Choices

Death Doula Dawn Edelstein finds herself in line with her clients when she hears a flight attendant announce a "planned emergency".

Once again, I am amazed by Jodi Picoult's talent. In The Book of Two Ways, she not only teaches the reader about Egyptology but also quantum mechanics. Now, don't let these two subjects force you to put the book back on the shelf. They are only a small portion of this dual timeline novel. Picoult makes the reader contemplate how one tiny decision can change a life dramatically.

Dawn Edelstein is a Death Doula (a person who supports another during the end stages of life, similar to a midwife (or doula) who supports and guides during birth). She was also once a graduate student at Yale pursuing her doctorate in Egyptology. 

Not only is The Book of Two Ways referencing the most detailed graphical compilation of coffin text found in ancient Egypt, but it also eludes to the premise of a multiverse and parallel realities. For example, one life where you are pursuing a career in a job for which you are extremely passionate, another where you are working in a mindless 9 to 5 - thus two ways of life through a variety of paths (choices) taken (made) along your journey.

I never close a Picoult book without keeping the narrative in my head. She is constantly making me think, analyze, and contemplate how the characters have changed my life and encouraged me to start a conversation. Each time I see she has a new book, it goes straight to the top of my To Be Read list.

This book does not disappoint and I highly recommend the education and the expedition in The Book of Two Ways.

The Book of Two Ways is expected to be on sale on September 22, 2020, and is published by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House Publishing Group.

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When reading The Book of Two Ways, I was reminded of another book about choices. One I read in late spring. Since it was before I started sharing my reviews on my blog again, I've decided to share my thoughts on The Midnight Library. 

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Being a librarian, I am always drawn to books about libraries. When I was introduced to the Midnight Library, I was intrigued. This is not a library I would have ever envisioned - a library between life and death. A library where the books go on and on forever. The books are filled with the choices (whether satisfying or regretful) made throughout life - parallel realities. An added bonus, the books are guarded by a favorite librarian from your past.

Choices can drastically change the trajectory of one's life. How many decisions do we make every day? How does each of these options completely change the course of our life? Nora Seed discovers the answer to these questions and others in Matt Haig's The Midnight Library.

The options you are given while in The Library (albeit for a very limited time) allow you to see what could have been, if only for a slight variance. Stepping into the book of your life as it follows a different path can be daunting. Seeing how the grass is not always greener, allows you to appreciate the life you have and the people who share the journey with you.

Although this book is dark, it makes you step back and look at your own life. It made me truly appreciate the choices I have made, even if they were not always the easiest or the most likely. Would I go back and change anything? Maybe, if allowed to visit The Library, but I think I'm good where I am right now.

The Midnight Library is expected to be on sale on September 29, 2020, and is published by Viking Press an imprint of Penguin Group.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, the publishers have provided a complimentary electronic copy of The Book of Two Ways (Ballatine Books) and The Midnight Library (Viking Press) for review purposes. These reviews are my opinion and are in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Collection Obsession

If you have a passion for something tangible it is understandable to want to acquire items to fill a need or desire. For one who loves books, as I do, you are considered a bibliophile. A numismatist is a collector of coins. If you collect stamps, you are called a philatelist. But if you are an art collector, you are referred to as a buyer.

 

The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe is about a woman whose obsession with art occurs by happenstance when she walks into a building to use the restroom not knowing it was the art building on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. She wanders around the museum- gallery and is immediately in awe of one of the pieces. The piece which will later be the first in her collection.

Rebecca (Becky / Reba) Farwell was a mathematician at an early age. She was completing the homework of schoolmates for money, even pre-calculus as a freshman. Her math teacher, Ms. Marner, challenged and encouraged her abilities. Through her math skills and manipulation of the books in her unincorporated community of Pierson, Illinois, Becky can build a wealth of funds to feed Reba's art addiction. Miss Farwell builds a double life: one as the young woman who has moved up from a bookkeeper to the comptroller of her hometown, and the other as a successful buyer/collector of art in Chicago and New York. 

Throughout the book, Miss Farwell's character is developed with contradictory traits. She is a thief. She is a philanthropist. She is a buyer of art. She is a collector of art. She is a seller of art. She is caring. She is cold. At times you don't know whether to love her or hate her for what she does to the people in her community who see her as a local hero. 

I was fortunate enough to listen (and read) this story of a diabolic woman who pulled off a multi-decade facade. I was so intrigued by this book I could not stop until the last page. 

Thank you to Harper Collins for allowing me the opportunity to review the audiobook and the e-book copy of The Talented Miss Farwell. I read the text while listening to the wonderful narration of Allyson Ryan. Whether listening, reading, or both, you will be drawn into the world of Becky / Reba, not knowing which, if either, you will cheer for in the end.

I recommend this title for public libraries. 

The Talented Miss Farwell is expected to be on sale on September 29, 2020, and is published by HarperCollins.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, HarperCollins has provided a complimentary electronic copy and a digital audio download of The Talented Miss Farwell for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Your Strange Brain

I have been thinking about my brain a great deal over the past year.

I was officially diagnosed with Epilepsy exactly one year ago today, although I had been dealing with symptoms for over ten months. I spent the previous three days in an EMU (Epilepsy Monitoring Unit) with electrodes attached to my head. The electrodes were part of an EEG (Electroencephalogram) which monitored the electrical activity in my brain. I was not allowed to sleep, cameras were constantly monitoring my moves, and every few hours an EEG technician would visit to perform several tests (the only one I remember was the one with the flashing lights). It was not a pleasant experience, but it helped my doctor answer many questions we had about my crazy brain.

A lot has changed for me in the last year. Some good. Some bad. I have learned (or am learning for some things) how to live my new normal. It is not always easy, especially on a hard day when I have had a seizure (I suffer from absences seizures as well as what most people think of as regular seizures). I also have migraines (which is connected to my Epilepsy). Now, I did not intend for this post to be about my strange brain, but about the book You and Your Strange Brain: A Book of Brains, How They Work, and Sometimes Don't written by Clive Gifford and illustrated by Anne Wilson.

 

The infographic design allows the reader to move about the pages reading small chunks of information separated by boxes, lines, illustrations, and/or font. The brightly colored drawings easily grab the reader's attention and draw them into the descriptive text. I especially love the pictures and experiments throughout the book which challenge or trick the brain. At the end of the book is a section titled "Brain Games". These are "think outside the box" riddles, logic problems, and visual puzzles. (I was able to solve 10.5 of the 14 correctly!) There is also a section of additional resources that includes books (with a separate list for older teens), websites, videos, online experiments, and activities; as well as an index. 

Although the target audience for this book is preteens (11-13; grades 6-8), it is a very informative book for older readers. As an adult learning, something new can be daunting, especially when it is a complicated subject, like the brain. For some, I included, it is easiest to begin your learning journey through a children's or young adult book. One should feel no stigma for reading this book. When you need information go to the source, no matter where it may be located in the library! 

I would recommend this title for middle school and public libraries.

You and Your Strange Brain is expected to on sale on May 8, 2021, and is published by Quarto Publishing Group - QEB Publishing.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Quarto Publishing Group has provided a complimentary electronic copy of You and Your Strange Brain for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

It's Been Awhile...Let's Talk Science

Yes, it has been a while. Why you ask? Well, life happened. I have been dealing with medical issues for the past two years. I am still learning my new normal. For a while, I was not able to read. Now that issue has been resolved, I am returning to sharing my passion. Enough about me, let's get to some really great books.

A Walk Around the Block: Stoplight Secrets, Mischievous Squirrels, Manhold Mysteries & Other Stuff You See Every Day (And Know Nothing About) by Spike Carlsen

Have you ever been asked why manhole covers are round? Have you ever asked yourself why are stop signs red octagons, but railroad crossing signs are yellow circles? To be honest, these two questions never crossed my mind, but for Spike Carlsen, they were merely a few of the questions he had as he took a walk around his neighborhood.

A Walk Around the Block is really a collection of research-based (but easily read) field trips Carlsen takes based on his observations in and around his neighborhood. He is first challenged when he ponders where the water in his bathroom sink comes from, so he finds an expert - a manager at his local City Water Department. A variety of "things" we see, use, and generally take for granted around our home and community are the focus of this non-fiction text. 

When you walk out of your front door, where are you? Is there a small slab of concrete beneath your feet, or are you standing on wooden planks (or maybe HPDE - High-Density Polyethylene lumber - better known as recycled milk jugs or laundry detergent bottles) which have been used to create a porch? I'm sure your porch or entry doesn't sound too exciting, but when reading the first chapter of Carlsen's book, you begin to learn the history and functionality of the area around your front door.

Each part is broken up into categories: Incoming, Outgoing, Surfaces, Nature, and Signs, Lines, and Lights. Under the parts are chapters about the "things" we generally take for granted:  telephone wires, sewers, asphalt, parks, and street names. These are just a few of the interesting topics covered in this 336-page book filled with expert information the author has gathered as he has visited the people and places making up the infrastructure of society.

I highly recommend this book for high school and public libraries. The subjects are not ones you might usually read about, but it is not only interesting to learn about the things around you every day, but also about the people behind the scenes who operate and maintains they large facilities and resources we generally take for granted. You will never look at road construction or a front porch the same.

A Walk Around the Block is expected to be on sale on October 20, 2020, and is published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins.

While reading the chapter "Roadkill (and Litter): Squished, Plucked, and Plogged. I learned about Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science from One End to the Other by Heather L. Montgomery, written for budding scientists from ages 10 and up.

I never thought I would read an interesting book on poop, but I have to say, this was not only interesting but made me think of excrement in a whole new manner.

Who Gives a Poop is filled with scientific experiments done by the author (a biologist) and an array of other scientists she meets as she researches this book. It is amazing what can be learned from the scat (a term for wild animal droppings) there are specific terms for excrement based on the animal, and they are listed in the back of the book.

The book begins with the discovery of a coyote carcass on the interstate. When the author comes upon a carcass she removes them from the road to prevent other animals from scavenging the body for food. Near the coyote was the last deposit made before their untimely death. The author picks up the turd (making a careful note to say she was wearing latex gloves) and discovers a variety of interesting facts based on what she sees. There are seeds, a small paw, and hair in the sample. This tells her the animal ate fruit and meat.

This is just the beginning of the information which can be learned from the droppings, dingleberries, guano, etc. discovered, described, and experimented upon in this book. When young readers begin to read, I believe their scientific interests will be peaked and they will want to dive into some of the mention of the task at the end of the book.

Who Gives a Poop! is expected to be on sale on September 8, 2020, and is published by Bloomsbury.

**To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, HarperOne and Bloomsbury have provided a complimentary electronic copy of A Walk Around the Block and Who Gives a Poop for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Bull

I remember when I was a child, probably around 10, I found a blue paperback book with a beautiful image on the cover. The title was in gold and I was so taken by the cover, I had to have the book. It was a collection of Greek Mythology. Did I ever read the book? No. When I tried to read the text, it was, well, Greek to me. I still have the book. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure where it is, but I know I still have it in my vast collection of books.

It wasn't until I heard storyteller Barbara McBride-Smith tell her Texas version of the Greek myths, It's Not Easy Being a Goddess: A Yellow Rose of Texas Tells the Greek Myths in her Native Tongue, that I even thought about that paperback book again. Did I read it then? Heavens no. I had purchased McBride-Smith's recording. I knew it was going to be much easier to understand. We're both Texans! We speak the same language, which is NOT Greek!

The next time the Greek Gods came into my life, it was through Percy Jackson. My son was then nine when my husband and I brought home an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of The Lightning Thief following the Texas Library Association's Annual Conference. He devoured the book and couldn't wait for me. I have to admit, I also enjoyed the book and read the next two as well.

A few weeks ago, I had the awesome pleasure of hearing Newbery medal winning author Kwame Alexander speak during the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. (He was actually speaking while the Atlanta Falcons were playing the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Conference Championship game. We all know how that ended. It was quite a spectacular evening in Atlanta, unless you are a Cheesehead!) While speaking, he creatively promoted his, and other author's books by using the titles. (The only exception for his recent or upcoming titles was Animal Ark. He said he just didn't know how to incorporate it without blatantly doing a promo.) One of the books which was splashed across the big screen was Bull by David Elliott.

Bull
by David Elliott

The image was up on the screen so quickly I really did not have a chance to fully grasp what I was seeing. The same evening (after watching the celebrations in the rain soaked streets) my husband and I attended a dinner hosted by HMH Books for Young Readers. As each of the editors introduced their upcoming titles, I made notes on my handout to remember which ones I wanted to read, review, and (if appropriate for my school) order. I was taken aback when I was the cover of Bull. This time, I had the opportunity to read the cover in its entirety while being introduced to this retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur.

I was thrilled when I was able to obtain a digital copy of the book for review. I started reading it alone, but was soon so taken with the poetry, I had to share it aloud with my husband. I felt I couldn't read it fast enough. I wanted to see how each character was going to be developed and the format in which they would shape their words. Since it was so late in the evening when we began this story time session, I sadly had to stop at the end of Book II. I felt let down by my husband's need for sleep. I wanted to keep reading. This was a story I had not heard before and I wanted to know the ending. Thankfully the next evening we got to read. It was incredible to see how each of the character's was "assigned" a poetic form which was carried throughout the book. The break down of each character's specific form and the manner in which they were chosen by the author.

This is a phenomenal book and should be included in public and university libraries. It should also be purchased for school libraries with the knowledge that this retelling of the Greek myth incorporates language of today's youth (no matter how much we wish to think everyone has a clean mouth). Some will be offended by the language, but the verse wouldn't flow or have the impact without those most obvious of profane words.

I have to say when reading the praise for the book on the back cover of the uncorrected, I knew I was going to be hooked when I saw the words of Allan Wolf (author of The Watch That Ends the Night and New Found Land), "Bull does for mythology what Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton has done for U.S. history." I could not have provided greater accolades myself. This was truly a wonderful book and I hope and pray Mr. Elliott presents us with more myths in his brilliant verse in the years to come.

Bull will be released for publication by HMH Books for Young Readers on March 28, 2017.

**To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, HMH Books for Young Readers has provided a complimentary electronic copy of Bull for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Books About Books

I am a lover of books. I am comforted when surrounded by books. I love talking about books, although my taste in books rarely aligns with those of my friends. I started the year by reading books about books. This is very different for me as I have not been an avid reader of non-fiction. I prefer the psychological thrillers, mysteries, or time travel novels.

Will Schwalbe's Books for Living captured my attention when browsing through upcoming book releases on NetGalley. I requested the book, but sadly never got a response from the publisher. Once the book was released, I immediately placed a hold on it through my local public library. I was so excited when I got the text message to pick up the book I left immediately to check it out. It didn't take me long to become completely engrossed in the book. I found a number of quotes which rang as true to me and my love of books and reading as it did for the author. This is one of my favorite quotes from Books for Living (page 175)

"When I most enjoy reading, I'm not really conscious that I'm reading It's at the moments when I'm so wrapped up in a book, so engrossed, so moved, so obsessed, or so fascinated, that the part of my mind that is watching me read - maybe keeping track of the pages or trying to decide how much longer I should keep on reading - that part of my mind has gone away. This is what I hope for every time I open a book. It's something of a paradox. To love reading is to want to achieve the state where you don't know you are reading, where your communion with what you are reading is absolute."

While reading Books for Living, I discovered Schwalbe's first book, The End of Your Life Book Club was available as an audio book through my libraries online book service Overdrive. I quickly checked it out and began listening as I sat in my massage chair twice a day and on my drives to and from work.  I felt a special kinship to Will's mother because I had a slight understanding of her illness, pancreatic cancer. I can in no way compare my experience with my pancreatic condition to her, but I felt a bond. I also felt a bond with her love of reading and books. I would feel completely inadequate to have had the chance to sit and talk with her about books and reading, but listening to the conversations between mother and son was fascinating. I was so sad when the book ended. Not only because of the death of Will's mother, this is really no spoiler - the title kind of gives it away, but also because the discussions ended. I wanted more, as I know did Will.

When I finished The End of Your Life Book Club, I had not finished reading Books for Living and he gave me more of what I was longing for from the book talks. I desperately wanted to write down each and every title I had not read and put them on my own "To Be Read" (TBR) list. I didn't. I know I will never read all of the books on my TBR list. There just isn't enough time. I think one of my worst nightmares is the episode of The Twilight Zone - "Time Enough at Last" where Burgess Meredith finally has the opportunity and time to read without interruption following an H-bomb explosion only to have his glasses shatter on the ground as he is surrounded by books. For most it probably seems silly to think you would be totally devastated by this incident, but for a reader, it is heartbreaking.

I have to admit I have not read most of the books discussed in Schwalbe's books. However, when he began talking about a book for which I had read, my pulse seemed to race a little because I felt a kinship with him. I wanted to cheer and begin my own conversation about each of those titles.

After finishing The End of Your Life Book Club, I went back to Overdrive to see what else I could find on the world of books and reading. I found Larry McMurtry's Books: a Memoir. As a Texas girl, born and raised, I have always known the name Larry McMurty ~ Lonesome Dove, Cadillac Jack, and Terms of Endearment, to name a few of his books. Have I ever read any of them, no, but I knew of his books and of him because he is also a Texan. Now, I can say I have read McMurty, well actually listened to McMurty, well listened to William Dufris narrate McMurty, to be perfectly honest. I was totally engrossed listening to the tales of his book scouting days. His discoveries of rare books, the buying and selling of libraries and collections. It was truly fascinating.

Each year I set a goal to read the number of books which correlates to my current ago. For 2017, my goal was to read 46 books. My Goodreads account already shows I have completed 30 of those books, and we are three days shy of the end of January. Of those 30 books, 21 of them are children's picture books. It's what I do as a professional children's librarian - read and review books. (In the past I have not included my review books on my Goodreads account. This is something I have recently started in order to maintain my online reviewing presence.) But, on the other hand 9 of those 30 books are adult books. I think I will have to alter my Goodreads goal this year to reflect the number of adult books I would like to read (keeping it at 46, but I will always aim higher) and an attainable goal for reading and review books for my professional responsibilities.

I will continue to be a reader. As Schwalbe said in Books for Living (page 7)

"...as the reader, I become influenced while I'm reading I'm not the same reader when I finished a book....Brains are tangles of pathways, and reading creates new ones. Every book changes your life."

I am a different reader now than I was 28 days ago when the new year began. I may not be an eloquent writer, but I will continue to read and share my love of books and reading as long as I am capable of doing so, if not for the one or two people who read my blog, but for me. This is my chance to reflect and thank the authors who have shared their story and our communal love of the written word.

A few more of my favorite quotes from Will Schwalbe:

"Your favorite books stay with you for your entire life, no matter how long since you turned the last page." - The End of Your Life Book Club

"The technology of a book is genius: the order of the words is fixed, whether on the page or on-screen, but the speed at which yourea dthem is entirely up to you. Sure, this allows you to skip ahead and jump around. But it also allows you to slow down, savor, and ponder." - Books for Living (page 15) 

Ending the year with Dumplin'

Reading the title of this post, you may think I am ending 2016 by eating dumplings. I do enjoy dumplings - old fashioned chicken and dumplings (my favorite meal each Wednesday evening served at church before GAs), as well as the Chinese variety, or pot stickers as they are sometimes known, but this is all about Willowdean Dickson, the main character in Julie Murphy's 2015 YA novel Dumplin'.

Dumplin'
by Julie Murphy

I wish Dumplin' had been written when I was a teen. I don't know if it would have significantly changed by life, but it might have made growing up a large girl easier. I was never a badass, but I have always been fat. Like all teens, you go through awkward stages where your peers tease you (now called bullying), but when you're a large person, it never seems to stop. Society does not accept large people. I say large, because I have always hated the word fat.

I remember the summer of 1990 driving up to my parent's house and seeing a tall, dark, and handsome young man sitting in the front yard of the house next door. He was playing with a huge rabbit. I'm not sure what prompted me to walk over, unless it was the rabbit. I didn't know this person, but I was brave enough to go over and introduce myself. I was instantly attracted to him, but I knew it would never be possible for someone like him to want to be with someone who looked like me. I saw him outside a few times over the summer, but knew nothing would come of it. He was older and so much more intelligent than me. Again, why would he want to have anything to do with me? I was silly teenager ~ and fat! There's that word again, but it accurately described me (and still does). Thankfully for me, Walter saw through the person I saw in the mirror. We will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary in May of this coming year.

Willowdean embodies the self conscious teen I was, as well as the middle aged adult woman I have become. I don't know if reading this book will help me to remove my own mental insecurities, but she has definitely put some things into perspective for me as we move into 2017. 

I love the quotation, "I think you gotta be who you want to be until you fee like you are whoever it is you're trying to become." To me, it seems like a great mantra moving forward as we open the door to wonderful opportunities and possibilities of a new year. I also need to remember "...half of doing something is pretending that you can". I hope I can embrace my inner Dolly Parton (and Willowdean) to make 2017 the best year yet, no matter what anyone else thinks, says, or does to stop me.

Dumplin' was published in September 2015 by Balzer + Bray. I would highly recommend this book for middle and high school readers. Although the book is listed as #1 in the Dumplin' series, I see no evidence of a subsequent book.