Extra. Extra. Read All About it. 


I know, I know, it's a newspaper reference.  

I don't read that often, but I would certainly like to read more.  I need something that will grab my attention, keep it, and expand my mind.   Please share with us the books that transform your minds or your lives or simply books you think someone looking at this site  might enjoy.  Anything is welcome from  fantasy fiction to partisan politics, if you think it's worth sharing it probably is... at least to you :)  

"Like dreaming, reading performs the prodigious task of carrying us off to other worlds. But reading is not dreaming because books, unlike dreams, are subject to our will: they envelop us in alternative realities only because we give them explicit permission to do so. Books are the dreams we would most like to have, and, like dreams, they have the power to change consciousness, turning sadness to laughter and anxious introspection to the relaxed contemplation of some other time and place." 
-Victor Null

Again, submit using the form below or email me at [email protected].  Looking forward to your book suggestions. 

Also, if you are interested in forming a book club let me know and if there is enough interest we can set something up.  I would certainly be interested.  :)

"The Help" by Katherine Socket

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Everyone should read this book about the Civil Rights movement, but told from several perspectives. Engaging and thought-provoking; well-constructed. Five stars.


Recommended by: Teresa C. (9.2.2010)

"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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I love Bill Bryson's books and have read almost all of them. A Walk in the Woods is a humorous account of a middle aged man's attempt to tackle the Appalachian trail. Bryson and his sidekick Katz experience many ups and downs while out on the trail, but by the end I was thinking "if they can do this I could do this!"

Recommended by:  Jessica C. (8.16.2010)

'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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HeLa cells are the the most widely used cells in research and have been the necessary tool for many ground breaking discoveries. For a very long time almost no one knew where or more appropriately who these cells came from. The unknowing donor of the original cancer tissue sample (taken in 1951) that the original cell culture was made from was Henrietta Lacks. The author tries to piece together the story of Henrietta, her family, and her cells. In the process she tries to help Mrs. Lacks family learn the truth about HeLa. Even if you are not interested in science or medicine this story is meaningful.


Recommended by: Jessica C (8.16.2010)

"Why We Love" by Helen Fisher

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I'd say this book is an A+ for interesting.  I read it some time ago but it really dives into questions many of us ask.   Why monogamy?  Why sometimes does it feel that I just can't get that guy/girl out of my head?!  Why can I relate to Ke$ha's lyrics: "your love is my drug...I don't care what people say/the rush is worth the price I pay/I get so high when you're with me/But crash and crave you when you leave"??  Or, is that just me? 


Anyway, love is a powerful thing.  Losing love can hasten death and gaining love can cure sickness.  This book looks at the etymology of love, when our hominid ancestors gained the brain components that favor a deep connectivity with a partner, called love.   It briefly examines the evolution of monogamy, and delves into various matters I think most people would find interesting. 


Have a good read.  

Recommended by:  Annie (8.9.2010)

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