No comments about Marking Time: East Tennessee Historical Markers and the Stories behind Them.

1 comments about Tennessee Music: Its People and Places.

1. What a feast. Zimmerman has given us a rich and deeply enjoyable tour of one of the cradles of American music. It's always a pleasure to read a critic/musicologist who so clearly loves his subject matter. You'll learn and smile a lot.

No comments about The Opryland Insider's Guide to Nashville.

5 comments about The Other Side of What.

1. "The Other Side of What" opened my eyes to what I never thought I'd find--good gay fiction. So many gay authors attempt to (and usually successfully do) use sex to sell their books, disregarding the fact that many gays want to read good fiction that involves gay characters. Yarbrough magnificently achieves this with a moving story about fate, friendship, love and the hauntings of the past. Read this book if you're tired of the same sex-driven plots mired with tedious, predictable pretenses. Thanks to Yarbrough for bringing someone back to the fold.



2. This is a must read for the summer. The book is cleverly written and the reader is constantly guessing himself and the characters in the book. The main character has a secret but soon learns that everyone close to him has a secret as well. This book will you keep you up late at night until the very end. This is the first book written by Shannon Yarbrough and I for one look forward to reading many more to come.



3. This unfortunate effort by Shannon L. Yarbrough fails to rise above adolescent obsession with sexual identity.
   
   The protagonist, Matthew, is uninteresting and unconvincing. One hopes -- and hopes again -- that this character might come alive. He does not.
   
   The book is not helped by the piling on of southern clichés. No matter how hard the author tries to evoke place with these trite references, there is no covering over the shallowness of the characters and their failure to engage the reader.
   
   (I decided to give the book a generous two stars, because I suspect that it is an early effort from this writer. Perhaps future efforts will yield something more substantial.)



4. Yarbrough, Shannon L. "The Other Side of What", XLibris, 2003.
   
   Fate or Coincidence?
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   "The Other Side of What" by Shannon Yarbrough is one of those books that keep you guessing. Matthew, the main character, harbors a secret, and he thinks that is something special but he soon realizes that everyone else also has some sort of secret. As you are drawn into Matthew's world, you begin to realize that here is a book that shows what good gay fiction is.
   Matthew, in an effort to hide his past, leaves his small home town in the South and moves to the big city--Memphis, Tennessee. There he meets Jacob and the two quickly become friends. Matthew, even with his great charm, seems to be unable to tell the truth about anything, not just to others but to himself as well. His secret could possibly destroy his relationships with his friends as well as with his brother. He thinks that life in Memphis will make everything easier for him but he soon realizes that he must own up to himself and questions the choices he has made. As he questions himself, the reader also questions himself and when the conclusion is reached, truth is confronted head on in this exciting first novel.
   Yarbrough has written a gay love story which has you turning pages as fast as you can. It looks at the issue of truth and makes you wonder if life is simply a series of coincidences or whether everything happens for a reason. The intrigue is deep and the tension constantly climbs. The characters are beautifully drawn and the story is quite powerful. Issues of fate, love and friendship as well as past memories are the themes as Matthew wrestles with who he really is. The very fact that the reader has to guess so much is what keeps interest high.
   There are a lot of people who attempt to write a first book and do not succeed. Yarbrough has the gift that enables him to grab us by the collar and take us on a journey that is not easily forgotten. Being from the South, he uses many of the colloquialisms of the region and incorporates them into the story and the author's sense of place is what endeared me to the book. It is a fast read but that does not mean it will be forgotten quickly. Instead it may make you question yourself the next time you want to hide behind a bit of a fib.



5. I enjoyed this book, I don't understand the 2 rating above, but I found it to be fun and easy to read. I felt the story was real, energetic, and fun. I don't write, wish I could, but reading I know and this read is well worth it.

3 comments about Longstreet Highroad Guide to the Tennessee Mountains (Highroad Guides).

1. Hey, cityfolk! Want to get away from it all? Try the mountains of Tennessee, home of some of the prettiest, most enjoyable, least crowded outdoor experiences available east of the Mississippi. Before you go, check out the vast array of possibilities in THE LONGSTREET HIGHROAD GUIDE TO THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS by Vernon and Cathy Summerlin, prizewinning travel writers who know every inch of the state. They've found the best places to hike, bike, fish, and raft. They show you where to watch wildlife and find wildflowers, and they introduce you to out-of-the-way gems like Rugby (settled by English immigrants in the 1880s) and the still largely undiscovered Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. However much time you have to spare, the Summerlins will help you make the most of it.



2. The Summerlins have done it again with another great guide book. They capture the allure & feel of the Tennessee mountains and give the reader a complete & accurate way to experience this beautiful area.



3. And I would know, having lived there 25 years before coming to the NW. I hiked, fished, and adored those mountains. This guide captures a really nice comination of ecology, culture, things to see, and describes the mountain ranges well.
   It's a labor of love, obviously, and I learned much that I did not know while living in Tennessee!
   Buy this guide if you plan on enjoying these lovely old mountains.

1 comments about Looking Beyond the Highway: Dixie Roads and Culture.

1. Any interested in Southern history, culture and social issues must take a look at Looking Beyond the Highway: Dixie Roads and Culture. It follows the Dixie Highway from southern Illinois to Florida with essays which cover a wide swatch of the South and a range of Southern subjects, from the rise and fall of brick highways to changing styles in Southern hotels, architecture, and music and the arts. A fine survey of evolving Southern culture lends plenty of insights into social and political influences along the way.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

No comments about Fodor's Road Guide USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, 1st Edition (Fodor's Road Guide USA).

No comments about Tennessee trails.

No comments about Tennessee County Maps.

1 comments about A Cruising Guide to the Tennessee River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, and the Lower Tombigbee River.

1. I found this to be a very helpful and informative guidebook. As I traveled from Louisville, Ky to Mobile I refered to the book numerous times even though I had read it through before starting the trip. With the guidebook and a set of charts I had no trouble for the whole trip even though I had no experience boating.