My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

It's hard to commit to a favorite author. Once you commit, then you'll need to tell others. They may question why. It reveals something about yourself as a reader and they will know. You'll know it when it happens, when you find a favorite author, and you may keep it to yourself for awhile. You'll read other works by YOUR author to confirm your adoration of him/her. When you're ready, speak up! PAT CONROY IS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR! Yep, now I've shouted it and you all know.

It happened when I read his work, The Prince of Tides. I've since read his full body of work including My Reading Life, his most recent. As the title suggests, this is Pat Conroy's story about his life with books. My gift to you are some of his most delicious jewels I've savored while learning about Pat Conroy, the reader.

On authors: "I've searched out those writers unafraid to stir up the emotions, who entrust me with their darkest passions, their most indestructible yearnings, and their most soul-killing doubts." [That is how I feel about him as an author when I read his books.]

On books: "I take it as an article of faith that the novels I've loved will live inside me forever." [I feel the same way about favorite books.]

On his quest for a better father figure: "I was on a lifelong search for a different kind of man. I wanted to attach my own moon of solitude to the strong attraction of a good man's gravitational pull." [Beautiful words - moon of solitude.]

On good writing: "It is taking the nothingness of air and turning it into a pleasure palace built on a foundation of words." [Nothingness of air - gorgeous!]

On reading: "My inextinguishable ardor for reading seems connected to my hunger for story lines that show up in both books and the great tumbling chaos of life." [Life is a tumbling chaos.]

On himself: "I could read a million books and still consider myself a half-baked, mediocre thinker." [We should all reflect on ourself as a thinker.]

On books: "Books are living things and their task lies in their vows of silence." [Books have taken a vow of silence.]

And it goes on and on. I flagged so many pages as I moved through My Reading Life and each one confirms why PAT CONROY IS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Nothing by Janne Teller

Life has no meaning. Nothing matters. Why should he go to school? Why achieve? It's all pointless. That is the proclamation of Pierre Anthon in Janne Teller's disturbing book, Nothing.

As Pierre takes up residence in his family's plum tree, he chides his seventh grade classmates daily because they will not agree with him. They don't like that their friend will not come down from the plum tree - day and night he's in the tree. They must do something to make him realize that life does have meaning. Their plan - to build something of meaning.

It begins innocent enough. They take turns bringing their most meaningful treasure, a personal sacrifice, to the growing pile - a favorite book, a pair of shoes, boxing gloves. Their pile of treasures grows and with each addition the sacrificial items become more gruesome. They keep their growing pile locked in an abandoned sawmill. They sneak under the cover of darkness to the sawmill unknown to their parents and authorities. How far will this go? Can this madness be stopped? Why are they demanding that each other's sacrifices become more and more meaningful which in turn more dangerous to relinquish.

At one particular gruesome scene, I had to stop reading. I couldn't believe the author was going to continue this insanity. I was extremely bothered by the direction this book was heading yet I wanted to know the outcome - to finish the book. It took me three days to pick it up again. I was near the end and I had to force myself to read through that scene.

If you decide to give this one a try, read it during the day. It's that middle-of-the-night reading that will get to you.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Calling all biology lovers! Have you hard of HeLa cells? No? Yes? Perhaps some of you have. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is the story of the HeLa cells. HeLa is the name given by cell biologists as they were cells taken from Henrietta Lacks - hence, HeLa.

I did a quick, informal survey on Facebook asking if any of my friends had heard of HeLa. No googling, just tell me if you knew. Two thought they had seen a television show and one friend's son had talked about it at home. All others, 15 of my friends, had no clue. I found that fascinating with the hype for this book and story. I hypothesized that friends in the sciences would have known. I wondered how widespread the knowledge of HeLa would be. I was one who had no clue until my sister told me about this book. She had read it and it fascinated both of us.

Henrietta was a poor black woman who died of cancer in 1951 about the time medical science was attempting to replicate cells for studies and to combat polio. Her cells replicated at almost break-neck speed. They were then shared around the world, under the name HeLa cells, for research - completely unknown to her family. As a poor, uneducated family it was difficult for them to understand how Henrietta's cells were still alive today.

This is an interesting book to say the least. Whet your appetite for Henrietta's story here. Find the book in your library to enjoy an intimate insight from research the author did speaking to Henrietta's family. You'll learn more than biological science.

Watch Rebecca Skloot talk about writing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

A graphical autobiography - that's what you'll find when you read David Small's Stitches: A Memoir. David Small is the author and illustrator of award winning children's books. I'm sure you've read Imogene's Antlers - that's one of his. For many years I've savored the illustrations he's created and enjoyed the books he co-wrote and illustrated with his wife, Sarah Stewart. I met her at a conference a few years ago and enjoyed her book talks very much. Because they make their home in southwest Michigan, I feel like a neighbor. It saddened me to read of David's young life and the troubles he endured in this memoir.

A graphical book is told through images and when the illustrator is an award winner, you can be sure that many feelings are conveyed in the eyes of the character's faces. He was a sickly, lonely boy and his parents did little to help him. Perhaps that is why he turned his attention to the solitary pursuit of drawing.

You'll be drawn to the story of David Small when you take a moment to carefully look into the eyes he's drawn. Give this one a try. It's worth your time.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-Book Reader Should You Buy? by John P. Falcone

It seems that there have been many conversations around me recently about e-book readers. Which one to buy? Which model do people own? How do they like using it? Which bookstores sell which model? Can you use it for email? Can you browse the Web? Can you read it in the dark? Where do you get your books? Can you download library e-books to it? My head is in utter confusion!

I haven't decided yet if I want to own one or not. I am an avid reader but not just of books in print. I more often read articles online so my 13-inch MacBook Pro works quite well for my online reading. Would I really use another digital reading device? I decided to seek answers from a pro.

John P. Falcone is a reviewer for CNET News. For several years I've turned to CNET Reviews when considering a tech purchase. Their insight is straightforward providing information and a "best products" list. There is no need to be a subscriber to obtain this information. So I turned to CNET for help and John P. Falcone had my back.

In his article, Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-Book Reader Should You Buy?, Mr. Falcone methodically steps you through the thought process - the essential questions to consider. Pay close attention to question 6. Do you need support for the EPUB format? I know that many of the e-books that you can download for a 14-day loan period from our public library, Brighton District Library, are in the EPUB format. If you're like me and prefer to use your library over purchasing books, this will be an important feature to consider.

Click here for the John P. Falcone article reviewing e-book readers. I still have not decided to purchase one. Can I borrow yours to help me decide? ;-)

OverDrive, the audio and e-book provider for Brighton District Library, offers their list of compatible and incompatible devices too - well worth clicking and browsing.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Holiday: Appetizers, Dinners, Cookies Cookbook by Publications International

Let's talk food! It's the holidays and that usually means sharing meals, desserts, and beverages with our family and friends. We take time to enjoy catching up with them as we celebrate the holidays. This cookbook, Holiday Appetizers, Dinners, Cookies, will give you great suggestions to bring a new dish to the party.

For me, the mark of a good cookbook is the photography. When there are photos of the dishes created, it's highly likely I will be turning the pages. The photos make me realize that I could do that, I could bake or cook that dish and have my family enjoy it. The appetizers include dips and finger foods. Are you familiar with cheese balls? In Holiday Appetizers, Dinners, Cookies you'll see a Christmas cheese tree that looks very easy to create - how festive! Prime rib always seems like a daunting task to prepare but the steps are actually quite simple. When you see the photo of the beef rib roast in this cookbook with its mushroom-bacon sauce drizzled over the top, you'll long to serve prime rib at your dining table. Nothing means winter-time vacation more than a steaming cup of hot chocolate after time outdoors sledding or skating in the cold. But have you ever seen hot chocolate cookies? Yes, the tops of these cookies look exactly like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the top. Yum!

We have several new cookbooks in the BHS Media Center. Stop by and check them out, but not before lunch. When hungry, these books may be too tempting.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Would you like to judge a book by its cover? This would be a good one. Identical by Ellen Hopkins has a cover image that represents the story in an interesting way. Interspersed throughout the book are pages that are reflective like this cover. On the left hand page are a few select words set apart from the verse on the page. On its opposite right hand page the same words appear in reflection. Each page is the voice of one sister then the other and they are twins. Twins with a sad, serious secret. I imagine the cover image as secretive as well. The reflection of IDENTICAL fades away secretly. Now, let me tell you about the twin sisters.

Raeanne and Kaeleigh are high school identical twin sisters each very much different from the other. Their parents are aloof and high-achieving adults. One, their mother, a candidate for the United States Congress and their father a judge. Their mother is so very busy working on her campaign that they rarely see her. We learn early in the story that their family began to crumble the night of an auto accident. All are in denial, all blame the others, all have serious issues, and all share deep secrets. However, even our author Ellen Hopkins keeps a secret from us, her readers. She craftily writes of Raeanne and Kaeleigh using their voices to tell the story - first one, then the other. Ms. Hopkins keeps a secret about the accident that would explain many of the family problems clearly. She lets Kaeleigh eventually tell us the truth and all secrets are revealed, even some long held by Grandma. This is a gripping story with many chilling scenes. You will be surprised when Kaeleigh shares the ultimate secret.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm