I'M B-A-A-A-CK....

I stopped writing on this blog a couple of years ago because I felt that nobody read it, as there was seldom a comment. Last week, my daughter convinced me that most people don't comment on the things they read. So I've decided to try it again. Since my last post, I've written three more books, the last just finished day-before-yesterday. I'm going to try to interest you in my own books before telling you about some of the hundreds of books I've read in the meantime.
I hope you're all fine and still reading obscure blogs. It's appreciated.

Another Wonderful One

Yesterday I finished reading A LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest J. Gaines (1993). Although this book was selected for Oprah's Book Club, at that time I was living in a small town with next-to-no television reception, did not watch Oprah's program, and therefore didn't ever hear of this book. I borrowed it from a family member and was completely captivated by it. The story is about a young black man in the South who is wrongly convicted of a murder that occurred while he was present. He was sentenced to die in the electric chair, but suffered such complete humiliation during the trial that he couldn't accept any of the love and comfort offered by his family. His godmother insisted that the local school teacher (who was connected to the family) visit the prison regularly and attempt to raise the condemned man's self-esteem so that he could die with at least a semblance of dignity. When you have a reluctant teacher and an even more-reluctant student, the way is not easy. Mr. Gaines has done a beautiful job in telling this story

Egad! It's Science

On the recommendation of my son, I ordered DEATH BY BLACK HOLE by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2007) but would have been unable to retain any interest if the book had presented information about the universe in the ordinary dry scientific manner. Mr. Tyson doesn't do that. His funny comments actually had me laughing out loud. Because of that, I stayed with the book and now understand black holes (kind of). It's a great book that enables the reader to laugh while learning.

Heartbreaking, but Beautiful

I just finished The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman (2011). This is a beautiful story. It begins with the end of the story (which allows you to know that neither party died) but soon takes you back to the beginning. It tells of a newly-married couple who have the opportunity to leave Europe just before the Gestapo begins rounding up Jews to be sent to "work camps". The husband is committed to going with his family, but the bride elects to stay with her own family until they too can leave. Having lost each other, both Lenka and Josef go on living, but their love never dies. An interesting part of the presentation is that most of Lenka's story is told by her as a young woman, while most of Josef's is as the memories of an old man. I would recommend this to anyone.

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.