When the Lights Suddenly Go Out, Hold Onto Your Diamonds for Dear Life

Author's note:  I got a stocking stuffer entitled "Nancy Drew's Guide to Life" that has lots of "humorous and practical wisdom" from everybody's favorite gal detective, so I thought those little bits of wisdom would be a great way to title my blog posts from now on, when appropriate. 

I promised a book report on my recent readings, so here goes:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot - this book made me wish I knew more about biology.  Here's a brief synopsis (copied from Amazon's website):  "Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, as was the custom then, turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Known as HeLa cells, their stunning potency gave scientists a building block for countless breakthroughs, beginning with the cure for polio. Meanwhile, Henrietta's family continued to live in poverty and frequently poor health, and their discovery decades later of her unknowing contribution--and her cells' strange survival--left them full of pride, anger, and suspicion. For a decade, Skloot doggedly but compassionately gathered the threads of these stories, slowly gaining the trust of the family while helping them learn the truth about Henrietta, and with their aid she tells a rich and haunting story that asks the questions, Who owns our bodies? And who carries our memories?"  The book has been recognized with several awards and was a New York Times best seller for several weeks, and I believe Oprah has purchased the rights to make it into a movie (which, honestly, makes sense ... doesn't that synopsis sound like an Oprah movie?).  Anyway, the verdict:  I liked it, but a lot of it went over my head (due to the aforementioned lack of biology knowledge - science has never been my strong point).  The author does a good job with making it into a story-telling, very narrative, good prose.  Despite not understanding a lot, I was engaged and interested in the resolution (what resolution there was).  So, I guess, two thumbs up - a good non-fiction book.



The Lady in the Tower:  The Fall of Anne Boleyn, by Alison Weir - nerd alert!  I really like historical fiction and non-fiction.  This book is non-fiction and it took me awhile to get through it.  Some of it is really dry, but I think my problem may have been that I was hoping for more of the story of how Anne Boleyn got to be Queen of England, and not so much about she ended up not being the Queen of England.  Which is not Alison Weir's fault, it's mine for not paying attention to the synopsis.  That said, I got into it in the last 1/3 of the book, where the trial and the sentencing and everything was described - kind of gruesome, but very interesting too.  And Alison Weir is obviously an excellent writer,and I liked her logic and reasoning throughout the book.  Verdict:  not fair to assign a grade to this one, I think, since it wasn't really what I thought it was when I checked it out, and that's not fair to the book.  I think I'll just say that if you are interested in the subject matter, this is a great one.

A Dog's Purpose, by Bruce Cameron - if you liked Marley & Me and The Art of Racing in the Rain, you will love this.  Confession:  I cried while reading it (I also cried while reading Marley & Me and The Art of Racing in the Rain, and countless other books about dogs).  Here's the synopsis (again, "Thanks, Amazon!"):  "Told in a touching, doggy first-person, this unabashedly sentimental tale introduces Toby, who's rescued by a woman without a license for her rescue operation, so, sadly, Toby ends up euthanized. He's reborn in a puppy mill and after almost dying while left in a hot car, he's saved again by a woman, and he becomes Bailey, a beloved golden retriever, who finds happiness and many adventures. His next intense incarnation is as Ellie, a female German shepherd, a heroic search and rescue dog. But the true purpose of this dog's life doesn't become totally clear until his reincarnation as Buddy, a black Lab."  Obviously, as an animal lover and owner of two spoiled labradors, how could I be expected not to cry?  This isn't as crushing as, say, Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Goes ... I mean, I cried, but I wasn't filled with despair at the end.  It will make you love your pets even more, if that's possible.  So:  two thumbs up, highly recommended.

Up next:  I've got another historical non-fiction checked out right now, also by Alison Weir, about Eleanor of Aquitane.  If I can get through that, I'm going to chill out and read a couple of Nora Roberts paperbacks, I think, just to give the brain a rest.  I've already talked about the need for literary candy, and I feel like the last few weeks I've been on a diet of literary spinach and brussels sprouts, so it's time for a change.  It's the only way I can appreciate everything I read:  got to have some variety.  I know I already listed a top ten list, but here are some more books I recommend, if you're looking for something to read (I love lists, and books, so maybe I'll make this a recurring post?) (also, note:  these are not, like, my favorite books of all time, they were just good books that I've read in the recent past that I think others might enjoy, so I'm passing along my information to you)

• The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
• Saving CeeCee Honeycutt:  A Novel, by Beth Hoffman
• Bloodroot, by Amy Greene
• Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
• Just Kids, by Patti Smith

As always, happy reading!