Review: Mortality

Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life is short. Cancer sucks. Please remember that, my friends, and make the most of every moment.

Regardless of whether you agreed with Christopher Hitchens or not, this is a powerful read. Disease can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. We can do all of the right things--exercise, eat healthy foods, get enough rest--and still get sick. We can do the wrong things--smoke, drink, overeat, eat unhealthy foods--and stay healthy. The body is a mystery at times. And you aren't guaranteed tomorrow.

Diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had spread to his lungs and lymph nodes, Hitchens chronicles his mortality in this short read. If cancer has touched your life in some way, I think this book will speak to you. It's worth the hour of your life. 4 stars.


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Review: The Amish Midwife

The Amish Midwife by Mindy Starns Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Billed as Amish fiction, it's really just more of a backdrop for an adoption drama. It was still good, but not what I was expecting.

Lexie was adopted by Mennonite parents in Oregon, but she has broken from the church and works as a modern midwife in a hospital. She lost her mother at a young age and when her father dies, she finds a mysterious carved box containing clues to her birth mother's identity. This leads her to Pennsylvania, where she assists as a midwife to the Amish. Confused yet? Don't be. The real drama is about Lexie, discovering who she is and who she thinks she should be, and some needless plot twisting.

Lexie is annoying and shallow. She dates a doctor and makes several comments about his apparent wealth. She's childish and pretty unlikeable. Enough that I was tempted to take away a star, because I have to like my main character to enjoy a book. However, the complications and side plots kept me interested, and in the end I gave it a solid three stars.

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Review: Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. Macleod

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Quaint, interesting anecdotes about a family who moves to the remote Hebrides of Scotland. Mary J, the country nurse, sees the islanders through good times and bad. Some stories are funny, some are quite sad, and some will make you shake your head.

An interesting look into the culture of rural Scotland and the life of a woman devoted to helping others.



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Review: A Duty to the Dead (Bess Crawford #1)

A Duty To The Dead by Charles Todd

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


New series for me, and it's off to a great start. Really liked it.

Bess Crawford is a wartime nurse who makes a promise to a young dying soldier to deliver a message to his brother. When she does she finds herself wrapped up in a mystery from the past. The mystery is smartly plotted and even though I guessed at a few twists and turns, it was still really enjoyable.

I like Bess. She's a strong, confident character but not an insufferable Mary Sue. I like her father, and I like Simon. It has the bonus of being a historical mystery, which is my two favorites mixed together. And a series to boot! I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.



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A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book! So many feels. I have a knot in my chest a day later just thinking about it.

I run the risk of spoiling this story if I say too much, but it's about a boy who is coming to terms with his mother's cancer. It's amazing. The illustrations are haunting and perfect. The balance of grief, anger, and hope is perfectly struck. It seems like a children's book, but wait! It's so much more. Layered and deep and nearly perfect. Mothers will relate. Anyone whose life has been touched by cancer will relate. Read it. Read it slowly, immerse yourself in the illustrations, and then grab a box of tissues and read it again.



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The Anatomist's Apprentice (Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery #1)

The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I wish I had judged this book by its cover and left it at that. The cover was nice, but the mystery wasn't very good. I was expecting a cool historical mystery with interesting forensics happening to solve the crime. I was let down. Some nits to pick:

First of all, the title. Who is the anatomist and who the apprentice? Is Thomas the anatomist in the title? Because he seems to be, but then I don't know who his apprentice is supposed to be. If Thomas is the apprentice, who is the anatomist? One of the old anatomists? Because he's fully graduated into his profession. I kept waiting for the apprentice to appear. This did not happen.

Insta-romance abounds, starring Lydia. She was at the center of everything, and every man loved her, but we are never shown why she would cause such a reaction. She was boring. Not a good character in any way. The romance was unnecessary and the dialogue was eye-rollingly bad.

The ending was just short of ridiculous--completely disappointing and over the top. Not going to read another book in the series. There are so many good historical mysteries out there and this is not one of them.



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Eat Move Sleep

Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I read this book because now that I'm in my 40's I want to take better care of myself. I have been remarkably healthy throughout my life, and I don't want that to change as I enter middle age. I have never been a healthy eater (no orange or green foods for me, thanks!) so I am making baby steps into adulthood. Enter "Eat, Move, Sleep". Tom Rath has suffered from rare health problems his whole life so he has gone to extremes in being healthy to prolong his life. There are great suggestions for anyone in this book to make small changes to be healthier, especially in the lists at the end of the book. However, the book is preachy and extremist. No one who is on a quest to be healthier and take better care of themselves is going to read this book and implement all of the extreme changes he recommends, often without citing a source. How much of this is based on real science, vs. articles he has read in Men's Health? It's unrealistic and discouraging for me, someone who has never touched peas or carrots since being forced in her youth, to make the extreme changes he says you need to make for a long, healthy life.

What would have worked much better is for him to be more encouraging in the small changes people can make to lead a healthier life. Step off the soap box, Tom, remove your white wig, and start cheering people on! You just come across as a huge jerk right now, and I don't want to hang out with you. Buzzkill.

For those of you who want to be healthier but don't want to read this book, here is your TL:DR:
EAT - be mindful of what you eat, and how much. Try to eat real foods in moderation, not chemically processed, artificial crap.
MOVE - get exercise every day. This helps your body last longer. Don't be lazy. Take the stairs, park at the back of the lot, and get those lungs filled with good, clean air.
SLEEP - rest and let your body regenerate. Sleep enough and get your circadian rhythms in line with nature.

There you go. You're welcome.



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I Am Legend

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Did you see the movie? If yes, forget what you watched and read this book. If no, don't watch the movie and instead read this book.

Different, and infinitely better, this book will take you on an emotional ride. Imagine you are the last uninfected human on earth. Vampires are everywhere. You spend your days scavenging around, taking what you can find from the remains the dead left behind. You spend your nights holed up in your house, listening to the infected attempting to get in. Imagine you find a friend, a companion. A sliver of hope. But life is unpredictable, and so is this book.

Read it, but have something happy to read immediately afterwards to cleanse your soul. I chose "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler, but you can choose whatever you would like, as long as it makes you happy.



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Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


If I am ever acting crazy, please go find Susannah Cahalan's doctor before checking me into a mental institution.

This is an interesting story of one woman's journey into a world of misdiagnosis, disease, and madness. Part medical mystery, part memoir, part cautionary tale, you get a unique perspective into her illness and recovery. I was left thinking about how many patients are misdiagnosed and assumed to be mentally ill when they really have a curable disease. Very scary to consider. Also, her boyfriend and family should be considered for sainthood. It was hard on all of them but they didn't give up. Good people, right there.

And seriously, if I am not acting like myself, make sure I don't have encephalitis. I can't stress this enough.



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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It had the right mix of biographical stories, science facts, and moral questions to consider. Although non-fiction, it reads like a novel and was very engaging. Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in the 1950s. At the time of her death, the doctors at Johns Hopkins took samples of her cells and were able to successfully grow and study them in the laboratory. Her cells have been vital in medical research throughout the years, and are still growing in labs today.

I found myself thinking about the Lacks family and medical research throughout the day as I was reading the book. I felt Rebecca Skloot did weave herself and her quest to research the Lacks family a bit much into the narrative, but her perspective added insights into the family and how they felt about Johns Hopkins, reporters, and the what happened to Henrietta's cells.

This would be a great book for a book club discussion, with the potential for rich dialogue regarding the potential moral repercussions and long-term advantages to medical research in general and specifically around cell research. Highly recommended.

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Science Week

Banner by Maddie

Science 

This week we each read a science book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Earth Science - fiction or non-fiction book about natural disasters, climate change, or located primarily in the ocean or underground.

Life Science - fiction or non-fictin book about plants or animals.

Applied Science - fiction or non-fiction book about a medical condition, disease, epidemic, or science breakthrough or where the main character is a medical professional or scientist.

Science Fiction - science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or dystopian genres and magical worlds.

Books Selected:

Zach (Science Fiction: Dystopian)

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.  A dystopian novel where certain people suddenly develop super powers, which they use for evil.  These people are called Epics.  Some members of society (most of them) do not develop powers, and they are held at the mercy of the Epics.

Michelle (Applied Science: Medicine)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It had the right mix of biographical stories, science facts, and moral questions to consider. Although non-fiction, it reads like a novel and was very engaging. Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in the 1950s. At the time of her death, the doctors at Johns Hopkins took samples of her cells and were able to successfully grow and study them in the laboratory. Her cells have been vital in medical research throughout the years, and are still growing in labs today.

I found myself thinking about the Lacks family and medical research throughout the day as I was reading the book. I felt Rebecca Skloot did weave herself and her quest to research the Lacks family a bit much into the narrative, but her perspective added insights into the family and how they felt about Johns Hopkins, reporters, and the what happened to Henrietta's cells.

This would be a great book for a book club discussion, with the potential for rich dialogue regarding the potential moral repercussions and long-term advantages to medical research in general and specifically around cell research. Highly recommended.

Maddie (Science Fiction: Dystopian)

Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Earth, ruined by pollution, is a now dystopian society run almost entirely by robots.  Most people are unemployed, and are confined to cities to fight for survival.  Hiding from the thought police and overrun by gangs, a group of teens with diverse traits are invited to an exclusive, mysterious game.  A test of strength and teamwork, they must collect clues to gain the ultimate prize.

An absolutely excellent tale, with a twist ending of the ultimate prize.  I really enjoyed the character development, and wished there was a sequel.