January Book Review

While joking with a friend that I needed to come up with new blog content now that this is not a medical journal, she said "book reviews, please!"

I'm not sure why what I read feels so personal, but it kind of does so I've always felt a little hesitant to share. I read (what I would consider) a pretty wide variety. Though I appreciate others recommendations, I tend to shy away from offering suggestions because, well...every one has different taste and I would hate to be the source of someone wasting five hours.

Maybe that's one thing I should disclose: I am a Book Quitter. To many reading enthusiasts, it is sacrilege to not finish a book you start, but I have no trouble closing it up and moving on without ever knowing for sure if it finally got better at the end. The books that I list here will be ones that I've completed...I think that's only fair.

My "reviews" are brief and I've included a favorite quote from each book because, quotes!

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
This book was a bit disturbing, in that it stayed with me for a while after. The story is told from three points of view...a young boy, a woman in her 80's and a middle-aged sheriff...I like that style. The story does wrap up in a nice bow at the end, which I sometimes like, just to change things up.

But since then I've learned to just go ahead and take fairness out of the equation. If you do, things stand the chance of making a whole lot more sense.

The Vow by Kim and Krickett Carpenter
I'm a sucker for a good love story, particularly one that has weathered a little adversity and come out on the other side. This is a true story, which gets bonus points from me. The book cover said it had been made into a movie...maybe I'll watch it with the girls someday.

Like all the thoughtful friends who came to see us, Lisa and Megan were almost like visitors from another planet. They were from a world where people got up, ate breakfast, went to work, watched TV, ate in restaurants, read magazines, took care of the yard, and did all the other normal, everyday things of life without even thinking about them. My world had become a world of doctors, hospitals, hospital food, therapy, living with my in-laws, dealing with collection agencies and medical bills, making calls to our insurance company, and spending as much time as I could with Krickitt. My job, my team, my friends, my married life—it was all like a distant dream

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A book about books...very clever. This one had a bit of language in it, a little mystery, a little romance...a fun read.

Why is any one book different from any other book? They are different, A.J. decides, because they are. We have to look inside many. We have to believe. We agree to be disappointed sometimes so that we can be exhilarated every now and again.

Make it Zero by Mary Frances Bowley
This is a beautiful, inspiring book with tales about people making a difference by just doing something. There were many first-hand accounts from people who'd been rescued from poverty or abuse. Some of it talked about foster care, which was obviously very meaningful to me. Its discouraging to look at all the problems in the world but this book helps break it down until you think, wow...I could really make a difference!

You cannot judge appearance; you never know a person's story unless you hear it--every created human has dignity.