My good friend from college, Emily, also has a blog (www.bucketofparts.blogspot.com) on which she recently had this post. She tagged me, so I'm now posting my recommendations:
Three fiction books everyone should read
1) Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
2) Silas Marner - George Eliot
3) Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
Three non-fiction books everyone should read:
1) What's So Great About America - Dinesh D'Souza
2) Miles Gone By - William F. Buckley
3) John Paul The Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father - Peggy Noonan
Three authors everyone should read:
1) Daphne Du Maurier
2) Oliver Sacks
3) Alexander McCall Smith
Wow - that was hard to come up with a top three. I think my mom will be the person most likely to 1) read my blog and 2) continue on the Top Three Recommendations! :)
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Ooooh...book buying spree!
Some months are worse than others in terms of being on call. This month has been particularly painful & I've been on call 8 times! Ouch. I must have made the chief resident mad somehow. Anyway- whenever I have a painful night on call, I feel justified in buying a book (or five) as a reward. Here's a list of some that I've recently purchased:
My Cousin Rachel - Daphne Du Maurier
My all-time favorite book is Rebecca, by the same author & so when I saw this in the "Sale" section of B&N, it was a no-brainer buy. So far, I've read two chapters & am hooked. Also of note, I just listened to Rebecca's Tale, by Sally Beauman, and loved it. I had seen the book on the library shelf many times but always passed it by because it seemed so presumptious for another author to write a sequel to the classic - but, I'm so glad I finally gave in! I loved it!
The Few and The Proud - Larry Smith
I've been interested in reading books pertaining to the Navy & Marine Corps so that I'm more in tune with the patients I deal with every day. I especially enjoyed this book because it deals with Marine Corps' training. Reading this book only confirmed my belief that I would not have made it as a Marine. Heck, I barely made it through Officer training for Navy doctors! Ha! :)
The Sacred Bones - Michael Byrnes
Great book - mystery a la Da Vinci Code but dealing with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions together. I always enjoy a good mystery - I'm 90% done with it, but as usual, I read the end already so I know it ends right too! :)
Speak Softly, She Can Hear - Pam Lewis
This was another book I found on the sale rack - I haven't started it yet, but I remember being intrigued by it when it was a new release.
On Call In Hell - A Doctor's Iraq War Story - CDR Richard Jadick
This book was interesting to me because it's written by a Navy doctor who is also a D.O. While I thought it was a great read, I often disagreed with his view of how doctors should function in the military. Playing the role of both a doctor & an officer is a complicated one, especially when on the front lines. I feel that I took the Hippocratic oath before I began serving as an officer and my goals are aligned accordingly. Others disagree, but as a psychiatrist in training, it is sometimes glaringly obvious how my khaki uniform and lieutenant bars make my patients uncomfortable. Maybe my views will change as I spend the next seven years of my life in uniform - we'll see. Regardless, it's a good read.
Dry - Augusten Burroughs
I recently finished Running with Scissors and liked it, despite the fact that it was outrageous at points. This is a book that doesn't portray psychiatrists in such a great light, but was a good read. I'm anxious to dig into Dry.
The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer
Palmer's books are always enjoyable and so far, this one is great. I love books that combine mysteries with medicine.
The Book of Air and Shadows - Michael Gruber
What could be better - a mystery involving a priceless treasure from William Shakespeare? This book reminded me of the literature mystery The Thirteenth Tale when I perused it in Barnes & Noble and clearly had to buy it. I haven't started this one yet, but I think it will be next.
Ghostwalk - Rebecca Stott
Along the same lines as The Book of Air and Shadows, this novel is a mystery surrounding Isaac Newton. The cover of this book was enough to make me want to buy it. I'm a sucker for packaging. :)
I'm currently listening to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - by John Berendt. So far, very interesting. I may have said this before, but I didn't find out about books on CD until my second year of medical school. I frequently visit libraries, but somehow must have missed this section. I felt cheated - I'd been driving home to Fostoria for six years and could have listened to sooo many more books! So, now that I commute to the hospital and spend a good amount of my life waiting to go through a tunnel, listening to books on CD has made it all worthwhile. I've even gotten Grant into the same habit! :)
Now...if I only had some down time on call so that I could read all of these!!!
My Cousin Rachel - Daphne Du Maurier
My all-time favorite book is Rebecca, by the same author & so when I saw this in the "Sale" section of B&N, it was a no-brainer buy. So far, I've read two chapters & am hooked. Also of note, I just listened to Rebecca's Tale, by Sally Beauman, and loved it. I had seen the book on the library shelf many times but always passed it by because it seemed so presumptious for another author to write a sequel to the classic - but, I'm so glad I finally gave in! I loved it!
The Few and The Proud - Larry Smith
I've been interested in reading books pertaining to the Navy & Marine Corps so that I'm more in tune with the patients I deal with every day. I especially enjoyed this book because it deals with Marine Corps' training. Reading this book only confirmed my belief that I would not have made it as a Marine. Heck, I barely made it through Officer training for Navy doctors! Ha! :)
The Sacred Bones - Michael Byrnes
Great book - mystery a la Da Vinci Code but dealing with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions together. I always enjoy a good mystery - I'm 90% done with it, but as usual, I read the end already so I know it ends right too! :)
Speak Softly, She Can Hear - Pam Lewis
This was another book I found on the sale rack - I haven't started it yet, but I remember being intrigued by it when it was a new release.
On Call In Hell - A Doctor's Iraq War Story - CDR Richard Jadick
This book was interesting to me because it's written by a Navy doctor who is also a D.O. While I thought it was a great read, I often disagreed with his view of how doctors should function in the military. Playing the role of both a doctor & an officer is a complicated one, especially when on the front lines. I feel that I took the Hippocratic oath before I began serving as an officer and my goals are aligned accordingly. Others disagree, but as a psychiatrist in training, it is sometimes glaringly obvious how my khaki uniform and lieutenant bars make my patients uncomfortable. Maybe my views will change as I spend the next seven years of my life in uniform - we'll see. Regardless, it's a good read.
Dry - Augusten Burroughs
I recently finished Running with Scissors and liked it, despite the fact that it was outrageous at points. This is a book that doesn't portray psychiatrists in such a great light, but was a good read. I'm anxious to dig into Dry.
The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer
Palmer's books are always enjoyable and so far, this one is great. I love books that combine mysteries with medicine.
The Book of Air and Shadows - Michael Gruber
What could be better - a mystery involving a priceless treasure from William Shakespeare? This book reminded me of the literature mystery The Thirteenth Tale when I perused it in Barnes & Noble and clearly had to buy it. I haven't started this one yet, but I think it will be next.
Ghostwalk - Rebecca Stott
Along the same lines as The Book of Air and Shadows, this novel is a mystery surrounding Isaac Newton. The cover of this book was enough to make me want to buy it. I'm a sucker for packaging. :)
I'm currently listening to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - by John Berendt. So far, very interesting. I may have said this before, but I didn't find out about books on CD until my second year of medical school. I frequently visit libraries, but somehow must have missed this section. I felt cheated - I'd been driving home to Fostoria for six years and could have listened to sooo many more books! So, now that I commute to the hospital and spend a good amount of my life waiting to go through a tunnel, listening to books on CD has made it all worthwhile. I've even gotten Grant into the same habit! :)
Now...if I only had some down time on call so that I could read all of these!!!
Friday, April 20, 2007
A must-have for bibliophiles!
A couple of years ago, my mom discovered a fantastic new magazine called Bookmarks at Barnes & Noble. A true book lover could not ask for more! Each issue typically focuses on two major authors, and then reviews a large number of new books published in a variety of genres. Additionally, there are regular columns that feature recommendations from book clubs, a "If you liked this author, try ___" article, and reader favorites. Each time I receive the magazine, I add a good twenty more books to my "to read" list. Sometimes it's overwhelming because I haven't finished anywhere near all the books on my list and it just keeps growing! I wish their website (www.bookmarksmagazine.com) showed an example of an old issue, but it's not very helpful. A subscription is $24.95 for 6 issues - and well worth it. I save all my back issues in order to go back and re-read later. The best place to get a look at the magazine would either be B&N, or try your local library - either way, I think you'll be hooked! :)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
~Some of my favorite poetry~
I recently found one of my favorite poetry anthologies on my bookshelf - I had forgotten it was there! I highly recommend it: Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters. It's a compilation of epitaphs created by the person whose tomb it marks in the fictional town of Spoon River. They're short, free-verse, and easy to read - and often, refer to another person in town. I come from a small town and found it very easy to relate to. My favorite one is George Gray.
George Gray
I have studied many times
The marble which was chisesled for me--
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire--
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
I first heard about Pablo Neruda from Patch Adams, M.D. - the physician portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie of the same name. Patch was speaking at Children's Hospital in Columus where I worked while going through college. I remember two things from that speech - 1) that I thoroughly disliked Patch and his attitude toward conventional medicine (despite being at Children's Hospital, he didn't even take time to visit the children!!!) and 2) I loved the poetry he recited from Pablo Neruda. He said that he's committed hundreds of poems to memory and that Neruda was often his most-quoted. I think the movie had Patch reciting poems to his girlfriend from Neruda, too. Anyway - here are two from 100 Love Sonnets; Cien sonetos de amor - on one side the poem is in its original Spanish and the other side of the page is the English translation. (Definitely a book I recommend as a Valentine's gift to a gal who appreciates poetry....)
LXXXIX
When I die, I want your hands on my eyes;
I want the light and wheat of your beloved hands
to pass their freshness over me once more:
I want to feel the softness that changed my destiny.
I want you to live while I wait for you, asleep.
I want your ears still to hear the wind, I want you
to sniff the sea's aroma that we loved together,
to continue to walk on the sand we walk on.
I want what I love to continue to live,
and you whom I love and sang above everything else
to continue to flourish, full-flowered:
so that you can reach everything my love directs you to,
so that my shadow can travel along in your hair,
so that everything can learn the reason for my song.
XVII
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
George Gray
I have studied many times
The marble which was chisesled for me--
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire--
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
I first heard about Pablo Neruda from Patch Adams, M.D. - the physician portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie of the same name. Patch was speaking at Children's Hospital in Columus where I worked while going through college. I remember two things from that speech - 1) that I thoroughly disliked Patch and his attitude toward conventional medicine (despite being at Children's Hospital, he didn't even take time to visit the children!!!) and 2) I loved the poetry he recited from Pablo Neruda. He said that he's committed hundreds of poems to memory and that Neruda was often his most-quoted. I think the movie had Patch reciting poems to his girlfriend from Neruda, too. Anyway - here are two from 100 Love Sonnets; Cien sonetos de amor - on one side the poem is in its original Spanish and the other side of the page is the English translation. (Definitely a book I recommend as a Valentine's gift to a gal who appreciates poetry....)
LXXXIX
When I die, I want your hands on my eyes;
I want the light and wheat of your beloved hands
to pass their freshness over me once more:
I want to feel the softness that changed my destiny.
I want you to live while I wait for you, asleep.
I want your ears still to hear the wind, I want you
to sniff the sea's aroma that we loved together,
to continue to walk on the sand we walk on.
I want what I love to continue to live,
and you whom I love and sang above everything else
to continue to flourish, full-flowered:
so that you can reach everything my love directs you to,
so that my shadow can travel along in your hair,
so that everything can learn the reason for my song.
XVII
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Books I'm Planning On Reading
I'm forever adding titles to my "To Read" list. Here's my current list:
A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books - Nicholas Basbanes
The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History - John Barry
Sweet and Low: A Family Story - Rich Cohen
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion
Dry: A Memoir - Augusten Burroughs (Own this...it's in the pile next to my desk.)
Summer of a Dormouse - John Mortimer
The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story - Angela Bourke
The Dress Lodger - Sheri Holman
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War - Mark Bowden
A Prayer for the Dying - Stewart O'Nan
A Beautiful Mind - Sylvia Nasar
An Instance of the Fingerpost - Iain Pears
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary - Simon Winchester - own this one & think I"ll read it next! :)
Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
The Prisoner's Wife - asha bandele
Driving with Dead People - Monica Holloway
When Rabbit Howls - Truddi Chase
Forever Ours: Real Stories of Immortality and Living From a Forensic Pathologist - Janis Amatuzio
The Freud Reader - Peter Gay (Editor)
Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity - Jon E. Lendon
I'll Carry the Fork!: Recovering a Life After Brain Injury - Kara L. Swanson, Mike Chrumka
Over My Head: A Doctor's Own Story of Head Injury from the Inside Looking Out - Claudia L. Osborn
Vanish - Tess Gerritsen
A Three Dog Life - Abigail Thomas
The Ruins - Scott Smith
A Simple Plan - Scott Smith
My Father the Spy: A Family History of the CIA, the Cold War, and the Sixties - John H. Richardson
I, Wabenzi: A Souvenir - Rafi Zabor
Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin - John Hope Franklin
All Will Be Well - John McGahern
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer - Nathaniel Fick
When All the World Was Young: A Memoir - Barbara Holland
The Necessity of Madness - John Breeding
West of Then: A Mother, a Daughter, and a Journey past Paradise - Tara Bray Smith
Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey through Schizophrenia - Pamela Spiro Wagner, Carolyn S. Spiro
The Cadaver's Ball - Charles Atkins
A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books - Nicholas Basbanes
The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History - John Barry
Sweet and Low: A Family Story - Rich Cohen
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion
Dry: A Memoir - Augusten Burroughs (Own this...it's in the pile next to my desk.)
Summer of a Dormouse - John Mortimer
The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story - Angela Bourke
The Dress Lodger - Sheri Holman
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War - Mark Bowden
A Prayer for the Dying - Stewart O'Nan
A Beautiful Mind - Sylvia Nasar
An Instance of the Fingerpost - Iain Pears
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary - Simon Winchester - own this one & think I"ll read it next! :)
Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
The Prisoner's Wife - asha bandele
Driving with Dead People - Monica Holloway
When Rabbit Howls - Truddi Chase
Forever Ours: Real Stories of Immortality and Living From a Forensic Pathologist - Janis Amatuzio
The Freud Reader - Peter Gay (Editor)
Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity - Jon E. Lendon
I'll Carry the Fork!: Recovering a Life After Brain Injury - Kara L. Swanson, Mike Chrumka
Over My Head: A Doctor's Own Story of Head Injury from the Inside Looking Out - Claudia L. Osborn
Vanish - Tess Gerritsen
A Three Dog Life - Abigail Thomas
The Ruins - Scott Smith
A Simple Plan - Scott Smith
My Father the Spy: A Family History of the CIA, the Cold War, and the Sixties - John H. Richardson
I, Wabenzi: A Souvenir - Rafi Zabor
Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin - John Hope Franklin
All Will Be Well - John McGahern
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer - Nathaniel Fick
When All the World Was Young: A Memoir - Barbara Holland
The Necessity of Madness - John Breeding
West of Then: A Mother, a Daughter, and a Journey past Paradise - Tara Bray Smith
Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey through Schizophrenia - Pamela Spiro Wagner, Carolyn S. Spiro
The Cadaver's Ball - Charles Atkins
Easy Reads I Loved!
Sometimes it feels as if I spend my entire life inside the hospital and one of the last things I want to do when I am free is read scholarly books. This list is dedicated to some of my favorite mindless reads.
Knit One, Kill Two , A Deadly Yarn, and Needled to Death - Maggie Sefton
My mom gave me these books for my birthday and I knew I was in love - anything that combines two of my favorite things - reading mysteries and knitting - had to be a hit. These books didn't let me down. I took a lot of flak from my husband about how corny their titles were, but he's a non-reader and a non-knitter, so I couldn't expect him to appreciate them. :) I was sad when I got through them all, but to my delight - discovered Killer Stitch is due out this May!!
Along the same lines... A Good Yarn and The Shop on Blossom Street - Debbie Macomber
Once I finished Maggie Sefton's series, my mom passed on these titles and again, I was hooked. :) I hesitated reading the second book because I had enjoyed the first one so much and was afraid that new characters would be hard to handle - but my fears were unfounded. I loved them both. And again - a new title, Back on Blossom Street is due out April 24, 2007. Don't you love when there's a new release in a series?
About Alice - Calvin Trillin
I'm going to start giving this book as wedding presents - it's only about 75 pages long, but it's so wonderful! Those who know me know that 1) I read the end of every book first and 2) I don't read sad stories. I made an exception for this book after reading a review in Bookmarks and feeling in awe that this man wrote such a sweet book in tribute to his wife and his love for her. It made me both laugh and cry. I even convinced Grant to read it! :)
The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd
I love the stories in these books and was so sad when they ended-almost always a sign of a good book.
The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
I first saw this advertised in Barnes & Nobles and must admit, I'm a sucker for book covers. It just looked good! A mystery tale about a book lover - it screamed "Read me!" from the display. I loved it and could barely put it down. This could be because I mustered up some serious discipline and didn't read the end first, so I was overly anxious to find out what happened. My mom thought it was a bit confusing and had to look back frequently, but overall - excellent book.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - Mark Haddon
An autistic young boy is blamed for the death of a neighbor's dog and struggles to to investigate the situation. It's interesting to read from the young boy's point of view and experience how he sees the world.
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Some found this book to be disturbing, but I loved it. It's narrated by a young girl who has been murdered and is witnessing the subsequent destruction of her family. I think it was easy for me to accept as the narrator seems at peace, even while her family is struggling. Written in a style that reminds me of Haddon's Curious Incident and Parkhurst's Dogs of Babel. Highly recommended.
Dogs of Babel - Carolyn Parkhurst
Even though I found parts of this book hard to stomach (animal cruelty is harder for me to bear than human cruelty for some reason....definitely the reason I'm a psychiatrist and not a veterinarian...) I loved the storyline. It's a story about coming to terms with grief and the reality that those we love aren't perfect.
K, that's enough for now. More to come on this subject later. :)
Knit One, Kill Two , A Deadly Yarn, and Needled to Death - Maggie Sefton
My mom gave me these books for my birthday and I knew I was in love - anything that combines two of my favorite things - reading mysteries and knitting - had to be a hit. These books didn't let me down. I took a lot of flak from my husband about how corny their titles were, but he's a non-reader and a non-knitter, so I couldn't expect him to appreciate them. :) I was sad when I got through them all, but to my delight - discovered Killer Stitch is due out this May!!
Along the same lines... A Good Yarn and The Shop on Blossom Street - Debbie Macomber
Once I finished Maggie Sefton's series, my mom passed on these titles and again, I was hooked. :) I hesitated reading the second book because I had enjoyed the first one so much and was afraid that new characters would be hard to handle - but my fears were unfounded. I loved them both. And again - a new title, Back on Blossom Street is due out April 24, 2007. Don't you love when there's a new release in a series?
About Alice - Calvin Trillin
I'm going to start giving this book as wedding presents - it's only about 75 pages long, but it's so wonderful! Those who know me know that 1) I read the end of every book first and 2) I don't read sad stories. I made an exception for this book after reading a review in Bookmarks and feeling in awe that this man wrote such a sweet book in tribute to his wife and his love for her. It made me both laugh and cry. I even convinced Grant to read it! :)
The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd
I love the stories in these books and was so sad when they ended-almost always a sign of a good book.
The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
I first saw this advertised in Barnes & Nobles and must admit, I'm a sucker for book covers. It just looked good! A mystery tale about a book lover - it screamed "Read me!" from the display. I loved it and could barely put it down. This could be because I mustered up some serious discipline and didn't read the end first, so I was overly anxious to find out what happened. My mom thought it was a bit confusing and had to look back frequently, but overall - excellent book.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - Mark Haddon
An autistic young boy is blamed for the death of a neighbor's dog and struggles to to investigate the situation. It's interesting to read from the young boy's point of view and experience how he sees the world.
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Some found this book to be disturbing, but I loved it. It's narrated by a young girl who has been murdered and is witnessing the subsequent destruction of her family. I think it was easy for me to accept as the narrator seems at peace, even while her family is struggling. Written in a style that reminds me of Haddon's Curious Incident and Parkhurst's Dogs of Babel. Highly recommended.
Dogs of Babel - Carolyn Parkhurst
Even though I found parts of this book hard to stomach (animal cruelty is harder for me to bear than human cruelty for some reason....definitely the reason I'm a psychiatrist and not a veterinarian...) I loved the storyline. It's a story about coming to terms with grief and the reality that those we love aren't perfect.
K, that's enough for now. More to come on this subject later. :)
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Psychiatry books, Part 2
Two of my all-time favorites (I don't know why they didn't come to mind first...) And, as a suggestion from one of my esteemed psychiatric colleagues, I have included a link to the book on Barnes & Noble through the title.
Where is the Mango Princess? A Journey Back from Brain Injury - Cathy Crimmons
This was a recommendation from one of my attendings. I read it in one afternoon - it's such a good story. I think it is one that I have most frequently recommended to patients as I am a Navy doctor and meet patients dealing with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from the war.
Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
This is one of the most recent books I read and it easily made its way to my 25 favorites list. I don't know what it was about this story - it deals with a young servant girl who is involved in the murder of her master and his mistress - but I was hooked. It's a bit on the long side, but I was halfway done before I knew it! I'm going to read some of the author's other books now...
44 Scotland Street and Espresso Tales - Alexander McCall Smith
On a lighter note, McCall Smith is one of my all-time favorite authors. I have read every book that he's written and would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. However, these two books are in this posting because of the psychiatric references that they contain. I listen to books on CD in the car and especially loved listening to these books. The characters are so endearing and some of the situations they're involved in made me laugh hysterically! I'm just hoping that the next in series comes out quickly. :)
Where is the Mango Princess? A Journey Back from Brain Injury - Cathy Crimmons
This was a recommendation from one of my attendings. I read it in one afternoon - it's such a good story. I think it is one that I have most frequently recommended to patients as I am a Navy doctor and meet patients dealing with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from the war.
Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
This is one of the most recent books I read and it easily made its way to my 25 favorites list. I don't know what it was about this story - it deals with a young servant girl who is involved in the murder of her master and his mistress - but I was hooked. It's a bit on the long side, but I was halfway done before I knew it! I'm going to read some of the author's other books now...
44 Scotland Street and Espresso Tales - Alexander McCall Smith
On a lighter note, McCall Smith is one of my all-time favorite authors. I have read every book that he's written and would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. However, these two books are in this posting because of the psychiatric references that they contain. I listen to books on CD in the car and especially loved listening to these books. The characters are so endearing and some of the situations they're involved in made me laugh hysterically! I'm just hoping that the next in series comes out quickly. :)
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