Playing Catch-up, big-time

From the last post:

Two for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. Another Stephanie Plum novel with parts that make one laugh out loud and make me think that Janet Evanovich must be one fun woman to hang out with. Stephanie has become a better bounty hunter, but still needs help, sometimes from her grandmother, although with the kind of help she offers, who needs antagonists. One moment attending funerals and checking out the body to see if a finger has really been severed; the next, spouting lines from Dirty Harry, everyone should have a grandmother like Grandma Mazur.

This one is enough different that I'm not too concerned (yet) about the books becoming formulaic, but I wonder if she can maintain the originality as the books continue.

Gray Matter, by David Levy. Dr. Levy is a Christian. Like most doctors, Levy did not attend a medical school that openly discussed spirituality, specifically prayer. Nonetheless, Dr. Levy, a brain surgeon, discovers his spirituality and the importance of prayer in his life, and undertakes to pray with his patients. As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Levy encounters many frightened patients for whom prayer is a comfort. Others are scared, but skeptical of prayer. Either way, after he gets up the nerve to ask to pray, he discovers that most patients are willing to allow the prayer, and that many of the medical professionals with whom he works also want to participate.

I was a bit skeptical myself. I believe in the power of prayer, but I was concerned that Dr. Levy was another sanctimonious holy-roller who, given his position of power. What I found was that he was a bit arrogant, but then again he's a brain surgeon. He was sensitive to the sentiments of others and did not force himself on anyone. He even senstively handled the situation involving a Jew and a Muslim.

Overall, I hope that other medical professionals might be encouraged to consider it. When I was a patient, I remember how I felt more peaceful when Raymond B prayed with me before my surgery. It would have been nice to have the medical professionals asking for wisdom and skill in peforming the surgery.





Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. Everyone should read a time travel book from time-to-time. This one, set in Scotland, involves Claire Randle, who one moment is enjoying a second honeymoon with her husband, whom she barely knows given that she's spent several years as a WW2 battlefield nurse, and the next, she's wandering the Scottish countryside, courtesy of some bewitched stones that hurl her back in time to the 1700s when she walks through them. Sex, murder, accusations of witchcraft, and a little bit of English-Scottish history make for a pretty good story. Gabaldon has some annoying traits, like verbosity and constantly using the adverb "dryly" to modify every bit of dialogue, but overall, it's a pretty good read, good enough that I've been working on the second book in the series, Dragonfly in Amber.

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. Interesting premise--a story about the old-time traveling circuses during the depression era. Jacob Jankowski literally, although unintentionally, ran away and joined the circus, and in the process, acaquired an elephant and a wife.

The story is told in retrospect by old Jacob. Those parts are rather depressing reminders of loneliness and despair of growing old, outliving spouse and most friends, and waiting for . . . what, in a nursing home where the residents are treated much like children. The parts that take place while Jacob is young are intriguing, if a bit fantastic, but one gets an idea of why running away to the circus was considred romantic.


Bossypants, by Tina Fey. How did Tina Fey get to be Tina Fey? This memoir takes the reader fron her childhood and her education on the facts of life, through her time in Chicago learning how to do improv to her hiring as a writer on Saturday Night Live to her position as creator, producer, and star of 30 Rock. It's Tina Fey. She writes jokes for a living, so there are some pretty funny parts, plus, one gets an backstage pass to these iconic shows--well two of them are iconic. Good book.

Well, I think I'm caught up.

Reading:
Dragonfly in Amber

Listening:
A Brief History of Nearly Everything