Unbroken 940.54 Hil by Laura Hillenbrand

I don't know what to say about this book except read it!!!! (Or listen to it which is what I did) Hillenbrand has written this so beautifully that it reads like a best-selling novel - so don't be tempted to skip it because it is "non-fiction". This is the story of Louie Zamperini. He was a bit of a juvenile delinquent, then a track star, then an Olympic participant and finally a member of the Army Air Corps. The story is interesting, entertaining and often amusing..... but then his plane crash-lands, leaving him adrift with two other men. Listening to this part of the story left me hungry, thirsty and afraid of sharks. When they at last reach an island they are captured by the Japanese. This part of the story left me hungry, thirsty and just plain afraid. How Louie and others survived the torture is beyond my comprehension. For me the saddest part of the book was after Louie returns home. His experiences could not be left behind and like soldiers from all wars, the PTSD was unbelievable. And of course back then no one recognized PTSD and the soldiers had to get through it the best they could. It reminded me that when men and women go to war for us, their sacrifice doesn't end when they get home. What an outstanding book. Read it!

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

Debut novel?? No way. How can someone write a book this good the first time out of the gate???
Can you tell that I like this book? If you have sisters I bet you will like it even better!
Rose, Bean and Cordy are the Andreas sisters. They grew up in a small, academic town where their father taught Shakespeare. Actually he did more than teach it. He seems to be obsessed with the Bard. So the girls grew up in a constant barrage of Shakespeare quotes and the girls also toss them out with little effort. Rose never went far from the friendly confines of her hometown. Bean went off to glamorous (but expensive) New York City. Now she is home for reasons she would like to keep to herself. Cordy- well Cordy has wandered everywhere and now she too is home - carrying a big secret. Now they are all together under the same old roof with the same old conflicts. Things are more stressful because of their mother's breast cancer and the treatments that go along with it.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. I hope Ms. Brown is working on another book!

I Remember Nothing By Nora Ephron 814 Eph

Another great book by Nora Ephron. If you ever listen to audio books, put this one your list. It is read by Ephron and she has a dry tone (like Bob Newhart) that just cracks me up. This book is also for people "of a certain age". She takes the mundane and makes it so funny. There are stories I can relate to - the memory challenges for one. There are stories I can't relate to - spending time with famous people. Ephron's delivery is so flawless that she could be reading her grocery list and I was still be laughing out loud.
This is not a long book. Do yourself a favor and devote a few hours of this dreary winter to reading this book. The laughs you will experience will life your spirits. Of course that lift will have left by the next day....but still, I'll take what I can get.

Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

This is the first book I have read by Leavitt, but I will definitely look into locating some of her other books. This book had a unique beginning. Isabelle is running away. Life hasn't fulfilled many of her dreams. She desperately wanted children - and that didn't happen. Then she finds out her husband Luke has not only been unfaithful, but his girlfriend is pregnant. It is time to leave.
April seemingly has it all. Her husband, Charlie, loves her. They have a precious son named Sam. Sam is a great kid but his parents worry constantly because of his severe asthma. On a foggy day, miles from home, April is in the car with Sam. Isabelle is on the same road. Suddenly Isabelle sees a car in the road facing the wrong way and a woman in front of it. She hears the scream of a child. And then everything goes black.
Isabelle finds herself back home. She is recovering physically but not mentally. April is dead. Sam is traumatized by the accident and won't talk about it. Charlie is worried about Sam and trying to cope with his grief while figuring out what April was doing with Sam on that road.
The characters are believable and there is a touch of mystery. It kept me reading for hours on end.

My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space by Lisa Scottoline 814 Sco

We own three copies of this book but I chose to listen to it - and that was a good choice! It is highly entertaining - well, probably not for everyone out there. It starts out with "Today I noticed my first gray hair. On my chin." If you can not relate to this, go find another book to read. If, like me, you have a flashback to that very moment in your own life, come to the library and check out this book! It is full of essays - mostly about aging, but also about life in general. It isn't even that she writes about the glamorous parts of her life - it just ordinary stuff. We also hear from other generations. Francesca, Lisa's daughter, has a few things to say. Mother Mary, Lisa's mother, has an opinion on one or two things also! A delightful read in the middle of this long, long winter.

LEFT neglected by Lisa Genova

First of all, if you have not read her first book "Still Alice", stop reading this blog and go check it out. It was one of my top 10 favorites of this century! Her second novel did not disappoint me. I've been checking for a year to see when it would come out. I checked it out yesterday and read it straight through. It was interesting and entertaining. It is the story of Sarah Nickerson who has a life that sadly is very typical in today's society. She has a high-stress job ( often working up to 70 hours a week), three kids and a husband. She is doing it all and surviving. Until one day she isn't. An accident causes a brain injury that literally erases her left side - at least in her brain. She cannot move her left side, she can not see on the left side, etc. This is a real trauma. Remember that Lisa Genova has a doctorate in neuroscience from Harvard - she isn't just making this up. Well, she is making up the part about the family, the accident, etc. - but left neglected is a real condition to many people. What Sarah goes through is what real people endure.
Wonderful read. I highly recommend it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glimpses of Eternity by Raymond Moody 133.901 Moo

I love reading books about the afterlife and near-death experiences. This book falls into that general category. The difference with this book is that the emphasis is on the stories of people who spent time at the deathbed of friends and families. I know, I know, there are many of you who will not be interested in or impressed by this book. For those of you who like this type of book, I think you will find it to be fascinating. There are many different ways people experience the time at death and in this book they share their experiences. Even the author tells of his personal experience when his mom died. Moody also wrote the book "Life After Life".

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

In the back of the book Lippman explains that this book is loosely based on a true crime. That crime was about a man who was put to death for raping and killing numerous victims. He did not kill one of his victims. Lippman decides to approach this book from the point of view of the victim who didn't get killed. In the book that is the character Elizabeth Lerner. She was a young teenager when she was abducted and held for weeks by her captor, Walter. After that experience she chose to shorten her name to Eliza and she is married to Peter Benedict. They had been living in England with their two kids when Peter's job brought them back close to where Eliza grew up. Life is a bit of a struggle at the moment. The kids' adjustment back to American culture, 8 year-old Albie's nightmares, and 13 year-old Iso's new attitude have all contributed to a stressful period of time. And then Eliza receives a letter and a picture of her and Peter, torn from a magazine. The letter is from Walter who is soon to be executed. Of the picture he says "I'd know you anywhere".
That is the background for this book. The book goes back and forth between the present and Eliza's past. It was a fascinating story and kept me guessing to the end. If you like suspense, check this out!

An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller

Another book for the holidays. This is the story of a pretty typical American family. Meg is married to James and they have three children - who are spoiled as only Americans know how to do. Their home is large and has all the things necessary to keep the spoiled kids happy. But the image crumbles quickly. James has actually been out of work for a while but kept up the charade of going to work. In the mean time he gets in on a great deal that will save them - except it was a sham. At last he has to confess to his wife what he has done. They are losing their house and their way of life. With no where else to go they are forced to head to Meg's parents' house. The only car they have left to drive is James' Mustang. Probably a cool car, but not very roomy. They pile it full with five people and the possessions that fit into the left-over space. The car breaks down in .... yes, you guessed it! An Amish community. And yes, it is close to Christmas time! Keller did a great job of describing the kids' attitudes towards what has happened. The description of the Amish life was interesting. I just wanted to pass some time with this book, but found it to be well-written and very entertaining.

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

Walter Mosley fans might be surprised to learn that his newest book is not a mystery featuring Easy Rawlins, Fearless Jones, or Leonid McGill. Instead the Last Days of Ptolemy Grey introduces a new character every bit as engaging as these old favorites.

91-year-old Ptolemy lives alone in his squalid apartment, forgotten by his friends and family - forgotten even by himself as Alzheimer's steals his recognition of his surroundings.

He depends on his grandnephew, Reggie, who visits once a week to help him deposit his social security check and buy groceries. When Reggie is murdered in a drive-by shooting, Ptolemy is left adrift and helpless.

With what little bit of mind he still has left, Ptolemy knows that something is not right about the role Reggie's widow played in her husband's death but he can't keep his thoughts together long enough to figure it out. He sees that his family is headed for trouble but he can't grasp why or how he can help them.

Ptolemy sees a doctor and "makes a deal with the Devil". The doctor gives him an experimental medicine that burns his body with fever but returns his mind to clearness. But it will only last a few weeks before it kills him.

With this gift of lucidity, Ptolemy determines not to squander his last chance to fulfill an old promise to a friend. He sets out to avenge Reggie's death and to give his family a future.

I don't like calling a book "heart-warming" - especially a Walter Mosley book, but the shoe fits in this case. It's an immensely satisfying book - especially since those who have it coming to them, get it.