MADreads

Can this marriage be saved?
A review of The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to be a Better Husband by David Finch

 Raising a family, holding down a demanding job, and sustaining a marriage are all big tasks, but as David Finch finds out, accomplishing all of these things as a person with Asperger's disease (a mild form of autism) makes them much more of a challenge. After several years of marriage some of David's habits were becoming increasingly difficult for his speech therapist wife Kristin and it was not surprising to either of them that when they completed an online Asperger's check list, David scored ...read more

Reviewed by Mary K. - Central on December 26, 2012 | 0 comments

These aren't your average angels...
A review of Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

 Everything changes for Violet Eden when she finds out that she must make a decision on her 17th birthday that could help to save the world. Can she become an angel and sacrifice her life, or should she deny her ancestry and risk everything? And, if her decision wasn't compelling enough, her heart is  being torn apart by Phoenix, a sexy stranger, and her steadfast companion and protector, Lincoln. Action, romance, angels and demons -- this book has it all! ...read more

Reviewed by Krissy on December 21, 2012 | 0 comments

I really need to read that marshmallow study
A review of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

 Are you familiar with the marshmallow experiment? Researchers led by psychologist Walter Mischel in the late 1960s tested a group of small children by setting them in a room and promising them a marshmallow or two after a certain period of time. The kids were given varying instructions about visualization and waiting. Some kids ate the marshmallows right away, some kids waited to eat the marshmallows, you get the picture. The study has been recently referenced several times in child psychology ...read more

Reviewed by Molly - Central on December 19, 2012 | 0 comments

Murder amongst the Shakers
A review of A Simple Murder by Eleanor Kuhns

 Kuhns debut mystery was a solid hit with the South Madison Mystery Book Group. We all liked the book which can sometimes kill a discussion,  but because of the setting and characters we found plenty to talk about.  A Simple Murder is set in 1796 in a Shaker community in Maine. How's that for something new? William Rees is a former Revolutionary War soldier who now makes a living as a travelling ...read more

Reviewed by Jane J - Central on December 18, 2012 | 0 comments

A Story for everyone
Recommended History Books

Like reading history?  Why not check out some new history books? There are many "best of" lists out there, including the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year. Below are a few from a new library booklist-- History Books, Recommended ...read more

Reviewed by Kathy K. - Central on December 14, 2012 | 0 comments

Don't call me Betsy!
A review of My Name Is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee

 Orange, blue, white and black are the only four colors needed in this beautifully illustrated new picture book. The bold, graphic images are the perfect backdrop for a day in the life of Elizabeth, who is a perfectly normal girl with a bit of a sassy streak. If you have a name that can be shortened, you'll enjoy watching Elizabeth try to navigate a day as Lizzy, Liz, and WORST OF ALL Betsy! ...read more

Reviewed by Trent on December 14, 2012 | 0 comments

A sad moral dilemma
A review of The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

 The Light Between Oceans is a novel that is hard to slot into a category. Might it be considered  historical fiction? A mystery? A love story? Or even a tragedy? Readers of this well written book will not care about this, but will be quickly drawn in to the story and the description of life on a remote island where the lighthouse keeper lives alone with his family. Tom Sherborne has survived years of fighting on the Western front in World War I and has returned to Australia to ...read more

Reviewed by Mary K. - Central on December 13, 2012 | 0 comments

Not at all the saddest book club ever
A review of The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

 Yes, the premise of this book sounds grim, but it's quite enjoyable to read. Will Schwalbe's mother Mary Anne is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She's got an indeterminate amount of time to spend in waiting rooms and in recovery while undergoing cancer treatments. She shares a love of books and reading with her son, so they decide to start a little book group, just the two of them, to discuss books while waiting for appointments and treatments. It's a nice idea, low pressure, and a great way ...read more

Reviewed by Molly - Central on December 12, 2012 | 0 comments

Forever young
A review of Origin by Jessica Khoury

 When you're the only teenager living in a compound of secret research labs in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, life can be a bit lonely. It's even worse when you're the only person in the world who's going to live forever. In Jessica Khoury's debut novel Origin, Pia is the first and only immortal human, the result of generations of genetic experimentation by scientists who devote their lives to this hidden compound and its ethically questionable research. Pia has been raised by ...read more

Reviewed by Kylee on December 11, 2012 | 0 comments

Going underground
A review of The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok

 Mira Bartok was born Myra Herr. She changed her name in order to escape from her deeply mentally ill mother. And that’s what this memoir is about. To tell her story, Mira starts at the end-- bedside as her mother is dying in hospice (and still schizophrenic.) For over 17 years Mira had not seen or spoken to her mother. And quite quickly in the narrative we find that her childhood was bad. But the reader doesn’t know exactly what led to this level of disconnect between Mira and her mother ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Central Library on December 10, 2012 | 0 comments
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