I lucked out again

One of my dearest friends had a career in nursing. She had spent a part of her childhood in Chicago, and eventually had a four-year training course in three years at the Cook County School of Nursing which is affiliated with the Cook County Hospital. All this is prelude to telling you that she loaned a book to me that I never would have encountered otherwise. The book is COOKED by Carol Karels (rhymes with Charles), published in 2005. It is a memoir, but much less about her than the training of these nurses. It's an excellent book and worthy of much wider distribution.

Go on a Journey with some Great Gals

Women! We can be pains, but we're frequently magnificent. The five main characters in this book (well, actually more, if you count the deceased) are wonderful. I would be honored to call any of them "friend". The book is Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish (2006). Prior to her death, Annie left instructions and requests to be passed to her close friends to meet -- for the first time --, travel together and leave part of Annie's ashes in places that were dear to her. And they do -- and then some.
The book is both funny and profound. Find it and enjoy.

Serious but not Sad

 I just finished The Forgetting --Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic. What an excellent book! Written by David Shenk (2001), the book documents and explains the progress of Alzheimer's disease from the early to the final stages. It leaves the reader not only comforted but also almost appreciative of this manner of death. Mr. Shenk has done a great service in making this information available. If you're concerned about the possibility of Alzheimer's in someone you care about, I strongly urge you to read this book.

So down-to-earth and so good

I've been busy working on my own book and haven't mentioned any of the ones I've read recently. At last my own book is finished and I'll self-publish on Amazon. Now I have time to tell you about what I've read. I really, really enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (2009). It tells a fictional story of people living on the isle of Guernsey during WWII and immediately thereafter. This is not grim; it's great. It is done so well that even though there are many characters, the reader has no problem in remembering who's who. Just locate your copy before the beginning of fall because this book should be read by a fireplace with a pot of tea.

The Final Word

I read the other books completing THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy. Their separate titles are CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY. All three were written by Suzanne Collins. I truly enjoyed that first one and while the second one was certainly good, to me it was somewhat less enjoyable than the first. Possibly I was just getting tired of it all, but I didn't care for the last one. In tying it all together, the author made it a bit confusing, and I only kept reading to find out how it all turned out. Anyway, I'm sure the author has made a ton of money from it, and I'm delighted for her.

A Simple Tale

After getting a strong recommendation from two friends, I bought a used copy of A DOG'S PURPOSE by W. Bruce Cameron (2010). At first I thought the writing was somewhat juvenile, but it finally registered (duh) that the story was being told in the simple thoughts of a young dog, and could not be otherwise. This is actually the reincarnation story of a dog who lives and dies several times, but retains the memory of previous lives and masters. I enjoyed it, and am lending it to all my dog-lover friends so they can cry their eyes out.

I can understand the hoopla...

I just finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While some of my friends were made uncomfortable by the killing of both animals and people, I was not. Instead, I was fascinated by the strength and knowledge of the heroine, Katniss. The author has told a riveting tale of courage, survival and love. Not necessarily romantic love. So this is all in the first book -- and there are three. Whoopee!