The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (#32)

When a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in the '50's, doctors took a sample of her cells without permission and discovered to their amazement that these cells grew rapidly and without limits. Soon cell samples were distributed widely in the scientific community and led to many important discoveries such as the cure for polio. The cells, known as "Hela" grew and multiplied, went around the world, were shot into space, commonly used in laboratories everywhere, and becoming quite famous. At the same time Henrietta's young family suffered many troubles without her, unable to even afford heath care at the very institutions profiting from her cells which had become a multimillion dollar industry.
This book is both a mystery and a scientific read. The author tracked down the history of the Hela cells while learning about Henrietta's family. Well done.

The Center of Everyhing by Laura Moriarty (#30) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (#31)

While in New Jersey at Tom and Kelly's house I read two excellent books:

The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty is the first book by a favorite author whose more recent two books I have read in the past few months. The main character, Evelyn, is being raised by a struggling single mother. The author created a very believeable plot with strong characters. I could barely put the book down. My only comment is that I wanted the book to continue. What would happen to Evelyn in the years to come?


The second book is Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. I had heard about this book for a long time and believe I had even begun it before but finally I had time to really enjoy it. Set in Holland in the 1600's, a maid in the house of the painter Vermeer captures his interest when she reveals an ability to perceive colors and composition in his paintings and becomes the subject for a portrait. The author gives a realistic view of life at that time and place.


I highly recommend both books.

Lucid Intervals by Stuart Woods (#29)

I've always enjoyed Stuart Woods' mysteries; my favorite was his first book, Chiefs, which had a riveting plot and strong character development. This was followed with several really well done books that I very much enjoyed. I can remember years ago reading one of his mysteries while cooking dinner, book in one hand, stirring the pot on the stove with the other. His last several books have not lived up to that high standard. They seem formulaic with very one dimensional characterization. Lucid Intervals was a very flat read; if it were for all those years of enjoyable mysteries, I doubt I would have bothered.

Stone Barrington, an investigative attorney who appears in many of Woods' mysteries, becomes involved with a beautiful British Intelligence Agency woman. They are in and out of bed, in chauffeur driven Bentley's, eating and drinking at Elaine's, while apparently investigating an incident that is not only not compelling, but also fairly boring. I do not recommend this book, but I do recommend Chiefs, the first book by Stuart Woods, a really great read.

This Time Together by Carol Burnett (28)

This is such a lovely book! Carol Burnett has always been a favorite of mine. I never missed her shows when they were on. The humor was clean, simple, and side split-tingly funny.
This is a series of anecdotes from her life; memories of people she's met, challenges she's faced, and family. It is touching and beautiful. I read this very quickly because her voice and charm come through her writing. Her earlier book "One More Time" was more traditionally autobiographical detailing her struggles from her family situation as a child through her success in show business. This Time Together contains scenes from that life. Very enjoyable reading!

The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty (#27)

Such an enjoyable book! I was so impressed that I looked up the author's website, wrote her a fan letter, and was very pleased to receive an answer that very day!

Leigh is a wife, mother, and teacher who is dealing with a lot of personal and family issues. Coming from a very disadvantaged childhood herself, Leigh isn't quite sure of her relationships with her children who are living a much more privileged lifestyle. As the story begins, a car accident occurs with Leigh's daughter Kara at the wheel. This accident very profoundly affects everyone in the family. As the book unfolds, we can see how each person finds his or her way through the fallout from the accident. This was very compelling reading for me; I can just imagine how something like this could happen to any family and tear it apart. Highly recommended.

Superfreakonomics by Levitt & Dubner (#26)

Global Cooling, Patroiotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. This a great book about current issues written in an entertaining style so that, even though the topic was very serious, it was riveting to read. The problems of the world and the people working on solutions come alive. I loved it!

While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty #25

Veronica, a college student and pre-med major, has reached a crisis point in her life; her parents have divorced, her residence hall work is falling apart, a house sitting gig turns out very badly, and her relationship is in terrible trouble. This is a fascinating book which I really got into and enjoyed immensely.