Notes on Some Books

These are some of the books I've been reading this year...

            
            

THY NEIGHBOR is Norah Vincent's first foray into fiction. Nick narrates. He is living his parents' house; his parents, who were killed. Nick spies on his neighbors and learns much about them...and himself. Dark and twisted. A good read.

THE TWELVE TRIBES OF HATTIE by Ayana Mathis
Chosen as an Oprah pick, Mathis skilfully tells Hattie's story through her children. Not always an easy book to read, it is well done.

THE DEATH OF BEES by Lisa O'Donnell
Two girls live on their own and their parents are nowhere to be found. Where are they? How are the girls going to manage? Is their neighbor someone to be trusted? This, while also a little dark, is a very good read.

CALLING DR. LAURA by Nicole J. Georges
In this graphic memoir, Nicole Georges illustrates some of her life - developing relationships, coming to a (sort of) understanding with her mother about her sexual orientation, and...calling Dr. Laura. Really well done, and I love that she lives in Portland!

11/22/63 by Stephen King
Life turns on a dime. Indeed it does. Jake, a teacher in a small Maine town, is shown a time travel portal to the past by his friend, Al. Can he go back and change history? Should he? I really liked how King spun the idea of time travel and the ramifications of changing the past.

UNSAID by Neil Abramson
"If you have ever loved an animal, this book is for you." This is the blurb I wrote for this book at the bookstore where I work. Yes, it's a novel, and it, more than I think any other book I've read, beautifully expresses the love and connection we have with animals. Really wonderful. Look for a longer review for this book on the blog.

READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline
Set in the future, video games have evolved. OASIS is the name of the game, and Wade, a high school student, has immersed himself in the game. More than just a simulation, the creator of the game has set up a contest. Whoever finds the easter egg in the game by following his clues, wins his entire fortune. This book was really fun, while also recognizing the inherent dangers of immersion in an artificial reality. Lots of great pop culture references!

LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson
I'm in the middle of reading this one. Ursula Todd is born...and dies. And is born, and dies. In Life After Life, we see Ursula's many different lives. I am interested to see how it all plays out!

Clicking on the book cover will take you to Amazon's web page for the book. Clicking on the underlined book title may take you to Barnes and Noble's page for the book. Purchasing through these links helps support the blog. Note: You can use one of these (newly mentioned!) books to enter April's free book giveaway! Thanks for stopping by!

The Therapist Takes A Nook

I, Therapist, take you, Nook, to be my E-Reader of choice. To have and to hold, (ok, carry), from this day forward, whenever there are times that the book I'm reading may be heavy or awkward to juggle with my other worldly items. I promise to keep you dry from bath water and your battery charged til death (of your battery or screen life) do us part.
Yes, I have "taken" a Nook. I, who never thought such a day would come.
It's not that I don't have friends with E-Readers; I do. And I have tried not to judge them for their purchase, their mad and reckless departure from all that is holy. And...in the end, it turns out that scripture is right on this topic, "judge not lest you be judged", because here I sit, not alone, but with a Nook. I blame Stephen King for my unfaithfulness.
I have written about Stephen before when his new novel UNDER THE DOME came out in 2010. I believe I called it a "tomb" and may have mentioned Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A devout King fan since his infamous THE STAND, I was excited to hear that he had written a new novel called 11/22/63.

               

Anyone that has been on the planet for a half of century knows exactly what that date is and I was interested to see how Stephen King would write about the assassination of JFK. Bibliophile bought the book for me right away and when I came home from work, there it sat covering up a large portion of my night stand. This is when the first thoughts of adultery came to me. I thought about how I read in the bathtub every night. I thought about reading Justin Cronin's THE PASSAGE and the aforementioned UNDER THE DOME...it was in that moment that I knew I would become a cheater. It became quite clear to me that my faithfulness could not bear up under the temptation the Nook presented of giving me ALL of 11/22/63 in just 7.5 portable ounces. Three days later the Nook and I bathed together with all 897 pages of 11/22/63...I fell in love.
I wrote the first part of this when I first "took the nook", (that ended up catchier than I intended), and can now look back on my first three months as an adulterer. It turns out that the nook did not steal all my affections as my reading has been evenly divided between those books I can actually (have and) hold and those that are digitized. I have not deserted my habit of browsing through bookstores and caressing a cover or page. I still fill my "to be read" bookshelf with books of the original variety.
So, what I have found is that my divided affections have actually caused me to read MORE, and that is the real beauty of my new reading partner. Although unexpected, I am quite satisfied with this new, open relationship. I hope my real books understand.

Clicking on underlined titles (or Nook!) will take you to Barnes and Noble's site for each item. Books - both digital and "real" books are available for purchase. Clicking on book covers will take you to Amazon's page for each book. Purchasing through these links helps support the blog. Thanks for stopping by!