An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor

If you are in the mood for a gentle, entertaining read look no further! This is like a James Herriot book about humans instead of animals. Barry is a newly graduated doctor in search of a job. He heads to an Irish village for a job interview with crusty Dr. O'Reilly. Barry is well-educated and knows how to take a patient's history and what questions to asks. He is appalled by the way Dr. O'Reilly treats his patients. Upon arrival at Dr. O'Reilly's, he sees the old Doctor bodily throwing a patient out the door with the admonition not to come back until he has cleaned his feet! As you can probably guess, Barry learns there is a lot more to 'doctoring' than what you learn at school or in a book.
I liked the characters and the descriptions of country life. You won't stay up until 1 in the morning to finish it, but you will enjoy the book.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Another fast-paced, well-written book by Ms. Picoult. I am astonished by her ability to tell a story from several viewpoints. Emma Hunt is the mother of two boys. She became a single mother shortly after the birth of her younger son Theo. Her husband left her because of the diagnosis of the older child, Jacob, with Asperger's Syndrome. Early intervention is key when working with any form of autism. It involves an unbelievable amount of time, energy and a myriad of people. Her ex-husband couldn't stand the disruption and the time Emma spent on Jacob, and he left. Jacob is now 18. Picoult does a thorough job of educating the reader on Asperger's syndrome and how it affects everyone in the family. Hopefully after reading this book, people will be more aware and tolerant of autism and in particular Asperger's.
Jacob is obsessed with crimes and crime scenes. When his tutor is murdered, Jacob is arrested and tried for the crime. No one in the family is really sure if he is guilty or not.
Great, great book!!!!!!!

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

This fall there was a lot of buzz among teen librarians about a book entitled Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. When I read it, I thought "This is a good book for teens -- but it's an even better book for adults." So ... ignore the "teen" label on the book's spine (or pretend you're 16 again) and give this book a try:

Marcelo Sandoval is an autistic teen who lives a sheltered life at a school for students with similar needs. He functions well in this familiar world, but his father decides that Marcelo need to learn to live in "the real world" and gets him a summer job at his law firm assisting the head mail clerk Jasmine. Marcelo's attempts to navigate office life are a little heart-wrenching sometimes and often quite humorous, such as this exchange:

'Jasmine says, 'I'd stay away from the secretaries if I were you.'

'How can I deliver the mail to them if I stay away from them?'

'I mean, I wouldn't let them get to friendly with you, especially the ones that are single and desperate, like Martha back there.'

'Why'

'Martha, for one, would not hesitate to jump your bones.'

I think of a passage in the Bible where the prophet Ezekiel jumps up and down on a pile of skulls and bones. ... 'You need to speak clearly. I don't know what the phrase 'jump your bones' means. It would be helpful if you were more literal.' "

When Marcelo discovers a photo in the trash of a girl with a shattered face, he tries to solve the mystery of her identity and tries to fight injustice -- even though it means taking on his father's law firm.

Marcelo in the Real World is similar to Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and in the same way explores deeper issues through the eyes of a teen with autism.

You can find Marcelo in the Real World in the Teen Section (near the Adult Mysteries section) in the Indianola Public Library under TEEN Sto.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I wonder how many young people have gone to school to become symbologists since the character of Robert Langdon became so popular? I would think very few, because to me it seems to be a very, very dangerous occupation! After what happened in the other Robert Langdon novels you would think he would opt for retirement. Instead he gets drawn into another deep, deep mystery. This one takes place in Washington D.C. which is apparently filled with symbolism! Langdon always seems to have a woman with him when he gets in trouble. I listened to this book on audio - and I think it took longer to listen to then the time frame of the book! It was fast-paced and interesting. How does Dan Brown do all the research for his books?????? If I could just remember all of the things I "learned" in the book I would be a very smart lady! If you liked his previous books you will also love this one.

The Things that Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley

This was a scary book. While I was reading it, I wasn't afraid of terrorists or earthquakes or serial murderers - no I was afraid someone would sneeze on me! This is a story about H5N1. After all the scenarios I saw on programs about the effects of a pandemic, this book really brought into focus what could happen. Ann and Peter Brooks are in the midst of a divorce. They are struggling to keep a civil relationship during the separation for the sake of their two daughters. When the H5N1 hits the Midwest, they are forced to work together and try to survive. There was not one scene in this book that seemed blown out of proportion or put in the book for shock value. I could easily imagine the pandemic happening exactly like this story. This was a fast read because it was so gripping - I finished at 1:30 am. Read it if you dare!

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Ogawa is a best selling author in Japan. Fortunately for us this book has been translated into English. One of the first things to strike me about this book was the similarity between this book and Daphne du Maurier's classic novel, Rebecca. (I know that the title is supposed to be underlined but I don't know how to do it on this site!) Both of these books are written in first person and we never know the name of the characters! I hope you are not expecting more comparisons between the two - that was the only one I noticed. I'm sure that it is deeply significant but I really don't care! This is a short, sweet book. I enjoyed it and that was enough for me. You know what it is about if you read the title. The catch? Well, the professor is a brilliant mathematician. Unfortunately he was the victim of a terrible car accident and he suffered severe brain damage. So at the age of 47 he was fired by the University and makes his "living" by winning mathematics contest. (who knew there was such a thing???). He remembers everything he knew before the accident. As for the present - he remembers things for 88 minutes and then it is gone. So every morning the Housekeeper and the Professor "meet" for the first time. This is the story of their relationship - and of the growing friendship between the Housekeeper's young son and the Professor. The only part I didn't like was the discussions about math - and that was easy enough to skim! A different book but I liked it and I think we could all learn a few things from the story.

Life as I Know It by Melanie Rose

The cover of this book did not appeal to me very much. That seems silly, but if I am not familiar with the author this is what makes me open the book to read more about it. It looked a bit too much like chick lit which is not usually my favorite. After some heavy (as far as mood and emotion) books, I liked the idea of something lighter. Besides there was a woman and her terrier in the book - I had to love that part. I started the book after I left work yesterday at 1 and finished it before I came to work tonight. So I did like it and wanted to know how it would end! Jessie Taylor is walking her cute little terrier when a big black lab comes up to her. And behind the black lab is a really cute guy! Then as luck would have it, Jessie gets hit by lightning - the real thing from up above. Next thing she knows she is waking up in a hospital being called by the name Lauren. That's what this man Grant calls her. The four kids? well they call her mom. Is this a realistic book? No. But there are certain aspects of it that make you think......what if? I liked it for a very entertaining read.