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| Two-year-old Shiloh has a unique way of holding this book. |
10 ~ Loved it!! Couldn't put it down!!
9 ~ Excellent!
8 ~ Very Good
7 ~ Good
6 ~ Above Average
5 ~ Average
..... "Nah" once again becomes .....4 - Struggled to finish, but not worth it
3 ~ Annoying ~ a waste of time
2 ~ Poor ~ one I abandoned
1 ~ Pitiful!
0 ~ Awful!! Don't bother
* DNF ~ Did Not Finish
January
 |
| January favorite (#6) |
1. For One More Day ~ by Mitch Albom, 2006, fiction, 8/10
My mother moved closer. Her voice softened. "Have you ever dreamt of someone who's gone, Charley, but in the dream you have a new conversation? The world you enter then is not so far from the world I'm in now" (p. 145).2. The Saturday Evening Girls Club ~ by Jane Healey, 2017, fiction (Massachusetts), 8/10
"You count the hours you could have spent with your mother. It's a lifetime in itself" (p. 150).
"I would like to make things right again with those I love" (p. 194).
"Because there was a ghost involved, you may call this a ghost story. But what family isn't a ghost story?" (p. 197).
"I had to hand over my entire pay for the week while Frankie gave them half of his. Because I was a daughter and not a son, I was a servant to my family. No money of my own. No chance for any sort of independence" (p. 31).3. The Good Liar ~ by Catherine McKenzie, 2018, fiction (Illinois and Canada), 8/10
"I want to have a shop and a family ― why should I have to choose one or the other?" (p. 110).
"I felt as if the woman I used to be was stolen from me, taken by his camera, and I could never get her back" (p. 86).4. Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body ~ by Martin Pistorius, 2013, memoir, 8/10
"Pseudocide. That's what faking your own death was called. It wasn't illegal, but according to an article she'd read, it generally required so many other frauds to pull it off that you were bound to make it illegal" (p. 316).
"My mind was trapped inside a useless body, my arms and legs weren't mine to control, and my voice was mute. I couldn't make a sign or a sound to let anyone know I'd become aware again I was invisible ― a ghost boy" (p. 11).5. Elsewhere ~ by Gabrielle Zevin, 2005, fiction (Elsewhere), 8/10
"No one seems to consider that even people who are thought to be intellectually impaired can change as they grow older" (p. 53).
"Virna is the only one who sees me. More importantly, she believes in me. She understands my language ― the smiles, gazes, and nods that are all I have at my disposal" (p. 64).
"I can't spit out syllables in anger or shriek them happily; my words will never quaver with emotion, rise expectantly for a laugh just before a punch line, or drop dangerously in anger. Instead I deadpan each and every one electronically" (p. 142).
"I think you'll find ... that dying is just another part of living, Elizabeth. In time, you may even come to see your death as a birth. Just think of it as Elizabth Hall: The Sequel" (pp. 78-79).6. A Curve in the Road ~ by Julianne MacLean, 2018, fiction (Canada), 9/10
"How could you possibly see all the way back to Earth?"
"Maybe that's the thing. Maybe Earth's not far at all. ... I think of it like a tree, because every tree is really two trees. There's the tree with the branches that everyone sees, and then there's the upside-down root tree, growing the opposite way. So Earth is the branches, growing up to the sky, and Elsewhere is the roots, growing down in opposing but perfect symmetry. The branches don't think much about the roots, and maybr the roots don't think much about the branches, but all the time, they're connected by the trunk, you know? Even though it seems far from the roots to the branches, it isn't. You're always connected..." (p. 109).
"A life isn't measured in hours and minutes. It's the quality, not the length" (p. 266).
"Intuition is a funny thing. Sometimes it's a gut feeling, and you look around and just know something bad is about to happen. Other times, it's elusive, and later you find yourself looking back on certain events and wondering how in the world you missed all the signals" (p. 1).7. Nell and Lady ~ by Ashley Farley, 2018, fiction (South Carolina), 9/10
"And what was he doing on the road to Lunenburg in the first place, when he knew I was on my way back to Halifax?" (p. 21).
"Adelaide Bellemore was known to family and friends as Lady, although no one considered her a lady, least of all her mother" (p. vi).8. The Daughter ~ by Lucy Dawson, 2017, fiction, 6/10
"The roots of her alcoholism traced back to those first tequila shots on her sixteenth birthday" (p. 114).
"Hello, Jess," says Simonuge bunch of flowers. "Long time no see" (p. 122).9. Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero ~ by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory, 2011, memoir, 9/10
"Mike, the tower is gone."10. Santa Sold Shrooms: The Origin Story of the World's Most Famous Person ~ by Tero Isokauppila, 2018, fiction, 5/10
We stand there for a moment, David and I. We clasp hands. Tower 2 has died, but we are alive. Two men and a dog. (p. 136).
"Are all the facts in this book 100% true? Probably not. But there are plenty of legitimate sources verifying Santa's shamanistic roots" (p. 44).11. Zen Judaism ~ by David M. Bader, 2002, humor, 8/10
"The Torah says, 'Love thy neighbor as thy self.' The Buddha says there is no 'self.' So maybe you are off the hook. If there is no self, whose arthritis is this?" (p. 45).12. The Diary ~ by Eileen Goudge, 2009, fiction (Nebraska), 8/10
"Life is suffering. Following the Eightfold Way brings about the cessation of suffering. But where is it written that you are supposed to be happy?" (p. 52).
"Do not kvetch. Be a kvetch. Become one with your whining" (p. 54).
"Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkes" (p. 101).
"Follow your heart, child. It may lead you astray at times, but in the end it never steers you wrong" (p. 142).
"You have what I could only dream of growing up. Only someone who doesn't know what it's like to have nothing, to be nothing, would willingly throw that away" (p. 157).
"He made her happy. And didn't she always tell us that being happy was the most important thing in life?" (p. 212).
February
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| February favorite (#13) |
13. The Virtues of Oxygen ~ by Susan Schoenberger, 2014, fiction (New York), 10/10
"Vivian, Holly thought, would have had a lot to say about medical advances that kept people alive when they might not want to be, given a choice" (p. 74).14. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End ~ by Atul Gawande, 2014, social science, 10/10
"The first time I overheard someone refer to me as an 'invalid' I was shocked. But that's what I am. Have you ever thought about the meaning of that word? In-valid. I don't count. I don't even register except as a burden to other people" (p. 127).
"We all just do what we have to do to keep body and soul together" (p. 130).
"No one but Holly thought I would want to talk about the obvious difficulties, but I did. A part of me wanted everyone to know just how hard it was to be me" (p. 175).
"I feel at home here. People are actually nice to each other" (p. 214).
15. Summary and Analysis of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End ~ A Guide to the Book by Atul Gawande ~ by ZipReads, 2018, social science, 10/10"Research has shown that loss of bone density may be a better predictor of death from atherosclerotic disease than cholesterol levels" (p. 30).
Another Feb. favorite (#14)
"The three primary risk factors for falling are poor balance, taking more than four prescription medications, and muscle weakness" (p. 40).
"Three Plagues of nursing home existence: boredom, loneliness, and helplessness" (p. 116).
"Four crucial questions. At this moment in your life ... :
1. Do you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops?
2. Do you want aggressive treatments such as intubation and mechanical ventilation?
3. Do you want antibiotics?
4. Do you want tube or intravenous feeding if you can't eat on your own?" (p. 179).
"What were her biggest fears and concerns? What goals were most important to her? What trade-offs was she willing to make, and what ones was she not?" (p. 234).
"For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story. ... And in stories, endings matter" (pp. 238, 239).
"People want to share memories, pass on wisdoms and keepsakes, settle relationships, establish their legacies, make peace with God, and ensure that those who are left behind will be okay. They want to end their stories on their own terms" (p. 249).
"We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well-being. And well-being is about the reasons one wishes to be alive" (p. 259).
The vital questions: "What is your understanding of the situation and its potential outcomes? What are your fears and what are your hopes? What are the trade-offs you are willing to make and not willing to make? And what is the course of action that best serves this understanding?" (p. 259).
"Key Takeaway: The Western approach to end-of-life care is primarily medical in nature" (p. 4).
"Whereas decline in the past was precipitous and sudden, death has now become gradual and slow" (p. 6)."Key Takeaway: The medical model is flawed" (p. 8).
"Key Takeaway: A life worth living involves not just time, but the ability to make meaningful choices, which always carry risks" (p. 12)
"The medical approach to aging suggests that more time means more happiness, or that it is better to fight for more time than make the most of what remains. But there isn't a direct correlation between time alive and happiness. Happiness comes from pursuing our interests and living out our values with people we love" (p. 13)."Key Takeaway: Palliative care might be the best approach to death" (p. 16).
"There is also value in dying with dignity, reducing suffering, being conscious to best enjoy what time is left with the people and things that made them want to live longer in the first place" (p. 20).
March
 |
| March favorite (#20) |
16. The Borrower ~ by Rebecca Makkai, 2011, fiction (Missouri), 8/10
"In a library in Missouri that was covered with vines17. Ties That Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps ~ by Dave Isay, 2013, social history, 7/10
Lived thousands of books in a hundred straight lines
A boy came in at half past nine
Every Saturday, rain or shine
His book selections were clan-des-tine" (p. 35).
"Speed, bonnie boat,
Like a bird on the wi-hing,
Onward! the sailors cry,
Carry the lad
That's born to be Ki-hing
Over the sea to Skye-hye-hye-hye-hye-hye!" (p. 97).
"I do still believe that books can save you" (p. 320).
Favorite StoryCorps Questions (pp. 201-202)
- What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?
- Who was the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?
- Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?
- Who has been the kindest to you in your life?
- What are the most important lessons you've learned in life?
- What are you proudest of in your life?
- Are there any word of wisdom you'd like to pass along to me?
- How has your life been different than what you'd imagined?
- How would you like to be remembered?
- Do you have any regrets?
- What does your future hold?
- Is there anything that you've never told me but want to tell me now?
- Is there something about me that you've always wanted to know but have never asked?
"As soon as I sort my belongings I'm moving to a retirement home," Rebecca's mother said. "I already know which one. It's just that I need to get my belongings sorted first" (p. 55).19. The Man Who Died ~ by Antti Tuomainen, 2016 (translation 2017), fiction (Finland), 3/10 (in other words, "nah")
"I've been meaning to ask you, NoNo. Do you still go to that book club of yours?"
"Mm-hmm," NoNo said. "Why?"
"I was thinking how wonderful that must be, having people to talk with seriously. I wish I belonged to something like that. It seems I never get involved in any intellectual conversations anymore" (p. 125).
"Sometimes I hear you talk about the old days, about the way we lived our lives then and the subjects that used to interest us, and I think, Oh, yes, that was back when we were grownups" (p. 188).
"I am convinced my wife has murdered me" (loc. 1565).20. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time ~ by Marcus J. Borg, 1994, theology, 9/10
"As contradictory as it seems, it hasn't for one moment occurred to me that I might be ill. I'm merely dying, that's all. There's a difference" (loc. 1797).
"I've used up every last vestige of energy. I've been at the police station, in the sauna, in a grave" (loc. 2487).
"Jesus knew God as the compassionate one, not as the God of requirements and boundaries" (p. 87).
"Importantly, for Paul 'life under the law' is not simply to be equated with 'life under the Torah.' That is, the problem was not with the Torah as such, but with a way of being that sought to be 'okay' before God through the fulfillment of requirements, be they many or few. Christians sometimes misunderstand this, thinking that the problem was that the Torah had the wrong requirements, and then substituting Christian requirements instead. When this happens, 'life under the law' remains" (p. 105).
"The multiplicity of images for speaking of Jesus' relationship to God (as logos, Sophia, Son ― to name but a few) should make it clear that none of them is to be taken literally. They are metaphorical.)" (p. 109).
April
21. In the Light of the Garden ~ by Heather Burch, 2017, fiction (Florida), 7/10
"He'd mourned. For over a year he'd mourned. But now he was getting the chance to grieve. The two were different. One was a sorrow for all that was lost. The other was an understanding that life had to go on" (p. 100).22. Who Counts? 100 Sheep, 10 Coins, and 2 Sons ~ by Amy-Hill Levine and Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, illustrated by Margaux Meganch, 2017, children's, 9/10
"I wanted a family, but...I wanted it perfect."
Charity nodded.
She sniffed. "But family comes with problems."
Charity reached over and tucked some strands of blonde hair behind Daisy's ear. "Yes, it does."
"I guess you have to make a choice. Run away or stick it out. But it's never going to be perfect" (p. 280).
The father thought, "I have two sons — one, two. I paid attention to my younger son, but I discocunted my older son. I didn't realize that he felt lost" (next to last page).23. Cats ~ by Anna Pollard, 1979, photos, 5/10
"Cats need one good meal a day, given in the evening" (p. 40).
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