Reading can improve your mood!

I found this interesting blurb in the September issue of Whole Living magazine:

"The benefits of being connected to groups of people--even fictional ones, according to a new study--can give readers a true sense of belonging, satisfaction, and overall positivity. After subjects read passages from Harry Potter or Twilight books for about 30 minutes, they underwent tests to measure how absorbed they were in the story, their connection to specific words, and how much they felt a part of the story....The results...found that the readers derived the same psychological benefits of belonging (like improved mood) when they were immersed in the plot as they did when they were part of a real-world group."

Another reason to keep reading!

Turn of Mind

I usually avoid books about Alzheimer's. I have a family history of Alzheimer's and dementia, and frankly, after watching people I love live through that while also living with the fear that I may have it myself someday, I'd rather read the latest Ann Coulter book than anything about Alzheimer's. Still Alice? Don't care how good it is; not gonna read it. But I went to a talk with Karin Slaughter recently and she named Alice LaPLante's Turn of Mind as one of the best books she had read recently. Alzheimer's patient is accused of murdering her best friend but has no recollection of the event. Hmm. Could be good. Since Karin is a thriller writer, I figured this to be a thriller. I like a good thriller now and then. Ok, I'll give it a chance.

First let me say that I think this is a good novel. It's definitely not a thriller though. The story is told by Dr. Jennifer White. A formerly prominent hand surgeon, she is now retired due to early onset of Alzheimer's. She is still living at home, but with a caregiver. Her best friend and neighbor, Amanda, has recently been murdered and four of her fingers removed. Jennifer is the primary person of interest, but because of her disease, she is unable to recall anything, or even remember that Amanda is dead. Because Jennifer narrates the story, we know next to nothing about the investigation. We live in her head, as she constantly jumps from past to present. We see bits and pieces of her life, her career, her marriage, her children, her friendship with Amanda, until we can almost piece together what her life was like before the disease. You can see how the disease progresses as her thoughts and memories get shorter and more jumbled.

Jennifer doesn't come across as a very likable character and while the question of Amanda's murder looms in the background, it is really secondary to the progression of Jennifer's disease and her future. That the author told the story from Jennifer's point of view is what makes this so unique, fascinating, disturbing, and thought-provoking.

Sophmoritis?

I just finished reading Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens and I'm feeling a bit underwhelmed.  Chevy Stevens is a relatively new author who released her first book Still Missing about a year ago.  I was drawn to Still Missing by the glowing reviews from Lisa Gardner, who happens to be one of my favorite thriller writers.  Still Missing was an average page-turner--I was fairly interested and continually felt like the book was about to really get good until the last page when I realized the opportunity for greatness was gone.  When Never Knowing was released, it again had a blurb from Lisa Gardner.  I eagerly checked it out thinking "Well, I'm sure she's really got her story together this time!".  Unfortunately, it's the same old, same old.  Stevens has a great premise and fails to really pull it off.  Never Knowing tells the story of Sara Gallagher and her hunt to find her birth parents.  She uncovers her birth mother's identity which leads to the slow realization that her birth father is a infamous serial killer that is still on the loose.  As you can imagine, her serial killer father gets wind of the existance of a daughter and manages to get in contact with her.  While being a fairly preposterous idea, most of my favorite thrillers have a semi-unbelievable storyline anyway (don't they all?) so I wasn't thrown off.  What DID throw me off was the quotes from The Art of War every other page, the lack of real forward momentum, a super bratty kid, and a last minute plot twist I saw from a mile away.  That being said, I somehow don't hate it!?!?!  It took me all of 4 nights to read it, I looked forward to picking it up (to see if this was the point where it was going to get really good), and I'm pretty sure I'd give Chevy Stevens another shot in the future. 

I'm pretty sure I've managed to confuse everyone about my overall feelings on the book.  I guess I'll sum it up this way--If you want a really good thriller, pick up Lisa Gardner.  If you want a book to kill some time (and you've already read all of Lisa Gardner) and you aren't pinning all your hopes and dreams on it, pick up Never Knowing.  It's kinda like watching a soap opera- not a particularly great storyline but can be an entertaining way to spend a couple hours. Glowing review right? 

Harry Potter for Grownups!

Why do adults love Harry Potter as much as kids do? Come to the Deerfield Public Library on Monday, July 11th at 7pm to find out why Harry Potter is not just a kids' book.

The Girl's Guide to Homelessness

It's rare these days that I will stay up late into the night reading. I love reading, but I'm pretty committed to getting my eight hours, so there isn't much that I let get between that. But I had to stay up last night to finish Brianna Karp's The Girl's Guide to Homelessness. Wow.

This is an emotionally gripping story of a young woman, who despite doing everything "right," found herself homeless. Brianna was educated, hard working, had a good job and a nice place to live. But when the economy tanked, she lost her job. Her savings soon ran out and she lost her home. Brianna shares her survival methods, talks about the stereotypes people have of the homeless, and the countless challenges she faced trying to get back on her feet. There is another huge component to this story though. Brianna recounts her background and upbringing, which isn't pleasant. Sexually abused by her biological father, physically and verbally abused by her mother, and brain washed by the religion she was brought up in, there are some parts of the book that were extremely difficult to read. Nonetheless, this is a captivating story that elicited a range of emotions: anger, sadness, and even laughter. Get it. Read it. Tell someone about it.

It's All Relative

I was very excited to see Wade Rouse's recent memoir, It's All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine. His last memoir, At Least Someone in the City Would Hear Me Scream, was a humorous account of his and his partner Gary's move to rural Michigan in search of the simple life. In this latest memoir, Wade recounts the various holidays of his childhood and adulthood. The obvious holidays are covered: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc. But also included are Memorial Day, Arbor Day, and Chinese New Year. Arbor Day? I had completely forgotten about Arbor Day. I was expecting another compilation of humorous essays, and for the most part, that's what this is, but then Rouse sucker-punched me with stories of visiting his grandmother in the nursing home and having to put a dog to sleep, that left me sobbing. I haven't read any of Rouse's other works besides these two, but I think this collection shows his talent as a writer. He can deliver a biting, snarky, laugh-out-loud story in one chapter, and the next, a heartfelt, touching tale that brings a reader to tears. I frequently compare him to David Sedaris, although Rouse's biting humor is a little less subtle. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and look forward to his next.

Pottermore

The announcement that all Harry Potter fans have been waiting for was finally released. Alas, no new book. The website, Pottermore, sounds like it's going to be an online experience of the Harry Potter books. It wasn't clearly described, but it almost sounds like a choose-your-own-adventure type of experience. The website won't open until October, so we'll have to wait and see. J.K. Rowling does say in the video that she will be releasing more details about Harry's world that she has been hoarding for years. The Pottermore website will also finally make digital versions of the audiobooks and ebooks available for purchase, which is great news. Still, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. I know she said no more Harry Potter, but I was hoping for a new story. Although, I guess if you've made as much money as she has, you don't need to keep writing. And, with the huge success of HP, you take a big risk that a new series wouldn't be able to meet expectations. Could she really top Harry Potter? Probably not.