http://www.blounttoday.com/news/columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmith/?partner=RSSblounttoday.com Stories: Tessa Bright Wildsmithen-uscolumnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithhttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/oct/03/leave-me-alone-im-reading-our-tragic-universe-scar/?partner=RSS“Our Tragic Universe” is one of those books that could have gone horribly wrong in the hands of a less talented writer than Scarlett Thomas. With Thomas driving though, the reader is taken on a journey through literary ideas, hopes and realities. Meg Carpenter is a writer. She’s still working on her “real” novel. She hasn’t finished it yet, because she keeps erasing it all and starting over. In the meantime, to make ends meet, she ghostwrites young adult genre fiction, reviews books and teaches writing classes. In other words, she’s broke but she hasn’t given up on her dream yet. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19204-734413columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomasblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-our-tragic-universe-scarurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19204-734413Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/sep/19/leave-me-alone-im-reading-girl-who-fell-sky-heidi/?partner=RSSRachel Morse doesn’t know she’s supposed to act a certain color. She’s one of three children born from a Danish mother and a black G.I. stationed overseas. She’s always just been Rachel. When a terrible accident leaves Rachel as the only survivor, she’s sent to live with her grandmother in a predominately African-American neighborhood where she’s suddenly expected to act “black.” Rachel doesn’t know what this means. She’s always just been Rachel, not a skin color. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19150-734399columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Girl Who Fell From The Sky by Heidi W. Durrowblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-girl-who-fell-sky-heidiurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19150-734399Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/sep/05/leave-me-alone-im-reading-angelology-danielle-trus/?partner=RSSSister Evangeline is a young nun. At only 23, she has grown up with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration since she was 12. She lives an orderly life and does what is expected of her. When a letter arrives requesting access to the convent’s archives, Evangeline has no idea this simple letter will change her entire life and everything she ever thought about the world. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19103-734385columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Angelology by Danielle Trussoniblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-angelology-danielle-trusurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19103-734385Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/aug/29/leave-me-alone-im-reading-dead-hour-denise-mina/?partner=RSSPaddy Meehan is on the night beat at her newspaper. She spends the hours most of us are sleeping following up on domestic disturbances and car accidents, awaiting the story that will finally give her some credibility and get her off the night shift. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19077-734378columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Dead Hour by Denise Minablounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-dead-hour-denise-minaurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19077-734378Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/aug/15/leave-me-alone-im-reading-strain-guillermo-del-tor/?partner=RSSA Boeing 777 arrives at JFK on schedule with no problems. Suddenly it stops on the tarmac. The plane is dark, and the communication channels have gone quiet. Stumped for answers, with fears of biological threats, the CDC is contacted, and Ephraim Goodweather is called in. When Eph and his partner Nora board the plane, what they find makes no sense and scares them both beyond belief. Everyone on board is dead with no obvious cause. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:34:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19019-734364columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hoganblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-strain-guillermo-del-torurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-19019-734364Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/aug/01/leave-me-alone-im-reading-secret-kept-tatiana-de-r/?partner=RSSAntoine Rey thought he would surprise is sister, Melanie, with a seaside vacation for her 40th birthday. He knew taking her back to their favorite vacation spot from childhood would be just the thing to snap her out of her birthday slump. Antoine remembers nothing but beauty, sand, ocean and happy families from Noirmoutier Island where his family spent their summer vacations. That was thirty years ago though - before his mother suddenly died. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:27:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18963-734350columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnayblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-secret-kept-tatiana-de-rurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18963-734350Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/jul/18/leave-me-alone-im-reading-so-cold-river-michael-ko/?partner=RSSEric Shaw had big movie-making dreams. Things haven’t worked out exactly as he had planned. Now he’s stuck making memorial films to play at funerals. At one funeral, he gets an offer from the deceased’s sister, Alyssa Bradford, to make a documentary about her dying, millionaire father-in-law, Campbell Bradford. The 95-year-old man’s history and upbringing is a mystery, even to his own family. She wants Eric to go to the man’s hometown and research his history. With few other offers, Eric can’t refuse. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:28:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18913-734336columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: So Cold The River by Michael Korytablounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-so-cold-river-michael-kourn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18913-734336Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/jul/04/leave-me-alone-im-reading-year-flood-margaret-atwo/?partner=RSSSet in the dystopian future of Atwood's "Oryx and Crake" vision, "The Year of the Flood" is sweeping, imaginative and compelling - all the things that I've grown to expect from Atwood's fiction. In this second book in the MadAddam trilogy, we get another look at the apocalyptic future from "Oryx and Crake." This time we hear the story from Toby and Ren, two survivors of the waterless flood. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18862-734322columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Year Of The Flood by Margaret Atwoodblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-year-flood-margaret-atwourn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18862-734322Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/jun/20/leave-me-alone-im-reading-sweetheart-chelsea-cain/?partner=RSSAs soon as I finished Cain’s first book, “Heartsick,” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, “Sweetheart” and continue with troubled murder detective Archie Sheridan and his obsession with the beautiful but deadly serial killer Gretchen Lowell. “Sweetheart” opens with Archie’s life much improved. He’s no longer going for his weekly visits with Gretchen. He’s moved back in with his wife and is going to therapy to help him get through his problems left from his days spent being tortured by Gretchen. The scars she carved in his chest and the physical pains left from Gretchen cutting his spleen out will never heal. But maybe, with enough time, some of the emotional trauma will fade, and Archie can get on with his life. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18811-734308columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Sweetheart by Chelsea Cainblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-sweetheart-chelsea-cainurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18811-734308Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/may/30/leave-me-alone-im-reading-oryx-and-crake-margaret/?partner=RSSMargaret Atwood is one of those rare authors with an imagination so big she has the ability to take you places you never thought possible. In “Oryx and Crake,” Atwood takes the reader to the future -- a future not too far removed from our present, but a future where things have gone very wrong. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 30 May 2011 04:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18722-734287columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwoodblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-oryx-and-crake-margareturn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18722-734287Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/may/16/leave-me-alone-im-reading-girl-played-fire-stieg-l/?partner=RSSWhen I finished reading “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” my first thoughts were that I wanted to know more about Lisbeth Salander. Stieg Larsson gave me that wish in his sophomore novel, “The Girl Who Played With Fire.” Lisbeth is once again diving into the dark, criminal world of Stockholm, only this time, if she doesn’t stay one step ahead, it may cost her her life. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 16 May 2011 14:18:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18676-734273columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Girl That Played With Fire by Stieg Larssonblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-girl-played-fire-stieg-lurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18676-734273Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/may/02/leave-me-alone-im-reading-night-elie-wiesel/?partner=RSSI vaguely remember most of the books I was made to read in high school. I trudged through them completely uninterested. “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, was a different story. I was captivated from page one and still remember it vividly to this day. “Night” is an autobiographical account of Elie Wiesel’s time in a concentration camp during World War II. He starts from the beginning, before the German troops appeared in their town of Sighet, Transylvania. The people of his town were optimistic. They heard the rumors, but they remained hopeful. Surely the Nazi’s couldn’t wipe out an entire group of people. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 02 May 2011 15:53:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18623-734259columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Night by Elie Wieselblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-night-elie-wieselurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18623-734259Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/apr/18/leave-me-alone-im-reading-eat-document-dana-spiott/?partner=RSSMary and Bobby are idealistic, passionate and angry. It’s the 1970s, and the Vietnam war has been raging on too long. Mary and Bobby feel like they must do something to speak up. After arranging several radical protests against the war, something goes very wrong. The two erase their past, change their names and go underground. They never see each other again. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:42:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18573-734245columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Eat The Document by Dana Spiottablounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-eat-document-dana-spiotturn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18573-734245Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/apr/04/leave-me-alone-im-reading-forgotten-garden-kate-mo/?partner=RSSIn 1913, a 4-year-old girl is placed on a ship leaving London for Australia. When the ship arrives, no one is there to claim the girl. No one knows where she came from or who she belongs to. She won’t tell them her name. The only clue to her identity is a small suitcase with a little money, a brush and a beautiful book of fairytales. The dockmaster who finds the young girl decides his only option is to take the her home with him. He and his wife raise her as their own. On her 21st birthday, the girl, Nell, is told the truth about where she came from and how she became a part of their lives. Nell’s world is shattered. Her sense of self disappears in an instant. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:29:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18513-734231columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Mortonblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-forgotten-garden-kate-mourn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18513-734231Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/mar/21/leave-me-alone-im-reading-monsters-templeton-laure/?partner=RSSWillie Upton is coming home to her small town after her personal life has taken her off the tracks. The small up-state New York town of Templeton is not somewhere she comes back to often. She’s been away at college and left the small town and her youth behind her. But now, she has no choice but to crawl home with her pride and confidence shattered after a calamitous affair with her archeology professor. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:08:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18457-734217columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groffblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-monsters-templeton-laureurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18457-734217Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/mar/07/leave-me-alone-im-reading-dead-witch-walking-kim-h/?partner=RSSRachel Morgan is a witch and a bounty hunter. Her job is to bring in witches practicing the dark arts, werewolves behaving badly, vampires feeding where they shouldn’t be and many other supernatural characters who have broken the rules. Rachel lives in Cincinnati. The country has changed after a tomato virus wiped out a quarter of the human population. The supernaturals were immune to the virus and decided it was time to come out of hiding. Now the human and supernatural people of Cincinnati work together to keep the peace - just on opposite sides of the river. The humans live in the city. The supernaturals live in the Hollows. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:49:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18405-734203columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading" Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrisonblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-dead-witch-walking-kim-hurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18405-734203Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/feb/21/leave-me-alone-im-reading-heart-sick-chelsea-cain/?partner=RSSPortland murder detective Archie Sheridan pulled a case his first week on the job. Little did he know that he’d spend the next 10 years chasing the same serial killer, The Beauty Killer, across the country, never coming close to a capture. That is until the Beauty Killer caught him. Gretchen Lowell, the infamous Beauty Killer, kidnapped Archie and tortured him for 10 days. But instead of killing him like most of her victims, she suddenly decides to spare his life. She calls 911 and keeps him alive with CPR until help arrives. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18341-734189columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Heart Sick by Chelsea Cainblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-heart-sick-chelsea-cainurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18341-734189Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/feb/07/leave-me-alone-im-reading-swan-thieves-elizabeth-k/?partner=RSSRobert Oliver is an accomplished artist. He has painted for years, taught art at several colleges and has had his worked displayed in some of the best galleries in the nation. He is admired and respected among other artists. So what could drive him to enter the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and attack a painting with a knife? Art is his entire world. Why would he try to destroy his greatest love? Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow is given the task of finding out. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:09:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18291-734175columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostovablounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-swan-thieves-elizabeth-kurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18291-734175Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/jan/24/leave-me-alone-im-reading-imperfectionists-tom-rac/?partner=RSSNewspapers are typically full of quirky people, each with their own strange personality but all with a passion for the news. “The Imperfectionists” offers characters who are no exception. The book takes place at an international English-speaking newspaper based out of Rome, Italy. We get glimpses into the private lives of the reporters, publishers, editors and more as they struggle to keep their lives, and the paper, afloat. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:16:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18243-734161columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachmanblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-imperfectionists-tom-racurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18243-734161Change0Usablehttp://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/jan/17/leave-me-alone-im-reading-bloodroot-amy-greene/?partner=RSSIn Amy Green’s debut novel, “Bloodroot” she chronicles the lives of one family across three generations on Bloodroot Mountain in the foothills of East Tennessee. Myra Lamb, a beautiful girl with jet black hair and “haint” blue eyes, was raised by her grandmother. Her mother was killed by a train when she was just a child so she knows no life except running wild and safe on the mountain. This is the only life she ever wants until she meets John Odom. She falls desperately in love and will follow him anywhere, even off Bloodroot Mountain, the only home she’s ever known. brightt@blounttoday.com (Tessa Bright Wildsmith)Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:00:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18210-734154columnists/tessa-bright-wildsmithTessa Bright WildsmithMaryville, TNLeave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Bloodroot by Amy Greeneblounttoday.comleave-me-alone-im-reading-bloodroot-amy-greeneurn:publicid:www.blounttoday.com:news-Story-18210-734154Change0Usable