Bert Murray's Blog - Posts Tagged "friendship"
Who might want to read this novel?
If you like...
Coming of age novels
Novels written from a 19 year old man's perspective
Novels about friendship
Honest portrayal of first love and sexuality
Novels about college life
Classic rock, Beatles or John Lennon
You might enjoy reading Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled
Coming of age novels
Novels written from a 19 year old man's perspective
Novels about friendship
Honest portrayal of first love and sexuality
Novels about college life
Classic rock, Beatles or John Lennon
You might enjoy reading Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled
Five star Amazon customer review of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled
5.0 out of 5 stars Growing Pains, February 12, 2011
By S. Hammer - See all my reviews
This review is from: Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled (Paperback)
A story of first love, of loss, of a boy on his way to becoming a man, set to a classic rock soundtrack. Colin is a quiet, sensitive boy who unexpectedly has a narcissistic jock as a best friend and a beautiful but damaged girlfriend. He feels his father doesn't understand him. He attends a small, private college in the mid-1980s and is obsessed with classic rock, especially the Beatles. While navigating the ups and downs of his first love, he is learning about life. Colin's tale is told in the first person, and through his voice you experience how it feels to be a teenage boy suffering and learning to grow up.
By S. Hammer - See all my reviews
This review is from: Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled (Paperback)
A story of first love, of loss, of a boy on his way to becoming a man, set to a classic rock soundtrack. Colin is a quiet, sensitive boy who unexpectedly has a narcissistic jock as a best friend and a beautiful but damaged girlfriend. He feels his father doesn't understand him. He attends a small, private college in the mid-1980s and is obsessed with classic rock, especially the Beatles. While navigating the ups and downs of his first love, he is learning about life. Colin's tale is told in the first person, and through his voice you experience how it feels to be a teenage boy suffering and learning to grow up.
Five Star Amazon customer review of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled
5.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive Sophomore, February 5, 2011
By porter h. warren, M. D. (Cornwall, N. Y. United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled (Paperback)
Young Colin Preston is not a happy sophomore. Although nineteen and handsome and loved by women, he is sensitive and sincere and when hurt has only The Beatles and other Rock stars and their songs for consolation. He has attended a prestigious private school before college and receives everything he needs from his Upper East Side parents except the one crucial thing, total acceptance. He longs for this, and gets a considerable amount from his best guy friend and his beautiful girl friend until he encounters a disaster. His music tapes and a Visiting Professor from Spain enable him to barely survive. His story is beautifully told using the short-hand expressions of his time. He is such a "noticer"that the tale is intricate and penetrating. One eagerly turns the page completely caught up in the ways Colin will use the methods of coping with life expressed by the artists from the Beatles to Frank Zappa. It is a story rich in romance, intensity, sexuality and psychology- a winner.
By porter h. warren, M. D. (Cornwall, N. Y. United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled (Paperback)
Young Colin Preston is not a happy sophomore. Although nineteen and handsome and loved by women, he is sensitive and sincere and when hurt has only The Beatles and other Rock stars and their songs for consolation. He has attended a prestigious private school before college and receives everything he needs from his Upper East Side parents except the one crucial thing, total acceptance. He longs for this, and gets a considerable amount from his best guy friend and his beautiful girl friend until he encounters a disaster. His music tapes and a Visiting Professor from Spain enable him to barely survive. His story is beautifully told using the short-hand expressions of his time. He is such a "noticer"that the tale is intricate and penetrating. One eagerly turns the page completely caught up in the ways Colin will use the methods of coping with life expressed by the artists from the Beatles to Frank Zappa. It is a story rich in romance, intensity, sexuality and psychology- a winner.
Author Meredith Sue Willis on Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled
Meredith Sue Willis's
Books for Readers # 139
February 10, 2011
MSW ON COLIN PRESTON ROCKED AND ROLLED
COLIN PRESTON ROCKED AND ROLLED by "Bert Murray" is a novel that does a wonderful job of capturing the voices and lives of a certain time and place. The use of music– both music contemporary to the characters and Colin's beloved Beatles (already, of course, at the time of the novel, classic)– works especially well. Instead of using words, Colin, when in the grip of a strong emotion, puts on an appropriate song. Overall, the compactness of the story and the ease with which one identifies with Colin and his situation create an inevitability about the events that has an almost tragic quality as well as a strong structure. I felt I experienced it all with Colin, and it was a pleasure to read.
About Meredith Sue Willis:
A well-known speaker and writer about the teaching of writing, her own novels include A Space Apart, Higher Ground, Only Great Changes, Trespassers, and Oradell at Sea. Her short story collections are In the Mountains of America and Dwight's House and Other Stories. Her work has been praised in periodicals like The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, The San Francisco Chronicle, and many other periodicals.
She has won major awards including literary fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the arts, and her fiction has won prizes like the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award and the West Virginia Library Association Award (1980), as well as the Chaffin Award for fiction.
Books for Readers # 139
February 10, 2011
MSW ON COLIN PRESTON ROCKED AND ROLLED
COLIN PRESTON ROCKED AND ROLLED by "Bert Murray" is a novel that does a wonderful job of capturing the voices and lives of a certain time and place. The use of music– both music contemporary to the characters and Colin's beloved Beatles (already, of course, at the time of the novel, classic)– works especially well. Instead of using words, Colin, when in the grip of a strong emotion, puts on an appropriate song. Overall, the compactness of the story and the ease with which one identifies with Colin and his situation create an inevitability about the events that has an almost tragic quality as well as a strong structure. I felt I experienced it all with Colin, and it was a pleasure to read.
About Meredith Sue Willis:
A well-known speaker and writer about the teaching of writing, her own novels include A Space Apart, Higher Ground, Only Great Changes, Trespassers, and Oradell at Sea. Her short story collections are In the Mountains of America and Dwight's House and Other Stories. Her work has been praised in periodicals like The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, The San Francisco Chronicle, and many other periodicals.
She has won major awards including literary fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the arts, and her fiction has won prizes like the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award and the West Virginia Library Association Award (1980), as well as the Chaffin Award for fiction.
livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com Review of Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled by Bert Murray
Four Stars
Need a good summer read? Colin is a typical sophomore in college. The reader will be immediately immersed in the novel. Colin is one of those characters that a reader will be unsure about. Is Colin a sympathetic character? Is he too neurotic? Yes, to both questions in this case. Colin isn't the most mature character, but that is actually a great quality to this novel. Colin shouldn't be extremely mature, he's still a kid in many ways. He does, however, show flashes of maturity throughout the novel; this gives the reader the impression that Colin is making progress and growing up to be an adult.
The reader is also introduced to Jasmine, a girl that Colin lusts after. She won't gain the reader's trust or sympathy. However, she makes for a good addition as well. Imperfect characters are essential to a novel. They make the novel seem that much more real. She is what many may refer to as "easy" during her college years and she whines a fair amount. Colin believes this "paragon of virtue" to be his soul mate, even though he is warned by several of his friends against her. This belief causes many problems for Colin through the course of the novel.
The characters are all pretty easy to identify with in one way or another. The plot is pretty good, will keep the readers' attention for the most part. The dialogue varies from the humorous to the serious-especially the dialogue in Colin's own head. The ending is a good one, the reader will not be disappointed or left on a huge cliff-hanger. This novel will be enjoyed by young adults/adults.
by Krystal
http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/.
Need a good summer read? Colin is a typical sophomore in college. The reader will be immediately immersed in the novel. Colin is one of those characters that a reader will be unsure about. Is Colin a sympathetic character? Is he too neurotic? Yes, to both questions in this case. Colin isn't the most mature character, but that is actually a great quality to this novel. Colin shouldn't be extremely mature, he's still a kid in many ways. He does, however, show flashes of maturity throughout the novel; this gives the reader the impression that Colin is making progress and growing up to be an adult.
The reader is also introduced to Jasmine, a girl that Colin lusts after. She won't gain the reader's trust or sympathy. However, she makes for a good addition as well. Imperfect characters are essential to a novel. They make the novel seem that much more real. She is what many may refer to as "easy" during her college years and she whines a fair amount. Colin believes this "paragon of virtue" to be his soul mate, even though he is warned by several of his friends against her. This belief causes many problems for Colin through the course of the novel.
The characters are all pretty easy to identify with in one way or another. The plot is pretty good, will keep the readers' attention for the most part. The dialogue varies from the humorous to the serious-especially the dialogue in Colin's own head. The ending is a good one, the reader will not be disappointed or left on a huge cliff-hanger. This novel will be enjoyed by young adults/adults.
by Krystal
http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/.
Review of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled by Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
"COLIN PRESTON ROCKED AND ROLLED" BY BERT MURRAY
Five Stars
I had been trying to get a copy of this book since March and finally received one in early June. I can honestly say that it was well worth the wait! This book is a story of coming of age, learning your true self, and realizing that first loves don't always last. It's also a story about deception and betrayal and how selfish people can be, but it's also about realizing this is not the end of the world and you can move on and be alright.
Colin Preston is a young college Sophomore with his entire life ahead of him, when he meets the one girl, Jasmine, that he thinks could be the one he finds his life is no longer his own. He begins to cater to her whims and even puts up with a certain amount of abuse, physical, mental, and emotional. He soon realizes that friendships are not always what they seem, that even the most trusted people can let you down and life is definitely what you make of it and you should never let anyone else live it for you.
I advise you to go on this journey with Colin Preston, pop in an old Beatles CD, sit back and relive those college years, or at least see them through the eyes of this young man! It's a story you won't soon forget.
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
http://greatmindsthinkaloud.blogspot.....
Five Stars
I had been trying to get a copy of this book since March and finally received one in early June. I can honestly say that it was well worth the wait! This book is a story of coming of age, learning your true self, and realizing that first loves don't always last. It's also a story about deception and betrayal and how selfish people can be, but it's also about realizing this is not the end of the world and you can move on and be alright.
Colin Preston is a young college Sophomore with his entire life ahead of him, when he meets the one girl, Jasmine, that he thinks could be the one he finds his life is no longer his own. He begins to cater to her whims and even puts up with a certain amount of abuse, physical, mental, and emotional. He soon realizes that friendships are not always what they seem, that even the most trusted people can let you down and life is definitely what you make of it and you should never let anyone else live it for you.
I advise you to go on this journey with Colin Preston, pop in an old Beatles CD, sit back and relive those college years, or at least see them through the eyes of this young man! It's a story you won't soon forget.
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
http://greatmindsthinkaloud.blogspot.....
fivealarmbookreviews.com on Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled: "all the makings of a cult classic"
Five Stars
"Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled by Bert Murray has all the makings of a cult classic. It is set in the eighties, the references to great music and artists are made throughout the novel, and it is written with raw honesty and emotion. The life of Colin and his friends are exposed in such a way that the reader is able to relate to them personally. If you are not one of these characters, you know people like them." http://fivealarmbookreviews.com/2011/....
"There are few books that are written with college age young adults in mind and even fewer who do it so well." http://fivealarmbookreviews.com/2011/....
"Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled by Bert Murray has all the makings of a cult classic. It is set in the eighties, the references to great music and artists are made throughout the novel, and it is written with raw honesty and emotion. The life of Colin and his friends are exposed in such a way that the reader is able to relate to them personally. If you are not one of these characters, you know people like them." http://fivealarmbookreviews.com/2011/....
"There are few books that are written with college age young adults in mind and even fewer who do it so well." http://fivealarmbookreviews.com/2011/....
"It's an easy read and very entertaining. Not just the music, mind you." Reading Good Books review of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled
The year was 1985. Madonna was making waves up and down the Top 40 charts. The Bee Gees were `staying alive'. Colin Preston was in his sophomore year at Elerby University; the toughest period in his life.
I remember seeing this book again and again in various giveaways from GoodReads and LibraryThing and I never won it. Until the author directly contacted me and graciously offered to provide a copy of the book for review. I received this book in the mail before my trip to San Francisco (in fact, a trip to San Francisco on a Greyhound bus was mentioned in the book. That was exactly what I did).
Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled is the debut novel of author Bert Murray. It has a big cast of characters that a lot of readers can relate to. As the author said, this is not a YA novel. It's not an entirely adult contemporary either. Somewhere in between. Having already gone through college, I definitely saw and even went through some of the situations mentioned in the book. And yes, I am old enough to remember what a cassette tape is. If I were a young teen picking this up, I would probably see this as a cautionary tale or "the older kids are crazy" kind of thing.
So Colin falls in love with the most beautiful girl on campus, Jasmine. She's one of those trust fund babies with one foot stuck in the Age of Aquarius. Colin's best friend is Karl, Mr. Popular. Among his other friends Big Ty, Mrs. Vesquez and her cat Quixote, Liz, Susan, and my favorite, Chester, the stoner. Things don't go the way Colin would've wanted it and eventually, he uses booze and sex to numb the pain. With a little help from his friends (oh, Beatles!), Colin finds a way to recover and get his life back on track.
The book is split into 3 parts. The first part started off well but it became monotonous with all the "Jasmine issues". How many people and how many pages does one need to show what the other characters thought of her? The story was progressing well enough without all the filler. The "Jasmine issues" gets carried over to parts 2 and 3. There were parts where I wanted to grab Colin and shake some sense into him. He sure could use some Brokeback Mountain wisdom... "I wish I knew how to quit you." I did like the conversations between Colin and Mrs. Vesquez. And also with Chester. I think that among all the characters, he had the most layers and I felt that I got to know him the most.
The setting is in the 80s but the music selection is definitely 60s-70s. Mentions of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Doors, The Police, Led Zeppelin... the only thing missing from this book is a mixtape to go with it! There's even a mention of Hair, one of my favorite musicals. I think Liz, Karl, and I would be best friends music-wise. In fact, I drew a heart beside the songs that I really dug. I just found it so frustratingly fitting that there's a song to every situation that Colin goes through. It's as if his tape player knows what Colin is feeling and cues up a song for him. I believe that there are certain songs that stir emotions and memories within us but I found this a bit too convenient.
There are a lot of cliches in this book. Pretty girls, hot guys, betrayals, rebounds, music to fit the mood, sex, beer, expectations. It got predictable after a while. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel a lot. The cover art is really cool; that's one of the main reasons why I really wanted a hard copy of this book. It's an easy read and very entertaining. Not just the music, mind you. I am very familiar with Manhattan and it was nice reading about places that I've visited myself - Strawberry Fields, Penn Station, Central Park... even Dalton School where Colin spent his high school years (no joke!). I can easily see this as a TV show produced by the CW Network. I'm not sure how a teen male narrator would appeal to audiences but to me, it was very effective.
Rating: 4/5.
Recommendation: College kids, no matter where you're from, can find themselves enjoying this. Also, if you like music from the 60s-70s, you'll find some familiar tunes mentioned in this book.
- Cate
http://readinggoodbooks.wordpress.com....
I remember seeing this book again and again in various giveaways from GoodReads and LibraryThing and I never won it. Until the author directly contacted me and graciously offered to provide a copy of the book for review. I received this book in the mail before my trip to San Francisco (in fact, a trip to San Francisco on a Greyhound bus was mentioned in the book. That was exactly what I did).
Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled is the debut novel of author Bert Murray. It has a big cast of characters that a lot of readers can relate to. As the author said, this is not a YA novel. It's not an entirely adult contemporary either. Somewhere in between. Having already gone through college, I definitely saw and even went through some of the situations mentioned in the book. And yes, I am old enough to remember what a cassette tape is. If I were a young teen picking this up, I would probably see this as a cautionary tale or "the older kids are crazy" kind of thing.
So Colin falls in love with the most beautiful girl on campus, Jasmine. She's one of those trust fund babies with one foot stuck in the Age of Aquarius. Colin's best friend is Karl, Mr. Popular. Among his other friends Big Ty, Mrs. Vesquez and her cat Quixote, Liz, Susan, and my favorite, Chester, the stoner. Things don't go the way Colin would've wanted it and eventually, he uses booze and sex to numb the pain. With a little help from his friends (oh, Beatles!), Colin finds a way to recover and get his life back on track.
The book is split into 3 parts. The first part started off well but it became monotonous with all the "Jasmine issues". How many people and how many pages does one need to show what the other characters thought of her? The story was progressing well enough without all the filler. The "Jasmine issues" gets carried over to parts 2 and 3. There were parts where I wanted to grab Colin and shake some sense into him. He sure could use some Brokeback Mountain wisdom... "I wish I knew how to quit you." I did like the conversations between Colin and Mrs. Vesquez. And also with Chester. I think that among all the characters, he had the most layers and I felt that I got to know him the most.
The setting is in the 80s but the music selection is definitely 60s-70s. Mentions of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Doors, The Police, Led Zeppelin... the only thing missing from this book is a mixtape to go with it! There's even a mention of Hair, one of my favorite musicals. I think Liz, Karl, and I would be best friends music-wise. In fact, I drew a heart beside the songs that I really dug. I just found it so frustratingly fitting that there's a song to every situation that Colin goes through. It's as if his tape player knows what Colin is feeling and cues up a song for him. I believe that there are certain songs that stir emotions and memories within us but I found this a bit too convenient.
There are a lot of cliches in this book. Pretty girls, hot guys, betrayals, rebounds, music to fit the mood, sex, beer, expectations. It got predictable after a while. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel a lot. The cover art is really cool; that's one of the main reasons why I really wanted a hard copy of this book. It's an easy read and very entertaining. Not just the music, mind you. I am very familiar with Manhattan and it was nice reading about places that I've visited myself - Strawberry Fields, Penn Station, Central Park... even Dalton School where Colin spent his high school years (no joke!). I can easily see this as a TV show produced by the CW Network. I'm not sure how a teen male narrator would appeal to audiences but to me, it was very effective.
Rating: 4/5.
Recommendation: College kids, no matter where you're from, can find themselves enjoying this. Also, if you like music from the 60s-70s, you'll find some familiar tunes mentioned in this book.
- Cate
http://readinggoodbooks.wordpress.com....
Ina's 5 stars review of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled
I literally couldn't put this book down. It captured me from the first couple of pages and kept me interested till the end. While reading, I almost felt like I was in college again and experienced all those emotions that were once so important and volatile.
I loved references to the music and if you are Beatles fan you will LOVE this book!
Anyone who had a crush in college should definitely read this book and it will make you feel again and experience again those crazy irrational actions that you were willing to take just to be with that person.
This is defnitely one of my favorite books and I look forward to reading more Bert Murray's creations!
(Read in April, 2011)
I loved references to the music and if you are Beatles fan you will LOVE this book!
Anyone who had a crush in college should definitely read this book and it will make you feel again and experience again those crazy irrational actions that you were willing to take just to be with that person.
This is defnitely one of my favorite books and I look forward to reading more Bert Murray's creations!
(Read in April, 2011)
Naomi's 4 Stars Goodreads Review Of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled
Naomi's review Sep 30, 2011
(Read on September 30, 2011)
This book was sent to my Kindle from the author Bert Murray so that i could read & review it so i would like to say thank you for that:o)
I really enjoyed this story. It's about a college guy named Colin Preston & his trials & tribulations of his college love-life. I got so engrossed in the story line that i swear i could feel Colin's anger & frustration at the heartbreak Jasmine (the bitch) caused him. I would actually like to slap her myself lol. It kind of reminded me of a YA novel with swearing, drugs, sex & tons of alcohol.
There is lots of humour too so not a boring moment to be found.
I would certainly recommend this to anyone that likes realistic fiction & will be recommending it to my Goodreads friends.
(Rating - 4 stars)
(Read on September 30, 2011)
This book was sent to my Kindle from the author Bert Murray so that i could read & review it so i would like to say thank you for that:o)
I really enjoyed this story. It's about a college guy named Colin Preston & his trials & tribulations of his college love-life. I got so engrossed in the story line that i swear i could feel Colin's anger & frustration at the heartbreak Jasmine (the bitch) caused him. I would actually like to slap her myself lol. It kind of reminded me of a YA novel with swearing, drugs, sex & tons of alcohol.
There is lots of humour too so not a boring moment to be found.
I would certainly recommend this to anyone that likes realistic fiction & will be recommending it to my Goodreads friends.
(Rating - 4 stars)
