Throwing Rocks at Houses: My Life in and out of Curling

by Colleen P. Jones, Perry Lefko

Curling legend Colleen Jones opens up about her extraordinary career and life     Curling is possibly the most beloved sport across Canada, and Colleen Jones has been one of its brightest stars. She was only nineteen years old when she won her first provincial championship, and she became the youngest skip, at age twenty-two, ever to win the Canadian women's curling the Tournament of Hearts. She went on to win it a total of six times, with an unprecedented four in a row in the early 2000s, along with her two world championships. No other women’s team has matched that record. Here, she tells the stories of her remarkable career—from the pure joy of the game to outworking her competition, year after year, always striving to be just a little bit better.     But Colleen’s story is about more than a love of curling. As a champion at the pinnacle of her sport, as a popular CBC broadcaster, and as a mother of two, Colleen Jones seemed to have it all. Then a serious illness struck, and threatened ti rob her of all she had worked for. But Colleen, determined as ever, emerged with a renewed love of life and a powerful message about achieving authentic personal fulfillment.    Throwing Rocks at Houses is a candid, charming and thoughtful story about rising to the top only to learn how easily it can all be taken away. Whether career, family, or personal health, her amazing journey reveals, more than anything, all that matters most in life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Sports

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2015

Reviews

[Huguette Larochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoy this book.
I am not a fan or curling ,
but i know her , from watching a bit of curling.
and see her on sport broadcasting .

[Amanda Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time curling fan, I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I followed Colleen Jones's team for most of the 90s/00s, and thought they were a remarkable team. However I did think that she at first was arrogant and not as down-to-earth as I now think - after reading about her life through her own thoughts and words. The majority of the book uses a lot of reference to major curling games in her career - but the chapters on her battle with meningitis and her bringing up amongst her sisters, interested me just as much.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly quite enjoyed this book, and Colleen Jones's career peaked just as I was getting into curling in high school so I never really followed her that closely but knew she was a legend. I enjoyed learning about her career on and off the ice (I honestly never realized that her broadcasting career was separate from curling for the most part), and the parts about her scare with meningitis and losing her dad were some of the strongest reflections in the book.

Overall though the (ghost) writing is BAD. It's similar to what I've seen in other ghostwritten books of lower level celebrities/pro athletes. There is zero personality or voice to the writing, to the point where it's repetitive and kind of abrasive and juvenile sounding (paragraphs that start with "anyway, back to the main story" and an overuse of the word "really" for example). It makes sense that the writer came from news reporting - that's a whole different style of writing that is probably extremely hard to switch over into autobiography from.

If you are a fan of curling and want to get an inside scoop on a very impressive competitive career, if think you can stand the grating writing, check it out.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Memoir has always been Sydney Poitier's The Measure of a Man, but that has just been trumped by Colleen Jones" Throwing Rocks at Houses. Perhaps because I have been witness to her decades long curling career or because I have lived the last 25+ years in Atlantic Canada but I think because through her book I have come to learn what a well rounded wife, mother, broadcaster and humanitarian she is. I was moved to tears at several points of her life story but in the Epilogue when she tells of her and her husband Scott biking Route 199 of the magnificent Magdalen Islands I realized we were soul mates. Her enjoy life philosophy resonates with mine and while I have been to the Magdalen Islands I have yet to bike that highway with sand dunes and ocean on both sides. Keep chewing that gum and wearing those tartan kilts on the ice Colleen.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so memories of Colleen, chawing on her gum, the eyeliner, the kilts, the shots. What a great curler and what great teams she had. I also enjoyed her broadcasting and wish her well, so exciting Luke is curling too.

[Andrea T · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Colleen's recent passing, it felt like a good time to read her book, which was at times both humorous and emotional.  I really enjoyed hearing her perspective on her curling career and on other curlers as well.

[Steven Beningo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book on a long time top level Canadian curler.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colleen led an inspiring life which was interesting to learn more about. I learned a bit more about curling too.

[Katie Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Happy Heavenly 66th birthday Colleen ❤️

[Gayle Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

although I liked Colleen as a curler, this book is repetitive and really doesn't tell me anything a fan would not already know. Too bad.

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having curled against Colleen's team twice in late 1970's and following her career as a top Canadian curler, I was very interested in reading this book. She was still at college when my team played them and we were already learning how fast her name was instilling fear into those of us who were mildly competitive. In those young days, she wasn't a 'favourite' among fellow curlers because of her abrupt and somewhat aggressive, arrogant manner but after reading this book, a whole new Colleen emerges.....she was actually obsessed with getting better and better and wanting to win was the ultimate goal; second place was a disaster. She worked so hard, was so rigid in her training, had no time for social niceties on or off the ice; one has to give her a lot of credit for being so focused. It is hard for some of us to imagine being so driven by the desire to win.

The book is a bit wordy with, I thought, a lot of repetition, but an easy read....took me 2 days only to read the 246 pages....and I enjoyed the photos in the book especially those of her husband, Scott and sons Zack and Luke.

Her battle with bacterial meningitis was a near-death fight which I wasn't aware of; my interest in curling stories these days is very limited. She also had to deal with her boys leaving home as teens to pursue their interest in hockey and tennis at schools in Ontario and southern USA and then cope with her father's battle with cancer and her mother's Alzheimer's. After these traumatic events, she has learned to realize how fragile life is and she has tried to change her ways of appreciating all she has/had and enjoy the moment more fully. She is an avid cyclist, too, going on long trips e.g. touring France with her husband in 2012.

I was also surprised that she has been a reporter with CBC for 27 years....time goes so quickly.......so many interesting things happened to her because of curling and reporting....trips all over the world at Olympics, Canada Games, etc. Her curling and reporting accomplishments are so many!

All in all, it was a good read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every so often I like to break up my reading with a non-fiction book. I grew up watching curling and knowing about the sport. My parents were both active curlers before I was born and in my early childhood. I can even say that I've now tried my hand at the sport. It's fun to play, there is a lot of strategy involved, and its even on ice but you can wear shoes, not skates! I've always known the names of the greatest men's and women's curlers at any given time, like Randy Furby, Mark Dacey, Jennifer Jones, Brad Gushue, Rachel Homan, and of course Colleen Jones - the youngest woman to ever win a Scotties title. Throwing Rocks at Houses has been on my to-read list since it was published and with it being the curling season, I thought now would be the time to finally read this title.

The book itself was an easy, light read and I enjoyed it for what it was. It's not the greatest writing - it's very simple, factual, and straightforward. But for fans of Colleen Jones or anyone interested in reading about her curling career and her life outside of the rink, it's an interesting and worthwhile read. I certainly wouldn't recommend this book to everyone and it's definitely not a must-read. I finally am able to check it off my to-read list though and it gave me that quick break from reading fiction that I was needing.

It also came with some solid life advice: "Do the things that make us happy now, because tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Appreciate life, don't sweat the small stuff, and enjoy the ride." p. 15

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, because it gave me insight into a career and a world I wouldn't otherwise know about. That is what one of the things I really love about books - you learn what all kinds of other lives are like. In this case, it was very interesting to learn about trying to strike a balance between a curling career and a family, plus it was just interesting to learn about some things I wouldn't know about her just from watching her curl, such as her struggle with an illness. I enjoyed knowing more about the her life, instead of only knowing about her skill as a curler.

[Lauren Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"so, as has often happened in my life, things worked out easily, almost as if the universe was allowing things to happen. " (215)

I would like to thank Penguin Canada Books Inc. For providing me with an advance copy of this book.

This book had the perfect chemistry between the love of sport and balancing life. Its was amazing to follow Colleen's failures and successes throughout her curling career and her life! This book kept a very good pace and was easy to follow.

This book was a fast read; as I read it in a day.

I would recommend it to anyone 15+.

[Becky Ched · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly wordy as I feel Colleen repeats herself, and tries to make a point she's made three pages back. If you understand curling, it is painful to read Colleen explain everything little detail about curling. If you don't understand the sport, it would be a good read. She definitely has an interesting life and I learned more about her. My rating is not based on her story but how it is delivered.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great memoir of a curling champion. In its pages are the ups, downs all the moments in between that make a champion who they are. In her own words, Colleen Jones recounts her time as a curler, while trying to balance work and motherhood with playing the sport she loves. An excellent book to read, especially for curling fans and players.


*won on GoodReads*

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good stories about her life as a curler, a reporter and a mother. Thought not going a straight chronological order and starting with her battle a few years with meningitis worked well in the book. Liked her experiences about competing in the Scotties and the Worlds, her job as a reporter and the work-family-curling balance.

[Stephanie Carne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading for curlers and sports people. Shows how much work goes into trying to play at a high level, particularly in a sport with not much money. This is definitely the voice of Colleen Jones.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a curling and Colleen fan I enjoyed the book, although I was hoping for more behind the scenes stories and anecdotes from her curling days and less play by play of her round robin play. But all in all, a good read.

[Dave Bensette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter read it and LOVED it!!

[Ellyn Scotton · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you follow curling and were a fan of Colleen it was an interesting read. Thank you for the opportunity to win this book. I will be donating it to our local library so others can enjoy it.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful book into the world of a well known Atlantic Canadian. Book gives a nice history of Jones' historic run as a curler. Book even slips in tidbits on how to curl for the average reader not functional with the sport.