Monday, June 1, 2015

Lori Nelson Spielman

Lori Nelson Spielman is a former speech pathologist, guidance counselor, and homebound teacher. She enjoys fitness running, traveling, and reading, though writing is her true passion. Her first novel, The Life List, has been published in thirty countries and optioned by Fox 2000. Her new novel is Sweet Forgiveness. She is currently working on her third book. She lives in Michigan with her husband and their very spoiled cat.

Recently I asked Spielman about what she was reading. Her reply:
I’ve recently read two terrific novels that couldn’t be more different. The first is Five Days Left, a stunning debut by Julie Lawson Timmer. It’s the story of Mara Nichols, a successful lawyer and devoted wife and mother who suffers from Huntington’s disease. Artfully intertwined is the story of Scott Coffman, a middle school teacher whose eight-year-old foster son is being returned to his biological mother. Scott and Mara both have five days left before they must say good-bye to the ones they love. It’s a beautiful, thought-provoking study in courage and compassion that manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting.

The second book is The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion. If Lawson Timmer’s book is a symphony, Simsion’s novel is the catchy jingle you find yourself humming all day long. It’s light, breezy and laugh-out-loud funny. Don Tillman, an awkward genetics professor in search of a wife, has devised an intricate screening device to help weed out unsuitable prospects. Enter Rosie Jarman, a feisty young woman who is everything Don abhors…or thinks he does. It’s a delightful reminder that sometimes we must listen to our hearts, despite what our heads might tell us.
Visit Lori Nelson Spielman's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Life List.

--Marshal Zeringue