Brag Book! It’s My One Year Blogoversary!!!

I can barely contain myself. I one year ago I published my first review at the Book Self, Joe Muto’s memoir, An Atheist in the Foxhole: A Liberal’s Eight-Year Odyssey Inside the Heart of the Right Wing Media. Since those humble beginnings, I’ve read and reviewed some really great books (and some not so great ones), gained followers and likes, received wonderful messages from the authors I’ve reviewed and have gotten involved in some really cool things like the giveaway for the movie “This Is Where I Leave You” based on the Jonathan Tropper novel of the same name.

I initially started this blog because I had gone through a horrific writing situation in the professional sense, and I needed an ego boost to prove to myself I still had the chops as a writer. I figured a blog might do the trick, but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to write about. Writer and artist Austin Kleon once advised don’t write what you know; write what you love. What wise advice. I love books and I just knew I had to write about them. And now look where I am! Wow!

I want to thank my readers for joining me on this journey, and we have so many more miles to go. I’m working on a couple of book reviews. A publisher sent me a galley of a novel to be published in mid-November, which I am reading now and will probably post a review around the publishing date. I’m open to guest reviewers. And there are just so many books I want to read and review. I have a list as long Shaquille O’Neill.

I’m really looking forward to starting my second year of the Blog Self, and I hope my readers are, too. Thanks so much.

Writer’s Block

Wow, it’s been less than a month since I started this blog, and I’m gaining “likes” and “followers.” This is pretty awesome considering I haven’t done much publicity for this blog. I’ve put the social media aspect on the back burner for now until I put up more content. So thanks to everyone who has found this blog and is reading my posts. I really appreciate it.

And thanks so much to Joe Muto, whose book Atheist in the Foxhole was the first I reviewed at this blog. He tweeted a shout out to the review and my blog. Wow!

I have a couple of reviews already written that I’ll probably post shortly, and a couple more that are percolating in my brain. I picked up some novels at my library that I’ll read and review in the next few weeks. I’m also going to start a series I call “Retro Reviews.” In Retro Reviews, I will re-read the classics or bone up on classics I should have read. I will also use this series to re-visit some of my favorite books, including some fun trashy reads!

And if I have an interesting news regarding books, the publishing industry or writers and authors I’ll post them via Books Marks.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I actually have a life off-line. My contract has been extended and I start a new position with this company next week. That will keep me busy because I’ll be working some overtime. With the holidays coming up I can definitely use the money. Because I’m crazy and crafty, I will once again be making a lot of my gifts because that’s how I roll.

But this blog won’t be far from my mind. I’ve always been an avid reader, and I’m happy to share my love for books at this blog.

Brag Book!

Because I raved about Joe Muto’s memoir Atheist in the Foxhole I decided to send Muto a link to my review. Luckily I was able to find his e-mail via his website. Muto really appreciated the rave review and wished me luck on my blog. So cool!

An Atheist in the Foxhole: A Liberal’s Eight-Year Odyssey Inside the Heart of the Right Wing Media-by Joe Muto

Get ready for a shocker, readers. Ann Coulter is a nice person. Don’t take my word for it. Take Joe Muto’s word. According to Muto there is “Green Room Ann” who is warm, friendly and remembers the names of everybody she meets. And then there is “On-Camera Ann” who is, well, you know.

But how does Muto know Ann Coulter is a nice person when she isn’t facing a news camera? Muto knows because he used to work behind the scenes at Fox News and he lived to tell the tale in his enlightening memoir An Atheist in the Foxhole: A Liberal’s Eight-Year Odyssey Inside the Heart of the Right Wing Media.

At first glance, Muto hardly seems like the type to join Fox News. As you can tell from the book’s title Muto is both an atheist and a liberal. But with a huge desire to live in New York City, a worthless degree in film studies from Notre Dame and desperate need to find employment, Muto sends out a cover letter and his thin resume to Fox and gets hired as a production assistant for a whopping $12.00 per hour. As a production assistant Muto is basically a go-fer making sure shows run smoothly, doing tedious tasks and trying to navigate a world where his lefty ideology doesn’t quite match up with his corporate overlords.

Muto soon learns that at Fox News not everything is what it seems, like the aforementioned Coulter. Sure, plenty of his fellow staff members are die-hard conservatives, but most are moderate and there are quite a few liberals, too. However, staff is committed to working hard and getting things done even if it means dealing with delicate egos or woefully out of date equipment. Fox News makes a lot of money but it’s unbelievably cheap. When Muto started in 2004 Fox News was still using old-school VHS tapes instead of upgrading to digital.

As for the Fox News people in front of the camera? Muto speaks highly of Shep Smith, one of the few Fox personalities who leans a bit more to the left. He has nothing but praise for Megyn Kelly who he says is ambitious, hard-working, very smart and completely free of diva-like behavior. Glenn Beck’s on-air shtick is not an act; he really is nuttier than squirrel poop. Sarah Palin is even better looking in person and wildly charismatic. She’s also willfully ignorant, lazy and a total pain in the ass.

And then there is Bill O’Reilly. Muto spent the last few years of his tenure at Fox News as an assistant producer for O’Reilly’s show. While acting as assistant producer, Muto suffered through production meetings (often facing O’Reilly’s wrath) and ambushed Rosie O’Donnell at one of her book signings. And yes, Muto was there when O’Reilly faced a huge sexual harassment lawsuit (and somehow got loofah and falafel mixed-up).

Muto claims he found O’Reilly to be demanding, cantankerous, abrasive and very cheap despite his huge Fox News salary. However, Muto does have a lot of respect for his former boss for his strong work ethic, his devotion to his children and his notable media savvy.

But finally, Muto had enough being caught up in Fox News’ far right spin and he leaked some videos to the gossipy website Gawker.com. Sadly, his time as a muckraking mole didn’t last long and his employer found out about his media malfeasance. They were not thrilled with Muto’s betrayal, and Muto was served his marching papers.

Atheist in the Foxhole isn’t so much an indictment of the right-wing media juggernaut as much as it is Muto’s memoir of a particular moment in his life and his career. Muto is honest and fair about his time at Fox. And he’s also open about his own short-comings and contrite about his becoming a mole for Gawker.com (he naively thought he’d end up getting a job at the website-he did not). Muto intersperses his memoir with tales of partying and drinking, trying to live in New York on a paltry salary, and the difficulty of maintaining a good relationship (the news biz can be a killer on one’s dating life).

Atheist in the Foxhole is a fun, entertaining read. Muto has an amusing, self-deprecating writing style that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next. This book is not so much an indictment of Fox News, but a very honest tale of a young man coming of age, facing his own shortcomings and trying to get his footing in a very rough business. I highly recommend it.