Last week’s book I covered was written by someone I know personally, and this week’s will be no exception. As a heads up, I haven’t actually started reading the novel yet, but I plan on starting it either tonight before going to bed or sometime tomorrow. “A Land More Kind Than Home” is a novel based in North Carolina where the author grew up. Since it’s publishing in 2012, it has become a New York Times best seller and I couldn’t be any happier for the author who just happened to be my college writing professor in my sophomore year of college.
Wiley Cash was probably one the coolest professors I had at my college and I definitely learned a lot from him while I was his student. We were rivals when it came to sports, however, which became evident when I sported a Duke t-shirt to class and I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears since he’s a UNC fan. We even argued about it over Twitter, believe it or not. And on his first book tour (I’m 90% sure it was his first book tour), he held a book signing for his friends, coworkers and students at the college and autographed my copy of his book while inscribing a little note about the Plumlee brothers. (For you non-sports/Duke fans, there are 3 Plumlee brothers, but at the time he signed this book, only the older two were there.)
Besides his poor choice in college basketball teams, he was a pretty cool/sarcastic teacher who taught in such a fun way that none of the classes he had were boring. I’m really excited that his book is becoming so popular, and it’s nice to see his name popping up in practically every Books-a-million I’ve gone to.
Since then, he’s published a second novel (“This Dark Road to Mercy”), one that I have yet to purchase, and has moved back to beautiful North Carolina.
With it now being 2015, it has taken me a while to start reading this novel, but I mainly put it off because I didn’t have time while I was still in school. Now that I’m writing this blog, I really want to start reading more and expand my horizons, and I want to start with Dr. Cash’s book.
Like I said, I haven’t started reading yet but I plan on starting either tonight or tomorrow. By next week you’ll either have my thoughts on the first chapter or the first few, depending on how much I read between now and then.
For now, check out his twitter so you can see the most adorable pictures of his daughter “Early” and his wife, and to see if he’s coming to a bookstore near you!
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