The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

"Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells - taken without her knowledge - became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons - as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions." Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, from Henrietta's small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia - a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo - to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

My thoughts:
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and looked forward to listening to it.  Hearing not only the story of Henrietta Lacks and her family but of the author as well and how she became interested in researching a woman whose cells have been so important to science.  It was like three stories or more in one book.  First there was Henrietta Lacks who had such strong cancer cells that they have been kept alive to this day in labs all over the world, then there is her family and most specifically her daughter Debra who never had a chance to get to know her mother since she died so young, who had her trust broken by so many people that she doesn't know who to trust but still wants answers, and then there is Rebecca Skloot who had questions about a woman in a science textbook that couldn't be answered by the sources she went to for help so decided to go further.

Henrietta came from a poor, African American background.  She started having her children very early and was the mother of five when she died at the age of 21 from cervical cancer,  Her first daughter suffered from her own health issues, never talking and having a poor sense of balance and the mind of a child.  Elsie was put into an institution before her mother's death and then suffered from poor treatment while there.  Henrietta also had three sons who have since had their share of hardships from one who who served time in prison, one with health issues and all of them with a great deal of mistrust, and then her youngest daughter Debra who lost her mother and had no one to rely on.  The whole family was very confused when they got word that Henrietta's cells were still alive and being used to find cures for other diseases.  They ran the gamut of thinking that Henrietta herself was still alive, since her cells were, and that the doctors were keeping her from them to also thinking that if these cells sold for so much money, then they deserved to have a share of it seeing as they had been living without health insurance and in poverty or close to poverty their whole lives.

As fascinating as the story to uncover all she could about Henrietta and her family, were all the issues about cell samples taken by hospitals and doctors from patients every day.  What happens to them, who has the right to them, can people profit from their cells and is it okay for doctors and medical institution to keep these and use them without consent.

I can see why this book stayed on the best seller list for so long and I am glad that I made the time to listen to it!

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781400052189
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
• Publication date: 3/8/2011
• Pages: 381

Meet the Author

REBECCA SKLOOT is an award-winning science writer whose articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; Discover; Columbia Journalism Review; and elsewhere. She has worked as a correspondent for NPR's RadioLab and PBS's Nova ScienceNOW, and blogs about science, life, and writing at Culture Dish, hosted by Seed magazine. She also teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Memphis. Visit her website at rebeccaskloot.com.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Night is Elie Wiesel’s masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. Night offers much more than a litany of the daily terrors, everyday perversions, and rampant sadism at Auschwitz and Buchenwald; it also eloquently addresses many of the philosophical as well as personal questions implicit in any serious consideration of what the Holocaust was, what it meant, and what its legacy is and will be.

An autobiographical narrative in which the author describes his experiences in Nazi concentration camps, watching family and friends die, and how they led him to believe that God is dead.

My thoughts:
This is a book I felt like I should read.  It has been on my shelf for ages, but somehow I never managed to get it started.  Last week I decided to listen to the audio book and even that was hard for me.  Listening to Wiesel describe how things were leading up to the time his family was sent to the concentration camp, how it was on the trains that took them to the camps, what conditions were like and how things were inside the camps was hard.  One of the things that really struck me was how he described a man he knew, who was deported from their neighborhood for being a foreigner.  When he comes back and tells them of the awful things that were done to the people who were taken away, who were rumored to have been taken somewhere nice where there was more work, no one wants to listen to him.  No one wants to believe that he is telling the truth.  He keeps telling them how he came back to warn them all, but it does no good.  I'm not sure what being forewarned would have done, but perhaps some of them would have been able to leave before they were confined to ghettos or taken away on trains to concentration camps.

It is hard to wrap my mind around just how awful it was.  I've seen pictures, read books and viewed movies and I think there are things that are just so awful that we do not want to believe that they are true and happened.  To believe that they could still be happening in some places, even with all the technology and modernization we have, people are still mistreated and placed in awful conditions.  Then there is the way being in those situations changes people and reverts them back to just surviving.  While it was difficult to listen to, I am not sorry that I decided to read this book.

When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris (audio)

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

"David Sedaris's ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," (The Christian Science Monitor) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book.
Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina. In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths. Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (Seattle Times).

My thoughts:
I guess I have been converted, I really enjoy Sedaris now.  A few weeks ago when I started his audio books I did so skeptically as I recall having an uneven experience the first time I read one, but now I am really enjoying his essays.  I think the audio version is more fun for me than if I were reading them on the page as I can listen to his inflections for each essay.  I think it would be hard to be a member of his family.  I hope his essays are exaggerated and he isn't really sitting around watching his boyfriend's elderly mother clean his apartment.  In earlier books he told lots of stories about the French classes he enrolled in both in the US and in France and now he is in Tokyo taking Japanese language classes and quitting smoking.  He talks about how he gave up drugs and alcohol.  One funny story deals with how different cultures react when he says "No thanks" to a drink, in the US people get apologetic for even asking while in Europe they suggest he just have one glass as a compromise.  He has come to see it is easier to accept champagne at a wedding and pass it along to Hugh than to go through even trying to decline it.  I a m now wondering if I may have listened to condensed version of his earlier books when I borrowed the boxed set, so i may go back and try them again to see if I missed anything.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780316154680
• Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
• Publication date: 6/2/2009
• Pages: 336

Marathon by Hal Higdon

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Especially in tough economic times, running offers an affordable and positive way to relieve stress and gain a sense of accomplishment. Marathons and—more than ever—half-marathons are the ultimate achievement for runners and have experienced an unprecedented boom in the last several years.

New hunger for reliable information on marathon and half-marathon training, as well as new technologies that have revolutionized ordinary people’s ability to train intelligently, means the time is right for a new edition of longtime Runner’s World contributor Hal Higdon’s classic guide to taking the guesswork out of preparing for a marathon, whether it’s a reader’s first or fiftieth.

Since its original publication in 1993, Higdon’s definitive manual has sold over a quarter of a million copies through all channels. The book is such a consistent seller for many reasons, but above and beyond all the others is this one: It works. At the core of the book remains Higdon’s clear and essential information on training, injury prevention, and nutrition. With more than 25 percent new material, this fourth edition of a running classic will be a must-own for both longtime runners and those new to the sport.

My thoughts:
It is now two months until my first marathon and I have been starting to get worried that my training is not going as well as it should be.  I printed out a plan from Runner's World months ago when I started training and I did well at the beginning with getting in the long runs and shorter runs as well, but as the summer heat has set in and the runs have gotten longer, I've missed some long runs.  The plan called for 5 20 mile runs over the course of the training, but a friend who has run eight marathons suggested that I didn't really need to do that many 20 mile runs which were freaking me out a bit.  Higdon's book suggests the same thing, that it is better to get to marathon day under trained than over trained and to have realistic goals for your first marathon, enjoy it and not feel terrible when you are done.  It gave me a lot of food for thought, but I still feel like I should be getting better at the longer runs than I am.  Coming up to the spring half marathon I ran I remember making sure I got in all the long runs the plan called for and the race went better than I anticipated and I felt okay afterwards.  Yes I was a bit stiff and sore, but it didn't make me miss any activities I had planned to do.  I hope to feel similarly after running my first marathon, especially since I will have to drive home that day as well.  I wish I had picked this book up at the beginning of  my training, not halfway through, because it would have been helpful to have had Higdon's tips and experience right from the beginning.  This is the marathon book I found to be most helpful.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781609612245
• Publisher: Rodale Press, Inc.
• Publication date: 9/27/2011
• Edition number: 4
• Pages: 304

Wildwood by the Sea: Nostalgia & Recipes by Anita Hirsch

From the Facebook site:
The newest book by Anita Hirsch, will be available this soon!
This collection includes her columns which have appeared in The SUN-by-the-sea,
which are nostalgia-packed, lavishly illustrated with photos and includes more
than fifty recipes in all.
Revisit people and places that make the Wildwoods so special. Read
how Wildwood-By-the-Sea came to be: stories of your favorite
places with more than 250 photos that will take you back to the
best times of your youth and your family vacations. Memories of
the boardwalk, the beach, the ocean, the sand, sand castles, the
tram car, and the food...here is your chance to revisit your favorite
memories of Wildwood-By-The-Sea..

My thoughts:
I saw this on the shelf at the local library and picked it up out of curiosity.  I spent one summer when I was in college living in North Wildwood and working at an arcade.  It was a fun summer.  Unfortunately, since Wildwood wasn't my usual vacation spot with my family a lot of the articles and pictures didn't mean that much to me.  Some of the places are familiar, but not like they might have been if this is where I went year after year.  When I go to our usual family beach this summer I am going to have to check out if they have a similar book as I think it would be more meaningful for me.  That said, if you are someone who regularly vacations or vacationed in Wildwood I bet this book would bring back a lot of summer memories of restaurants, attraction and the boardwalk.  My most vivid boardwalk memory is the tram car and the recorded, "Watch the tram car please." that you hear whenever you spend any time there.  I also have to say that Wildwood has the longest beach if you measure the distance from where you get to the sand until you get to the water.  My roommates and I would sometimes stop by the dunes if we weren't planning on actually getting in the water because it seemed like it took too much energy to walk all the way to the water.  I know that sounds incredibly lazy, and I doubt I would do that now, but knowing that you had to be at work later but still wanted to spend some time on the beach it seemed like a logical compromise.  The other thing some of the older pictures reminded me of is the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire".  There are pictures from the 1930's that seem similar to how Atlantic City is shown on the show.



Contact: tasteofwildwood@aol.com

Copies will be available here;
Wildwood Historical Society
3907 Pacific Avenue
Wildwood, NJ

My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek with Maryanne Vollers

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

In her delightful and moving memoir, Sissy Spacek writes about her idyllic, barefoot childhood in a small East Texas town, with the clarity and wisdom that comes from never losing sight of her roots. Descended from industrious Czech immigrants and threadbare southern gentility, she grew up a tomboy, tagging along with two older brothers and absorbing grace and grit from her remarkable parents, who taught her that she could do anything. She also learned fearlessness in the wake of a family tragedy, the grief propelling her "like rocket fuel" to follow her dreams of becoming a performer.

With a keen sense of humor and a big-hearted voice, she describes how she arrived in New York City one star-struck summer as a seventeen-year-old carrying a suitcase and two guitars; and how she built a career that has spanned four decades with films such as Carrie, Coal Miner’s Daughter, 3 Women, and The Help. She details working with some of the great directors of our time, including Terrence Malick, Robert Altman, David Lynch, and Brian De Palma—who thought of her as a no-talent set decorator until he cast her as the lead in Carrie. She also reveals why, at the height of her fame, she and her family moved away from Los Angeles to a farm in rural Virginia.

Whether she’s describing the terrors and joys of raising two talented, independent daughters, taking readers behind the scenes on Oscar night, or meditating on the thrill of watching a pair of otters frolicking in her pond, Sissy Spacek’s memoir is poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, plainspoken and utterly honest. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is about what matters most: the exquisite worth of ordinary things, the simple pleasures of home and family, and the honest job of being right with the world. "If I get hit by a truck tomorrow," she writes, "I want to know I’ve returned my neighbor’s cake pan."

My thoughts:
I listened to this audio book over the course of a couple days.  It was a very gentle read and focused a lot more on family than on the movie aspect of Spacek's life.  She spent long periods reminiscing about growing up in a small town in Texas with two brothers, of walking barefoot in the grass and exploring the courthouse, and of the tragedy that befell her family when she was young.  She is honest about how her dreams of being a musician didn't quite work out the way she thought they would and about being a new actor and having to earn her way into parts.  You can hear the love she has for her husband and daughters in her voice and in how proud she is of what they have all accomplished.  I think having Spacek do her own reading really added to the book because it felt like you were sitting down in a room with her and having her tell you her all about herself.  It feels like an intimate conversation at a party. One of the reviews I saw online complained that the book was too slow a read, but I think part of the slowness is deliberate to bring about the feelings of a time gone by when people were not as obsessed with moving fast and doing so much at the same time.  A time before cell phones and texting and computers everywhere.  I enjoyed the book especially in its audio format.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781401324360
• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 5/1/2012
• Pages: 288

Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs by Matt Whyman

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Paris Hilton carries one around like a Chihuahua, while Posh and Becks own a pair. The minipig, for reasons unknown, has become the latest celebrity accessory, but what's it really like to invite little livestock into the living room?Matt Whyman, a successful novelist, enjoys a quiet writer's life in the English countryside . . . until his career wife, Emma, discovers the existence of a pig said to fit inside a handbag. She believes not one but two would be a perfect addition to the already diverse Whyman clan, which includes one wolf-like dog, a freaked-out feline, and their wild bunch of ex-battery chickens, as well as four challenging children. In reality, nobody could anticipate the trials and misadventures two riotous, raucous little piglets could bring. From turning Whyman's office into a literal pigsty and stealing his spot on the family sofa to trashing his neighbour's garden while drunk on fermented apples, Butch and Roxi swiftly establish themselves as "animals of mass distraction."Funny, touching and endlessly entertaining, Oink charts the battle of hearts, snouts, and minds between a family man and two minipigs. Will Butch and Roxi ever settle down, or could their growing presence put the squeeze on Whyman in ways he never thought possible?

My thoughts:
Every time I looked through the available memoirs on the library audio book catalogue this one intrigued me  I enjoyed reading about Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World and Puppy Dairies: Raising a Dog Named Scout, so why not mini-pigs?  I did not find his book quite as engrossing as the others, but somehow I just couldn't stop listening, so I guess I like it more than I thought!

Whyman is a work at home author.  He and his wife have four children, a dog, a cat and some chickens, but his wife has fallen in love with the idea of mini-pigs and they end up owning a pair.  Whyman gets a home all read for them outside only to find that his family intends to have he pigs live in he house. The pigs make tons of noise whenever he gets a phone call, use the area behind the TV as their potty, chew up buttons on he remote and wires and steal Whyman's seat on the couch.  While the pigs, who eventually get a home outside, cause quite a few headaches, it turns out that they complete the family.  I can't see ever wanting to own them myself, but I am sure their cuteness has gotten the quite a few owners.  I was surprised about how many embarrassing events the author was willing to document in his book.  I think anyone contemplating owning a new pet should read an account of what ownership was like for someone else.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781451618280
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 9/20/2011
• Pages: 336

Meet the Author

Matt Whyman is the critically acclaimed author of three novels for adults and young adults, including the acclaimed critics’ choice Boy Kills Man. He lives in West Sussex, England. Visit him at MattWhyman.blogspot.com.

The Runner's Rule Book: Everything a Runner Needs to Know--And Then Some by Mark Remy and the Editors of Runner's World

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Every sport has rules. Running is no exception. If you’re curious, just visit the Web site of USA Track & Field, the sport’s governing body, where you’ll find detailed dictates on everything from disqualification to bib-number placement to the caliber of the starter’s pistol.

But what about the everyday rules of running? The unspoken ones that pertain to the lingo, behavior, and etiquette that every seasoned runner seems to know and every newbie needs to learn? Veteran runner Mark Remy and the editors of Runner’s World magazine provide answers to these very questions and many more in The Runner’s Rule Book.

Inside you’ll find:

Rule 1.18

LEARN, AND LOVE, THE FARMER’S BLOW

Farmer’s Blow \ fär-m?rz blo \ n: a process by which one clears a nostril of mucus by pinching shut the opposing nostril and exhaling forcefully

[syn: Snot Rocket]

Rule 2.32

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO FINISH AHEAD OF A COSTUMED RUNNER

Because being outkicked by Elmo is too much to bear.

Rule 3.1

CALL THEM RUNNING SHOES

They aren’t sneakers, or tennis shoes, or kicks, or trainers (sorry, Brits). They are running shoes. So call them that.

…and many, many more. With 100+ rules that cover the basics of running, racing, track etiquette, and apparel and gear, including hilarious running commentary on running culture, The Runner’s Rule Book will be the reference guide you’ll turn to again and again for answers to your burning running questions.

My thoughts:
I picked this up because I was curious about what the rules might be, have I been inadvertently breaking any rules because I didn't know they existed?  I live very close to the Rodale Institute where the editors at Runner's World work so when they talked about different routes they take I can picture some of the streets and such.  So how am I doing and what rules do I break?  I do sometimes throw my running clothes in the dryer, not the sports bras, but the pants and shirts.  I guess I am making them not last as long, but in doing laundry for six people, two of whom run, I don't always remember to pull things out before they go through the dryer.  I've never broken this one, but I don't know that I wouldn't, apparently you should not wear the t-shirt for a race in the actual race, it should only be worn afterwards.  I understand not wearing a shirt for a race you've never done, but if you are doing the race right then I wouldn't see a problem with wearing the shirt and often see many people doing so.  I've never run in Philadelphia, but where I run isn't that far away and I have never heard the Rocky theme song at any race I have done including the St. Luke's Half Marathon in Allentown in April which had a band at every mile marker.  This was a nice, fast read, which elicited some smiles and a couple of laughs, pointed out some common sense like not running three runners abreast on a road for safety and courtesy.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781605295800
• Publisher: Rodale Press, Inc.
• Publication date: 10/13/2009
• Pages: 176

Meet the Author

Mark Remy lives, runs, and writes in eastern Pennsylvania, where he is the executive editor of RunnersWorld.com. He has run 15 marathons, including 5 Bostons, with a personal best time of 2:46. (Note: He ran that 2:46 in 1999; see Rule 1.51, page 54.)

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead—and celebrating it all—as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more.

As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about

Marriage: “A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.”

Girlfriends: “Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. Sometimes I will see a photo of an actress in an unflattering dress or a blouse too young for her or with a heavy-handed makeup job, and I mutter, ‘She must not have any girlfriends.’ ”

Stuff: “Here’s what it comes down to, really: there is now so much stuff in my head, so many years, so many memories, that it’s taken the place of primacy away from the things in the bedrooms, on the porch. My doctor says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, she doesn’t believe our memories flag because of a drop in estrogen but because of how crowded it is in the drawers of our minds. Between the stuff at work and the stuff at home, the appointments and the news and the gossip and the rest, the past and the present and the plans for the future, the filing cabinets in our heads are not only full, they’re overflowing.”

Our bodies: “I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It’s like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine.”

Parenting: “Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”

From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

My thoughts:

My thoughts:

I listened to this book a month or so ago and somehow missed it on my last list of books to review. I was reminded of it when I read a review on someone else's blog last week. I really enjoy memoirs like this one, women sharing what they have learned from their past in funny and relatable ways. All of the excerpts above resonated with me, especially the one about how our minds are so full that we have trouble remembering new things. I feel like every day I am trying to keep track of so many things that I am often forgetting important deadlines.

Another chapter that made me feel better about some of my recent choices was when Quindlen talked about not enrolling her three children in too many sports activities. Instead of feeling guilty, as I sometimes do when I skip signing one or more of my children up for something like that, she states that she had three children so they could play with each other and she could get some time to herself. It can be overwhelming to drag one or more kid all over town to practice for and play a sport when they seem to get so little out of it in the long run. They enjoy it, but might have enjoyed just as much playing at the park or in the back yard or riding their bike up and down the block, I feel so much pressure to enroll my children in activities but I don't always think the time and energy I have to put into getting them there and fed beforehand and homework done is really worth it. If they find something they love and are passionate about then of course I will support them, but so far I haven’t seen that. When my daughter decided last year, after four prior years of lessons, that she did not want to take dance lessons any more I was at first sad, then I thought about the hour a week we all spent in the waiting room and the month fee and the costume and tights and recital, and I actually felt relieved.

I like no nonsense reflections that affirm life as we live it.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781400069347
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 4/24/2012
• Pages: 208

Meet the Author

More by this Author

• Every Last One
• One True Thing
• Black and Blue
• A Short Guide to a Happy Life

Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. Her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold more than a million copies. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud and Thinking Out Loud. Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear. She is the author of six novels: Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, and Every Last One.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

"A beautifully written glimpse into heaven that will encourage those who doubt and thrill those who believe."

-Ron Hall, coauthor of Same Kind of Different as Me

"Do you remember the hospital, Colton?" Sonja said. "Yes, mommy, I remember," he said. "That's where the angels sang to me."

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed-a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy's trip to heaven and back.

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body during the surgery-and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories told to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels, how "really, really big" God is, and how much God loves us. Retold by his father, but using Colton's uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, "Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses."

Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.

My thoughts:
I listened to this audio book a couple months ago, but got so bogged down that I am just getting around to reviewing it now.  This book got so much press that I felt like I needed to read it.  I got a copy of it on Paperbackswap and it just sat on my shelf.  I picked it up to try to start it and didn't get anywhere, which is unusual for me.  Then I decided to check the audio book out of the library instead.  I was not a big fan of the narrator chosen for the audio book, I think I would have liked to have heard it read by the author instead as it is about real events, not a work of fiction.  Since Burpo is a pastor who is used to public speaking, I think this book would have been better with him reading it.

I believe in heaven, but I have to wonder if the experience will be the same for everyone.  I was hoping that reading this book would remove some of my skepticism about the book itself, and i feel like it should have, but some of that doubt about if this story is real or made up to help people believe more fully in times of need is still there.  Would a four year old really have remembered all those details?  Did his parents lead him on and embellish his memories without really meaning to?  I believe he was out of his body during the surgery and even that he may have been to heaven during that time, but all of the details provided in his descriptions over the course of time actually made me believe less rather than more?  The abundance of details made me less willing to believe rather than more. 

I think it is great that so many people have gotten a lot of hope out of this book and it has not lessened that I think heaven is for real, but some of the descriptions did not seem authentic to me for a child that young.  Maybe growing up in a religious family  had something to do with it or the rephrasing by his father changed things around.  I hope that Colton is right and that no one is old in heaven and no one needs glasses.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780849946158
• Publisher: Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
• Publication date: 11/2/2010
• Pages: 163

About Todd Burpo

Todd Burpo is the pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska (Population: 1,762) where his sermons are broadcast locally every Sunday via the local radio station. He volunteers at Chase County Public Schools as wrestling coach for Junior high school students, as well as serving as a member of the school board. In emergencies Todd can be found working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department as a fire fighter. He is also the chaplain for the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter's Association.

The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout Jill Abramson

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

An instructive and marvelously entertaining chronicle of a puppy's first year, by the executive editor of The New York Times

One sparkling summer day, Jill Abramson brought home a nine-week-old golden retriever named Scout. Over the following year, as she and her husband raised their adorable new puppy, Abramson wrote a hugely popular column for The New York Times's website about the joys and challenges of training this rambunctious addition to their family. Dog-lovers from across the country inundated her with e-mails and letters, and the photos they sent in of their own dogs became the most visited photo album on the Times's site in 2009.

Now Abramson has gone far beyond the material in her column and written a detailed and deeply personal account of Scout's first year. Part memoir, part manual, part investigative report, The Puppy Diaries continues Abramson's intrepid reporting on all things canine. Along the way, she weighs in on such issues as breeders or shelters, adoption or rescue, raw diet or vegan, pack-leader gurus like Cesar Millan or positive-reinforcement advocates like Karen Pryor.

What should you expect when a new puppy enters your life? With utterly winning stories and a wealth of practical information, The Puppy Diaries provides an essential road map for navigating the first year of your dog's life.

My thoughts:
I listened to this audio book on my ipod while running and cleaning.  While I have never owned a large dog, the largest of the five dogs I've had was a small beagle, I can definitely identify with the challenges of raising a puppy.  House training, guilt about leaving the dog alone for longer than planned, destroyed items like shoes and more, and how to deal with a dog pulling on a leash.  I can see how all of this would be even harder with a larger dog who would be even stronger and could pull harder, who could reach higher on counters and shelves and who could destroy even more.

I think anyone who has ever owned a dog, or anyone thinking about getting one for the first time would benefit from this book.  At one point Abramson tells how she and her husband left Scout with their son while they were away on a trip.  At that point in time her son and his girlfriend were thinking about getting a dog, when they gave Scout back upon the parent's return return the young couple informed them that, although they still wanted to get a dog at some point, they now knew they were not ready for one at this point. 

Having a puppy is so much like having a newborn baby in the house.  You give up sleeping late and not having to think about how long you are going to be gone.  There are places you just can't take them, both babies and puppies, and a lot of people just don't take all those things into consideration. 

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780805093421
• Publisher: Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
• Publication date: 10/11/2011
• Pages: 256

Meet the Author

JILL ABRAMSON, a bestselling and award-winning author, is the executive editor of The New York Times. An unabashed dog-lover, she has long been fascinated by the complex relationship between dogs and their owners. She, her husband, and Scout live in New York City and Connecticut.

Marathon Crasher: The Life and Times of MERRY LEPPER, the First American Woman to Run a Marathon by David Davis

Overview

David Davis’s stunning account of how Merry Lepper became the first American woman to complete a marathon

At a time when television was pushing male-dominated sports coverage into living rooms across America, women were struggling just to set foot onto the playing field. Barred from officially registering for long-distance running competitions, some women ran anyway, defying the authorities and the rules. Still, no American woman had ever successfully completed sports' ultimate endurance test: the marathon.

That changed in December of 1963, when Merry Lepper became the first. Leaping out of her hiding place in the bushes at the start of the race, dodging cars and infuriated race officials, Merry Lepper challenged the status quo and defeated it, years before the ban on female competitors would be revoked. This is the story of the arduous journey women distance runners had to endure to reach equality with men, and the story of how one woman overcame tremendous hurdles to fulfill a shared dream, paving the way for generations of female marathon runners to come.

This ebook also includes a 17-page excerpt from Showdown at Shepherd’s Bush, the story of the epic clash at the 1908 Olympic Marathon that jump-started the first marathon mania and heralded the modern age in sports.

My thoughts:
I read this book on NetGalley a couple weekends ago.  The title jumped out at me because I am registered for my first marathon in October, so anything with the word "marathon" in the title grabs me.  In going about our daily lives we often don't think about people who fought to get us the rights we have today. When I was debating whether or not to register for a marathon I never had to factor in if I would be allowed to run in a marathon.  I thought about if I felt I could train and complete that distance, if I would have the time needed to put into training, and how important this goal was for me.  Before 1963 when Merry Lepper ran as a crasher, no woman had completed a marathon.  The reasons given why women were not allowed seem so silly in retrospect, their bodies were too frail to undertake that strain and stress was a leading argument.  So a woman can carry a pregnancy for 9 months and give birth, but is too frail to run 26.2 miles?  Obviously these arguments were put forth by men.

Merry trained with another female friend and they both jumped out of the bushes when the race started and jumped in with the other runners.  Men tried to stop them and tried to get them out of the race, but they kept going.  Unfortunately Merry's friend did not complete the race, a fact that to this day causes her to feel regret, but Merry did.  Her accomplishment barely got her a mention in the news as it was a busy news week.  But today, all the women running can be thankful for her perseverance and dedication to something she felt passionate about.  Merry did not even tell her parents what she planned to do that day, she only said she was going to Hollywood with friends.  The marathon she ran in no longer exists, but the overall number of marathons has increased tremendously.

When I started reading this book I thought it was going to be all about Merry and women's running, but there were long sections about running in general.  One thing I kept thinking as I was reading was that now, in most races I've been in that break down entrants by gender, more women are registering and completing races than men.  Women are making up for lost time and exercising the right they have to use their bodies as they see fit!

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781466817104
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 6/5/2012
• Sold by: ST MARTINS / MPS
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 32
• Sales rank: 287,490
• File size: 1 MB

Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea's Family, Friends and Other Victims

Overview

"My tendency to make up stories and lie compulsively for the sake of my own amusement takes up a good portion of my day and provides me with a peace of mind not easily attainable in this economic climate."--Chelsea Handler, from Chapter 10 of Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

It's no lie: Chelsea Handler loves to smoke out "dumbassness," the condition people suffer from that allows them to fall prey to her brand of complete and utter nonsense. Friends, family, co-workers--they've all been tricked by Chelsea into believing stories of total foolishness and into behaving like total fools. Luckily, they've lived to tell the tales and, for the very first time, write about them.

My thoughts:
Here is my first confession, I didn't read the description well enough and actually thought I was ordering a new book by Chelsea.  I know it is very clear that it is not written by her, but I was placing a quick Amazon order and needed to have $25 to get the free super saver shipping, so I added a book from my wish list not really paying attention to it as I should have.  It turned out to be a funny book and I enjoyed it, but it was just another reminder that, even though I love to read, I need to make sure I am reading the fine print.  I would hate to miss something more important than the author of a book!  (Actually, yesterday i went to the store because I really wanted ice cream cake.  It was hot, I'd run 10 miles and felt like I could splurge on it.  My daughter and I ran in quick, I shopped by price in the supermarket case, paid and left.  We got home and I discovered that the cake that was least expensive was only half ice cream, the other part was actually vanilla cake.  Since the chocolate ice cream part is the part I like least and was the only part I got I was really disappointed.  The universe is telling me to start reading the whole cover or package before I make a decision.  Recommendation is now noted!)

So, the book, since that was the point of the post.  There are thirteen chapters.  11 by friends or family, one by Chunk who is Chelsea's dog, and one of funny emails she has gotten from the censoring department about what needs to be changed in an episode of Chelsea Lately before it can be aired.  Obvious words to be bleeped and discussion points that are inappropriate.  Different friends have been lied to in big and small ways, from Chelsea pretending to be pregnant with more than one of them, to friends moving in with her, to people being sex addicts or amazing winners at betting.  I have to admit that I am a tad gullible, so if I were a friend of Chelsea she would probably get me every time with her lies.  I would be the one thinking out her whole pregnancy ahead of time or worrying for her about this or that.

So what I learned from this book, if you ever become a friend or staffer of Chelsea Handler do not leave your computer on and unlocked when you leave your office or she will send an email to someone from it with some kind of big lie in it like, you just realized you are gay, you are very attracted to someone else, or something equally embarrassing.  Be careful taking medicine from someone else's house, just because the label says one thing, what is in the bottle might be something else.  And lastly, have fun with life.  It is more fun to laugh than to cry!

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781455504657
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 5/10/2011
• Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 304

The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training by Dawn Dias

Description from Amazon.com:
Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.

The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. It opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to's, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.

The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women also integrates entries from Dias' journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and — most important of all — the amazing rewards.
Anyone can do a marathon. This book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.

My thoughts:
I bought this book as part of my own Mother's Day gift.  Even though I have been running for nine months, I still have a hard time seeing myself as a runner.  I've done races, most recently a half marathon and registered for a full marathon for fall, but I felt like I needed something to motivate and encourage me.  This book did.  Dawn started running with the goal of running a marathon.  She trained for four or five months and completed her marathon, albeit with some walking.  Her writing is funny and encouraging at the same time.  I do not think that I would aim for a marathon without having some running experience first, but many people do and a lot of it is in your head and in your preparation.  If she could go from the couch to 26.2, there is no reason i can't get from my current long distance of 13.1 to 26.2 in five months.

I did get a little tired of her going on about losing her knee caps, what does that even mean?  I understand aches and pains, I've had those, but I never described it as losing a body part.  One thing that is going to stay in my head is her quote, that I should look up to make sure it is accurate, that Oprah finished a marathon in 4:30.  That was my goal based on my half marathon time.  I feel like if Oprah could do it, then I should too, and I know going into the my first time I should just focus on finishing and feel good.  Any time with be a PR and I can focus on getting faster in the future, but the competitive part of me wants to finish it strong and with a good time for me.

This book was good at putting the journey in perspective in a humorous way and has, for now at least, motivated me to start journaling on my other blog about the experience.  You can check out my latest thoughts on running here.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; 1 edition (January 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580052053
• ISBN-13: 978-1580052054

My Week with Marilyn by Colin Clark

Overview

Imagine sneaking away to spend seven days with the most famous woman in the world…

In 1956, fresh from Oxford University, twenty-three-year-old Colin Clark began work as a lowly assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, the film that united Sir Laurence Olivier with Marilyn Monroe. The blonde bombshell and the legendary actor were ill suited from the start. Monroe, on honeymoon with her new husband, the celebrated playwright Arthur Miller, was insecure, often late, and heavily medicated on pills. Olivier, obsessively punctual, had no patience for Monroe and the production became chaotic. Clark recorded it all in two unforgettable diaries—the first a charming fly-on-the- wall account of life as a gofer on the set; the other a heartfelt, intimate, and astonishing remembrance of the week Clark spent escorting Monroe around England, earning the trust and affection of one of the most desirable women in the world. Published together here for the first time, the books are the basis for the upcoming major motion picture My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams, Judi Dench, and Kenneth Branagh.

England was abuzz when Monroe arrived to shoot The Prince and the Showgirl. She hoped working with the legendary Olivier would give her acting further credibility, while he hoped the film would give his career a boost at the box office and some Hollywood glamour. But Monroe, feeling abandoned when Miller left the country for Paris, became difficult on the set. Clark was perceptive in his assessment of what seemed to be going wrong in Monroe’s life: too many hangers-on, intense insecurity, and too many pills. Olivier, meanwhile, was impatient and condescending toward her. At a certain point, feeling isolated and overwhelmed, Monroe turned her attention to Clark, who gave her comfort and solace. Before long, she escaped the set and a remarkable true adventure took place. Monroe and Clark spent an innocent week together in the English countryside and Clark became her confidant and ally. And, like any man would be expected to, he fell a bit in love. Clark understood how best to handle Monroe and became Olivier’s only hope of getting the film finished. Before long, young Colin was in over his head, and his heart may well have been broken by the world’s biggest movie star.

A beguiling memoir that reads like a fable, My Week with Marilyn is above all a love letter to one of our most enduring icons.

My thoughts:
I listened to this on audio from a library download.  I was worried that I listened to it in the wrong order as it started with Colin's week with Marilyn, had an epilogue and a letter he wrote to a friend, and then started back way before Marilyn arrived with how he managed to secure his job on the movie set to begin with.  I enjoyed the beginning portion of the book about Marilyn and Colin's friendship with her.  The story lost something for me when it backtracked to his regular journal about his day to day things and used initials for Marilyn (MM), Sir Lawrence Olivier (SLO) and so forth.  It felt like I was listening to text messages.

In my opinion the book would have been better if it had stuck to the one week and skipped the rest of the journal.  I honestly started fast forwarding to see if something interesting was going to happen and it never really did.  Colin dated a woman from wardrobe, Colin lived in a room in a friend of his parents home, Colin had a nice visit with Vivian Leigh.  It was just a bit too ordinary and dry to make a good read.  I doubt someone, even myself, would want to go back and read six months worth of old journal entries.  The one dealing with Marilyn were a glimpse into the details of someone famous and they were friends who spent time together, so they had meaning and a lot more details than the ones about finding a house to rent and getting up early to be at work.

So, I enjoyed the first part and allowed myself the luxury of skipping some of the mundane details.  I think this would be an interesting movie to see at some point.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781602861497
• Publisher: Weinstein Publishing
• Publication date: 10/4/2011
• Pages: 336

Best Friends, Occasional EnemiesThe Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughter by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline

Overview

From the New York Times bestselling writing team comes a hilarious new collection of essays that observe life from a mother/daughter perspective

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesca Serritella are the best of friends—99.9% of the time. They’re number one on each other’s speed dial and they tell each other everything—well, almost everything. They share shoes and clothes—except one very special green jacket, which almost caused a catfight.

In other words, they’re just like every mother and daughter in the world. Best friends, and occasional enemies. Now they’re dishing about it all—their lives, their relationship, and their carb count.

Inspired by their weekly column, “Chick Wit” for The Philadelphia Inquirer, this book is one you’ll have to put down—just to stop laughing.

Lisa on Being a Mom - Motherhood has no expiration date. Francesca lives in the city, and I worry about her all the time. My daughter moved out, so why am I still lactating?

Francesca on Being a Daughter - My mother is always right. Just ask her.

Lisa on Things Every Daughter Should Know - Your mother is always thinking about you, but that’s not creepy. Your mother will never forget who did you dirty in the sixth grade, for which you can thank her. And your mother will never stop asking you if you need to go to the bathroom, before you leave the house. Well, do you?

Francesca on Closet Wars - My mom is a great dresser. Mostly because she’s wearing my clothes.

Lisa on Aging Gracefully - My sex drive is in reverse, I have more whiskers than my cat, and my estrogen replacement is tequila.

Francesca on Apartment Living - When I saw a mouse, the first person I called was Mom. She told me to call my super, but I felt bad bothering him. I hate to bother people. But I love to bother my mother.

My thoughts:
I listened to this audio book a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  Most of the chapters are by Lisa, the mother of the duo, and she is funny and feels like a friend.  I've never lived alone, but I have lived with multiple dogs and children and I could totally relate to her description of her house and the baby gates between rooms and areas that are to help keep everyone in the right space but pose a big tripping obstacle course!

I found myself nodding along as they talked about this and that.  It really was like being at a funny dinner party with friends who were sharing the funny thing that happened when they ordered workout wear and it seemed tiny.  Or the time there were mice in their apartment and they tried every humane idea before calling the scary/stalker exterminator to take car of the problem.  How the kitchen can become your place to hang out when you live alone so you are close to the refrigerator.  It was lighthearted,fun and each chapter is so fast that when you only have five minutes you have time to listen to one and an easy place to stop afterwards. 

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780312651633
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 11/22/2011
• Pages: 288

The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine

About Crystal Paine:

 Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years—and living a frugal, simple, and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, is one of the top personal finance blogs on the web averaging over four million pageviews per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend, and Real Simple magazine and numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations. www.moneysavingmom.com

About the book:

Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels

With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can:

• Achieve a complete financial makeover

• Set up a realistic budget

• Never pay retail

• Slash your grocery bill

• Organize your time & your home

• Use coupons wisely

• Pay with cash only

• Live simply

• Become debt free

• Choose contentment

• Make every dollar count

 

About the tour and giveaway:

"What I love about the audio edition of The Money Saving Mom'®s Budget is that I can listen to it on the go - on my run, in the car, or while I'm folding laundry. AND ... I love that it comes with the downloadable worksheets. I am able to work through those while listening to Crystal speak. So helpful. Perfect for my busy schedule." --Anne, blogger (and reformed budget breaker!)

Celebrate with Crystal by entering her iPad2 Giveaway (a GREAT tool to keep track of your budget!) and RSVPing to the Live Webcast Event on 4/5!

One savvy winner will receive:

• A Brand new iPad2
• The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Cyrstal Paine, audio edition

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 4/4/12. Winner will be announced at The Money Saving Mom's Live Webcast Event on 4/5. Crystal will be hosting an evening of chat, laughter and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll share tips and advicde and her husband will be joining her to share how the principles Crystal outlines in her book have dramatically impacted their family life. She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and much more!

So grab your copy of The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget and join Crystal and friends on the evening of April 5th for an evening of fun of learning, sharing and encouragement.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!

Want more info about the MSM?

Click here!

My thoughts:

This book is just what I needed right now.  I am still on the step of getting rid of the clutter in my life and home, something I have struggled with on an ongoing basis for years.  I know from past experience that, when I don't have to waste time looking for lost items or wondering where things are, everything else goes so much more smoothly, but it is also so easy to put off.  I have also had times in the past where I was great with using coupons and shopping the ads for sales and such, but it is easy to think or feel like you just don't have enough time to do it all.  Crystal gave a very clear figure, she said that once you've implemented a tip if it doesn't save you at least $20 or more an hour than it isn't worth the time you are putting into it.  I am not sure that I will be using her tip of setting a budget and then only giving yourself cash for the month to meet areas such as groceries and entertainment, but I do plan to set up a budget and use it carefully each month to see where our money is going and how we can make it work for us better for the future.

I loved being able to listen to this while I did chores, drove on errands or while I was getting my running miles in.  It gave me something to think about while still getting a lot of other things done at the same time.  I highly recommend it if you are looking for a way to gain back control in your life of your finances.  I can't wait to put some of the tips to work in my own life.

 

 

Link to tour:here.

Watch her videos:  here.

Link to buy the book:  here.