My Stroke of Insight by Jill Taylor 362.196

Jill Taylor is studying the brain. She was trained at Harvard and is 37 years old. Most people would be caught unaware by a stroke, but Jill is almost fascinated when it happens to her. Because of her background, she is able to summon help before it's too late.
There are a few chapters I skipped over - too much scientific information! But the rest of the book is fascinating. Her descriptions are a wake-up call for anyone involved with stroke patients. She hopes to change attitudes toward people who are brain-injured. The awareness of how we respond to emotions has made a change in how Jill lives her life - and it can be a wake-up call to all of us.

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

Kim was 18 and getting ready to go to college in a month. Even though she was tempted to stay at the river with her boyfriend and her friends, she reluctantly left at the same time as her friend Nina. They both worked at the Conoco station and Kim had never missed work. They drove off to their respective homes to change clothes - but Kim never made it to work. This book is really not about Kim herself. It is about those around her - her sister, her parents and her friends. The initial reaction and investigation turns into a new way of life for all of those people.
It was a well-written story that brings you into the lives of those people.

The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval (658.4 Kap)

I am not a huge fan of non-fiction, but this book reads easily. The authors head up their own advertising agency--The Kaplan Thaler Group--and so use their own experiences with their business and their clients to add detail and examples to this short book. The language is to the point and easy to follow.

The authors point out the ways and reasons to be nice in the business world, and back up their advice with tried and true examples from their own lives. Each chapter also comes with exercises to try to become a "nicer" person, and to practice being nice at home, work, and to strangers on the street. Each chapter is well organized into shorter sections, making it easy to read and find places to stop and absorb. A powerful book for something so small and simple to read.

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Shreve is one of my favorite authors and she's done it again with a well-written novel. It begins at Avery Academy, a boarding school, in New England. The head-master has just come into possession of a tape showing some of his under-age students involved in sexual acts. The intriguing part of this book is how she has woven together the voices of the many people whose lives are touched by the incident and the choices made in how to handle it. The ripple effect is always wide-spread, but we don't always think about it before we act. The book keeps some of its secrets until the very end. I highly recommend this!

Red Fire by Deidre Knight

Red Fire is not your typical historical fantasy romance. Sure, the legendary heroes from Sparta (all featured in the recent movie 300) are there, but there are some subtle twists to the story.

For instance, this historical romance actually takes place in present day. The figures from history have moved forward in time, having become immortal after their death. And oh yeah, they can shape-shift.

As the first book in the "Gods of Midnight" series, Ajax Petrakos, Spartan warrior, is given a test to end all tests. He is pitted against an ancient foe, one who destroyed his family. And Ajax, who had been promised his soul mate by the elusive Oracle, must once again go out in battle to save what little humanity he has left. Until he finds Shay is his soul mate, and the target of his ancient foe's deadly game. It is up to him, and him alone, to save her and the world without losing his own soul in the process.

If you're a fan of Christina Dodd, Laurell Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, or Kim Harrison, you will love this novel!

Upside Down, Inside Out by Monica McInerney (Fiction)

Eva, unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, travels to Australia to visit her oldest friend. There, she and Lainey come up with a different life and identity and she is introduced as famous Irish sculptor and singer Niamph. She meets and falls in love with Joseph, who is also not telling telling the whole truth about his life. Will they ever confess the truth about their lives to each other? Will they forgive each other for the lies that have been told? Do fish swim?

OK, that might be a little bit sarcastic, I'll admit. I liked the characters and the Australian setting but must admit that the "drama" of when Eva would tell Joseph the truth got to be a little bit too drawn out. I found that I didn't really care too much after awhile! Still, it was a fun read.