Bonk by Mary Roach

Stuck in the doctor’s office for 4 hours last week, I finally cracked the cover of Bonk.  I’ve had this book checked out for 3 weeks, and have been meaning to read it for a year or so, but there’s something about non-fiction that makes my eyes glaze over and reach for the nearest fluff book on the shelf.  But, with no other choice than staring at the sterile white walls, I began to read.

What attracted me to Bonk initially was an NPR interview with the author when she first published Stiff: the Curious Life of Human Cadavers.  I was intrigued, and am still on hold for Stiff from the library…it’s always checked out when I want it!  So, in a quest to expand my non-fiction repertoire, I happened upon Bonk…it has a cute cover.

An entire book about the science of sex?  I had no idea what to expect.  At least with romances you know what you’re in for, the cover tells you everything!

Within the first chapter of Bonk I was hooked!  Mary Roach successfully takes an incredibly intimate and almost taboo topic and fearlessly explores how science has gained knowledge of the physiology of sex.  With amazing (and amusing) research, great dialogue, and wonderful footnotes (DO NOT SKIP THE FOOTNOTES!!) Bonk is a great discussion starter, and a great book to read aloud with your spouse.  You have to read it aloud, otherwise said spouse will be asking you every 5 minutes why you’re chortling away…coming from personal experience, anyway.

Bonk is an wonderful, open look at human behavior, and how society reacts & responds to that behavior.  Enjoy Bonk with an open mind and a sense of the ridiculous – because, really, how seriously can we take ourselves?

Surprisingly fun & informative, best when enjoyed with friends/spouse

Perfume by Daniel Suskind

We experience our world through our senses – be it a noisy evening rush hour, or a serene walk in the forest. Watching a movie (say, Last of the Mohicans) is a visual and phonic delight; while exploring a yarn store is a tactile & optical adventure that never ceases to amaze me. Tasting chocolate always stops me in my tracks, and the light, sweet decadence of tiramisu pushes me right over into a PG-13 rating.

But scent. Smell is one of those senses that we just take for granted. Sure, it’s great to walk by a bakery in the morning, or wince at those unfortunate elevator smells you come across occasionally. But to actually think about smell, and how you are inundated with scents throughout the day…and most of the time, you never even notice it.

German author Patrick Suskind wrote Das Perfume (Perfume) in 1985; an exploration of scent and how it connects to our emotions and ultimately, our humanity. But, in spite of the potential murkiness of deep thought – Perfume is an engaging read. Learning about making perfume was fascinating – the various methods of capturing and preserving the scents and the science behind building harmonic essences was eye opening to say the least. And, it’s a ripping good, although disquieting, tale of a murderer. (Think Dexter, but without the redeeming qualities.)

This book has also been incorporated into American mainstream – most recently in the form of a movie starring Alan Rickman & Dustin Hoffman (Don’t go there…that way lies disaster. At least read the book first!) I’ve recommended this book to many friends, and I have to say, it’s a love-hate thing. But even those who didn’t care for Suskind’s Perfume, all agree that the imagery and writing is phenomenal.

A delight to the senses, disturbing serial killer, must read!

Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon is one of my all time favorite authors – her Deed of Paksenarrion is one of the best high fantasy novels out there (I’ve read it at least 15 times, and love it more each time I crack it open).  She’s also written a couple of great space-opera series, and a marvelous stand alone novel entitled Remnant Population.  I love her details & plotlines; I adore how her characters grow, suffer, learn, & triumph.  Moon just writes a golly-gosh-darn good story!

The Speed of Dark is a bit of a departure from Moon’s usual Science Fiction/Fantasy fare.  Although it is most definitely in the Science Fiction genre, it is more introspective & thoughtful than her other works – less adventure, more character depth.

Lou, the main character, is a high functioning autistic man who works in a sophisticated technical job with other autistic employees.  There’s something about the way the autistic mind sees patterns & solutions that makes Lou & his colleagues ideal for this job.  Lou is happy with his job, happy with his schedule, content to be who he is.

Then a new manager arrives on the scene and begins questioning the purpose of the autistic staff.  In an effort to cut costs and “cure” their autism, the workers are STRONGLY encouraged to undergo an experimental treatment; with their jobs and housing at risk should they decline treatment. 

Moon does an amazing job of putting herself in the autistic mind – painting a perspective of life that is so hard for us “normals” (to quote the book) to conceive.  Ultimately, Lou has to decide what makes him him.  Is he defined by his autism?  Were his autism to be cured, would he be a different person?  Would he love the same woman after the treatment as before?  Will he be able to see & create the patterns that are so important to his career after the surgery?

Winner of the 2003 Nebula Award and the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke Award, The Speed of Dark merits at least a second, if not a third read!

Great, page-turning read, even if you don’t like SciFi!

Postcards from No Man’s Land

In my past life (i.e. pre-munchkins) I was a children/teen librarian, and I spent my days happily reading picture books, manga, and fulfilling my incredibly embarrassing obsession with Wolverine.   But every once in a while I’d tear myself away and read a “real book.”  Reading Postcards from No Man’s Land by Aidan Chambers was the result of one of these fits of maturity, and it’s a book that I continue to remember & reflect on even 4 years later.

This tale has 2 storylines; one from the perspective of a young man, Jacob, in the 1990’s exploring Amsterdam, the other story follows his grandmother, Geertrui, and her experiences in WWII.  It is a beautiful melding of lives, cultures, and history, and presents compassionate and realistic discussions of euthanasia, adultery, and love.  I’m not a big war story fan, yet this book appealed to me through accessible characters, engaging writing, and an empathetic discussion of hot button issues – with no accusations or recriminations.  I also enjoyed the romantic aspect of the book.  Both Geertrui & Jacob discover love, and although love is just one of many themes explored, it struck me as the most rewarding.  Simply put, cliché or no, no matter how bad things get, where there’s love, there’s hope.

Postcards from No Man’s Land is the worthy recipient of the 1999 Carnegie Medal, and the 2003 Michael  L. Printz Award.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Great book to curl up with. Cocoa & blanket required.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Speak (January 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142407887

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourne

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”

Now if that isn’t the BEST opening line for a book, I don’t know what is.  I was browsing in the bookstore, picked up Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn because I liked the cover (yes, I do pick out my books by the cover…bad habit), read the first sentence and was hooked.

Lady Julia Grey (whose afore mentioned twitching husband) slowly comes to realize that her husband’s death – attributed to his ailing health – may, in fact, be murder.  Her debut novel, Raybourn fleshed out the tale with lively characters, sly humor, an engaging plot, and a wonderful sparking chemistry between Lady Julia & Nicholas Brisbane, the enigmatic doctor who helps Julia find the pieces to the puzzle.

Two more Lady Julia Gray mysteries follow Silent in the Grave, Silent on the Moor & Silent in the Sanctuary – which, I have to admit, are still sitting on my to read pile;  partly because I get easily sidetracked (new Elizabeth Moon book out!!) and partly because I loved Silent in the Grave so much, I’m still savoring the experience.

Book to be savored, yet devoured in one sitting.

• Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Mira (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325245

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Two years before the madness of the Twilight Phenomena, Robin McKinley wrote a gem of a tale entitled Sunshine.  My all-time favorite vampire story, this is FAR less angsty, much more entertaining, and an amazingly better read than any of the Twilight series (AUGGH…hear me out before you start pitching those tomatoes!).

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed the Twilight series, and yes, I have each title in hardback, picked up the day of distribution at my local bookstore. (Much to the confusion and dismay of my husband). They are fun reads – but they have nothing on the edgy urban fantasy McKinley creates in Sunshine.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way to describe this book – but here are a few ways to decide if Sunshine is right for you:

• If you loved Twilight, this is a perfect next step
• If you hated Twilight, this book offers redemption
• If you’re an avid Buffy fan (please, please, let me be not the only one left…)
• If you like romantic tension – here you go…very tasty
• If you like Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series
• If you like Charles DeLint’s Newford series
• If you, like me, adored Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks…Bravissimo!

Give it a try!!  And let me know what you think…

The best vampire story ever. Hands down. The best.

• Amazon Link
• Paperback: 405 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425224015

March, by Geraldine Brooks

Every year I re-read my Louisa May Alcott collection.  My personal favorites are Old Fashioned Girl & Eight Cousins, but there’s a special place in my heart for Little Women.  I recently revisited the March family, looking for maternal inspiration…maybe someday I can be as patient as Marmee, or as cool as Jo.  I mean come on – weekly pillow fights??  Jo rocks!

Anyway – I had the sudden urge to fill in some of the blanks, and I began looking for story arcs to complete my mental image of the March family, and I stumbled upon Geraldine Brooks’ March, being the tale of the girls’ father, Mr. March.  While the four little women are worrying about their burdens (Meg’s desire for society, Jo’s temper, Beth’s shyness, and Amy’s…well… nose) Mr. March is entrenched in horrors of the Civil War.

Mr. March’s character is built not only from the framework established in Little Women, but also from the real-life experiences of Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott.  The result is an amazing meshing of fact and fiction, which gives Little Women so much more depth, along with realistic and brutal insight of the Civil War.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how cold reality was so sharply contrasted with the sheltered & idealized world of the March girls.  My only complaint with Louisa May Alcott’s writing is that she does get preachy and saccharine after a while – I love her dearly, but even I can feel the cavities coming on after too much exposure.  March is the complete antithesis of that lovely poetic world Meg, Jo, Bet & Amy reside in; but somehow, in the midst of these completely opposing viewpoints, a grey middle ground of reality is found…and oddly enough, it made Little Women a more satisfying read.

In addition to an engaging story, I was also able to piece together a probable picture of Louisa May Alcott’s life, and how the experiences of her father influenced the woman and writer she became.  I know, I know, fact into fiction and all that.  But sometimes, even a hypothetical background can provide some interesting perspective…which has made re-reading my favorite Alcott tales all the more interesting this year.

Fascinating insight, don’t read if you’re a Little Women purist.

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (March 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670033359
• Amazon Link

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang

Kate Wilhelm.  Everything the past 4 months has been Kate Wilhelm.  While randomly picking out downloadable audio books from my library, I discovered the Barbara Holloway series and fell in love with the dialogue & characters, and have since devoured every title in that series.  So, like any obsessive librarian, I wanted to learn more about the author.  Imagine my glee when I discovered that my new favorite author started her career in the Science Fiction genre (fie on ye, reality, and begone!)  Wilhelm earned the Nebula Award in 1976, and the Hugo Award in 1977 for this gem of a tale: Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang.

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang begins not too long from now – perhaps next month, with a massive economic collapse and ensuing plague that reduces civilization to rioting masses.  A family of foresighted landowners have cultivated a diversity of professionals in their offspring – ranging from medical sciences to genetics, to livestock management.  When things go bad for the rest of the world, the family secludes themselves from the chaos and creates a thriving utopian valley.

Except for one little problem.  There is no future generation – all humans have been rendered sterile.  So, naturally, to ensure a future, the family turns to cloning.

Now comes that part that I find so fascinating about this tale – it is not a morality tale on the benefits or evils of cloning.  Nor is it a body-snatchers-zombie-world-takeover tale.  Quite simply – it is a wonderful look at what makes us human.  Why are we unique, and where is the line between insanity and ingenuity?  What makes civilization prosper, and more important yet, what makes us whole?  What does it mean to be alone?

But fear not!  All of these deep thoughts are packaged in one of the most enjoyable and readable novellas I’ve come across in a long time.

Fabulous story, deep thoughts cleverly disguised by amazing character development.

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Orb Books; 1st edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312866151
• Amazon Link