslim tribal chief, judge, or senior official in North Africa.

Faqir…1) a Muslim ascetic who rejects worldly possessions; 2) a Hindu ascetic mendicant or holy man.

Burqa…a loose garment covering the entire body and having a veiled opening for the eyes, worn by Muslim women.

Tranq…slang for tranquilizer.

Suq…an open-air marketplace, a triditional bazaar.

Qadi…a judge in a Muslim community, whose decisions are based on Islamic religious law.

Fiqh…the system of jurisprudence: the legal foundation of Islamic religious, political, and civil life.

Sheqel…a paper money, cupronickel or silver coin, and monetary unit of Israel equal to 100 agorot: replaced the pound in 1980.Qiviut…the soft, dense, light-brown woolly undercoat of the musk ox, used in making fabrics.

Buqsha…an aluminum-copper coin and monetary unit of the Yemen Arab Republic, the 40th part of a riyal.

Qasida/Qasideh…an Arabic poem, usually in monorhym e, that may be satirical, elegiac, threatening, or laudatory.

Now, I will admit to knowing most of these on the list, but the last five are new to me, and very welcome additions to my Scrabble lexicon.  Always, always handy to have a few exotic words in your quiver  with which to slay your linquistic opponent.  Which brings me back to the more traditional Q words.  I won’t bore you with expounding on the easy words (quick, quiet, queen, quite, quad, quid, quip, aqua, quit, equate, squint, square…).  Rather, I will share a few quirky gems, some a bit quaint or obscure, that, commingled with the Qu words with which you are already acquainted, will likely give you the quorum of linguistic quasars to exact Scrabble victory.

Queue…1) a braid of hair worn hanging down behind; 2) a file or line, especially of people waiting their turn; 3) Computers – a FIFO-organized sequence of items, as data, messages, jobs, or the like, waiting for action.

Quai…a landing place, especially one of solid masonry, constructed along the edge of a body of water; wharf.

Toque…a brimless, close-fitting hat for women; a velvet hat with a narrow, sometimes turned-up brim, a full crown, and usually a plume, worn by men and women especially in 16th-century France.

Roque…a form of croquet played on a clay or hard-surface court surrounded by a low wall off which the balls may be played.

Quet…a common black or brown speckled seabird (i.e. pigeon).

Qua…as; as being; in the character or capacity of, i.e. The work of art qua art can be judged by aesthetic criteria only.

Quatch…Squat, flat.

Quixotic…extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable; impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.

Quean…1) an overly forward, impudent woman; shrew; hussy; 2) a prostitute; 3) British dialect – a girl or young woman, especially a robust one.

Quince…1) either of two small trees, Cydonia oblonga or C. sinensis, of the rose family, bearing hard, fragrant, yellowish fruit used chiefly for making jelly or preserves; 2) the fruit of such a tree.

Quale…a quality, as bitterness, regarded as an independent object; a sense-datum or feeling having a distinctive quality.

Quey…heifer (Scottish / N. England origin).

Quare…1) remarkable or strange; 2) great or good.

Quetch…to express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; kvetch.

Quinoa/Quinua…a tall crop plant, Chenopodium quinoa, of the amaranth family, cultivated mainly in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile for its small, ivory-colored seed, which is used as a food staple.

Quetsch…a dry, white, unaged brandy distilled from quetsch plums in Alsace.

Quaver…1) to shake tremulously; quiver or tremble; 2) to perform trills in singing or on a musical instrument.

All of the above are words I have used at one time or use regularly in Scrabble game play.  They will not only rack up a nice quantity of points, but should you decide to pepper your daily speech with these splendid syntactical torpedos, you will likely be the most phonologically fabulous person in the room.

Quintessentially yours…

Laura

Recommendations, a Survey, and a Cutie-Pie Celebrity

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I’ve been following a blog called Life is Grace that has all kinds of things that I love.  I’ve reblogged one of her posts already (this one), and judging from the posts I’ve read so far, I think it’s fair to say hers is a blog worth reading.  Today she pointed readers in the direction of Flower Patch FarmGirl, a blog that I am quite sure I will love as well.  She has a lovely, expressive quality to her writing that I felt instantly connected to, and I am looking forward to reading more.

Anyway, along with the blog recommendation, Life is Grace snagged a fun little survey from Flower Patch FarmGirl (who found it here, who got it from here), and which (of course) I have pilfered as well and published below with my answers.  Surveys, questionnaires, lists, etc. are nearly irresistible to me, and that is (apparently) true for a lot of folks, so I’m in good company.  This one is short & fun, so play along if you feel so inclined. 🙂

current guilty pleasure: watching my own TV (as opposed to sports, or History, or any number of Nick Jr or Boomerang shows)
current nail color: fingernails – none (always); toenails – currently bright green, though black is my most frequent choice
current playlist: a made-by-me-myself-and-I playlist on Spotify called Home – all songs are about home in some way
current read: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
current drink: Diet Dr. Pepper (my indulgence)
current food: Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese – currently my go to cuisines
current favorite show: Dexter
current wish list: another child
current needs: more organization
current triumphs: having enough time to read & write regularly
current bane of my existence: friggin’ laundry
current celebrity crush: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
current indulgence: string cheese & milk chocolate (but definitely not together)
current blessing: being a homemaker (or domestic scientist, as my husband likes to call it)
current outfit: it’s about to be jammies ’cause it’s dark outside…I don’t care what time it is on the clock 🙂
current excitement: Upcoming Daytona 500 trip, to include a shopping bonanza w/ my girlfriend Lisa
current mood: content, and hopeful that I will always be so
current link: Goodreads

And, btw…  Thank you to Life is Grace for putting Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos on your list.  I read Belong to Me a couple of years ago and loved it, and I didn’t realize she had (finally) published a new novel.  Happy Dance!

My Life in Song (Christmas version)

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Alternate Title:  Because I Can…and I’m Watching Football…and I Don’t Want to Think Very Hard…and Because It’s Fun

Using song titles from ONLY Christmas song titles, cleverly answer the questions below, then tag a few of your friends (or publish it to all of creation!!).

  1. Are you male or female?  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (John Mellencamp)
  2. Describe yourself:  I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas (Bon Jovi)
  3. How do you feel about yourself?  Even Santa Gets the Blues (Marty Stuart)
  4. Describe your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend:  I Farted on Santa’s Lap (The Little Strikers)
  5. Describe your current boy/girl situation:  Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You (Billy Squier)
  6. Describe your current location:  Please Come Home for Christmas (Bon Jovi)
  7. Describe where you want to be:  Christmas in the Caribbean (Jimmy Buffett)
  8. Your best friend is:  Leroy the Redneck Reindeer (Joe Diffie)
  9. Your favorite color is:  Green Christmas (Barenaked Ladies)
  10. You know that:  I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Gayle Peevey)
  11. What is the weather like?  Hot Christmas (Squirrel Nut Zippers)
  12. If your life was a television show, what would it be called?  Christmas Time (Smashing Pumpkins)
  13. What is life to you?  Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy (David Bowie / Bing Crosby)
  14. What is the best advice you have to give?  Children Go Where I Send Thee (Natalie Merchant)
  15. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?  Joy to the World (Jewel)

And just for kicks, if you’ve never heard Polly Anderson’s Christmas Party by Stuart McLean, give it a listen,  It’s available free on Spotify and last.fm.  Likely the best (funniest) Christmas story I have ever heard.

Merry Christmas!  For real…I mean it. 🙂

The 2011 TBR Pile Challenge

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It is hosted by Roofbeam Reader head over there to join in.







The Goal:
To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile, within 12 months.

Specifics:

1. Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list forAT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2010 or later (any book published in the year 2009 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile – I WILL be checking publication dates). Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.

2. To be eligible, you must sign-up with Mr. Linky – link to your list (so create it ahead of time!) and add updated links to each book’s review.  Every listed book must be completed and must be reviewed in order to count as completed.

3. Your list must be posted by Friday, December 31st, 2010.

4. Leave comments on this post as you go along, to update us on your status. Come back here if/when you complete this challenge and leave a comment indicating that you CONQUERED YOUR 2011 TBR LIST!  Every person who successfully reads his/her 12 books and/or alternates (and who provides a working link to their list, which has links to the review locations) will be entered to win a $50 gift card from either Amazon.com or The Book Depository!

5.  There may be mini-challenge “check-ins” throughout 2011, to award and recognize those participants who are progressing through the challenge, such as a “Spring Break Check-In!” or a “6 Month Pit Stop!” Participants who are making equal progress to-date (6 books at the 6 month check-in, for example) could win a prize! 

6. Crossovers from other challenges are totally acceptable, as long as you have never read the book before and it was published pre-2010! 




LAURA’S LIST:
1. Great Expectations (audio cd) by Charles Dickens
2. Moby Dick (audio cd) by Herman Melville
3. Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynn Truss
4. If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar
5. My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki
6. Lucky by Ann Sebold
7. The Bitch Posse by Martha O’Connor
8. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
9. The Tall Pine Polka by Lorna Landvik
10. Memoirs of a Geisha (audio cd) by Arthur Golden
11. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
12. The Adrian Mole Diaries by Sue Townsend


Alternates:
A Thousand Splendid Suns (audio cd) by Khaled Hosseini
The Summons by John Grisham