Well, even if I haven't been very good about updating the blog for the past month, I have been reading some great books. I thought I would share two of them with you.
While I love reading novels, it isn't always easy for me to get through one in a timely manner. That's why short stories are so great. I'm making my way through a wonderfully quirky collection of stories entitled Tunneling to the Center of the Earth. The author, Kevin Wilson, offers interesting characters with strange jobs, odd behavior, and peculiar tendencies. Take the woman who works as a fake grandmother for families who no longer have grandparents, or whose grandparents are less than, shall we say, desirable. Or the three college grads who decide to dig a tunnel beneath a town - and end up living in the tunnel for several months. And wait till you meet the guy who works in a Scrabble factory and worries about spontaneous combustion. The stories may be weird and disquieting, but they all contain an element of plausibility.
Imagine not being able to ask for something as simple as a glass of water; or knowing that the object you're looking at is a chair, but all you can say is "mem" - "mem, mem, mem" for everything. That's what happened to Paul West, author, language maven, and husband of Diane Ackerman. Diane's husband had been in the hospital fighting a kidney infection ,when in one cruel instant, a massive stroke ripped away all that Paul and Diane cherished as authors and lovers of language. Much like a lightning bolt striking a transformer, the stroke essentially "fried" the wiring in Paul's brain, leaving him physically disabled (right hand partially curled and unresponsive, impaired vision, unsteady gait), but perhaps most frustrating of all, communicatively frozen. I know that reading about a tragic event such as a stroke can be difficult, but trust me when I say that this is one of the most beautifully written biographies I have ever read. You may recognize Diane Ackerman as the celebrated author of such books as The Zookeeper's Wife, An Alchemy of Mind, and A Natural History of the Senses among others. Fans of Ms. Ackerman already know how magically she weaves a story, and she does not disappoint in this latest memoir. Set aside some time to read about how Paul and Diane work together to "rewire" his brain, discovering along the way that there really are One Hundred Names for Love.
I'm trying to find a happy place with all of this damp, gray weather, but it's hard, people, it's very hard. In fact, it's down right annoying. And that's why I want to highlight Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us by Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman. I'm not sure if long stretches of sunless days should be called annoying or diabolical, but if you have things that irritate you, this book will explain why they do. Fingernails on the chalkboard? Check. Mosquitos? Check. Wobbly wheels on grocery carts? Double check. I suppose people who get whiny about the weather could be considered annoying, too, so I'll try to be better and appreciate the webs growing between my toes... :o(
The Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change: A Complete Visual Guide - if you have an interest in all things weather-related (and boy, the last couple of years have been jam-packed with weather events), this fascinating book has enough to satisfy any climate enthusiast 
The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between American and al-Qaeda - this book was written before Osama bin Laden's death, but it offers insight and depth into al-Qaeda from the viewpoint of a western journalist. Well-written account of a subject affecting all of us.
Outrageous Fortunes: The Twelve Surprising Trends That Will Reshape the Global Economy - the author, Daniel Altman, is a professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, and he does a bit of prognosticating on future economic factors. We don't yet know if his analysis will be correct, but it might be interesting to come back to his book several years from now and see if he was on target.
Seal Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy Seal Sniper - though much in the news lately, Seal Team Six is pretty mysterious to most Americans. This timely title will definitely reveal more about this military team's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency tasks.
I recently watched a new dvd called They Came to Play, and if you've ever played the piano and wondered what it would be like to participate in the famous Van Cliburn piano competition, you'll appreciate this very entertaining dvd. There's a bit of a twist, though; these are not professional pianists, dedicating every minute of every day to their passion in hopes of becoming the next Arthur Rubinstein or Lang Lang. This dvd focuses on the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation, and I guarantee you'll be absolutely wowed by the performances. From a tennis teacher to an ophthalmologist, these "amateurs" follow their dreams of winning a prestigious piano competition. It just might make you want to practice a bit harder.
