Kadish, Rachel: The Weight of Ink
Very long but very gripping examination of the difficulties of being a woman during the plague in England in the 17th century, and in American Academia in the 21st century. (*****)
Strayed, Cheryl: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
This book is sweet and wonderful. Cheryl Stayed was the writer of an advice column called “Dear Sugar,” and the book is a reprint of her advice. In general, I am a sucker for column collections, but this one more so than usual.
Her advice is consistent, loving and interesting and her cast of characters is amazing and amusing.
Yoerg, Sonja: Stories We Never Told
In a nutshell, this novel is a taut, brilliant, twisty story about the inside of human minds. Turns out people are complex, something the author would appreciate, being a psychologist. It has been years since a novel had me literally on the edge of my seat the way this one did. I read the last 1/3 of the book in a straight shot, because Vicki refused to tell me who did what to whom. (*****)
Siegel, Bernie S.: Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned about Self-Healing from a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients
Although it was first published in 1984, I just came to this book. It should be handed out by any oncologist to any patient whose diagnosis is cancer. It is an amazing summary of the effect of the mind on physical health. “True healing teaches patients how to live.” Increase your odds of survival? “Independence, optimism, faith and trust in your doctor.” (*****)
Kirk, Lucy: The Poison Factory: Operation Kamera
After a half century of avidly reading spy novels, I find, for the first time since my teenage self haunted the newsstand, waiting for the latest episode of James Bond in Playboy, that I am excited about the publication of a new entry into the genre: Lucy Kirk’s novel Poison Factory: Operation Kamera. And I mean REALLY new, because the protagonist is not James or George but Decktora “Decky” Raines. Just as I am tired of pale, male and stale in my choice of politicians, I have grown tired of pale, male and stale spy novel protagonists and authors. (*****)
Jacobs, Gregg D.: Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six-Week, Drug-Free Program Developed At Harvard Medical School
This book could have made a serious difference in my life, had I the discipline to follow its Sleep Hygiene program. It turns out I didn’t, but if you can I am here to tell you it will change your life and improve your sleep beyond comprehension. You’ll never need a sleeping pill or a Tylenol PM or even melatonin again. This is the only scientifically proven sleep program that involves no drugs. When I found I couldn’t do it by myself, I took the six-week course based on the book offered by Kaiser (and, I am sure, by other health organizations). That’s how I know it works. If you read it carefully, and do what it says (easier said than done, I know), I guarantee you it will be life-changing. If you are a person than can stay on Weight Watchers without meetings, just buy the book. Otherwise, buy the book, read it, and then take the class.You won't lose weight, but you will sleep better. (*****)
Nelson, Rob: Hacking Reality: Upgrade Your Life From the Inside Out
Quantum physics came after my time (or in one of the classes I skipped), so I never quite got it. Rob Nelson thinks he did, but not in a way, I suspect, most physicists would. He says we don’t actually store out memories in our heads, we store them in the Quantum Cloud, share them with the other people involved, and access them via cosmic wi-fi. And he says we can hack those memories in the cloud. I tried it. It helped me deal with trauma. My wife is a psychotherapist, and has had some success as well. He also says we are a blueprint in the cloud, and that our physical existence is just a moment-to-moment copy of the blueprint, which sometimes gets corrupted in transmission. It helped me, it might help you, and, in any case, it makes good reading. (*****)
Ann Patchett: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
David Sedaris liked this book so much her arranged for Moe's Books of Berkeley to sell it in the lobby after his reading at Zellernbach Hall last year. I can see why; Pratchett is an interesting and able essayist. I haven't read her fiction, but if it is as good as her essays, it is good indeed. As a recently bereaved cat owner, I couldn't read her essay on the death of her dog, but all the others were fine. (*****)
Nora Ephron: The Most of Nora Ephron
I have always been a big fan of Nora Ephron, so I was enraptured with this omnibus, which includes her novel, her Harry met Sally screenplay and many of her essays, some of them previously uncorrected. They say you should never meet the authors you love, but I think I'd have enjoyed her, even if she was telling me to "get over it." (*****)
Edward St. Aubyn: Lost for Words: A Novel
I heard the author on "Fresh Air" being interviewed by Terry Gross, and I am glad I did. I don't think I'd enjoy the Patrick Melrose books for which he is famous (based on the descriptions, I don't care to read them) but this relentlessly amusing sendup of the literary prize culture in Britain has laughs on every page, delivered with standard British panache. (*****)