Review: Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster

Book Info:

Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: NAL Trade; (May 1, 2007)

ISBN-13: 9780451221254

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: My Shelves

Rating:4/5

Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.




Picking a book right before your baby has open heart surgery is a tough thing.  I didn't want anything too serious, or with too complex a plot.  I also wanted something I could set aside and not lose my place in the story, and really wanted something to lighten my mood.  Jen Lancaster was the perfect choice.

Lancaster has the same sarcastic, biting sense of humor that she did in Bitter is the New Black, and she often had me laughing out loud.  She is not at all politically correct, and while she favors a word I hate, I am a little more forgiving considering it was likely she would use it, and I read the book anyways.  I love that Lancaster is able to laugh at herself, and I she made me wonder why I waited so long to read another one of her books.  4 stars

Unfinished: Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Book Info:

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (December 18, 2007) 

ISBN-13: 9780812976731

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: My Shelves

Rating: 0/5

Soon after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a group offering humanitarian aid to this war-torn nation. Surrounded by men and women whose skills–as doctors, nurses, and therapists–seemed eminently more practical than her own, Rodriguez, a hairdresser and mother of two from Michigan, despaired of being of any real use. Yet she soon found she had a gift for befriending Afghans, and once her profession became known she was eagerly sought out by Westerners desperate for a good haircut and by Afghan women, who have a long and proud tradition of running their own beauty salons. Thus an idea was born.

With the help of corporate and international sponsors, the Kabul Beauty School welcomed its first class in 2003. Well meaning but sometimes brazen, Rodriguez stumbled through language barriers, overstepped cultural customs, and constantly juggled the challenges of a postwar nation even as she learned how to empower her students to become their families’ breadwinners by learning the fundamentals of coloring techniques, haircutting, and makeup.




Sometimes an unfinished book is the victim of circumstances, and that was the case with this one.  I was about halfway through Kabul Beauty School when Claire was born.  The book up to that point was good, but it wasn't one I was telling every one about. I thought that Rodriguez had a wonderful program that empowered Afghan women, but I had a hard time matching her enthusiasm for hair color and makeup.

Once Claire arrived my reading time dwindled to nothing and I never picked this one back up.  About two months later it was requested on Paperback Swap and I mailed it out without finishing it.  If you've read this one, did I miss out on a wonderful ending, or was reading half the book sufficient?  0 stars

Review: A Gift from Brittany by Marjorie Price

Book Info:

A Gift from Brittany by Marjorie Price

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Gotham; (March 3, 2009)

ISBN: 1592404340

Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir

Source: For Review, Blog Tour

Rating: 4/5

While in her late twenties, Marjorie Price leaves the comfort of her Chicago suburb to strike out on her own in Paris and hone her artistic talents. Dazzled by everything French, she falls in love with a volatile French painter and they purchase an old farmhouse in the Breton countryside. When Marjorie's seemingly idyllic marriage begins to unravel, she forms a friendship with an elderly peasant woman, Jeanne, who is illiterate, has three cows to her name, and has never left the village. Their differences are staggering yet they forge a friendship that transforms one another's life.




Memoirs are one of my favorite genres, but it's been a while since I've read one that I loved.  It seems like most of the memoirs out are about what a terrible childhood the author had, and how that affected the rest of their life.  A Gift from Brittany is about as far from this kind of memoir as you can get, and it reminded me of why I fell in love with memoirs in the first place.

Price's writing is beautiful and descriptive.  I could easily picture the French countryside, her paintings, and the house she so lovingly restored.  I enjoyed the contrast between her busy life in Paris, and the tranquility of the countryside.  The villagers may have moved at a slow pace, but their lives were full of friends, family and hard work. 

I really felt a connection to Marjorie.  When her relationship with Yves was on rocky ground, I wanted to step in and make things better for her.  Through out the rough times, Marjorie was able to lean on her friend, Jeanne.  Even though Marjorie and Jeanne were so different, their friendship was a testament to the bonds that women form with each other. 4 stars

About the Author:

Marjorie Price was born in Chicago, Illinois. After receiving a B.A. in Speech and Drama (1951) from Stanford University, she returned to Chicago and studied painting and design at the Chicago Art Institute. In 1953 she made her first trip to Europe. She remained there for six months, attending art classes at the Grande Chaumiére in Paris. On her return to the United States, she settled in San Francisco and studied painting at the San Francisco Art League. From 1953 to 1960, she worked in television, continued to paint, and indulged her love of theater by acting in regional theater. In 1960, she again left America for France, living first in Paris and then on a farm in Brittany which she restored and where she created an art center called the “Centre d’Art de la Salle” where painters, sculptors and ceramists came from various parts of France to exhibit their work. In 1970, she moved to Rome, Italy with her daughter Danielle. In 1978, after eighteen years in Europe, she returned to the United States and settled in New York. Her work is represented in numerous private and public collections in the United States and Europe. Marjorie Price lives and works as a painter and author in New York City.

If you check out her website you can also see some of her paintings, which are beautiful.

Unfinished: The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Book Info:
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story

by Diane Ackerman
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (September 17, 2008)
ISBN-13: 9780393333060
Genre: Non-fiction
Source: My Shelves
Rating: 0/5

When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw—and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants—otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes.

When I read (or listen to) a book about WWII or the Holocaust the one thing I expect in the book is emotion. How can you tell a story about such a devastating time and not have the emotions come through loud and clear? I didn't think it was possible until I started reading The Zookeeper's Wife.

I made it about 100 pages into the book and the story was terribly dry. I know that a story needs to be set up and explained, but those 100 pages were pretty much background info. I was a third of the way through the book and these still wasn't any mention of helping to smuggle Jews out of the country.

Since I left this one unfinished, that means my WWII Challenge was left one book short of completion. If any of you have read this one, does it get better? 0 stars

Review: Gifts by Kathryn Lynard Soper

Book Info:

Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives by Kathryn Lynard Soper

Paperback: 326 pages

Publisher: Woodbine House (May 15, 2007)

ISBN-13: 9781890627850

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: My Shelves

Rating: 4/5

Having a baby with Down syndrome is not something most parents would willingly choose. Yet many who travel this path discover rich, unexpected rewards along the way. In this candid and poignant collection of personal stories, sixty-three mothers describe the gifts of respect, strength, delight, perspective, and love, which their child with Down syndrome has brought into their lives.

One of the things I like best about reading reviews from other bloggers is that the reviews aren't written by nameless, faceless people. We all get to know other bloggers and little bits of their personalities come through in every review. While I think all reviews have a personal touch, this one hits closer to home for me.

Some of you may know that we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first baby at the end of the month. What you don't know, is that there is a very high likelihood that our baby will have Down syndrome. In an attempt to educate myself and my family as much as possible I have been reading everything I can get my hands one. Gifts was provided by a local DS organization.

Gifts is a collection of stories written by mothers of children with Down syndrome. The stories are short, anywhere from one to four pages, but they are all filled with hope, strength and love for their children. All of the thoughts, questions and concerns I have for my baby have all been experienced by these other women, and it is a comfort just to know that we are not alone in this journey.

Most of the stories are written by mothers whose children are about 4 years old or younger. I really wish there were more stories from parents of older children included, but other than that I have found this book to be comforting and would highly recommend it to other parents or families facing a diagnosis of Down syndrome. 4 stars

Review: Lift by Rebecca K O'Connor

Book Info:

Lift by Rebecca K. O'Connor

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Red Hen Press (November 1, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781597094603

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: Author for review

Rating: 4/5

The culmination of a ten-year career in falconry, Lift is a memoir that illustrates the journey and life lessons of a woman navigating a man’s ancient sport. Captivated by a chance meeting with a falconer’s peregrine as a child, the indelible memory eventually brings the author’s life full circle to flying a peregrine of her own. Exploring themes of predator and prey, finding tribe, forgiveness and femininity, the memoir asks universal questions through a unique backdrop. Lift illustrates the beauty and meaning the sport of falconry can add to a falconer’s life, echoing the challenges and triumphs of being human.

I've never considered myself a bird person. My mom has birds and for the most part I find them noisy and messy. So when I agreed to review Lift I was hoping for an animal story that was different than the usual "my pet is wonderful story". Lift met, and exceeded, my expectations.

Falconry is a completely new sport to me. The terms of the sport were unfamiliar, but O'Connor worked her explanations into the story so flawlessly that I never felt like she was stepping out of the story to teach me the basics. I appreciated all the explanations, but don't think they would have taken away from the story if you already knew falconry fundamentals.

I also loved the relationship between O'Connor and Anakin, her falcon. I appreciated that the relationship was a partnership built on respect. So many books tend to treat animals as human, and because of this you lose their true nature. O'Connor worked with her falcon, instead of trying to change him.

Whether you are a bird lover or a sportsman, I would recommend Lift. This memoir is a quick, but very informative and interesting read. Lift doesn't just focus on falconry either, but includes personal stories which provide a well rounded story. 4 stars

The Bottom Line, #5

The Bottom Line is a feature to designed to give quick and dirty reviews of books I've read, but I either don't have the time or the inspiration to write full reviews on them.

Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 7, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781416570868
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: My Shelves
Rating: 2/5

I first discovered Mary Higgins Clark in middle school and I devoured all of her back list. And while I remember loving her older books, Just Take My Heart didn't measure up. I found the story to be completely predictable and the book as a whole was forgettable.


Good Harbor by Anita Diamant
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Scribner (September 17, 2002)
ISBN-13: 9780743225724
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Source: My Shelves
Rating:3.5/5

I loved Diamant's Red Tent, and while Good Harbor is a very different kind of book I really enjoyed it as well. The characters were vibrant, and while they were older than me, the story of their friendship was one that most women will understand and be drawn to.


Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Voice (June 9, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781401322557
Genre: Non-Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3/5

I expected to like this book much more than I actually did. I read it this summer while on vacation and maybe it just didn't fit with my mood at the time. Perfection was very well written, and while I sympathized with Metz and understood her need to learn everything she could about her husband's affairs, I just wasn't pulled into the story.

Review: Let Me Go by Helga Schneider

Book Info:

Let Me Go by Helga Schneider

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Penguin (August 30, 2005)
ISBN-10: 0143035177

Genre: Nonfiction

Source: Library, Audio

Rating: 4.5/5

In 1941, in Berlin, Helga Schneider’s mother abandoned her along with her father and younger brother. Let Me Go recounts Helga’s final meeting with her ailing mother in a Vienna nursing home some sixty years after World War II, in which Helga confronts a nightmare: her mother’s lack of repentance about her past as a Nazi SS guard at concentration camps, including Auschwitz, where she was responsible for untold acts of torture. With spellbinding detail, Schneider recalls their conversation, evoking her own struggle between a daughter’s sense of obligation and the inescapable horror of her mother’s deeds.

I was recently browsing the library's audio downloads when this one caught my eye. I needed another book for my WWII challenge and I liked that Let Me Go looked like a quick listen at only 5 disks. Since the weather has turned cold and I'm not walking to work my audio listening has suffered and I find shorter books work a little better. What I didn't expect was the emotional impact those 5 disks carried...

Let Me Go is a snapshot of a story. There is a little background included in the form of flashbacks and stories, but the bulk of the story is one conversation. This may seem a little incomplete to some, but I thought the format worked well. Schneider didn't have much knowledge of her mother beyond this conversation and I liked that the reader/listener didn't know more than she did.

The narrator of this book, Barbara Rosenblat, is amazing. She inflects so much emotion into the book that I often found myself with goosebumps. When she reads the mother's words it varies between and old woman's confusion and petulance to unashamed cruelty. While Let Me Go is a fascinating story of an insider's experience in the concentration camps, it is worth listening to for the wonderful narration alone. 4.5 stars

Review: A Dog Year by Jon Katz

Book Info:
A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me by Jon Katz
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Random House (May 6, 2003)
ISBN-13: 9780812966909
Genre: Non-Fiction, Pets
Source: My Shelves
Rating: 4/5

In his popular and widely praised Running to the Mountain, Jon Katz wrote of the strength and support he found in the massive forms of his two yellow Labrador retrievers, Julius and Stanley. When the Labs were six and seven, a breeder who’d read his book contacted Katz to say she had a dog that was meant for him—a two-year-old border collie named Devon, well bred but high-strung and homeless. Katz already had a full canine complement—but, as he writes, “Change loves me. . . . It comes in all forms. . . . Sometimes, change comes on four legs.” Shortly thereafter he brought Devon home. A Dog Year shows how a man discovered much about himself through one dog (and then another), whose temperament seemed as different from his own as day from night. It is a story of trust and understanding, of life and death, of continuity and change. It is by turns insightful, hilarious, and deeply moving.

If you've ever loved a dog this book will speak to you. If you've loved a Border Collie, or another working breed, you will completely understand this book in a way that others may not. It seems most dog owners can tell you stories of their dogs escapades and bad behavior, but Border Collie's can be in a world of their own.

Katz's writing is wonderful. I felt as if we were friends sharing stories about our dogs and the joys and challenges they bring. Katz doesn't hesitate to tell the stories as they happened, which doesn't always put him in the best light, but the stories always ring true.

This is the first book of Katz's that I've read, but it won't be the last. His stories aren't all sunshine and roses, but they are the truth about having and loving a dog. I would recommend his books to dog lovers even if you don't normally read non-fiction. 4 stars

Review: Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

Book Info:
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth

by Jenny McCarthy

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press (December 12, 2005)
ISBN-13: 978-0738210070

Genre: Parenting, Non-Fiction

Source: My shelves

Rating: 2.5/5

Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gassiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion, the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry. Of course, no woman is spared the discomforts and humiliations of pregnancy, but most are too polite to complain or too embarrassed to talk about them. Not Jenny McCarthy!

After reading the massive Admission (review), I was in the mood for something short and sweet. And, since I am over halfway through my pregnancy I thought I'd better read a pregnancy book before I had the baby...Unfortunately, my feelings on Belly Laughs can be summed up in one word. Meh.

Was it terrible? No. Belly Laughs is a quick read (about an hour), but I was expecting something a little more. Something that someone hadn't mentioned before. Or more embarrassing stories. Or more humor. Just something.

Since I have at least McCarthy's second, if not third book, I'll probably read them. But if you don't have these already I'd recommend borrowing them from the library or a friend. 2.5 stars

Review: Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton

Book Info:
Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption

by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (March 3, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780312376536

Genre: Non-Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while she slept. She was able to escape, and eventually positively identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that she was mistaken-- but Jennifer's positive identification was the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After eleven years, Ronald was allowed to take a DNA test that proved his innocence. He was released, after serving more than a decade in prison for a crime he never committed. Two years later, Jennifer and Ronald met face to face-- and forged an unlikely friendship that changed both of their lives.

In their own words, Jennifer and Ronald unfold the harrowing details of their tragedy, and challenge our ideas of memory and judgment while demonstrating the profound nature of human grace and the healing power of forgiveness.

I think most people have faith in our justice system. It's stories like Picking Cotton that make me wonder how many innocent people really are behind bars. With the increased use of DNA testing it's probably much less than in the past, but it still makes you think...

I love how Picking Cotton allows Jennifer and Ronald to tell their stories. This isn't a story that would do well with just one narrator, and the change in narrator from Jennifer to Ronald, and then a combined section really brings another layer to the book. It gives a voice to everyone involved and creates a fair telling of the story.

Picking Cotton is very well-written. The story is engrossing and flows very well. My one complaint is that it came across as a little unemotional at times for such an emotional story. Even with this, it's still a very compelling story and I would recommend it to memoir lovers and those interested in our justice system. 4 stars

Review: Honey, It's All in the Shoes by Phyllis Norton Hoffman

Book Info:
Honey, It's All in the Shoes: Celebrating the Footsteps of the Contemporary Woman by Phyllis Norton Hoffman
Paperback: 170 pages
Publisher: Health Communications (July 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780757307577
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating:

Can you remember the magic you felt when you slipped on your mother's high heels; your very own first pair of pumps; your excursion for the perfect professional pair; the glory of finding the most comfortable shoes; and your first ballet slippers, Mary Janes, or running shoes?

In these pairs of shoes reside distinct journeys, phases of life, triumphs and tragedies, precious memories, and lessons learned. In Honey, It's All in the Shoes Phyllis Norton Hoffman takes you on a journey examining these defining moments, sharing what she has learned when she was required to wear different shoes - from a mother and wife to entrepreneur and businesswoman to publishing powerhouse to doting grandmother - and provides advice for women on putting their best foot forward, not matter their role, circumstance, or stage of life.

I've never considered myself a shoe person. Now, don't get me wrong, I like shoes and have a wide variety to choose from, but choosing from work or play, weekend or dressier seems pretty limited compared to the variety in some people's closets!

Even with my (relative) lack of shoe choices I found Honey, It's All in the Shoes a delightful read. Hoffman tells her stories of everything from business to family with relation to her shoes and the result is a fun and entertaining read. Hoffman is always upbeat and her words are often inspirational as well.

Each chapter ends with a mini history lesson about either a style of shoe, or about a famous person and their love of shoes. This was a wonderful way to end each story and I actually ended up learning a lot! I would recommend Honey, It's All in the Shoes to shoe lovers and memoir lovers alike. 4 stars

A special thank you to TLC Book Tours for my review copy. Be sure to check out the page for the other tour stops.

Review: What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen

Book Info:
What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult (July 9, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780670020959

Genre: Non-fiction

Rating: 5/5

At age forty-four, Alice Eve Cohen was happy for the first time in years. After a difficult divorce, she was engaged to an inspiring man, joyfully raising her adopted daughter, and her career was blossoming. Alice tells her fiance that she's never been happier.

And then the stomach pains begin. In her unflinchingly honest and ruefully witty voice, Alice nimbly carries us through her metamorphosis from a woman who has come to terms with infertility to one who struggles to love a heartbeat found in her womb, six months into a high-risk pregnancy.

What I Thought I Knew is a page-turner filled with vivid characters, humor, and many surprises and twists of fate. With the suspense of a thriller and the intimacy of a diary, Cohen describes her unexpected journey through doubt, a broken medical system, and the hotly contested terrain of motherhood and family in today's society.

I read a lot of memoirs, and I've honestly been in a bit of a slump with them lately. Even books that I'd thought I'd love have just been ok for me. I haven't read a memoir that has kept my attention all the way to the end in quite a while. When I picked this one up last night, I wasn't expecting too much, but was very happily surprised.

Cohen's writing flows amazingly well. I originally sat down in my hammock and planned on only reading a few chapters. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the book. I only got up to move inside because it had gotten too dark to read outside. Her voice is honest, wistful at times and even included a few laughs. She sets the perfect tone for the telling of her amazing story.

The smooth writing along with an incredible story made What I Thought I Knew a book I couldn't put down. Cohen is brutally honest in telling her story. As the story unfolded I almost expected to dislike Cohen, but that was never the case. She simply came across as a very conflicted woman trying to do the best she could with a completely unexpected situation. I highly recommend this one, even for those readers who usually don't read non-fiction. 5 stars

Review: Lost Boy by Brent Jeffs

Book Info:
Lost Boy by Brent Jeffs
Hardcover: 256 pages
ISBN-13: 9780767931779
Genre: Non-Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Brent Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the FLDS. The son of a prominent family in the church, Brent could have grown up to have multiple wives of his own and significant power in the 10,000-strong community. But he knew that behind the group's pious public image, women in chaste dresses carrying babies on their hips, lay a much darker reality. So he walked away, and was the first to file a sexual-abuse lawsuit against his uncle. Now Brent shares his courageous story and that of many other young men who have become "lost boys" when they leave the FLDS, either by choice or by expulsion.

Brent experienced firsthand the absolute power that church leaders wield, the kind of power that corrupts and perverts those who will do anything to maintain it. Once young men no longer belong to the church, they are cast out into a world for which they are utterly unprepared. More often than not, they succumb to the temptations of alcohol and other drugs.

Tragically, Brent lost two of his brothers in this struggle, one to suicide, the other to overdose. In this book he shows that lost boys can triumph and that abuse and trauma can be overcome, and he hopes that readers will be inspired to help former FLDS members find their way in the world.









I have always been fascinated with the FLDS church and polygamy. I have a lot of books on the subject but haven't made the time to read most of them yet. When I received Lost Boy to review from LibraryThing I was very excited.

Jeffs story is fascinating. I was pulled into it right from the start and read the entire book in two sittings. The detail he provides along with all the colorful, and unbelievable, people in his life, make Lost Boy unforgettable.

The story is told in almost a conversational tone, and while that worked great in some parts, in other parts in came of as unpolished. I was actually surprised that there was another author credited on Lost Boy with the informal feel of the book.

If you are interested in polygamy or the FLDS Church I highly recommend Lost Boy. 4 stars

Review: A Final Arc of Sky by Jennifer Culkin

Book Info:
A Final Arc of Sky: A Memoir of Critical Care by Jennifer Culkin

Hardcover: 248 pages
Publisher: Beacon Press (April 1, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780807072851

Genre: Non-Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5

Buckling herself into the rear of an Agusta A109A, Jennifer Culkin prepares for the moment of lift. The deafening thrum of the helicopter announces the unknown perils and potential havoc that await.

A critical care and emergency flight nurse, Culkin treats patients who are most often in mortal danger. Aboard the Agusta, she is entrusted with the life of a seventeen-year-old pulled from the wreckage of a head-on collision as his father calls out a wrenching plea from below; she cares for a middle-aged man who is bleeding to death internally, remembering the four daughters who have kissed him goodbye, possibly for the last time. It is the arduous and acute struggle to keep her patients alive en route to the hospital that is Jennifer Culkin's most profound duty.

I've always loved medical dramas. ER and House are a couple of my favorites. What I like best about these shows is the suspense of them. Can the doctors and nurses figure out what's wrong and save the patients? I love the glimpses into the medical world and the look at the individual cases. That is what I was hoping to get from A Final Arc of Sky, and unfortunately, it wasn't quite what I was looking for.

I think my biggest problem with the book was that you never really got to know any of the patients. As a flight nurse Culkin didn't spend much time with any of them. You got a little info about what the case was going to be as she got ready for the flight, a little bit about the treatment during the flight, and then the patients were handed off. It kind of left an incomplete picture.

The middle section of the book deals with Culkins parent's medical problems. I have to admit, I didn't feel enough of a connection with Culkin to find this section of the book very interesting. I actually set the book aside for a number of weeks before picking it back up and finishing.

The book ended a little stronger with stories of pilots and nurses lost in crashes of the medical helicopters. Culkin told stories about those lost, and while I liked this section, it seemed a little choppy coming off of her parent's medical problems. A Final Arc of Sky wasn't quite what I hoped for, but it might be more interesting to those in the medical field. 2.5 stars

Review: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Book Info:
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Unabridged Audio Length: 7 hours and 48 min

Narrator: Malcolm Gladwell

Genre: Non-Fiction

Rating: 3/5

How do we make decisions--good and bad--and why are some people so much better at it than others? Thats the question Malcolm Gladwell asks and answers in the follow-up to his huge bestseller, The Tipping Point. Utilizing case studies as diverse as speed dating, pop music, and the shooting of Amadou Diallo, Gladwell reveals that what we think of as decisions made in the blink of an eye are much more complicated than assumed. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, he shows how the difference between good decision-making and bad has nothing to do with how much information we can process quickly, but on the few particular details on which we focus.

Leaping boldly from example to example, displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Gladwell reveals how we can become better decision makers--in our homes, our offices, and in everyday life. The result is a book that is surprising and transforming. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

I listened to Outliers (review) earlier this year and really enjoyed it. Blink was interesting, but I don't think it quite measured up to Outliers for me.

Blink discusses the snap judgements we make and what these judgments are influenced by. Some of Gladwell's examples were wonderful. He talked about how some people could tell a sculpture was a fake just from gut feelings. Or, how facial expressions tell the same story across different cultures, and how most cultures knew exactly what was being expressed.

Other examples didn't have me convinced though. His section on marriage was interesting. He talked about how a scientist could predict if your marriage would survive just based on a few minutes of video as you discuss an issue with your spouse. Sounds great, right? But this is hardly a snap judgment as these few minutes of video tape are heavily analyzed, frame by frame. To me, just because you study a small amount of data, doesn't make your findings the result of intuition.

I enjoyed Blink, but didn't find it as strong as Outliers. If you are a fan of Gladwell's, I think you will enjoy Blink, but I wasn't totally convinced by all his examples. 3 stars

Review: Outcasts United by Warren St. John

Book Info:
Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (April 21, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780385522038

Genre: Non-fiction

Rating: 4/5

Clarkston, Georgia, was a typical southern town until it was designated a refugee settlement center in the 1990s, becoming the first American home for scores of families in flight from the world’s war zones. Suddenly its streets were filled with women wearing the hijab, the smells of cumin and curry, and kids of all colors—children of war and displacement—playing soccer in any open space they could find. The town also became home to the charismatic Luma Mufleh, an American-educated woman from Jordan, who founded a youth soccer team made up of Clarkston’s refugee children. They named themselves the Fugees.

Outcasts United follows a pivotal season in the life of the Fugees and their coach, against the backdrop of an American town that without its consent had become a vast social experiment. Warren St. John documents the lives of this wildly diverse group of young people as they miraculously coalesce into a band of brothers, while also painting a fascinating picture of a fading American town struggling to make a haven for its new arrivals—and a community of refugees who, in the face of daunting challenges, transform the town.

Before reading Outcast United I never knew a town like Clarkston, Georgia existed. Of course I knew of refugees being relocated to the US, but I never imagined a small southern town being a destination for refugees from all over the world.

Outcasts United is a wonderful story of friendship and hard work centered around a group of refugee children and their soccer teams. Even if you don't have much knowledge of soccer I think most people would find this story interesting and uplifting. Luma, the Fugees coach, gives an amazing amount of time and love to these kids in an effort to make them responsible young men. She comes across as a little harsh sometimes, but surprisingly, never as unlikeable.

Interspersed between the stories of the kid's soccer games are the histories of some of the refugee families. While the stories, nationalities and circumstances are all different, there is the common theme of losing your entire life as you know it, and having to start over in a completely foreign place. Many of the families knew little or no English and most had few marketable job skills. Even with all these challenges, the families profiled are hardworking and are trying to make the best of their new situation.

My one complaint about the book is that the ending is a bit abrupt. I think this is because of the ongoing nature of the story, but if left me wanting more information, which could be a good thing too...

I really enjoyed this touching story and would highly recommend this one to soccer fans, memoir lovers and those interested in refugee stories. 4 stars

Other Reviews:

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Review: Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Book Info:
Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Picador (April 1, 2004)
ISBN-13: 9780312423797

Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir

Rating: 4.5/5

From the bestselling author of Running with Scissors comes Dry—the hilarious, moving, and no less bizarre account of what happened next.

You may not know it, but you've met Augusten Burroughs. You've seen him on the street, in bars, on the subway, at restaurants: a twenty-something guy, nice suit, works in advertising. Regular. Ordinary. But when the ordinary person had two drinks, Augusten was circling the drain by having twelve; when the ordinary person went home at midnight, Augusten never went home at all. Loud, distracting ties, automated wake-up calls, and cologne on the tongue could only hide so much for so long. At the request (well, it wasn't really a request) of his employers, Augusten landed in rehab, where his dreams of group therapy with Robert Downey, Jr., are immediately dashed by the grim reality of fluorescent lighting and paper hospital slippers. But when Augusten is forced to examine himself, something actually starts to click, and that's when he finds himself in the worst trouble of all. Because when his thirty days are up, he has to return to his same drunken Manhattan life—and live it sober. What follows is a memoir that's as moving as it is funny, as heartbreaking as it is real. Dry is the story of love, loss, and Starbucks as a higher power.

I've read all of Augusten Burroughs books, except for his newest A Wolf at the Table, and while I enjoyed them all, I think Dry is my favorite. Dry is also quite a bit different than his other books, especially Running With Scissors.

I know some people found Running with Scissors to be out there, with too much craziness to possibly be true. I took Running with Scissors with a grain of salt and enjoyed it, but I did think things may have been exaggerated to help play up the shock value. That isn't the case at all with Dry.

I found Dry to be much more introspective and very honest. While Burroughs humor and crazy personality still came through the story, it wasn't as jaw dropping as Running with Scissors. Burroughs talked about his drinking honestly, why he did it, why he couldn't stop and all of the emotional issues that go along with alcoholism. If you've ever been close to someone with a substance abuse problem, Dry gives some insight into an addict's thought process. It's a sad story, but Burroughs did have me laughing too. 4.5 stars

Review: A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal

Book Info:
A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy by Thomas Buergenthal

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (April 20, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780316043403

Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir

Rating: 4/5

In A Lucky Child, Thomas Buergenthal, now a Judge in the International Court judge in The Hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy during the Holocaust. Buergenthal arrived at Auschwitz at age ten, after surviving the Ghetto of Kielce and two labor camps, and was soon separated from his mother and then his father. He managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive until he was liberated from Sachsenhausen in 1945. From teaching himself to ride a bike belonging to an SS officer, to sneaking a heavenly sip of milk, to delighting in the pony given to him by his Polish Army comrades, he reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit. Almost two years after his liberation, Buergenthal was miraculously reunited with his mother, and in 1951 he arrived in the United States to start a new life. Poignant and inspiring, A Lucky Child is a book that demands to be read by all.

I've always been fascinated by the Holocaust. I've been amazed by how good people could treat other human beings so terribly, and how so many people were able to withstand such atrocious treatment and conditions to survive. That such a young child was able to survive is even more amazing.

Mr Buergenthal waited quite some time to write his memoir. He explains in the preface that he wanted a little distance from the experience before he wrote about it. While this is certainly understandable, I think this distance from the events did come through in the writing. The story wasn't lacking in emotion by any means, but I didn't have the sense of immediacy that I've gotten from some other Holocaust memoirs I've read.

If you are interested in the Holocaust and life in the concentration camps, this is an easy to read memoir that gives you a glimpse into some of the most notorious camps. The books also includes a map and photos. I loved the pictures! Sometimes when reading I would forget just how young Buergenthal was while living in the camps, and these pictures helped remind me. 4 stars

Review: Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler

Book Info:
Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: PublicAffairs (April 13, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781586486488

Genre: Memoir

Rating: 2.5/5

When Jessica Handler was eight years old, her younger sister Susie was diagnosed with leukemia. To any family, the diagnosis would have been upending, but to the Handlers, whose youngest daughter Sarah had been born with a rare congenital blood disorder, it was an unimaginable verdict. By the time Jessica Handler turned nine, she had begun to introduce herself as the "well sibling" and her family had begun to come apart.

Invisible Sisters is Handler's powerfully told story of coming of age - as the daughter of progressive Jewish parents who move south to participate in the social-justice movement of the 1960s; as a healthy sister living in the shadow of her siblings' illness; and as a young woman struggling to step out of the shadow of her sisters deaths, to find and redefine herself anew. With keen-eyed sensitivity, Handler's brave account explores family love and loss, and what it takes not just to survive, but to keep living.

The illnesses that struck the Handler children were terrible and I can't imagine losing two children so young, but the heartbreak and grief this caused didn't come through in this memoir.

The first part of the book tells of Jessica's memories growing up. As she kept a journal, these memories had a credibility some childhood reminisces don't. However, Jessica's telling of her childhood felt detached and almost cold. Her sister's illness didn't seem to affect her much. I got the feeling she could be the child of any busy parents who didn't have the time for her.

This memoir is not told in a linear fashion, and this random sequencing of events is not my favorite way to have a story told. I find it hard to get to know people or characters when where they are in life keeps changing.

The later part of the book is told through an adult Jessica's eyes, and I found this part to be stronger. She finally discusses the emotional impact of once being one of three sisters, and now being all alone. However, the emotion in this part of the book doesn't make up for the lack of connection in the beginning of the book. I didn't feel like I really got to know anyone in the Handler family, Jessica included. 2.5 stars

Also reviewed by Missys Book Nook, Book Addiction