Another Science Book...

As a chemist, I enjoy reading books about the science of everyday things as well as more bizarre items. Spook by Mary Roach, a follow-up to her first novel Stiff, delves into the science of the afterlife. It covers topics such as ectoplasm, reincarnation, and near-death experiences. I never had thought about whether people studied such phenomena, but there are numerous universities which have programs in these paranormal area. My favorite portion of the book discusses how people attempted to determine whether the soul existed by weighing people as they were dying. A loss in their mass was suspected to be the soul leaving the body. The author also attended a school on how to become a medium! While I enjoyed Stiff much more than Spook, I am definitely going to be reading Ms. Roach's newest book, Bonk.

Certain Girls

I finished listening to Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner a few days ago. I just recently discovered Jennifer Weiner's books at a used bookstore. In my usual manner, I bought one of her novels, read it, and went back to buy many more. Thus far I was thoroughly enjoyed reading about unique female characters in the modern world. Certain Girls, the sequel to Good in Bed, brings the reading into the life of Cannie as her daughter is coming of age. This book never engaged me as her earlier books did. I was unable to connect with any of the characters as I had in the past. If you are looking for a quick read for your summer vacation, this is a good book to bring along. I will definitely continue to read Ms. Weiner's novels in the future.

Austenland

I recently finished listening to "Austenland" by Shannon Hale, another modern novel built around Jane Austen's body of work. This one was actually a pretty good listen, especially since if you miss a few minutes you are not destined to be lost for days. It is the story of Jane Hayes' journey to discover just what it is she is looking for in a man. Is she really looking for a Mr. Darcy? I laughed aloud when Jane described some of her past boyfriends, and thought of some of my experiences as well as some of my friends'. If you are starting to compile your beach reading for the year, add this one to your list. Until next time, happy reading!

A Bad Book...

I just finished listening to "Dance of the Dead" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It was a pretty typical psychological thriller, but its only purpose was to get you ready for the next book. I really dislike that in both books and movies. A book should tell a complete story, even if in a series. Its purpose should not be to simply set you up for the next installment. Needless to say I wasted quite a few hours listening to this book. But I am one of those people who has to finish a book that she has started. It is really a terrible trait to have, especially when I complain to my husband about how terrible a book is.

The Telephone Gambit

I recently finished reading "The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret" by Seth Shulman. The author takes the reader through his investigation of who really invented the telephone. Children are taught from an early age that Bell was the inventor of the telephone, but they are never taught about the battle Bell went through to prove he was the true inventor. For those interested in the history of science, I think this is a great read. It also brings to light some of the flaws in the systems of the Patent Office in its early years. As a scientist, I found this aspect of the book quite interesting. Did you know that at one time the U.S. Patent Office required inventors to submit working models of their inventions? Imagine the storage facility they would need today if this practice were still in place.

A few days of no reading...

It is terrible when you don't have a chance to read for a few days. Last week I finish up "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult, and then we had visitors all weekend. It was not until yesterday that I finally had a chance to pick up a book. Right now I am reading multiple books. I am trying to finish up one of my Spring Reading Thing Challenge books, "Persuasion". At the same time I am reading a book called "The Telephone Gambit", which discusses who really invented the telephone. This one is due back at the library next week, so Jane Austen will have to wait. As soon as I have a spare minute I will write a review of Change of Heart. Let's hope tomorrow we can get to that. Until then...

Story on NPR about Book Social Networking

I heard a great story on NPR this afternoon about a variety of book social networks on the web. The one that was of particular interest to me was www.Librarything.com. This site allows you to list all of the books in your library, or those that you have read. It then will match you up with other readers with "eerily" similar interests. Sounds like fun, I am definitely going to sign up! I will add a link to my library on my blog as soon as I complete it.