a collection of tried and true
A virus causes humans to turn into zombies who bite other humans to turn into zombies that almost take over the world. Story told as set of interviews looking back over the years when the zombies started and when the world went to war with them. A fun and very readable book… will be interesting to see how the movie is that comes out in June with Brad Pitt starring. The way the book is written would be impossible to film.
PJH Rating: ****
The donated organs from a man turn out to have an unusual virus that causes medical complications to the many donors who received the organs. Written by a physician at University Hospitals where I currently work and who I used to know when I worked in dialysis. While not very well written, it was an interesting read regarding the transplant, medical and malpractice industries in our country.
PJH Rating: ***1/2
The story of Bit, born in a VW bug on a caravan on the way to Arcadia, a hippie commune in New York. The novel is told from his point of view when he is five years old in the growing commune, when he is fifteen in the thriving commune and then years later when he is an adult at different times including the future. I have been waiting for this book FOREVER in my library overdrive queue and it was well worth the wait. I really loved it and highly recommend it. Great writing and very moving. It’s amazing to me that it was written by someone who is in their early 30’s.
PJH Rating: ****1/2
A 15 year old boy’s parents get caught robbing a bank in a small town in mid America in early ’60’s. The boy is sent to obscure relatives in northern Canada. This book received good buzz but I didn’t enjoy it. I found it plodding and melodramatic.
PJH Rating: ***
Story of Hattie who migrated to Philadelphia from Georgia in the early 1920’s told from her viewpoint and her twelve children throughout 60 years. Quite a depressing novel but well written and interesting as it is many short stories woven into one portrait of a black woman.
PJH Rating: ****
A 15 year old boy is accused of murdering a fellow classmate in wealthy suburb of NYC. Told from viewpoint of father, an assistant D.A. where case is being tried. A fun, quick, hard to put down thriller.
PJH Rating ****
The man who was responsible for the Seattle Worlds Fair in the early 1960’s decides to run for mayor of Seattle 40 years later. The story goes back and forth between the fair and the modern campaign for mayor. An interesting view of Seattle, politics, and generational differences.
PJH rating: ****
A 17 year old girl living in a well-off west coast town is involved in drugs and alcohol with her similar fast paced friends. The novel goes back and forth between the typical 17 year old know-it-all thoughts and her recovering alcoholic mother and step father. I didn’t like this book at all. There was not much plot and I wanted to slap all of them and tell them to get over it already.
PJH Rating: ***
A nineteen year old soldier temporarily back from Iraq spends Thanksgiving day along with his “heroic” Army troop at the Thanksgiving Day Dallas Cowboys football game. The novel goes back and forth between their day and Billy’s history growing up and in the Army. A great first novel that really makes America look awful looking at war, politics, class and football.
PJH Rating: ****1/2
A memoir of the author’s months long backpack journey along the Pacific Crest Trail from Southern California to Washington State. She took the journey, the first time she ever backbacked in her mid 20’s after a troubled childhood, a bad marriage and the death of her Mother. Makes me want to go back packing again (well just a little).
PJH Rating: ***1/2
Eat On Edgecliff 