The Library Book by Susan Orlean →

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The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Libraries are inherently interesting, so it's no surprise that a story about a great library, a catastrophic library fire, a peculiar character accused of arson, and a deep dive into the day-to-day operations of a great library would be even more enjoyable. Susan Orlean’s book The Library Book was not just a surprise, but a truly delightful read that will leave you intrigued and eager to explore its pages.

”On 29 April 1986, Los Angeles Central Library was engulfed in flames. The fire, originating in the fiction stacks, swiftly ascended the staircases, gaining momentum as it collided with ceilings. The intense heat, reaching a staggering 1370C, transformed the metal shelves from a dull grey to a blinding white before they collapsed in a tangle of cherry red.”

All the staff and visitors displayed remarkable courage, evacuating the building safely. However, the same could not be said for the books. By the time the fire and the high-pressure hoses had completed their destructive dance, half a million volumes were declared lost, with an equal number on the brink of survival.

The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon →

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The book begins with an introduction focused on New York in 1804 and concludes with the final chapter in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. The people in these chapters are the Small and Mighty, and the common thread in what they did clearly shows that they made a big difference.

The author tells us that “Often the small are truly the mighty. Their stories may be eclipsed by a dominant sun, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ours to discover.”

“Ken Burns said of Sharon McMahon that what she does is not just tell a top-down version of the past but a bottom-up version.

Ken Burns said: There are no ordinary people

Being and Time by Martin Heidegger →

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Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time was first published in 1927. Philosopher Hans Meyerhoff and many others consider it one of the most important philosophical works of our time.

Heidegger's Being and Time, an ontology that delves into the essence of being, is a transformative journey. It guides us to turn inward, discover our authentic selves, and heed the call of conscience to be true to ourselves.

Heidegger's distinction between Human Beings and Dasein is a significant intellectual leap. It stimulates our minds and engages us in a deeper understanding of our own existence.

Heidegger's call to self-awareness and understanding of Dasein is a catalyst for personal growth. It empowers us to embrace our individuality and strive for authenticity.

Heidegger also explains that time is not infinite but a horizon of possibilities for beings. For human beings, finite time defines what can be achieved through their choices.

(This book is challenging to read. It takes off on several tangents. In some ways, it sounds like a religious focus without referring to a deity.)

Flowers for Algernon- A Novel by Daniel Keyes →

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'Flowers for Algernon' is a significant narrative exploring intelligence and relationships. The central theme revolves around the impact of increased intelligence on a person's life, mainly focusing on how Charlie Gordon’s changing intellect affects his perception of himself and his relationships with others.

The central theme revolves around the impact of increased intelligence on a person's life, mainly focusing on how Charlie's changing intellect affects his perception of himself and his relationships with others that evolve as his intelligence changes.

At the beginning of the book, the author quotes from Plato’s Republic’s Allegory of the Cave, where he asks, “whether that soul of a man has come out of a brighter life, and is then unable to see because he is unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkness into the day he is dazzled by an excess of light.” Plato adds that “he will count the one coming into the light happy in his condition and state of being, and he will pity the other.”

Charlie probably wouldn’t like Plato’s conclusion since he sums up what he learned by going into the light and back to the darkness, declaring what he learned was that he didn’t want people’s pity.

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, by Lisa Genova →

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Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting is one of Lisa Genova’s six books about neurological diseases and disorders. If you have read all of them, as I have, you will find some familiar material in this book.

The book begins by describing how memories are formed and how creating memories creates structural and connective changes in the brain. I found it fascinating that each time we recall a memory, it changes slightly, overwriting the original memory. She also points out that the original memory didn’t capture everything happening then, just what stood out to you.

This view of memory makes it clear that we are not stuck with our past histories but can learn and see things differently, looking back at events that looked like when they happened, or the last time we thought about them. My writing and books have focused on our ability to reinvent ourselves and that past events do not trap us.

(I originally read and reviewed this book in October 2021, but ironically, for many reasons, I forgot that I had read it)

More or Less Maddy, by Lisa Genova →

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Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out University freshman, except she isn’t. Maddy has been diagnosed as having bipolar disorder and soon spirals into a wild mania that takes her to her breaking point.

While she was at school, she was prescribed some medication that triggered some manic episodes. As her story unfolds, we see the impact that her family and friends have on her and how she struggles with school, but her bipolar manifests itself in her mind as she considers who she is and what she wants to be good at.

The book gives the reader a clearer understanding of what A bipolar situation is. Rather than just saying it is a period of extreme mood swings, increased energy, or disturbed behavior we can understand how Maddy is driven to extremes by her own goals. Maddy wants to be a comedian, but her mother initially sees that as delusional. The clarity this misperception by her mother adds to Maddy’s condition are eye openers.

Be Ready When Luck Happens- a memoir by Ina Garten →

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Of course, I gave this five stars. Why wouldn’t anyone? Ina’s memoir is her life story, and there is no reason to believe it is anything but authentic. She shows her passion and perseverance to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals in life. It doesn’t take long in her story to understand that her saying, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens,” means that being ready also means being true to yourself. Ina's memoir is not just a recount of her life, but a source of inspiration and valuable life lessons that can motivate and guide us in our own journeys.

As you read this memoir, it becomes clear that Ina stands her ground on things she wants, but those things have something in common. What they have in common has more to do with what she wants from those things. The common thread is quality. She looks for quality in her real estate options, the ingredients of the food she makes, the flowers she arranges, and much more. This emphasis on quality truly reflects the depth of Ina's character.

The Waiting by Michael Connelly - A Book Review →

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Renee Ballard is an LAPD officer who has been placed in charge of the previously mothballed Open-Unsolved Unit, which at the time had only volunteers working there. Renee starts many days early to allow some time to catch the waves at the beach, but her car is broken into, and she loses her badge, gun, and ID.

She wants to find the thief on her own to avoid letting it become ammunition for those in her department who want to end her career. This leads her to seek advice from semi-retired Harry Bosch.

At about the same time, Renee has taken on Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter, one day a week in the Open-Unsolve Unit as a volunteer. Maddie has some interest in a high-profile unsolved case and quickly goes to work; the department has a possible connection to a two-decade-old case of the Pillowcase Rapist who has a genetic link to a man recently arrested.

Ballard is a character in Michael Connelly's book series who often appears alongside Harry Bosch to investigate cold cases.

The Human Factor: How Finding Your Dream Job Starts By Getting To Know Yourself, by Brent M. Jones →

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In this book, Brent M. Jones, a seasoned career development professional and founder of Connected Events Matter, shares his wealth of experience to help you find a career that's truly meant for you.

Among the invaluable lessons you'll learn are:

• The story you're telling yourself (often keeping you stuck in old situations) and how to change it. 

• The straightforward approach to figuring out your purpose.

• How to network with people who might bring new opportunities into your professional life.

• How to find the job you want with what you already know about yourself (and how to convince your interviewer that you're the perfect fit for that job). 

• How to nail the interview by asking the right questions and using the information you learned to land the job.

• Why gratitude might be the most crucial factor in landing your new dream job (even if you haven't landed it yet), and how to cultivate it.

Whether you're just starting your professional career or are looking for a much-needed change, then The Human Factor is the guide you need.

To Die For: A 6:20 MAN Thriller by David Baldacci

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Travis Devin, the 6:20 man in To Die For, was featured in the prior books as an army ranger and on the financial battlefield as a high-powered corporate man. In this book, he is assigned to aid the FBI in escorting 12-year-old Betsy Odoman, an orphaned girl, to meet her uncle, who is under investigation for RICCO charges. As Devin gets to know Betsy, questions come up about the death of her parents.

The term "three-dimensional chess" is appropriate to this plot because the twists and turns come from all directions.

I enjoyed the first two books, but this was the best in many ways.

Terminology Is More Than Words: How Terminology Shapes our Network, Career & More by Brent M Jones →

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As an author of personal development and self-help books, I saw a connection between my book about LinkedIn, Finding the Best Version of Yourself, Interviewing Yourself, and Asking the Right Questions, and The Human Factor. The connection was that to obtain success, you needed to be authentic. That means that your values and goals must align with what you are looking for.

That is the key. Unless you know your real values and goals, you may be looking for the wrong things.

Words are a tip-off. The words in defining a goal may or may not fit with your personal values, but they need to. The words you use will attract people who fit with the values those words reflect.

The LinkedIn algorithms look over the one billion connections LinkedIn has and find the words used to describe a job posting. A speaker connects with their audience by using the words that the audience are familiar with or the words that idendify the audiences wants and needs.

Citizen: My Life After The White House by Bill Clinton →

Citizen: My Life After The White House by Bill Clinton

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"On January 21, 2001, after twenty-five years in politics and elected office, eight as president, I was a private citizen again," was an opening remark in this book. What follows is a fantastic focus on helping people in trouble. It is too bad that those accomplishments will be viewed through lifelong assumptions about Clinton's view with a partisan lens. Much was accomplished working with George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, clearly showing how influential good leaders can be even when they don't have to be.

The accomplishments seemed neverending, but it would be hard to complain about too much good work. Some will, I expect.

American Zion: A New History of Mormonism by Benjamin E. Park →

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American Zion provides a clear and factual summary of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from its inception to 2024. It presents perspectives on important historical moments and focuses heavily on the ideological and historical debates within the Church in the 20th century that members often overlook.

The book focuses on the Church's history within the United States of America, even though its membership is greater outside of the USA. It presents a history that made some mistakes but shows how it has evolved and shaped itself to be stronger, perhaps because of those mistakes.

Women’s involvement in the Church is better reflected in this history of Mormonism than in many other histories focused on the same topic, and it is interesting to see that it is something that most denominations have had to deal with.

The author presents the church as one that its internal conflict has always defined, yet the story also shows that it has become stronger as time has passed.

War by Bob Woodward →

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Bob Woodward said in this books epiloge that this book was radically different than many of his prior books. Most of those books were stories of failures, mismangement, dishonesty and corruption of executive power.

He added that “War, this book on Biden, however, gave me what was often a real-time, inside -the-look at genine good faith efforts by the president and his core national security team to weild the levers of executive power responsibly in the national interest.”

We also see in this book President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.

BIBLIOPHILE DIVERSE SPINES by Jamise Harper & Jane Mount →

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The authors of this book, in their introduction, set a compelling goal for the reader: to “find at least ten new-to-you and resistible diverse by authors of backgrounds different from your own (or from your that you haven’t yet read) that you will read in the next year.” They envision this as a yearly habit, a challenge that can inspire and motivate us readers.

The book cover features 22 books on top of each other, with colorful spines showing titles like 'Unheard Voices' and 'Cultural Journeys' that describe what to expect in this book. What you may not fully appreciate from the cover is brought into focus with the unique table of contents, which highlights the incredible diversity of a book about diversity. The introduction also explains the author’s definition of diversity. The definition expands into the book chapters and includes “the authors, illustrators, designers, store owners and bookstagrammers highlighted in this book are Black, Indigenous, and people of color most existing in places marginalized by a dominant white society.”

The book is a testament to its goal of introducing readers to diverse authors from backgrounds different from their own. It's a journey of enlightenment, a window into the rich tapestry of literature that exists beyond our usual reading lists.