Brain Droppings

1.Life after Life by Kate Atkinson — I found the premise interesting. Ursula lives her life over and over again, making different choices, with just the barest hints of memories of lives past. I was curious what the ultimate end would be, what the "perfect life" looked like. I also enjoyed seeing how different things were with just a little change here and there. And how mistakes were made, just different ones. It was an interesting look on life. I very much enjoyed it.

2.The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King — I listened to this as an audiobook; it is narrated by several different people with King just giving a little intro to each story. Honestly, if it was solely narrated by him I’d have read it in hard copy because, honestly, that man doesn’t read a story well. He can write, for certain, but I learned long ago not to listen to books narrated by him. I enjoyed all the readers for this collection save one; his bad Boston-esque accent was so horrible I had to skip the story. I just couldn’t take it. Anyway, the stories as a whole are, as usual in a collection, good and bad. Overall, I enjoyed it. Good to pass the time while driving.

3.Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods by Christine Byl: This, a memoir about working as a forest ranger, has a strange format. At times, Byl carries along in traditional memoir/bio form, then pops in with a random thought, like a Facebook post almost. Then she'll carry along, then randomly insert a whole section about a particular tool. I found it a little too scattered for my taste. Overall, I enjoyed what I read, I just didn't always love the layout.

4.Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert: I uncharacteristically found myself underlining and noting thing in the book itself, which is a sign of how much it was affecting me. I found Gilbert’s thoughts on marriage, as well as the historical and varied cultural information she presents, fascinating. The book is pretty much her talking herself into entering into marriage again, which was something I appreciated very much while reading it.

5.The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Best Drinks by Amy Stewart: I read this as an e-book, which I don’t recommend. It’s a good resource, for both drink recipes and horticulture tips, so I kind of wish I had a hard copy to put on a shelf somewhere. (I don’t think it’s quite good enough to prompt me to buy a copy, but I would recommend future readers do so.)

6.How To Be A Woman by Caitlan Moran: I rather liked this. Moran has great thoughts on feminism, the vast majority I agree with. I think what I appreciated most was her “don’t do this! Unless you want to!” attitude. (Ex. “Women shouldn’t cram their feet into ridiculous heels. Unless THEY want to wear ridiculous heels.”) Oftentimes, I find feminist writings to be dictatorial (the whole “femi-nazi” thing) and I appreciate that she leaves space for women to be their own people. Additionally, Caitlan is very, very funny. I laughed out loud several times while reading this (which garnered strange looks at the airport). Her work is very approachable and readable. Recommended.

7.Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson: I have totally fallen for Jenny Lawson. I thought her first book hilariously funny and, in fact, gave a copy to a friend and coworker who reported needing a good book (and a good laugh). In this book, Lawson faces her mental illness head-on with fantastic results. Her humor is less about being self-deprecating (though it may seem that at firsrt) and more about being accepting of her illness and her less than “ideal” life. She is very open and honest and very, very funny. I laughed, I got a little emotional, and I found myself very comforted. It is unsurprising to me that she has such a loyal following. I follow her blog and do hope she continues to write books.

8.As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes: I rarely listen to audiobooks read by the author, but I thought this would be a good exception since Elwes is an actor. I was not wrong. I honestly cannot imagine anyone else doing the reading and, in fact, am quite certain I enjoyed it more as an audiobook than I would have reading it myself. Elwes speaks from the heart; you can easily hear how much this movie and these people meant to him. His stories are touching and funny and his vocal impressions are fantastic. Obviously I recommend this most strongly to fans of the movie, but it is a delightful listen. There are times it is a bit repetitive, but overall I really enjoyed it.

9.Un Lun Dun by China Mieville: I just love books like this. Creative, quirky, and silly at times, I found it delightful. Un Lun Dun is, in fact, UnLondon, an alternate city which is made almost entirely of “moil”, the unwanted, outdated, and discarded bits and things of London. It is under threat of Smog, which also seems over from polluted London, and must be saved. **very mild spoiler** The big difference between this and similar tales is that it is NOT the “chosen one” who undertakes the saving of the city but her “funny sidekick”. Mieville really flexes his imagination for this and the results are great fun.

10.Black Rain: 15 Dark Tales by J.R. Rain: Ooof. This was, at times, incredibly trying to get through. Rain really doesn’t present anything new in these stories which, while dark, are far from “black”, IMO. So much is trite and overdone that I found myself slogging through a lot of the stories. I intentionally only have one ebook on my phone (my primary e-reader) at a time and that is probably the only reason I finished this; I suspect I’d have given up on the text version early on. This was my first exposure to Rain’s work and I’m not all that excited to explore anything else by him.

11.Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: This was a re-read for me as a book club selection. While I didn’t really remember the plot going back into it, I did recall loving it the first time around. While I enjoyed it this time, I didn’t love it. Dunn explores carnival/freak show life, individuality, family, and cults. Her character development is excellent, the storyline interesting, and I am looking forward to discussing the novel at our meeting. At times, however, her writing can be clunky and plot can drag; the first half of the book was a bit of slow going.

12.The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I enjoyed this. A sweet story about a girl struggling with a illness and her bonds with those suffering a similar fate. It's a nice teenager love story, but much more than that, it also really seemed to me to have a firm understanding of teen feelings and thoughts. As a nurse, I greatly appreciated the insight into the minds of ill teens. The "plot twist", as it were, did not come as a particular surprise to me, but that did not lessen my enjoyment. There is a lot of reference to a particular book which I kept meaning to research and see if it actually exists. I almost hope it doesn't, really, as I like the idea of the author almost writing two books at once. I'm now curious about seeing the film version.

13.The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente: How can it be over?! Oh, Fairyland, I will miss you so. I’m so sad to see the series come to an end. I have fallen totally in love with dear September, her Marid, Wyverary, and wombat, and all the characters, good and not so good, they met in their adventures. Valente’s imagination has no bounds and her tales are delightful. In this, the final fairyland story, September must race against all the previous rulers of Fairyland to preserve her crown. Friendship, as always, prevails, but not without trials and tribulations along the way. A wonderful ending to a delightful series. I’m eager to see what Valente comes up with next.

14.Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids by Meghan Daum: This was recommended to me by a friend and, while I did not love it as much as she did, I am glad I read it. The decision not to have children is, of course, a highly personal one, yet one that mere acquaintances, and even virtual strangers, feel it is perfectly acceptable to ask about. I found other people’s reasoning interesting, but I think, overall, the fact that there was a perceived need for this book to be compiled was upsetting to me. Ditto on the title, which I feel is very accurate and something many childfree people are accused of being.

15.Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: I really like Jim Gaffigan as a comedian, so I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I was absolutely bored to tears and didn't find it funny really at all. It's almost all about his kids which I wasn't expecting in which I have absolutely no interest in. Maybe people with children especially numerous ones would find this funny; I think I just wasn't the right audience.

16.The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: This was shorter than I was expecting – about half of the copy I had was analysis, which I didn’t read, but also didn’t realize ahead of time. Again, one of those books people read in school and deeply examined; I didn’t, though I think I would have actually enjoyed doing so with this one. The story, itself isn’t bad either, though the whole thing left me rather depressed in the end.

17.The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz: Written by someone attempting to write in the style of the original three, this didn’t work for me. Lisbeth wasn’t in the story enough and the plot itself was boring for me. I listened to this on audiobook; I doubt I’d have slogged through the whole thing in print.

18.Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor’s Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple by Deborah Layton: Another audiobook listen, this one read by a really good narrator. It really felt like I was listening to someone who was there, not someone reading the writings of someone who was there. This is a powerful read/listen, from one of the survivors and key players in the end of Jonestown. Layton really helps the reader see how one winds up in a cult and how hard it can be to get out.

19.Succulent Wild Woman by Sark: I've had this for several years now (!) and kept picking it up and putting it down. For so long it felt kind of cheesy and over the top. Then I reached a point in my life where I needed support and encouragement and WOW, was it just right for that. Sark really speaks to a lot of different points and really made me think a lot about myself and my approach to life.  

20.The Secret History by Donna Tartt: Billed as a “psychological thriller”, but I disagree to a point. Psychological – yes. Thriller – not so much, despite the fact that there is a murder and subsequent investigation. I felt it more of a character study, with a ton of character development and interaction and not a whole lot of action. It’s what I think of as a writer’s book, good for analysis and discussion, not so much for the casual read-for-pleasure. All our characters are at a college, studying with a peculiar and particular professor, and their lives become deeply intertwined.

21.The Moonlight Chronicles by Dan Price: An artist shares his “journal”, complete with sketches and whatnot. Journals make me feel like I’m delving into someone’s thoughts and feelings; this made me feel like I was reading his day-to-day life, which I didn’t find very interesting. Also, he seems to think the rules don’t apply to him and that always annoys me.

22.White Apples by Jonathan Carroll: I can't decide if Carroll had a plan all along, or just made things up as he went. It could really go either way. With such a strange, convoluted storyline, it's hard to write a synopsis without giving things away. The main character, Vincent, died and was brought back to life to learn and navigate and save the world? Maybe? He meets and re-meets people, moves back and forth in time, develops special powers. It could be written in a really cheesy way, but wasn't. In the end, I liked it well enough. It's definitely a book that could be deeply probed for depth and inner meaning, but enjoyable just for casual reading, too.

23.Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found by Bill Keaggy: I glimpse into the world of lost grocery lists and full of bits of random trivia, this had potential. The trivia I liked (though turning the book this way and that to read it in the margins got old) and the lists themselves, at times, were interesting. Keaggy, though, is a jerk. He mocks people at every turn which got old fast.

24.A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: So I should say upfront that I had to go back to Amazon and glance at the plot description before I remembered this book, which isn’t a great sign. It came back to me quickly enough, but still telling that it didn’t stick with me by title. I listened to it on audiobook, which may explain part of it (I retain better by reading than being read to). The story has multiple Londons, one without magic, one where magic is great and wonderful, one where it is fought over, and there used to be another London, but no one mentions that one. Multiple worlds is far from a new concept, though Schwab manages this fairly well. The story line is fairly predictable – thief stelas from the wrong guy and wounds up having to save his life while he saves hers and they both try to save the world. I think there are better uses of this idea and won’t be finishing the series.

25.Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris: Sedaris has yet to write anything I haven’t, on the whole, loved, and this collection is no exception. Which means, of course, that my thoughts on it should be taken with a grain of salt. I just love him, his style, his humor, his outlooks. I love how he can be so sentimental and so disturbing and so funny. There are some painfully flinching moment (no spoilers, but the essay on sea turtles was very, very hard for me to read). This was another audiobook, read by the author, which I think added to it enormously.

26.Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink: This was strongly recommended to me by several co-workers. It is a non-fiction book describing the goings-on inside the walls of Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. It’s a tough read, at times, but definitely powerful. I’m still mulling it all over in my head, even so many months later.

27.Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan: I listened to this on audio with hopes that it would be similar to listening to Gaffigan’s stand-up. Unfortunately, many jokes were recycled and he sounded pretty bored most of the time. We also differ vastly on our thoughts on food, making this not quite right for me.

28.Marrow by Tarry Fisher: Fisher can be a tough author to love, but she won me over with this book. (No so much Mud Vein, which I read later in the year.) The main character is the daughter of a well-known prostitute and she lives in abusive squalor, her only friend being the paraplegic boy who lives down the road. There’s a pretty major plot twist, which makes any further synopsis difficult. Suffice to say, Fisher tackles some interesting, heavy concepts and ended up with what I found to be a very satisfying read.

29.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: This was a fun little read. A man named Fry learns that an old friend is dying in hospice on the other coast of his country, so he, rather randomly, decides to walk to go see her. People begin to glom along, a la Forrest Gump when he was running, and he has to wrestle with no longer being the voice of his own pilgrimage. Intermittently, he communicates with his (very surprised) wife who, in time, begins to expand her own horizons. I enjoyed the story and the deeper themes explored therein.

30.Blaze (or Love in the Time of the Supervillans) by Laurie Boyle Crompton: I honestly don’t remember much about this except the main character drew comics. I vaguely recall it being young-adult and very girl-power oriented. Clearly, it didn’t make a huge impression.

31.When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris: Again, I am a poor reviewer due to my ridiculous fan-girl love for David Sedaris. I will say that if you are interested in the work and can listen to him read it, you totally should.

32.Space at the Table: Conversations Between an Evangelical Theologian and His Gay Son by Brad & Drew Harper: This was quite the interesting read. The book moves back and forth between gay son and evangelical father. Both have their own solid opinions on the matter, of course. The father clearly had to wrestle with his belief, his Bible, and his love for his son. His son, on the other hand, describes a childhood full of love, but one in which he felt he was wrong for being gay. It works out, thankfully, and father and son have found a way to live and love one another. I imagine it is still difficult for them both, but the book does give one hope.

33.House of Horrors: The Shocking True Story of Anthony Sowell, The Cleveland Strangler by Robert Sberna: Wait, was I supposed to be shocked? I wasn’t shocked. Horrible people do horrible things. Sowell was a rapist and murdered who preyed on prostitutes and drug addicts, knowing they could easily be coerced into his home (with drugs) and that if people did report them missing, the police would write it off as “being off on a bender”. His story is sad and sick, and this is a well-written account, but I certainly wouldn’t say it was a “shocking” story.

34.Tales of the Unspeakable by Kat Ward: A collection of short essays which are mostly about animals, though some stuff about kids tossed in. There’s always some “moral”, sometimes serious, sometimes meant to be amusing. Overall, I was fairly bored. Not recommended.

35.I'm Down by Mishna Wolff: While at times hilarious, most of this was flinchingly disturbing. Wolff had a bizarre childhood, as a very white girl being raised by a white man who lived and acted and tried to raise his daughter "black". Wolff struggles to fit in, but is clearly uncomfortable being pushed to try and be someone she isn't. I found her father's behavior bizarre and, at times, very cruel. It would be interesting to hear his side of this story. I quite enjoyed this; definitely different from any other memoir I've read before.
 
36.The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson: Caleb and Camille Fang do just that - create odd situations so they can watch the reactions of others. This is their art. When they have children, they begin to involve them as well, treating them more like components of their work rather than their own blood. This, naturally, messes the kids up pretty badly. An interesting concept, but the book could have used some editing; I had to slog through the last 75 pages.

37.Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: And here we have it, finally, after so many years – the sequel to King’s The Shining. I listened to it on audio (thankfully NOT read by him) and it was, if nothing else, long. It was recommended to me, but I think my affinity for King’s work has faded. There were some interesting concepts – King is good for that – but overall I didn’t love it.

38.Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections by Madeline Drexler: I have to admit, I’ve forgotten this one. I’ve read several books in the same vein and always enjoy them, out of basic epidemiology and virology-based curiosity. This one didn’t quite stand out in my head, though. They all wind up being pretty much the same, so you have to like the subject matter.

39.Red Queen by Christina Henry: This is the sequel to Alice, which is a very dark twisted form of the original Wonderland book. I adored the first one. This one picks up right where the first left off and carries on in a more mystery-like vein than the first. I still really enjoy Henry’s dark take on familiar characters. If the series continues, I’m definitely on board.

40.The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: **10 out of 10 stars** This is the second book of O'Brien's that I have read and I think it's just brilliant. He really gives a personal view of Vietnam -- the people, the realities, the impact. The day-to-day stuff and the big, impactful moments. He is a compelling, talented writer. It is so very clear that the War changed him; one cannot help but wonder what he would have been like had he not been drafted. I am not one for war stories. It isn't my preferred topic by any means. This goes pretty high up on my recommended books list, though, due to the strength of the writing.

41.I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley: A collection of personal essays about the author’s life as a young woman in New York City. I normally really enjoy this type of book, but this one didn’t work for me. I think it's because I didn't particularly like the author. I couldn't relate to her, I didn't find her funny, in fact I found her a little bitchy.

42.Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher: A whodunit, of a sort. Our main character and her friend/doctor are kidnapped and locked in a strange house with strange furnishings in the middle of nowhere. The book progresses, in a way, as one would expect: they try to escape, to figure out why they're there, to survive. In the end, they learn a great deal about themselves and one another and their relationship is forever changed, as to be expected. It sounds formulaic and I suppose the basic plot is. I didn't love it. I finished it to find out who locked them in the house together, but that's really the only reason. I didn't find myself with strong feelings about either of the characters.

43.We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction by Nic Sheff: A medicore writer’s memoir about addiction and recovery. There are better books on the subject, IMO.

44.The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood : I finally got around to reading this classic feminist, dystopian tale. It is a quiet book – not a lot of action; the resistance is still underground and in relative infancy, which is a refreshing approach compared to more recently written dystopia. I liked it, but didn’t love it.

45.We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist: A man who never had a girlfriend growing up hunts down his former love interests and asks them why it didn’t work out. It has some moments of feeling a little stalker-esqu, but my main issue was that it was just boring to me. The author has an interesting history (lost his leg to cancer at a very young age, was homeschooled by what sound like very conservative Christian parents, and grew up to become a paralympiad and motivational speaker) – I would have been more interested in the rest of his life than his failed relationships. Though, in the end, the message is a good one: there’s nothing wrong with you.

46. Of Chiles, Caci, and Fighting Cocks: Notes on the American West by Frederick W. Turner: As seems to always be the case with collections of short stories and/or essays, there are some I love, some I think are okay, and one or two that do nothing for me. Turner is a fine writer. His descriptions are beautifully written and he has captured a great deal of my feelings about Southwest. The book is slightly dated at some points (having been written in 1990); it would be interesting to hear his thoughts now.

47.Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe by Jenny Hollowell: Birdie is the child of evangelical parents and finally decides she's going to move to Hollywood and become famous. A decent enough story of trying to make it big in the big city. Fictional, but plausible.

48.The Fireman by Joe Hill: Got this on audiobook at a friend’s suggestion. No way would I have made it through the whole thing. This beast is long – Hill is definitely his father’s son in that regard. Brief synopsis: the world has been beset by a viral-plaguey-kind of thing (we find out more about it as we progress, of course) which, occasionally, makes people burst into flames. So we have the infected and the not-infected, some of who, of course, want to wipe the infected from the planet. The Dragonscale itself was a cool enough concept, but Hill seemed to not be able to decide just what it actually was, in the end. That is the crux of my issue with the book. Everything had to happen. Whatever idea he had, it went into the book, which made it way-the-hell too long and too confusing. I stuck it out strictly for tenacity’s sake. By the end I didn’t care about anyone or anything, I just wanted it to be over. (And, it must be said, Hill clearly didn’t talk to a single person to clarify any of the medical stuff that happens in the book. Which is profoundly annoying.)

49.Renting Lacy: A Story of America’s Prostituted Childrenby Linda Smith: I listened to this on audio and, yet again, probably wouldn’t have finished it otherwise. Smith’s book is great for those who refuse to accept the reality of sex slavery in the US. I didn’t hear anything shocking, though I was quite saddened for a large portion of the book. An excellent eye-opener for those who need it; not so much for those already aware of the problem.

50.In the Wolf’s Mouth by Adam Foulds: Another one I had to look up to be reminded of. It’s the story of two brothers and two men involved in organized crime at the end of World War II. It’s set in Africa and Sicily and as the story evolves, we see how these four men become entangled in the same tale. I’m not much for war stories, so it’s not quite my genre, but I do like tales being told with alternating narrators, and this did a fair job in that regard.

51.The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer: So I love Amy Schumer to little fan-girl bits. I was expecting this to be funny – like a book of her stand-up – but it is really heavy at times. Schumer pulls no punches, covering topics such as abusive relationships, eating disorders, rape, family drama, being an introvert, etc. It’s hard to read sometimes and I really rode a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the whole thing. Yeah, she’s trashy and brassy and balls-to-the-wall feminist (ovaries to the wall?), but that’s to be expected. She also shows her softer, vulnerable side, which makes this so powerful. I only hold back on giving it the 10/10 designation because I don’t trust my fangirl opinion that much. Oh, and if you can listen to Schumer read it herself – DO.

52.The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison: As stories go, the plot here is pretty straight-forward. Psycho-crazy guy abducts girls to keep all for himself and the main character, Ms. Tough Bitch, must save herself and all the other girls. There’s some nuances and whatnot, but that’s the long and short of it. Nothing complicated, nothing surprising, except for a twist at the end that almost made me hate the whole book. But not enough to not recommend it for those who like the psychological-thriller, girl-overcomes-crazy-man obstacle. (And dude is super-crazy.) Whatever you do, DON’T listen to this in audiobook. The narrator (at least for the Audible version) is horrible. Everytime he tried to read for the main character, I kept thinking, “She would NOT say it like that!”

53.Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik: A straight-forward but fascinating look at neurosurgery. Firlik is knowledgeable and easy to comprehend, though I’d keep a computer at hand to look up some of the funky stuff she talks about.

54.Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore: Moore is so damn clever I can’t stand it and MAN did he do some heavy art research for this book. My art history is limited, so I know I didn’t get ALL the jokes, but I did get some. In the story, Bleu is a supernatural being and a color who, along with an ancient gnome, creates more color (and thereby keeps Bleu alive) by destroying artists. There’s far more too it and the story is a great romp through art and history with loads of paintings and sex and syphilis to go round. Recommended, even for those who don’t know much about art.

55.Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: So, another overtold YA dystopian society story done fairly well. Our main character is a poor, lowly Red who steals from the wrong person and finds herself enmeshed in political drama. She is supposed to not have the powers that the Silver-blooded people of the world do but, of course, she does, which causes all kinds of chaos. It’s a very “trust no one” kind of story. The world is similar enough to ours, though all technology is reserved for the Silvers and the Reds have to make due with the cast-offs. (Think the Capital in the Hunger Games trilogy.) Of course there’s the obligatory love triangle as well. I enjoyed it well enough to carry on to the sequel, but there really isn’t too much new here.

56.The Tent, The Bucket, and Me: My Family’s Disastrous Attempts to go Camping in the 70s by Emma Kennedy: Talk about tenacity. After the disasters this family goes through year after year, I’d never go camping again. The book is just what it sounds like – a collection of disastrous camping adventures in the 70s in Europe. The tales are horrific and hilarious though, as always, I’m amazed at the apparent memories people have from a young age. Maybe it’s just that trauma sticks with you, I suppose. Good for a laugh, if a slightly appalled one.

Here 'tis, 2015's books; considering where I am in the my current reads, I don't see me finishing anything else in the next handful of days. 52 this year! Woot!! Of course, some were super short (I read a fair number of YA novels) and some were audiobooks, but there were some hefty ones in there too. Regardless, I finally made (and surpassed) my goal for the first time in a few years and that was even while being in school the entire time. So, yeah, that's awesome.

The books themselves, however, generally weren't. There were five 10/10 though, now that I think about it, and 10% seems respectable, I guess. Anyway, without further ado:


1) Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood by Traig, Jennifer
A personal account of living with OCD. Traig clearly has some difficulties to overcome and she examines them all very unabashedly in this book. I was not expecting the religious aspect to her disease and, in fact, had not heard of it. It made it strangely more and less interesting to me at the same time -- more because it was a new thing, less because anything religious usually doesn't interest me in the slightest. I did particularly enjoy reading about Traig's family's reactions to her bizarre behavior. I was surprised to find myself laughing fairly often throughout. While they may not have reacted as they "should" nowadays, they were honest with themselves and with her. I think they handled it quite well, all things considered. As did Traig.

2) The Beach by Alex Garland
So, yeah, I thought this was okay. Not great, but okay. I'm not totally sure what the author was trying to convey (as always, not interested in the literary examination of it) and it slogged a bit at times. A little surreal, not all that much action. For those not in the know, a guy finds himself on a "utopian" island which, incidentally, also harbors gun-wielding marijuana farmers. Things crash and burn and everyone seems to go a little Lord of the Flies. It made me curious about the movie, strangely, but the book just didn't quite grab me. Maybe if I'd backpacked before in Asia or had some pull toward living wild on an island but.... I don't.

3) The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz
I loved this whole series of fun takes on Grimm-esque tales, so enjoying this one was no surprise.

4) Talking with My Mouth Full: Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes, and Other Kitchen Stories by Bonny Wolf
Now I like food, it must be said. I like the history of foods and I like personal stories about food. I should have loved this. I didn't. It was too scattered with random interjections and just didn't flow right at all. There are so many better food memoir books out there, this one just isn't worth bothering with.

5) Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl
And you thought Roald Dahl wrote for children, did you? An enjoyable, though not fantastic, collection of short stories.

6) The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
I don’t venture back into fantasy too much anymore, but I picked up this box set after several recommendations and I’m glad I did. I just loved it. Despite the rather stock characters and no real surprises regarding plot, I adored it. Sanderson is a fluid writer, making a 600+ page book whiz past like it was half that length. The dialogue is so real and easy, I often found myself reading it aloud. I love the world he created and, of course, a strong lead female is never a bad thing.

7) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Okay, so this is exactly the kind of read that makes me glad I changed my mind about being a literature major in college. I'm sure, in a deep, literary way, Ellis is making a lot of profound statements about society and whatnot, but I don't like reading books for that reason. I like reading for pleasure, and I certainly didn't find this book pleasurable. It's not because of the violent rape, torture, murder descriptions, it it was just BORING. Pages and pages about what people are wearing, what they're eating, what appliances they have, what kinds of exercises he did while at the gym. Whole chapters about specific musicians and his thoughts on their careers and music? What? Even the violent scenes were boring. Yeah, yeah, he slashed her face and raped her mouth and cut off her fingers with scissors, whatever. Yawn. So, yeah, I guess if I read this from an intellectual standpoint and got all into the inner meaning maybe I'd have enjoyed it more. Maybe. Doubtful.

8) Deenie by Judy Blume
I haven't read anything by Judy Blume since I was a child/tween, so merely the act of coming back to her was enjoyable. As usual, Blume addresses teen issues head on -- this one about vanity and kindness as well as touching on masturbation. A fast read, but one I enjoyed. Deenie, a vain and sometimes cruel girl, finds herself diagnosed with scoliosis and forced to wear a brace to straighten her spine, and, in the process, the rest of her as well.

9) Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
I thought this was passingly interesting. Gladwell makes some good observations and gives good examples of snap judgements and their validity. Not great, but not bad.

10) Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice by Joan L. Creasia
Read for school. As textbooks go, it’s not the worst, but it certainly didn't qualify as interesting.

11) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
I don't really understand all the rave reviews for this. It was depressing, the characters were all total disasters, and the "mystery" wasn't all that compelling. The therapist was the only character I felt sympathy for in the whole thing. I was bored to tears with all the stuff about the babies; it stank of "of course every woman wants a baby" which is just flat out not true. I will admit that Hawkins wrote about alcoholism well; it made me uncomfortable sometimes, which is a good thing, really. Aside from that, though, I found myself fairly bored throughout. Characters were stock to the point that I would periodically get people confused, which, in the end, didn't really matter all that much. Can't recommend this one.

12) Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It's Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner by Jen Lancaster
I just love Jen Lancaster. She reminds me of an old college friend and I really enjoy reading her work. There's nothing laugh-out-loud in this particular book for me, but I smiled a lot and giggled and generally enjoyed it. I would love to sit and have margaritas with her someday. This particular book is a fun collection of stories in which Jen, reluctantly, and often humorously, learns a lesson. She talks about estate planning, going to concerts with tweens, and a myriad of topics in between. Fun stuff.

13) The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello
I thought this was okay. I give Natiello points for pacing, as it was a fast book. The main character, Caroline, Googles herself one day and finds an obituary for her sister, whom she doesn't recall dying. The "big twist" wasn't one at all for me, but I don't mind that so much as some of the wildly unbelievable concepts and actions. The ending was a little unsatisfying, but my biggest issue was that I simply can only suspend my disbelief so far. I believe this is a debut novel and, in that regard it's quite good. Not fantastic, but good enough that I wouldn't shy away from more by this author.

14) Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
I’ve seen the movie version of this but never read it. When getting ready for a road trip I found a copy of an audio version at the local library, so took it along. I still need to read it. Something was lost for me in the telling, perhaps it was my mindset at the time, which was very upbeat and positive, not something this book really is. I kept trying to envision the movie as I listened, too, which really messed me up. Can’t fairly review this without reading the actual text.

15) Goblin Fruit by S.E. Burr
A mediocre (at best) story based on a fantastic poem. I read this as an e-book, which I definitely don't recommend. Apparently in written format there are different fonts to help indicate which of the characters is narrating. Without that, it can be a bit confusing. Regardless, I still got all the characters jumbled up. I couldn't remember who was related to whom and, really, couldn't be bothered to go back and figure it out. The concept is only mildly interesting -- people have a chance at becoming catatonic after consuming the drug known as "goblin fruit". Furthermore, addicts and catatonics secrete the addictive substances through their hands, forcing people to all wear gloves. If you've read the poem (which is in the appendix and which I read before getting into the book), you pretty much see how it's all going to end up. I suppose if I were a teenager/tween (the target audience) I may have appreciated it more. There are some good lessons presented here, just not in a way I got very excited about.

16) The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Number two in the series. As usual, this is obviously a book designed to bridge the first and last ones. Thankfully, I loved the first one so was eager to carry on with the story. Strong female lead, detailed and interesting fantasy world, and some good vs evil (well, kind-of, it gets a little fuzzy, which makes it every better. Good stuff.

17) The Memory Palace: A Memoir by Mira Bartok **10/10 stars**
The first stand-out of the year, I actually listened to this as an audiobook but loved it so much I’m tempted to go back and read the printed version. (Though it must be said, the narration was fantastic, so I definitely recommend listening to it.) Bartok brings us into her world and her heart as she looks back on a lifetime of living with and without her mentally ill mother. She pulls no punches, talking about the trials and terrors and struggles, about the decision to alienate herself, and the decision to come back when her mother is facing the end of her life. A beautiful, powerful, haunting read. So very, very recommended.

18) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I don't remember what prompted me to initially start this book, but I'm thankful for whatever it was. Mandel's apocalypse comes, not in the form of zombies, but a virulent form of flu that wipes out 99% of the population worldwide. What I enjoyed most about this is how Mandel's focus is not so much on the immediate aftermath (though there is a bit of that) where people struggle and kill one another and die and all that. Her storyline bounces around between several characters, locations and times, from immediately preceding the beginning of the end, to Year Twenty and beyond. She has created a beautiful, realistic world with believable characters and interesting dialogue. Most of the story focuses on a traveling theatre troop; a reminder that we will always need art, even at the end of the world. A fast, entrancing read that makes me want to read more by this author.

19) Mongo: Adventures in Trash by Ted Botha
I enjoyed this. I personally have rescued things from being thrown away, as have many of my friends, and so I thought I could relate to some of what the author explores in this book. The casual rescue of a chair or box of books, however, is nothing in comparison to the behaviours of the people Botha meets in his adventures involving "mongo". Botha devotes a chapter to each of the different type of people he met who go through the public trash (on street corners, in dumpsters, in landfills, etc) to find their own "treasures". In these pages we meet book collectors, foodies, furniture scavengers, and several others. Botha compares and contrasts them at times and, in general, gives us a look at just how much useable items are discarded every day. An interesting read indeed.

20) Reasons to Live by Amy Hempel
And this, friends, is why I need to write reviews as I go. I remember virtually nothing of this book.

21) The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire by Tom Zoellner
I knew a bit about the diamond trade going into this, but certainly learned a great deal. Zoellner covers a wide variety of countries and aspects of the trade, exploring the truths behind the myths created around this stone which is nowhere near as rare as the industry wants you to think it is. Excellent writing about an interesting topic.

22) Model Patient: My Life As an Incurable Wise-Ass by Karen Duffy
I hated this. HATED it. I wrote a lengthy review here

23) Animals Talking in All Caps: It's Just What It Sounds Like by Justin Valmassoi
This was fun. Most of the photos are great as they are, and Valmassoi has a clever sense of humor.

24) The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
If you liked the first two in the series, you'll like this. All wrapped up well. I see that the story has carried on in subsequent books, though I don't think I'll continue. This ending satisfied me a great deal.

25) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
A book to read to make you think. Lit majors would have a field day. As would philosophy majors, I'd imagine. I read it, contemplated some of the messages, and carried on. A little spiritual-heavy for my taste, but there are still some good points to be found in here.

26) The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente **10/10 stars**
I just adore this series. Sometimes books taper off as the series continues, but I liked this one almost as much as I liked the first. Valiente is so creative and silly and I love it all to bits. Favorite quote: “…beware, the butterflies are quite vicious, being an ancient nation of warriors without mercy.”

27) Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
I had fun with this. The gods are, indeed, alive and well (mostly), if not happy, and living in London. And, as usual, when gods and men collide, things go awry. Having a more than passing familiarity with Greek myths definitely makes this more enjoyable, but it's not necessary to have fun with this romp. Clever stuff.

28) Everything Looks Impressive by Hugh Kennedy
Maybe I didn't get it, but this book just didn't do anything for me. Do you have to be a "Yalie"? I guess, sure, it's some insight into the word at that era (80s), but that's about it. I was mostly bored throughout. Admittedly, there were some really lovely sentences, but not worth trudging through the whole book do get at, I don't think.

29) Cornbread Nation 4: The Best of Southern Food Writing by Dale Volberg Reed (Editor), John Shelton Reed (Editor)
This is a better, though not the best, collection of writings. Southern/Soul food has a special place in my heart, so I enjoyed reading about it, it's history, and personal experiences. It also made me hungry as hell.

30) The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell
I thought this was just all right. It got a little "Home Alone"-y in the end, though I suppose that movie is old enough that YA readers would likely not be familiar with it. The attempt at a Victorian-ish setting didn't sit right with me either. I'm also not totally sure what age range this is for as the vocabulary seems pretty advanced. Also, I found a few of the cursive writing fonts difficult to read, and I'm used to reading doctor scrawl; I can see other people getting frustrated with the difficulty in reading it.

31) Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks
I enjoyed this. Part of my enjoyment, though, came from not *having* to understand it all. I could be a little confused and carry on, not worrying about being tested on the material or anything, and just enjoy the obvious love Sacks had for science. It was quite a privileged childhood he had, with financially secure parents who allowed him to experiment so much; let him have his own lab, in fact. Also, with the availability of dangerous chemicals and reagents, he had quite the opportunity to experiment and learn. With all the advances Sacks wound up making in the scientific world, we are all definitely better off for his having had such a "chemical boyhood".

32) White Swan, Black Swan by Adrienne Sharp
A collection of short stories about ballet. Though I have seen and enjoy ballet, I admit I don’t know all that much about it. Even during my two years in art school I didn’t interact with the ballet dancers that much. Consequently, some of the names and characterizations are a little lost on me, but I did enjoy this nonetheless.

33) The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey **10/10 stars**
A child born of snow and hope comes to a childless family and grows up with them, disappearing during the warmer months. I thought this was fantastic. A fast, beautiful read that captures the wild and wonderful world that is Alaska. The characters and landscape were so real to me, so vivid. I was unsure how it was all going to end and was eager to see, yet so sad when the book finally concluded. That's how you know it's a truly great read, I think. I'm eager to read more by this author.

34) My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
Not the best, nor the worst, YA I’ve read recently. A little too much church-going for my taste.

35) Chloroform: The Quest for Oblivion by Linda Stratmann
Just what it sounds like, this is the history of chloroform. I found it a little repetitive at times, but overall pretty interesting.

36) My Angels Wear Fur: Animals I Rescued and Their Stories of Unconditional Love by Devon O’Day
Before I say anything else, I must commend Day on her big, squishy heart. She is truly one of "the good ones" and has obviously dedicated herself to rescuing those left behind or cast aside. She is also in the enviable (to me) position of having the land and financial means to foster far more than I was ever able to. Her stories, by and large, are touching and sweet. Being atheist, I could have done without all the parallels to God and other religiousness, but, again, the stories are uplifting and enjoyable. I've read better books about animal rescue, but this one's not bad.

37) The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips
I enjoyed this very much. It's a nice period piece, very simply but beautifully written. It's a quiet book with not a ton of action or excitement, but that lends itself to the storyline quite well. The characters are given enough depth to be individuals, but not so much that I was unable to relate to them, as sometimes happens. It was more feel-good than I was expecting, but not overly so. The mystery of who threw the baby in the well wasn't resolved until much later than I anticipated and it wrapped up in an unexpected way, which I liked. Fluid, lyrical at times, and very real. Looking forward to more by this author.

38) The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur
Okay, seriously, I don't get all the fuss about this. While there are a few nice lines here and there, the bulk of the poetry is pretty juvenile. Which is fine, he was 19. He writes about girls more than anything else, which is understandable. Again -- 19. I guess I just don't understand why his adolescent poetry is considered so much better than other adolescent poetry. Does it give us some insight into him? Sure, I suppose, but nothing too deep and/or surprising. Maybe I just missed something, but I was expecting to be blown away and I wasn't. I think if Tupac hadn't rose to fame and then was murdered, no one would think twice about this book. It's all about who he became, not how good this early work is.

39) Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach **10/10 stars**
Mary Roach is back! This is second only to Stiff in how much I enjoyed it. Fascinating, funny, respectful, educational. I learned a ton of stuff (a fair bit I, as a nurse, am eager to talk about at work). The truth about Elvis, farts, saliva, the possible origin of the fire-breathing dragon myth. You never know what you'll find in the pages of one of Roach's books and this is an excellent example of that. Can't wait for the next one.

40) Forever… by Judy Blume
This is a touch dated (written in the 70s) with references to hooking rugs, albums, embroidered jeans, etc. but the overall message is timeless. Blume addresses teenage love and sex head-on, pulling no punches. A simple read, but a good one. Reading this was quite timely for me, as the main character goes to Planned Parenthood for her birth control and PP is all over the news right now regarding funding.

41) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
What happens when a boy is raised in a graveyard by ghosts and being stalked by an evil killer? Adventures abound! Gaiman is being his usual creative self, with some silliness, scariness, and fun mixed in. I enjoyed this a great deal.

42) 12.21 by Dustin Thomason
This was recommended to me due to the inclusion of prion disease in an impending-apocalypse story. Even though the mystery-thriller genre isn’t my preference, those two elements convinced me to give it a go. Wow did it turn into a hot mess. Characters were very stock (I didn’t care a bit about any of them) and the whole thing was so very far-fetched (SO many coincidences). It wasn’t until the end, though, that the medical professional in me began to weep. I won't get into spoilers, but it gets SO inaccurate and unrealistic, both plot-wise and medically, that I cringed. A lot. A lot a lot. Can’t recommend this one.

43) If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien
I have the utmost respect for O’Brien and am glad he survived Vietnam to return and write this book. I found in interesting that his main reason for not fighting his draft or going AWOL was that he felt he owed it to his country. That, more than anything, stuck with me as something to think about. O’Brien strikes me almost as a conscientious objector, though he still carried and uses his firearm. It’s an interesting perspective on a terrible war.

44) Alice by Christina Henry **10/10 stars**
So dark and disturbing and WRONG. So creative. Sooooooooo gooooooood. Loved this to bits and can't wait for the next one in the series. This is definitely not for everyone. It’s violent and gory and horrific. It’s Alice in Hell, really, not Wonderland. Henry has really explored some interesting choices. Good stuff.

45) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I really enjoyed this. Set in the future in a world that exists almost entirely in an alternate/virtual reality (think The Matrix, kinda), a bazillionaire dies leaving behind the quest for his fortune, to be granted to one who solves his 1980s video game/music/movie/culture-based puzzle. I remember most, if not all of there references made which, I think, is why I liked this as much as I did.

46. Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom by Celia Rivenbark
I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. Though there was the occasional humorous moment for me, generally I was pretty bored with it. Rivenbark writes a lot about children, parenting, clothing, and celebrities, none of which I have any interest in. I think I'm just not quite the right audience for this.

47. The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts
This had all the makings of a book I would like: set in an earlier time, involving mental illness, and told from several different perspectives. I should have enjoyed it, but I really struggled through it. I can't exactly say why, though.

48. Oddkins: A Fable for All Ages by Dean R. Koontz
Whew. I barely got through this. Though the narration was *fantastic*, I struggled with the story. It dragged, I got bored, and ultimately it was too religiously heavy for my taste. The overall concept is cute - magic toys that are created to help children through tough times — and the characters are fun, if a little trite (devoted dog, adventurous cat, silly rabbit, etc). It is pretty cut and dry Good vs Evil, though, hence the boredom for me. Probably better for a younger (more religious) audience.

49. Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir><) by Jenny Lawson
I *loved* this and laughed out loud numerous times. I think Jenny Lawson is hilarious. She writes in a very conversational manner, similar to the way a good friend of mine does. Her unusual childhood is great subject matter and she seems to hide nothing about it. Her humor is a little self-depreciating, yet she seems fine with where she is now. I'm looking forward to reading her next book and following her blog.

50. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
This has been a long time favourite story of mine and it was enjoyable to read again. I have loved it since I was young, so can't really fairly review it as an adult.

51. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Another classic I finally got around to reading. Annnnd, another classic that proves I made the right choice when I stopped being a English/lit major.

52. Little Bee by Chris Cleve
Oh, I really liked this. A Nigerian refugee manages to find her way to the home of the British couple she met while they were on holiday. In their time together, they all learn about one another and themselves. Lots of themes and growth and character development and whatnot. This is the kind of book that made me think I DID want to be an English/lit major.

Now that some time has passed and I've had a chance to calm down, I'm actually really touched by seeing how the medical profession has come together over this. Before now, I was pretty good and pissed off. Those of you who are my friends over on Facebook have probably already seen all of this. Just because, I'm going to repost here too. Here's what I've said/posted over the past few days on the subject, in order from oldest-to-newest, with spacing removed within each post for clarity:

Me: "I can't say much about the whole View thing without losing my temper. They were insulting, mocking, and offensive and the "apology" was one of the worst attempts I've ever seen. Back-pedal faster, bitch. ‪#‎NursesUnite‬"

Me: "Badge in hand, at the time clock to punch out and leave after coming in for a few hours on my day off to help out, and a code is called in one of the ER rooms. Back into the fray! Helped stabilize the patient and am really heading home now. How often does that happen to you self-important, condescending bitches on ‪#‎TheView‬? ‪#‎NursesUnite‬"

Doctor William R Blythe posted this, which I shared: "The truth about Nurses, from an ungrateful, selfish, arrogant Surgeon. Yesterday I posted a silly photo in support of this movement, but tonight I want to say something serious while there is ample attention. When a patient comes to our hospital for surgery, these are the people who take care of them: The Pre-Op Nurses meet the patient, make sure they are ready for surgery, complete mountains of paperwork, reconcile their medications, sign permits, check labs, answer questions, allay fears, and make certain the patient is properly prepared for surgery. And they put up with me. The Circulator Nurse is in charge of the OR. She makes certain the room, equipment, personnel, implants, disposables, medications and every other detail are ready. She oversees that everything is checked twice, that everything is documented properly and that the proper surgery is performed on the right part and the right patient every time. Her job is to ensure that we do everything right, every time, with no exceptions. She makes certain that every sponge, needle, gauze, blade and specimen are properly accounted for. And she puts up with me. My CRNA puts the patient to sleep and attends to them through every moment. She listens to their every breath and heartbeat. She makes sure they are asleep, safe and comfortable. She holds children her lap and talks to them like a mother while they go to sleep. She makes certain every patient goes to sleep and wakes back up as safely as possible every time, no exception. And she puts up with me. The people who operate directly with me are Nurses or Techs, not doctors. They make sure we have the proper instruments and equipment. My Scrub hands me what I need before I ask for it. She can anticipate what I am going to need next better than I can many times. She makes my job easy and she makes me look like I know what I am doing when sometimes I am less certain. The person across the table from me is often an RNFA or SFA. They operate directly with me - tie the knots, cut the suture, retract, hold, pull, control the bleeders, close the wounds and a million other things. I simply could not do what I do without them. And they put up with me. The PACU Nurses take the patients from the CRNA and recover them from anesthesia and surgery. They assess and dress wounds. They treat pain and anxiety and fear. They hold screaming babies in their arms until they are awake. They hold hands of grown men who are disoriented and fearful. They re-assure and calm the parents, children and spouses of the patients. They give wound, medication and discharge instructions, and they transfer patients to their room. They land the plane, and it's as important a job as any in the world. And they put up with me. The Nurses in the ICU and Floor take care of the patients, not me. The ICU nurses are infinitely more capable of monitoring and assessing sick patients than am I. I try to stay out of their way and let them do their job, and they let me know when they need me. The Floor Nurses take care of every detail of every patient: What and when they eat; medications; wound care; ambulation; checking vitals, labs, weights, sugars, pulse oximetry, I's & O's; draw and check labs; start and re-start IV's; and countless other things that only nurses understand. They spend time with the patient and family all day. They educate and answer questions. They pray with the patient and family. They cry when their patients die. And they put up with me. The truth is that if a patient is in the hospital for 48 hours, they may see me for the smallest fraction of that time. I say a brief hello before surgery, I operate, I speak to the family, and I make rounds each morning. I may spend 15 minutes each day at any one patient's bedside. The rest of it - every second, every bit, every detail, everything - is performed by the Nurses. Honestly, the one who probably needs the stethoscope least is me."

Me: "A comment to a friend just reminded me: The other day in triage, I called Poison Control regarding a patient who was checking in, because I knew the doctors in the back were busy. The woman on the other end of the phone? A nurse. When there is an abuse/rape case and the patient needs to be checked for evidence, know who does that? A nurse. Every single professional at the triage tables at the RAM clinics who triage patients before they go back (usually to see an intern or a medical student, BTW)? A nurse. Who handles making sure your kids get their daily medication in the middle of the school day if they need it? A nurse. (Oh, right, they also help take care of the disabled kids in schools too.) If there's not a doctor on a plane, who do they ask for in a medical emergency? Yeah, you got it. (And considering there are about three times as many nurses in the US as there are doctors, odds are you'll have a nurse on board, not a doc.)
We're damn near everywhere. ‪#‎NursesUnite‬"

Mike Ginsberg, MD made this post, which I loved: "Because I'm an MD and I wear a "doctor's stethoscope," I have something very important to say, so I'll say it publicly: Through my training and career, nurses have been my hands, my eyes, and my ears. They have caught my sleep-addled mistakes at #AM when I was an exhausted house officer. They have been valuable members of our team and advocates for our patients. Every time I have run to a bedside to help save a life, it was because a nurse called me there. I remember being sent on a NICU transport from another hospital; I was so terrified I wouldn't know what to do if something went wrong but I had an experienced nurse with me. She knew what to do. Do you know why I'm a physician and not a nurse? Because I'm not brave enough to be a nurse. So for all the nurses out there, I stand with you."

So I fell one book short this year of my goal of 50. While I read some truly great stuff, I also slogged through some pretty disappointing books, more so than in any previous year.

( Read more... )

OMG - a LJ post from me! Jesse's sleeping so I've some time to sit down and write, which I so miss doing. Eventually (hopefully soon) we'll get into a bigger place and I'll have my own space (guest room/office) to go to sit and write more. It's just hard to do it in the living room with a million other things going on.

ANYWAY!

So we just got back today from a trip to George Washington National Forest where we rented a PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) primitive cabin for two nights. The cabin was 3.2 miles uphill from the parking area and it was my first time carrying a loaded pack. (Granted it was probably only 25 pounds or so, but still more than I've ever carried for a long distance.) Couple that with the facts that the pack was brand new, we had some untested gear, we'd no idea what to expect the cabin to be like, are we're both a bit out of shape, the whole trip was probably kind of a crazy idea. I actually didn't realize the hike in was so long when I reserved the cabin; once we found out we figured we were up for the challenge.

Long story short: we survived and actually had a great time.

We spent Saturday loading our packs and making sure we had everything we needed. The one piece of gear we've bought since we've been together, our tent, we tried out in Colorado so know it works fine. Considering we were staying in the cabin, though, we didn't need it and so left it behind to save weight. We packed in brand new sleeping bags, cooking stove, water filter, hammock, hiking poles for Jesse, and dehydrated meals we've never tried. We also loaded up Flannery's saddlebags with her food and water. I shouldered my pack and it didn't seem too bad. I knew there would be a lot of adjusting and getting used to it once we were on the trail, but it felt pretty good.

Sunday we drove out to the park and way back in on the forest road to the parking lot, which we found with no problems thanks to the awesome directions the PATC folk sent us with the cabin key. The lot was right next to a beautiful stream/creek that we knew we'd be following up the mountain. We saw our last human beings there in the lot: three hikers coming off the trail we'd be going up, and one pleasant fellow loading up his fishing gear. After securing the car, we walked across the street and started our ascent.

3.2 miles isn't an insignificant distnace, especially uphill with weight. Jesse loved his trek poles and commented on how much they were helping, so I kept and eye out until I found a couple sticks that I held on to the rest of the trip. I agree - they make a huge difference. (We'll be buying me my own set of poles soon.) The hike was, thankfully, a fairly gradual incline, though there were a lot of sections of loose and/or wet rocks. In several places the stream or another spring literally crosses the path. It was never at all deep, but did require careful foot placement. We made fairly good time, all things considered. By the time we got to the cabin, I was definitely ready to stop. My new pack is comfortable, but I'm not used to it so I was pretty sore and tired after the hike.

The cabin, literally right smack on the trail, was a tiny little thing (10'x12') but amazingly well stocked. It's an old ranger cabin that used to be used in conjuction with nearby (since removed) fire watch towers. PATC has done a bang-up job with it since they took it over; it was really a great spot. Four fold-down bunks with pads and blankets, a tiny little wood stove, four plastic chairs, a folding metal table, all cooking and eating utensils, saws, shovels, matches, candles, even a little mini library of books in the pantry. No power or running water, but a privy up the trail one way and a spring the other way and a very well established fire ring outside. We definitely want to check out some of the other cabins, espcieally the ones available only to PATC members (which we are) and some of which are modern ones with plumbing and electricity.

We cooked dinner, tested the hammock (awesome) and made an early night of it. A wipporwill tried to keep us awake all night (as did the supermoon shining through the front door's window) and it was pretty warm in the cabin, but we both did manage to get some sleep.

We got a later start than I would have liked the following day, but we got to play in a bit of a rain shower before heading out for an afternoon hike. We only went about four miles total, but it was enough to get us out to a gorgeous viewpoint. We also saw tons of well established (and very nice) campsites, which makes a return trip for us fairly likely. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife (guess we were too noisy), but also didn't see another human being, which was awesome. Then it was back to the cabin for another evening around the campfire before calling it a night.

Early start on Tuesday, breakfast, break camp, clean up the cabin, and head down. Much faster going down than up, needless to say. Took a little side trip to a small clearing covered in pink flowers, then made the drive back to civilization.

All-in-all, fabulous. We all wound up with ticks (Flannery needs to go to the vet now to have some of the spots looked at), I got a good scratch on my leg, we're all sore with bump and brusies and tired muscles. But it was definitely a successful trip and we're looking foward to more in the future. Jesse took plenty of pictures (my sturdy little outdoor camera needs to get the shutter button fixed so I didn't have it) and I'll be sure and share some when I can.

Yay!

Whatever you think you know about the Columbine High School shooting, you’re probably wrong. That’s not the point of this post, but it is the conclusion I’ve already come to based on the book I’m reading on the subject. The book came out in 2010 but I only found out about it recently and it hasn’t been sitting on my shelf very long at all. I wasn’t sure what made me pick it up recently. At first I thought maybe it had something to do with the movie shooting in Aurora, but that didn’t feel right. Nonetheless, I dove into the book and, less than 100 pages in, I discovered the real reason.

I remember the shooting; most people do, I imagine. It’s not like 9/11 for me; I couldn’t tell you exactly where I was or what was going on with me at the time, but I remember watching it unfold on television. I was living in Las Vegas then and was young and self-absorbed. I had never been to Denver, but my brother and sister-in-law lived in Littleton so the name of the town was at least passingly familiar. I remember watching in stunned silence, not believing what I was seeing, unable to imagine what it must have been like to be inside that school when everything went crazy. Then, it was over. It hadn’t struck me personally, so I shook my head and mentally walked away from it.

Later that year, in November, I drove a good friend out to Denver for his wedding. A friend of the bride and groom was the son of the principal of Columbine and, at one point, I found myself standing in his finished basement. It became personal then. Or at least, it became very, very real to me. The basement was full of framed photos, cards and newspaper clippings and the centerpiece to everything was a beautiful, etched glass memorial listing the names of those killed that bright April day. I fully understood, perhaps for the first time, that deep, heavy-hearted feeling you get when the emotion and empathy is just too much. When the weight of sadness, especially for someone else, especially for people you don’t know, presses down so hard on your chest that for a moment, you can’t fill your lungs. We often use “breath-taking” as a positive expression. In my experience, it usually is, but not always.

I had just caught my breath when Frank DeAngelis himself came down the stairs to speak to his son. Bryant introduced me and I had no idea what to say. I was young, emotionally stunned and temporarily overwhelmed, and face-to-face with someone, a stranger, whom I suddenly had a surge of respect, admiration, and crushing sadness for. Barely six months had passed; how raw that wound must still have been for him. I found my voice, shook his hand, and told him I was honored to meet him. In retrospect, perhaps a strange thing to say, but it was 100% truthful at the time and still is today. It may have only been a moment, one he surely wouldn’t remember, but I will never forget it. He smiled, genuinely, warmly, but that deep ache behind his eyes was unmistakable and I can still clearly visualize it to this day. I was struck, then, by how amazingly strong he was. His world had been totally shattered and yet he was continuing on. He remains, to this day, the principal at Columbine. I was awed and humbled by him. I still am.

It is a reminder and a further appreciation for and understanding of that strength that I think I’m looking for in this book. My career is leading me down a path where it is very likely I will need it. Maybe, if I’m very lucky, a little bit of it passed from him into me, via that brief handshake in a Colorado basement, one chilly Novermber day, almost 13 years ago.

So as some of you know, I've been volunteering at least once a week at one of the local food banks. Up until today it's been a very zen kind of thing for me. I go in, sort donations, restock shelves, generally make order out of chaos. This makes the OCD, stereotypical Virgo in me very happy. My brain quiets down and I just *do* while, at the same time, helping the community. Win-win, and all that good stuff.

I have proven that I have a brain, understand how things work there, have the ability to look around and see what needs to be done, and actually do it. Consequently, I am one of the few volunteers allowed to come and go as I please (instead of scheduling myself ahead of time) and to assign myself a task instead of having one given to me. Today, though, I was pulled from my self-appointed task and asked to do something new for me -- make up what they call "power packs". These are packages of food that are given, every Friday, to elementary school children who are on the free lunch program and the idea is that the package supplements the food they get from home over the weekend. It has become rather accepted, though, that, in many cases, that is the only food those kids eat all weekend. So, right, important things to get made up. Got it.

So I made countless bags and by the time I left I was utterly depressed. Why? Because all this food fit into a single one-gallon Ziploc bag. Each one consisted of 2 drinks, 4 lunch/dinner "entrees", 2 breakfast items, and 2 snacks. The average one I made up included (all single-serving size): a juice box, one shelf-safe milk, one mac-n-cheese, three Chef-Boyardee meals, one box cold cereal, one package instant oatmeal, one applesauce, and one granola bar. That's it. That's the grand total of food for one elementary school child for the weekend. I live in the third wealthiest county in the US and there are kids here that would go hungry over the weekend if it wasn't for that one Ziploc bag of food. And I knew that. I mean, I know that one in four kids in America go to bed hungry. But I guess it's one thing to know it and another to get slapped in the face with it.

While chatting with Jesse today, we discussed some of the cool school projects we did over the years, pre-college. Some were in G/T programs, but there's no reason I can see not to use them in "regular" classrooms. I know I've got a few teachers who read my blog so thought I'd share. ( Read more... )

*2011 Books*

An idea stolen from my good friend, Lisa, here is what I read in 2012, in chronological order, with a bit of commentary. ( Read more... )

"What's your favourite book?" or "What book(s) do you recommend?" has come up more often than normal as of late.  I've been meaning to make this list for a while and now seems like a great time since it will give me yet another excuse to lounge about instead of doing something productive.  Most of these are ones I've read in the past 6 years or so, and have rated highly. There are a lot, so I've tried to break them into genre. ( Read more... )