Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment (38)


Alex and Ruth are an elderly couple living in New York City with their old and sick dog Dorothy while an apparent terrorist is holding their city hostage. As the story begins, Dorothy is very ill and requires hospitalization. Alex and Ruth love Dorothy as their child and will take "extreme measures" to ensure that her life with them continues. Their home is a fifth floor walkup, increasingly difficult to manage, so it has been put up for sale in hopes of a move to an apartment with an elevator. During the story they are involved in real estate adventures while coping with Dorothy's illness and watching the latest flash on the terrorist in the city. This is a mildly interesting book.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Deaf Sentence by David Lodge (37)


Desmond is a retired professor who is losing his hearing. He has hearing aides but still struggles with many issues involving his hearing. He has a wife named Fred who is a successful businesswoman, a father with increasingly difficult health issues, a young admiring grad student requesting his attention, and adult children who sometimes come around. Desmond comes across as a very real likeable and sympathetic character. This was an enjoyable read.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult (36)


Every book by Jodi Picoult is a winner and this one is no exception. Her books generally are concerned with an issue and then the story is told with first person accounts from all the involved characters.
Handle with Care tells the story of Willow, a little girl afflicted with the disease of osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone) and her family's reaction to the disease. Willow's mother sues her doctor, who was also her best friend, for "wrongful birth" contending that she should have been informed about her baby's condition when she was 17 weeks pregnant and then could have decided whether or not to terminate the pregnancy. This lawsuit becomes a highly emotionally charged situation within this family.

Monday, July 13, 2009

My Remarkable Journey by Larry King (35)


I enjoyed this so much! Larry King has one of my favorite interview programs so it was interesting to learn about his seventy five years of good and bad choices. He writes with humor and experience about the people he's met and the events of his life. Great book!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen (34)


Anna Quindlen is a great author. I've enjoyed all her books and also her column in Newsweek. Her writing is intelligent and logical. I enjoyed this book but didn't find it as compelling as some of her other books. Rise and Shine is about two sisters living very different lives in New York City. Bridget is the younger sister and a social worker. Meaghan is the older sister and is an anchorperson on morning TV, super famous, rich, and very involved in her career. Suddenly both lives change radically and the story is about what happens to them both as this situation plays out.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Still Life by Joy Fielding (33)


This is a mystery about a beautiful and privileged woman named Casey who is hit by a car, finds herself in a coma unable to respond to anything or anyone. As the story evolves and Casey slowing becomes more conscious, her world unravels and changes. The second half of the book I found myself glued to my seat as I wanted to find out what would happen. Well done!