November Challenge - Whatever Wednesday

November 24 - Whatever Wednesday

Since this is the last Whatever Wednesday post for this November Challenge, I am not going to focus on just one book. Instead, I am going to focus on a element of writing I have always found very intriguing and fun. I didn't do a great deal of research, just a little searching, but I could not find a specific word for this element. I'm sure there is one out there, and maybe someone can help me out. The element I am talking about - the use of ephemera (facsimile documents) within the book.

History Decoded: The 10
Greatest Conspiracies of All Time
by Brad Meltzer

The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy
by Nick Bantock

I recently picked up a copy of Brad Meltzer's History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time. As soon as I read about the publication of this book, I knew it would be one I HAD to read. When I got into my car with it earlier in the week, I could not wait to open it up and begin to read. I got so excited when I opened the first envelope to pull out the documents included on the chapter surrounding the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, I was taken back twenty years to the day I first came across Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine Trilogy. I was so engrossed in Griffin & Sabine I ignored everyone around me in order to enjoy it thoroughly from cover to cover. Granted the first book, Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence is only 48 pages long, but when you taken into consideration all of the little details taken into the writing of this book, just know I was in my very own bibliophile heaven for a few hours time.

So, knowing how much I enjoyed Griffin & Sabine and my love for history, you can see why I was thrilled when I got my hands on Meltzer's book. I was lucky enough to receive an electronic pre-publication version of History Decoded, but because of the formatting of the book, I was not able to enjoy it. I had to get my hands on the physical book. I think that is another reason I love these kinds of books so very much. It not only allows you to hold the "actual documents" and peruse them as if you were the recipient (of the letter, postcard, brochure, etc.) it also brings an entirely different experience to the reader.

I'm not going to say there is anything against reading on a device. I'm not going to say I HAVE to have the physical book because I want to hold it, turn the pages, and enjoy the smell of the pages. I'm simply going to say it is just different. I love the convenience of my e-reader. I love having books with me no matter where I am going or what I am doing. If I have my telephone, I have my books. It is like my security blanket. I also love to read physical books. I have a VERY hard time going into a book store and walking out of the store without at least one bag. However for books like History Decoded and The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy, the physical book is part of the adventure.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other books which fit into this same category for adults. I'm sure there are other out there, and I encourage you to pick one up and get a feel for the excitement of discovery through the pages of a book and the ephemera included.

November Challenge - Whatever Wednesday

November 19th - Whatever Wednesday - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot

Now, before I tell you about this fascinating book, I want to define Whatever Wednesday. I did not intend for this category to be taken as flippant. On the contrary, so many books can fit into the category (and I almost think it is my favorite because of that). With the guidelines I set for myself, this title would not have fit into any of the categories if I had not made Whatever Wednesdays. So, with that being said, let me tell you about my selection for today.

Now, if you remember my review from Sexy Saturday I am not usually a science-y person. I lean toward history. However, the mixture of science and history throughout this extraordinary story of HeLa cells and Henrietta Lacks is gripping. I have always been intrigued with genetics. I remember learning how to complete a blood type chart in high school biology. and I was fascinated by DNA. By reading this book, I have discovered that I might not have learned about cells, DNA, and so many other amazing biological discoveries if it had not been for Henrietta Lacks.

I first learned about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot from my husband. The book was selected as the common reading for the incoming freshman. In the winter of 2011, Texas Christian University hosted members of the Lacks family at the 2011 Fogelson Honors Forum. 

Skloot's book has been named the winner of a number of awards including the 2010 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, the 2010 Wellcome Trust Book Prize, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Award for Excellence in Science Writing, the 2011 Audie Award for Best Non-Fiction Audiobook, and a Medial Journalists' Association Open Book Award.

During the Fogelson Honors Forum at TCU, Mrs. Lacks's great-granddaughter, Erika Johnson said, "If you know someone who hasn't read the book or learned about it, pass along your knowledge. It's important, not just to the science world, but to everyone." Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball are doing just that by working with HBO to bring Mrs. Lacks's story to even through the medium of television. As an avid reader, I always say the book is so much better than a movie could ever be, however, if Mrs. Lacks's legacy is shared with more people because of the adaptation of Skloot's book, it will be for the best. Thank you, Ms. Skloot's for sharing the life of Henrietta Lacks with all of us.

November Challenge - Whatever Wednesday

November 12th - Whatever Wednesday - This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection
by Carol Burnett

I listened to Carol Burnett's amazing autobiography, This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection, through our libraries Overdrive app. I have always loved Carol Burnett, but after listening to her read her book I love her even more. I truly felt like she was talking to me. I laughed. I cried. I didn't want our one-sided "conversation" to end. I not only enjoyed hearing some of the behind the scenes stories from The Carol Burnett Show, but stories from her life growing up and the many celebrities she befriended over the years. She has always seemed like a down to earth person. I would love to have the opportunity some day to thank her in person for the joy she has brought to my life all these years.