Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier 239 pages

This was such a great story.  The beauty of a graphic novel is that it is a really fast read, but you still get an emotional impact when it's done right.  Cat and Maya are sisters who have had to move because Maya has Cystic Fibrosis and a different environment was recommended.  Their new home town is rumored to be a favorite hangout for ghosts and the girls soon discover for themselves how true this is.  Maya is such a spirited kid and Cat is so fearful of the world, but anyone would be able to relate to them both.  It makes it hard to watch Cat shy away from a world that Maya would happily jump into with both feet if she were able.  As a slice of life story with a kind of fantastic twist, this is extremely satisfying.  I highly recommend to all ages, especially if you like graphic novels. 

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley 292 pages

Micah has grown up listening to his grandpa Ephraim's stories about Circus Mirandus.  That's why even though his grandfather is seriously ill, he has lots of hope.  Circus Mirandus wasn't just an ordinary circus, it was magic.  In fact, one of its performers is the most magical person Micah can imagine.  The Light Bender was the highlight of all of Grandpa Ephraim's stories.  The best part, the part that gives Micah hope is that the Light Bender owes his grandpa a miracle.  They just have to find him before it's too late for the miracle to matter.  This story is so beautiful.  It was unexpected and heartbreaking, but also so much fun.  You will love Micah and his grandfather, you will hope right along with them that the Light Bender comes in time.  More than anything, you will strain to hear the music composed of pipes and drums calling you to magic.

I listened to this on audio read by Bronson Pinchot.  It was wonderful.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, 343 pages

I listened to this book that was read by lots of people and many whom I recognized from Hollywood or other books I've listened to.  The story tells the tale of tale of the night after Willie Lincoln's burial in the Georgetown cemetery. 

Not surprisingly, Willie and his father, President Abraham Lincoln, are both struggling with Willie's death.  It was an interesting book.  And while I didn't love it I am glad I read it.

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore 335 pages

At the end of the first book, Charlie Asher (beta male death merchant) finds himself without a body.  No worries, his new girlfriend has a solution...of sorts.  This book finds the death merchants in a state of unusual inactivity.  It seems the need to collect souls died with the Morrigan in the first book.  You know that's not going to hold for long though.  With his characteristic whimsy and goofiness, Christopher Moore turns phrases that will make you laugh out loud.  While I confess that I liked the first book better, I still really enjoyed this one and hope that someday Christopher Moore hires me to be his proofreader so that I get to read all his stuff without the irritating wait for it to hit the shelves.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, 307 pages

It is the summer of 1961 and Frank Drum, the middle of three children, is 13 years old.  The family lives in New Bremen, Minnesota and five deaths happen over the summer, some of which change Frank and his family forever.

The book is beautifully written and is told from the perspective of Frank 40 years later.  It is ultimately a book of hope, family and love.  Perfect for the season.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore 387 pages

When I grow up, I want to become Christopher Moore's proofreader.  That way I get to read all of his books before anyone else gets their eyeprints on them.  I recently picked up Secondhand Souls and realized I needed to go back and read the first in the series, A Dirty Job.  Oh, no!  Ha!  I love Moore's writing, his obvious love of language and skill at painting his scenes with words.  This story follows Charlie Asher, a self-doubting, insecure shop owner, who loses his wife shortly after the birth of their child.  However, he also sees someone in her room just after her death that no one else apparently could see.  Soon, Charlie finds that strange things are happening to him.  He can see objects glowing red.  He finds names in a notebook next to his bed that he has no memory of writing.  As it turns out, Charlie is a new Death Merchant, an agent who collects soul vessels to make sure they move on to the next person who needs them.  The story is silly, funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking... in short, it is Christopher Moore, through and through.  I cannot recommend this book or any of his books highly enough.  He is by far my favorite author.  Now I can't wait to jump into Secondhand Souls and let you know how amazing that one is soon!

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin 343 pages

This book was so amazing.  I try to read a few chapters of all our new books, just so I can speak knowledgeably about them to our young patrons.  I couldn't put this one down.  The story is about a girl, Suzy, who is just in the first part of seventh grade who decided to stop speaking.  She states that small talk amounts to nothing, so she may as well say nothing to begin with.  Suzy notices that she becomes nearly invisible, a fact she thinks very interesting...do we see more with our ears than our eyes, she wonders?  The main part of the story, though is her moving through a heavy guilt and grief.  You don't find out until near the middle of the book why she feels guilty, but the grief is due to her best friend drowning while on vacation.  Suzy hates that because of something she did the last image she has of her friend was Franny walking away in tears.  Suzy doesn't want to be the bad guy in this story and becomes fixated with finding out if perhaps a jellyfish sting is really responsible for the drowning.  There were several points in this story where I felt for this kid so much, I was crying.  The author did an excellent job of giving this character a believable voice and a realistic story.  No one was over the top mean, or precocious, or exuberant.  It was a very believable story, which was why it was so moving.  I highly recommend this to all ages, but probably 5th grade and up will appreciate it the most.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, 282 pages

My sisters, the nurses, both told me I had to read this book.  I'm glad they did.  In "Being Mortal" doctor and author Atul Gawande discusses how medicine has triumphed over the dangers of childbirth, injury and disease.  However, when it comes to the reality of aging and death, modern medicine often fails.

Through real-life stores Dr. Gawande shows what we face - nursing homes devoted to safety, not well-being.  And doctors and patients who avoid discussing the inevitability of death to the detriment of those patients' quality of life.

Yes, death is a difficult subject, but ain't none of us getting out of here alive.  I listened to this book, but also checked out a print copy after I finished it to make sure I was able to write down some key points I want to have for the time I - or a loved one - faces a serious illness.

Night by Elie Wiesel, 115 pages

“Night” is an autobiographical account of a teenage Elie Wiesel growing up during Nazi Germany. It is a terrifying story, in which, he struggles to survive alongside his father in a Nazi death camp. His fight for survival and sanity is a singular story, and the reader can empathize with his struggles to give a voice to those who did not survive.

The story begins with Wiesel, not unlike many teenage boys, dreaming of a future he imagines will soon be his. Unfortunately, his parents and siblings are living in a false belief of security while the world around them is drowning in chaos. As he retells his story, we learn what happens to him and his family on this unthinkable journey, and how he has spent a lifetime trying to make sense of the Nazi’s atrocities.  He even questions the choices he had to make in order to survive.

This personal account is horrifying, unimaginable, and immensely sad. I read his story in one evening, and although I knew he had survived, there was so many of those he loved that did not.

“Night” is recommended by the Oprah Book Club as a must read. I recommend this book for anyone who loves to read the words of a truly remarkable author who bares his tortured soul with his readers.

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg, 365 pages

I'm sorry to say I didn't really like this book.  It was just too sweet.  The saving grace for it was that I listened to it and the reader was Fannie Flagg, whose southern lilt I so enjoy.

I guess I wanted more angst in Elmwood Springs, a fictional Missouri town about 45 minutes from Kansas City.  Everything worked out okay for every darned person mentioned in the book and really, who am I to begrudge that?

Fannie's still on my to read list so I'll try another one in a month or two, and hopefully I won't be in such a grumpy mood.

Don't Go By: Lisa Scottoline 607 pages (Large Print)

Mike Scanlon is an army doctor. Dr. Scanlon is called to war in Afghanistan to operate on wounded soldiers.  He leaves behind his wife Chloe and new baby daughter Emily.  While in Afghanistan, Mike learns that his wife has died in a household accident. Mike returns home to bury his wife, finding he is a complete stranger to his baby girl.  While home, he discovers some rather shocking secrets and even more secrets when he continues his tour in Afghanistan.

This book was a tear jerker for me.  However, I really enjoyed it.  It will send you through all types of emotions.  But it keeps you wanting to read until the end.