Attn Book Lovers

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much:
The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession
by Allison Hoover Bartlett


I finished this book this week for book club. Let me just say that I liked it more than I thought I would. Give it a try!

Women who changed the world, Ros Horton & Sally Simmons

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.” Joan of Arc

“I believe in hard work. It keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.” Helena Rubinstein

“Her spirit will endure as long as man can read and stories can be told of the woman who showed the world there are no boundaries to courage and faith.” Senator Lister Hill of Alabama, speaking about Helen Keller

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.” Mother Teresa

“Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.” Anne Frank

This book features 50 women who “are outstanding individuals who achieved exceptional things in the major fields of human endeavour—politics, literature, art, science, music, social reform, entertainment, sport, and adventure.” Each woman’s life story is told in a 3-page mini-biography. I enjoyed this format and even made a list of people, movies, and songs I want to look up now that I’ve read a small introduction. Some of the women I found interesting to learn about include Cleopatra, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Margaret Bourke-White, Katharine Hepburn, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and surprisingly, Madonna.

Other well-known women featured in this book:
Amelia Earhart
Benazir Bhutto
Billie Holiday
Dian Fossey
Diana, Princess of Wales
Eleanor Roosevelt
Elizabeth I
Eva Peron
Florence Nightingale
Isabella I of Spain
Jane Austen
Margaret Thatcher
Marie Curie
Marilyn Monroe
Susan B. Anthony
Virginia Woolf

The Kabul Beauty School

The Kabul Beauty School: The Art of Friendship and Freedom

by Deborah Rodriguez

I give this book 4/5 stars. This book is for anyone who liked The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns. It's also for anyone interested in learning more about life in Afghanistan. I think the hardest part about reading this book was knowing that all of these women's stories were true! I don't want to say too much because I think you'll like it if you don't have too high of expectations. Just read it!

Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking

by Malcolm Gladwell

"I believe . . . that the task of making sense of ourselves and our behavior requires that we acknowledge there can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis."

Are you interested in how the mind works? Do you ever wonder why people do what they do? Do you like reading short case studies of interesting historical events? Do you have to make quick decisions under pressure? Are you interested in music, art, politics, or psychology? If your answer is yes to any of the above, this book is for you!

This book was recommended to me by one of my professors in my MSW program. I have been wanting to read it since then and just barely picked it up from the library. Because I had high expectations, I was worried that I would be let down. I am happy to report that I was not!

This book is well organized as the author takes you through various case studies and research experiments. The logic was easy of me to follow and his style of writing kept me entertained. More than once I stopped in the middle of a chapter to write down a term, person, or website to look up online. This is a book I could enjoy reading over and over again. Indeed, for me to fully grasp the concepts, I plan to re-read it when I have more time to ponder the ideas and someone to discuss it with. This would make an excellent choice for a book club.

A Tribute to Frank McCourt

Browsing through the books on CD at the library one day a long time ago I came across a familiar title, Angela's Ashes. I hadn't seen the movie but figured since it was made into a movie it must be pretty good. As I began listening during my daily commute I realized this book isn't just 'pretty good' it is the best book I have ever read (or listened to). Angela's Ashes is Frank McCourt's recount of his life growing up in Ireland--"A miserable childhood" which he points out in his opening statement.

Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize winning story is read in his own voice, which makes listening to it a beautiful cultural experience. He even sings! If you decide to read this book based on this blog entry, please listen to it instead. Again, the story is so much better when hearing his voice and inflection.

Frank McCourt has written two additional memoirs: 'Tis and Teacher Man. Both are wonderful. There is a part in 'Tis where I laughed so hard tears came. If anyone has ever tried teaching teenagers they will be able to relate wholeheartedly to Teacher Man--I read it when I was attempting to teach life skills to criminal teens at an alternative high school. He has also written a children's book, about Christmas, Angela and The Baby Jesus.

Frank McCourt's reflection of his life has made such a difference in my life. Though I cannot relate to the degree of suffering he has experienced, I can very much relate to his emotional experience and reaction to the irony, humor, and humanity of of the world. I am so grateful I picked up his book that day...

You can learn more about Frank McCourt a this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_McCourt

A Friend Like Henry, by Nuala Gardner

I just finished reading A Friend Like Henry today. It is a true story of an autistic boy Dale and how his dog Henry helps him. The author Nuala is the mother of Dale and tells a very detailed story of what it was like for her family to deal with Dale, his developmental issues, and health and educational professionals.

I enjoyed reading this book and was reminded of some of my former clients who also struggled with Autism. I was amazed at how much progress Dale made and all the hard times his parents went through to fight for him. As a social worker, I have been on the other side of the picture. But this gave me an opporunity to see how life was for this family with an autistic toddler. I worry that in the past I may have responded in similar ways as some of the professionals in the book did. This book gave me a new appreciation for families who deal with troubled children.

The story takes place in Scotland, and therefore it will also give you a chance to see what kind of English grammar I have to deal with here in the UK. Finally, I would not recommend this book to anyone who has recently given up a dog--it made me cry more than once for the loss of my own sweet puppy. (I really need to stop reading books about dogs! I recently finished another book about a lady who raises a guide dog and then had to give it away after a year. And let's not talk about my experience while watching I Am Legend!)