The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I've been and have had my children vaccinated against a plethora of physical evils. I've known people (particularly a few very, very dear to me) who have struggled with cancer and infertility. I wear make-up and have experienced no ill-effects from doing so. What is it that each of these things share? Henrietta Lacks. In Rebecca Skloot's first published book, she delves into the life, illness, and death (and resulting medical advances) of a woman named Henrietta Lacks. In early 1951, this wife and mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She died as a result of this disease only 8 months later. Shortly after her diagnosis, cells from Henrietta's tumor were taken from her without her or her family's knowledge or permission. These cells, inexplicably, grew in lab faster and survived for a longer period than any cells before (or since) and went on to be used in countless areas of medical and biological research. Her surviving husband and children, living near-poverty, often unable to afford to tend to their own medical conditions, were not aware of Henrietta's contribution to science until about 20 years later. While most of humanity has benefited from HeLa (the name given to her cells), those closest to her seem to have been robbed of much of the benefit. BOTTOM LINE: Ms. Skloot's research, both on the scientific and personal level, is astounding. While I found myself, at times, a little bit lost in the medical jargon and concepts, the overall story is amazing.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

This was a gripping novel that several times I told myself I couldn't finish. Not a very ringing endorsement to start with. However, novels about true events during World War II are rarely uplifting and usually difficult to read. This one, like others of its genre, was well worth finishing.

Set in Paris, France the novel changes time period and perspective, between the 1940's and 2000's, between a young Jewish girl and an American woman living in Paris. It is a tale of heartbreak centered on the round-up of French Jews in July of 1942 at the Vel' d'Hiv and their deportation to nearby internment camps and, eventually, Auschwitz. The Jewish girl at the center of the story and her brother have a hidden cupboard in their room in which he decides to hide on the night the French authorities come to take the family away. Not understanding what is happening, the girl agrees to his plan and pockets the key to his hideaway, believing she will return shortly to free him. What follows is her journey to get back to him and how this journey is interwoven with the life of an American journalist living in Paris, France in the present day.

BOTTOM LINE: Well, I think I kind of started with the bottom line. See sentences 1-4 of this post. :)

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Colum McCann's novel of lives intertwined is anchored by the 1974 tightrope walk between New York's Twin Towers by Philippe Petit. While the walk is a true historical event (in and of itself, mind-blowing), the lives of McCann's characters are fictional, while radiating such human truth that they could very well be people who actually existed. What is so beautiful about Mr. McCann's tale(s) is the distinct voice each character possesses. It's as if each has been penned by a different author, so believable are they. His story is one of human suffering, addiction, poverty, riches, religion, ambition - in short, a story of what drives each individual soul.

BOTTOM LINE: While the layout of the book (each chapter is a different character's story, essentially) lends itself to a bit slower reading, the overall narrative is compelling and has lingered with me since I finished.

Classics Challenge

Recently, it came to my attention (and that of several horrified friends) that there is an appalling number of 80's movies that I have never had the pleasure of viewing. There's no acceptable excuse for this. Even LESS so is the number of books which might be considered classics that have never made it onto my reading list. As one with a passion for reading and writing I consider myself rather well-read. However, if I honestly copped to how many "classic" works of literature I've never visually ingested, well, the word "fraud" comes to mind. And so I am creating the Classics Challenge for myself. At least every other book that I read in the coming year needs to have been deemed a classic by some source I consider reliable. That's where you guys come in. Now, seeing as I'm massively delinquent about updating this blog, I would be surprised to have hung on to any shred of readership (you know, all 3 of you who have visited on a regular basis). However, if you're reading this now, and have a "classic" work I just HAVE to read (or re-read, if by some chance it's already in my vault of "have read"s) then I would ask you to please leave a comment with your recommendations. Or, if you'd rather not hassle with signing in, etc. here on the ol' blog, please feel free to let me know via Facebook, Instant Message, email, text....whatever technological avenue floats your boat. I guess there's that whole seeing people face-to-face thing too, right? Huh.
Anyhoo - I'm just looking for help in getting this challenge underway and then keeping the ball rolling!
Thanks, fellow readers!

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Book 2 in the series. So. much. better than the first. In my humble opinion.
It picks up where "Dragon Tattoo" leaves off but quickly turns out plot twists and unexpected turns galore. The movement of the story is much more quickly forward-moving then in the first or (as I found later) third book, and it was definitely one of my "here's another movie, boys" books. Mikael Blomkvist, investigative journalist, becomes involved in a sex trafficking investigation which includes high-ranking government officials. When his two fellow journalists turns up dead, circumstantial evidence and a reputation for hating men who abuse women point to Lisbeth Salander as the murderer. Being the loner she is, she only has her own wits and wherewithal and the belief in her innocence of Mikael Blomkvist (who subsequently begins his own investigation into the matter) to discover the identity of the true criminal(s). What begins to unfold for the reader in this story is the mysterious heroine's background; a background that she must face and defeat before the crime can be solved.
BOTTOM LINE: Once you (quickly) reach the end, you will be left in suspense, begging for the last book!

Enough said

That's my hubby behind the book. This is significant because he doesn't read. Ever. I'm serious. He made it through college without cracking a textbook. He's a books-on-CD kinda guy, a very auditory learner. Anyhoo - I was reading The Hunger Games aloud to him and got too drowsy to continue. Then I stumbled upon him like this. Now THAT'S a good book!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It's been awhile since I've had a book in my hand that I COULD.NOT.PUT.DOWN. This is one of those.
North America as we know it has been wiped out. In its stead is the Capitol, its corrupt government, and the 12 districts into which the remainder of the country has been divided. Hunger, oppression, and desperation rule. In order to remind its subjects of the power it holds, the government holds the Hunger Games once a year. Each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a fight to the death, with one victor who receives prestige and riches for him/herself and his/her district. Katniss Everdeen, in a twist she certainly didn't expect, ends up volunteering to be a part of the games, and what follows this action on her part is a brutal game of survival.
Sounds uplifting, right?
You may be put off by such heavy material, particularly in a young adult work of fiction. However, the author beautifully weaves in such themes as friendship, love, loyalty, courage, honesty, and integrity. The author, herself, admits that she has an ulterior motive beneath the brutality of the subject matter: exploring the effects of war on young people.
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-author.htm

BOTTOM LINE: It is a stunning read, and I'm anxiously waiting to get my hands on the second installment in the trilogy.