The Ardent Reader

Healing through Books & Reading - Some Recommendations for Your Mental Health Toolbox

2025-05-30T16:45:00.000-04:00

While I was working through my mental health challenges in the past few years, I found some books that allowed me to heal from the trauma I'd endured.

Here are three recommendations that helped me better understand my own history and how it played a role in my present mental state.

#1: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D.

"Mind over matter" is the mantra of people who really, truly believe you can overcome anything if you just set your mind to it.

In fact, I admit I have said this a few times, and I hate that I've said it.

I didn't realize that the trauma I had sustained changed me in ways I hadn't recognized until I started working with a domestic violence therapist.

She taught me that I was trying to maintain a healthy mindset - my "house" as she put it - on an unstable, compromised foundation.

When I read The Body Keeps the Score, I realized that no matter how courageous I thought I was, I had to address major traumas in my life before I could move forward in my life and career.

Because no matter what, trauma stayed within my body, manifesting in blocked intuition, disabled decision-making, and complete and utter mental exhaustion.

#2: Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté M.D.

Gabor Maté MD has ADHD, he is a parent, and he is a doctor who has researched the mind to the nth degree. He is a soft-spoken expert on brain development, and specializes in brain development in neurodivergent people.

When I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022 and later, with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2024, I realized that the reason I had gone undiagnosed for 42 and 44 years, is because I can mask like a master. It's not something I do intentionally, but it's a self-protective tool that I developed because of my upbringing.

This book also helped me understand how my upbringing shaped my mental health, emotional wellness, and brain development. It also helped me build my understanding of how environmental stress - even things that seem a bit minor - can make things a lot more complicated later in life.

I highly recommend this book if you suspect you might be neurodivergent. It's expansive and inclusive enough that it offers sort of a birds' eye view of all kinds of neurodivergence and mental health.

#3: What Happened to You? by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D and Oprah Winfrey

Has anyone ever said, "What is WRONG with you?" Well, it's happened to me. And I've also asked myself that question... usually after I do something I really regret... through clenched teeth. "What's WRONG with me?"

This book turns that question on its head, focusing instead on asking, "What happened to you?"

Similar to other Oprah books, this one is essentially a rehash of multiple conversations between both Oprah and Dr. Bruce Perry, author of "The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog."

Essentially based on the idea of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), this book explores all the different ways we can be negatively impacted throughout our lives. It also delves into examples of people who have survived and thrived beyond traumatic experiences and developed resilience because of it.

This is a book I bought and am keeping as part of my permanent collection, because I've read it twice, and both times I found different insights both times I've read it.

As a side note, it is my personal opinion that any book that Oprah writes on trauma is going to be worthwhile reading.

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Esther Hofknecht Curtis, MSM-HCA is an independent writer/blogger based in Dover, Delaware. She can be reached at ejhcurtis@gmail.com.

It's been three years since I posted. That wasn't by choice.

2025-05-27T11:09:00.001-04:00

For the past four years or so, my personal life really took a hit.

I've been a bit stuck in my writing as I sorted out some things.

But The Ardent Reader blog was one of the best personal projects I've ever taken on, and I'm proud of it.

The reason I haven't posted...

A lot of the books I've read have been about personal issues - mental health, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and recovery from PTSD.

Not exactly books I wanted to review for a public audience.

But I think it's time to get this blog going again, if only to remind you that reading is one of the best skills you can cultivate to change your life for the better.

Life is a struggle, and it will always be.

But gathering wisdom from others who have been there - that will help you move on.

Reading books, especially self-help books, helped me to fill in the gaps where my upbringing failed me.

Every page I turn is an opportunity to do more, be more, and accomplish my goals.

The library is truly a sacred place, and for me, a path to enlightenment.

I look forward to talking with you again, and welcome feedback on my writing, as always, via email.

Reading is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Keep it up!

With love,

Esther

Book 209: Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale

2022-12-20T22:25:00.005-05:00

I just finished this book. It was 277 pages and I read it in a few hours while recovering from a stomach bug.

Truth be told, I loved the Tom Hanks/Leonardo DiCaprio/Christopher Walken movie version of this book. But for once, I wasn’t disappointed when I picked up the book after seeing a movie, or vice versa.

For those of you that don’t know the story already, Frank Abagnale was one of America’s most successful check forgers. He made millions by forging and cashing thousands of checks around the world. He impersonated an airline pilot, a doctor, and a state prosecutor. And he did it all before he turned 21.

While the book doesn’t provide an ending to the story, it does provide much more detail about how the illustrious conman got away with his scam for so long. He kept moving, using the banking system to cover his tracks while he was on his way to his next destination… and target. Over and over again, he repeated his scam and refined it, with nothing but confidence and research on his side.

Things have changed quite a bit since the 1960s due in part to Abagnale’s criminal endeavors. He helped uncover weaknesses in the banking system that allowed him to succeed in cashing two and a half million dollars worth of fraudulent checks in five years’ time.

A fascinating tale - though I don’t know how much of it was accurate. Seemed like an awful lot to remember.

Book 208: You Perfect, Broken Thing by C.L. Clark (Levar Burton Reads Podcast Episode # 106 (August 3, 2021)

2021-09-18T08:00:00.015-04:00

This short story knocked my socks off. Levar Burton chose "You Perfect, Broken Thing" for the 106th episode of his "Levar Burton Reads" podcast which I follow pretty closely. I had to include it.

C.L. Clark is a master at bringing the feelings of both despair and joy and showing that they truly can exist together. As far as I can tell, her story was published with Uncanny Magazine. You can read that version here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/you-perfect-broken-thing/

The author paints a gorgeous story about an athlete who must push herself to the brink to save her family. Training and competing isn't about winning some trophy or a gold medal. In this world, training and competing translates to saving your family's lives.

I was stunned at how much depth a short story could hold. I've shared this story with at least two friends, and one was in tears, like I was. For me, Levar Burton's voice lent itself to the beauty of the story (he's been a favorite of mine since childhood) and brought the themes home for me. I was enraptured at the love portrayed in this story and the sacrifices made for that love. Without ruining the ending for you, I will only tell you that it was an enormous surprise.

I encourage you to check out the "Levar Burton Reads" podcast on whatever platform you use to subscribe to podcasts. And check out this particular episode, which aired August 3, 2021.

Much love, LB!!! :)

Book 207: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

2021-09-17T11:11:00.002-04:00

This book made me laugh out loud. At the present moment, books that make me laugh out loud are something I appreciate.

Don's life is compartmentalized, neat, and bland. He looks at life in such a utilitarian way that he's just moving through the motions from one day to the next. He embarks on a project he's convinced will help him find the love of his life (and, he thinks, a wife). Unfortunately, he's a little light on experience with women, and the whole thing goes sideways.

When Rosie enters Don's life, he begins to learn why his project is a lost cause. But through the process, Don learns what is really missing from his life. I won't ruin the ending for you, but I can tell you that you'll enjoy getting there.

On a deeper level, this book taught me something about "the best laid plans" that we all try so hard to put into place. As humans living in reality, we're actually totally and hilariously underprepared for this task, and Simsion puts all of our shortfalls on display in this lovely little book. Plan your heart out, he seems to be saying, But enjoying the ride is just as important as where you wind up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it in two days (a feat for me at this time of my life) and I bought a copy for my permanent collection. I hope you love it as much as I did.

So, you write a book blog, but you haven't blogged about any books lately?

2021-09-17T10:40:00.001-04:00

Yes. I'm sorry.

I have been reading a lot of very specific, emotionally charged books that have been pertinent to the current state of affairs within my life.

Sure, I see analytics with Blogger, but I never know who is going to be reading this blog or its posts.

So I'm careful about what I post, because I care about my privacy, and the privacy of my loved ones.

That being said, I have been dabbling more in the "non-emotional category" of late - fiction and nonfiction alike - and I kept notes.

I'm going to do my best here to post more often.

Rest assured, I am still The Ardent Reader, with piles of books all over my house, a library hold list a mile long, and an Amazon wish list that never seems to stop growing.

Thank you for reading.

Book 206: The People of the Abyss by Jack London

2020-08-09T15:54:00.002-04:00

Jack London is best known for his exploration of the unknown. Today, he'd be known as an "immersion experience junkie." I came across this book while reading another classic and took a break from that behemoth to read this beautiful little book. I'd highly recommend The People of the Abyss.

The East End of London in the early 1900s was a terrible place, rife with poverty and starvation. News of the conditions reached Jack London in the United States, and he decided to embark on a journey to see the conditions for himself. He boarded a boat in 1908 and rented a room in a safe house near the East End. He purchased ragged clothing and assumed the identity of a lowly laborer immerse himself fully. With an emergency guinea (about a shilling and one penny) sewed into his sleeve, he stepped out into the streets to experience life in the most derelict corner of the "civilized" world.

At the time, the British Empire was still thriving, and it claimed had landholdings throughout the world. I'm not sure how it was received at the time of its publication, but The People of the Abyss certainly made it known that all was not well on the home front. Jack London does a fair job of making it clear that none of the wealth of the British Empire trickled down to the city of London's neediest citizens.

Jack London visited the infamous workhouses of London and met other "casual" workers who were daily fighting for their next meal and a safe place to sleep. He wrote about the gradual weakening of the workers by hunger, fatigue, and unjust, arbitrary laws like the one that made it illegal to sleep in public places during the day. The situation was so bad that huge numbers of people were committing suicide or killing members of their own families rather than allow them to suffer. Until I read this book, I didn't know the history of the East End.

This book was fascinating because it was a snapshot in time of a region that has been the subject of so many literary, television, and film projects. It also struck me that the socioeconomic situation documented within this book parallels our own right now - how the world's wealth is held by the top 1% of the population and everyone else is just trying to skimp by. Jack London does not mince words - he closes his book with an expression of his own opinion that if a country is truly civilized, there should be no abject poverty.

This e-book is available for free on Project Gutenberg (go to https://www.gutenberg.org/) and you can download it in several e-book formats.

Book 205: Retrograde by Peter Cawdron

2020-08-01T07:48:00.000-04:00

Let's talk science fiction. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you probably know I don't read many science fiction books. In fact, I've turned down multiple sci-fi book review requests because I just can't get into them.

Well, Retrograde is the exception, perhaps because it is actually half sci-fi and half mystery. One chapter in, I was hooked. It was imaginative, other-worldly, and had a lot of solid research behind it. Mars is inhospitable for most creatures. However, it seems it is the perfect place for inorganic life forms to thrive.

At first, this book confused me. Then I realized the author was playing games with my head. He gave me tidbits of information at the same time the main character was getting them. While she was trying to make sense of her situation, I was along for the ride. I took every wrong turn with her, until she was able to determine the source of the problem. A male author, Cawdron wrote Retrograde in female-first-person-narrative, which is not something I've come across very often.

I'd die before giving you Peter Cawdron's secret, so you'll have to read this gem for yourself. If you're confused, it's because the author wants you to be confused. Hang on, push on through it, and you'll see that it's all worthwhile.

Book 204: The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley

2020-07-29T07:25:00.000-04:00

Dear readers, if you know anything about me, you know I love dynamic characters!

Oliver Clock is a sweet, gentle, middle-aged man with an overbearing mother and a family business to run. He is a funeral director, and a darn good one at that. Everything is going swimmingly, until it's not. Beyond his own grief, he finds a new direction for his business (among other things) and is no longer the same man we meet in the beginning of the book.

This is the first I've read of Jane Riley's books, and I hope it isn't the last. Her writing is excellent, and I especially appreciate her skill at forging descriptions of people and settings. I felt as if I could step right into Oliver Clock's funeral parlor. Even the smells were poignant - I don't think I've encountered a book that challenged my own olfactory memory in such a way.

I loved this book, and Jane Riley, you are a gem.

Book 203: Permanent Record by Edward Snowden

2020-07-25T07:09:00.001-04:00

Before I begin this review, let me say that I have multiple family members who are (or have been) in the military. Some of them would like Edward Snowden to rot in Hell, or wherever he's living right now. I can understand that. He screwed over a lot of people in the intelligence community when he decided to unveil some of the most critically important covert technology to the world.

On the flip side, the intelligence community gave this young man (he is now 37 years old) access to top secret systems while he was a contractor. He may have been brilliant, but he was wholly blinded to the ramifications of his actions, as many of us are when we are young. I'm not making excuses for his actions. I'm saying we've all been there. (Perhaps not at his level - Snowden is the Michael Jordan of Screwups.)

I had read about Snowden in the news but didn't understand the gravity of his sins against the government until I saw the movie Snowden with Joseph Gordon Levitt, which was released in 2016. And then, like you, I got chills up and down my spine, and wanted to delete my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Like, yesterday.

Whichever side of the issue you're on, this book will alter your perspective. I'll leave you to come to your own conclusions, but here are my thoughts. First of all, Snowden's wife (Lindsay) should be nominated for sainthood. Second, Snowden has been through a lot, but he still hasn't learned his lesson. I was left conflicted. It seemed he wanted forgiveness, but he did not want to apologize that by satisfying the needs of his own moral compass, he put former colleagues in harm's way.

I'm still very conflicted on Snowden's actions, but I think his book was important and well-written. Pick this up if you want to be as conflicted as I am!

Book 202: Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

2020-07-21T06:32:00.000-04:00

I like books about healthcare. I work in healthcare in a non-clinical capacity and I absolutely love what I do. I always wanted to help others through my work, and I'm proud to say I finally found the career that allows me to do that.

With that being said, having worked in a hospital setting, this book was pure hell for me to read. It is the story of Memorial, a community hospital in the heart of New Orleans, during and immediately after Katrina hit the region. It is also the story of the bureaucratic nightmare of a response from both the U.S. government and Memorial's corporate leadership.

I had absolutely no idea that people were stuck in hospitals with no power, limited oxygen, and utterly foul conditions following Katrina. So much of the media focused on the people huddled at elevated sections of highway and sheltering at the Superdome. I never knew anything about Memorial or the other hospitals discussed in this book. In writing this book, Sheri Fink enlightened me on why hospitals now commit whole teams to creating emergency preparedness plans.

This book is disturbing. If you have any emotional trauma around death or dying, don't read it. If you have a hare-trigger gag reflex, don't read it. But if you want to appreciate a community hospital and the people who do the work to care for others, read this book. The author profiles so many medical professionals who were faced with impossible odds and no way out, and still found the energy and compassion to save lives. But it isn't all heroism. Five Days at Memorial is a stark reminder that a lack of accountability and communication can be a death sentence to those who are in our care.

If you are a healthcare professional, you will be moved to tears multiple times in reading this book.

Book 201: Less by Andrew Sean Greer

2020-07-17T05:50:00.000-04:00

I will remember this book forever, for two reasons:

I felt so close to the character in his bumbling yet determined exploration of the world to find himself.
Nothing could have surprised me more than the twist at the end of the book. (For all of you "reverse readers" out there, do NOT read this book backwards. But DO read it twice.)

Andrew Sean Greer, you are a freaking artist. I absolutely loved this book.

The story of Arthur Less and his extraordinarily bad search for meaning through world travel is one that will leave you teary-eyed. You might be crying because you're laughing so hard, but it could also be because he is so desperately naive and sweet that you want to reach out and hug him.

I'm not totally sure that Greer was doing this on purpose, but I felt that Less was written to show all of us that we are not in control of anything within our lives. Life is total chaos. Sometimes that chaos works out to our benefit, sometimes it embarrasses us so badly we want to crawl into a hole and die.

Whatever its intent, Less is a hell of a book, and one I would highly recommend.

Hiatus: OVER.

2020-07-17T05:08:00.001-04:00

Good morning/afternoon/evening, whenever you are reading this!

An odd coincidence got me thinking that it's time to get started again on this whole book blogging project. (Don't worry, I've been reading all along and keeping track of the books I've read...)

For anyone who thinks 2020 is bad, let me tell you: my 2019 was worse. My personal life got completely turned upside down, and I have questioned just about every life choice I've ever made. Except for reading.

Books have been a constant companion for me throughout my life. I wasn't always the most ardent reader, but I've always been in the middle of a book or two since I was able to read. Books and their authors provide me with all of the stuff my parents didn't (or couldn't) teach me.

Life has not been easy. Some days I just want to quit everything and go live in a hut in the jungle by myself. And I really shouldn't complain, because so many others have such bigger difficulties.

Anyway, here's to another 200 books and another 12 years. May we continue on this journey together, our love of books uniting this global community as we confront our daily uncertainties and challenges.

Shout out to my eastern European audience - I'm very glad to have your support.

Love, Es

Book 200: A Beautiful Work in Progress by Mirna Valerio

2019-07-15T20:39:00.000-04:00

I LOVE MIRNA VALERIO. She is the bomb.

For my 200th book, I'm featuring A Beautiful Work in Progress, a book about a woman that doesn't give a rat's ass that she is technically obese. She is a mother. She is a writer. She is a teacher. She is African American. And she is an accomplished marathoner.

Mirna Valerio does not play. She trains every day and has run everything from a plain old 5K to an ultramarathon (anything over 26.2 miles). She is known as "The Mirnavator" on the trails and among her social media followers.

Although there were many wonderful stories within this memoir, the chapter that is most memorable is the one in which she paid homage to her own body. Mirna talks about each feature of her body and how each contributes to her success on the trail. I think I was so taken with this chapter because most women just hate their bodies, even those who have perfect ones. After reading this chapter, I had a serious conversation with myself about how I feel about my body.

As women, we need to support one another and stop beating ourselves up. This book changed my life. I encourage you to pick up a copy, especially if you are a woman. The Mirnavator is inspiring. She is on Instagram and shares many aspects of her life as a marathon runner. Go to https://www.instagram.com/themirnavator/.

Book 199: Hiroshima by John Hersey

2019-07-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

This is one of those books that SCREAMS for your attention long after you've finished reading its pages.

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the atomic bomb on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. These bombings, a few days apart, absolutely leveled both islands. This book features several true accounts of people who - against all odds - survived the Hiroshima bombing.

I still don't know how anyone could have survived such a disaster, but they did. One man happened to be caught under a mattress when the house around him was obliterated, collapsing on top of him. He and many of his neighbors wandered around, stunned, while trying to figure out what in the world happened. They tried to help other survivors, but some were too far gone. The author, John Hersey, described their catastrophic injuries in detail. Nothing can prepare you for these graphic details.

I have read quite a few books about the U.S. war with Japan, including accounts of American prisoners of war, who were held in deplorable conditions and tortured. After reading Hiroshima, I am more convinced than ever that war is horrible for all involved, and that people do awful things to each other for reasons I will never understand. War is tragedy. No one really wins.

This was a short book that I read in a weekend, and I'd recommend it, if you think you can handle the really gory parts. It's not a horror novel, it's real life, and it really happened.

Book 198: Born Survivors by Wendy Holden

2018-12-26T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm no expert on the Holocaust, but I have read quite a few books and consider myself relatively knowledgeable on the topic. I was quite surprised when I discovered this book and an entire new set of stories underlying those I had already heard.

Mauthausen was one of the many camps that were liberated by the Americans once Germany surrendered at the end of World War II. It was in Austria, near the Danube River, and housed many Polish and Czechoslovakian citizens, the majority of whom were Jewish. Among those imprisoned in Mauthausen were three pregnant women whose lives were shattered by the Nazi occupation of their home countries.

Born Survivors contains three miraculous stories - those of Rachel, Anka, and Priska - who somehow became pregnant (by their husbands, of course) and carried their babies to term while imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. These three women knew nothing of each other but shared identical [unfathomably horrible] living situations on other sides of the camps. They gave birth within days of each other to the youngest living concentration camp survivors: Eva Clarke, Hana Berger Moran, and Mark Olsky, who reunited years later and told their stories to author Wendy Holden.

You know how movie critics give pat reviews for movies they feel good about? This is not one of those reviews. When I say this book was a TRIUMPH, I mean it. Wendy Holden somehow assembled the three mothers' stories, the stories of their children, and each family's histories and facts related to their incarceration, and their families' deaths. I was in awe of her ability to recant each woman's story individually and then tie them all together at the end. I was simultaneously in awe of the women's ability to survive such dire circumstances and the biological and spiritual resolve to carry their children to term, deliver them into the world, and see to it that they all survived despite the brutality of their Nazi captors. Further, I was in awe of how these babies became aware of each other through the common connection of the soldiers of the U.S. Army's 11th Armored Division, their liberators.

Here's an article that discusses the reunion of the three "babies" of Mauthausen and the fascinating instantaneous bond they all shared upon meeting each other.

I came away from this book with a deeper appreciation of the resilience of the human spirit and the interconnected and interdependent nature of life itself. I hope you will pick up Born Survivors - it will change you.

Book 197: Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky (Audiobook read by Andrew Garman)

2018-12-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

Mark Kurlansky has written exhaustive books on everything from the history of the American oyster to the story of Clarence Birdseye and frozen food. Usually his books are interesting, but this one felt like a chore. The book was longer than it needed to be, and narrator Andrew Garman did not help, either. This audiobook was a drag. I couldn't wait to be through with it.

Despite the almost complete bore fest, there were a few tidbits hidden within the pages of this book that had to deal with watercolors, which is one of my interests. (Read this article on Medium.) Through Paper: Paging Through History, I learned that watercolors were used for a long time in other countries (Japan, China) and finally "adopted" by British artist Turner, who made watercolor a more widely accepted art form. (Professional grade watercolor paper is usually made made of cotton, not wood, because it absorbs the water and leaves the pigment behind.)

I also learned about xuan paper, which is made from the bark of blue sandalwood in China, and it takes two years to prepare the raw materials to make the paper. Part of the process is laying the materials out on a hillside for months at a time and turning them periodically. (Professional watercolorists use double xuan, which is more absorbent than the single ply version.) Of course, I immediately had to find a xuan paper maker that would ship to Delaware. For $55 a sheet, I could have my very own xuan paper. Ummmm....

One more fairly interesting thing was that paper was initially made from rags, like the kind you might have sitting in your basement waiting to be used for dirty work - ripped up tee shirts and the like. There were people who went around collecting rags for paper mills, which cooked down materials until they were basically sludge and then put them into trays to dry to make paper. The idea of using wood fibers to make paper wasn't introduced to the western world until the late 1800s. In the U.S., the first operating paper mill was in my hometown of Philadelphia, near where I grew up. And they routinely ran out of rags and had to reach out to housewives to get them to save their rags to make paper.

Not every learning experience is a pleasant one, I suppose. Kurlansky's book was like that for me.

Book 196: The Long Shadow by Celia Fremlin

2018-11-12T07:42:00.000-05:00

Celia Fremlin wrote this book before she died. Her publisher, Faber & Faber, reached out to me to read the book and write a review of The Long Shadow and publish it today as part of an international blog tour. And I am extraordinarily sad that I can't tell Celia myself how much I loved it!

Imogen, the main character of this story, has lost her husband. She's been trying to put the pieces of her life together ever since he died so that she could move on. She's been in sort of a funk, and some guy keeps accusing her of having something to do with her husband's death.

All of a sudden, her family - her husband's stepchildren, their families, and even one of her husband's ex-wives - descend upon Imogen's home to keep her company during the Christmas holiday. Just as suddenly, odd things begin to happen around the house that make her question her own sanity and analyze the relationship she had with her husband. Who was he, really? What did she really know about him? The truth eventually comes out.

This book is full of surprises. Just when I thought I understood what was happening, Fremlin would open another door with her writing that I didn't even know was there.

I'm not going to tell you the conclusion, but I will say that if you love a good mystery, this is a great book to dig into!

And thank you, Joanna Lee of Faber & Faber, for the opportunity to contribute to the blog tour!

Hugs,

Es

Book 195: A Case of Need by Michael Crichton

2018-10-06T22:42:00.000-04:00

Last week, I mentioned this book to my boss and told him I thought it was one of Michael Crichton's last books written before he died. I was completely wrong: this was one of the first books Crichton ever wrote - and in fact, he wrote it when he was still in medical school.

The book was a quick read, but a good one. It is the story of a pathologist (someone who figures out what kind of illness or cancer or infection a patient has based on evidence) that finds out that a colleague has been arrested on charges of performing an illegal abortion... because the patient died of a hemorrhage. He knows his colleague is innocent of the charges and decides to stretch the boundaries of his job description a bit to solve a murder and clear his friend's name.

I am the Ardent Reader, and I am very fussy about the books I read. I start and put down more than I finish, just because I know life is short and my bookshelf is stuffed with books I must finish before I die. I tell you this because I don't often find books that are as intense and engaging as this one - and it hooked me from the very first page. I don't want to spoil the book for you, but I'll tell you one thing: it definitely had momentum... and a ton of twists. And, like most Michael Crichton books, A Case of Need was filled with all kinds of real science, so I learned a thing or two along the way.

There were some hints here and there that the story was not set in today's modern healthcare setting. For one, the doctors all smoked inside and stowed flasks in their desk drawers. Abortion was also illegal in this book, so I knew it had to be set sometime before Roe v. Wade. In fact, Crichton wrote this book in 1969, which I didn't find out until the end.

A Case of Need was available on Amazon Prime Reading, so I borrowed it for nothing! I hope you'll put it on your list of books to read. I found it fascinating.

Book 194: Fascism: A Warning by Madeline Albright (Audiobook read by author)

2018-09-28T12:24:00.000-04:00

Well, this was one of the most disturbing books I've ever read.

I'm not sure what your political views are, but I have been closely following the insanity documented by the press ever since my world was completely changed in 2016. I'd heard the word "fascism" a thousand times before, but never knew the depth of that term's meaning. I have a lot of respect for Madeline Albright, so I figured if anyone was going to give me the lowdown, it would be her.

Albright didn't disappoint me - although I did sometimes wish she would have paid a narrator instead of reading the book herself. (At a few points, it was clear that her voice was fatigued, and I sort of felt bad for her.) She presented a historical perspective on the fascists in history and did it incredibly well. Then she turned the tables on me and pointed her attention at today's political environment here in the U.S.

Fascism is about riling up people, using their anger and nationalist tendencies to build political support. Truth has no place in fascist strategy - lies are much more effective. Fascists play on fears, ignorance, and pride (not good pride.) In her book, Albright profiles Hitler, Mussolini, and many lesser-known world leaders in this book to illustrate how fascism takes hold within otherwise civilized societies.

Toward the end, Albright provides her readers with a list of questions that people should ask themselves about their leaders. This was enormously helpful for me.

I hope you'll read this book. Thanks.

Book 193: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

2018-08-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

There are only so many short books that are as memorable as this one. The life of Frederick Douglass narrated by himself is a crushing, fascinating book that will remain with me for a long time to come. Elie Wiesel's Night and Victor Frankl's A Man's Search for Meaning come to mind.

I picked up this book from the Gutenberg Project, which allows you to download free e-books (here's the link for this one). I never knew the details of Douglass's early life. From birth, his entire life was impacted by slavery. I was disheartened to learn of his early separation from his mother which was orchestrated for one reason: to destroy the mother-child bond before it could begin.

The cruelty described within this short little book will surprise you. Though most of us are familiar with some of the horrors of slavery, Douglass describes some I've never heard before. I now understand the hardness and resolve in his eyes that is captured in not one but all of the photos I've ever seen of him.

I was quite surprised by the conclusion of this book, in which Douglass describes the profound cruelty of the "pious slave owner" who professes faith in Christ and then uses his religion to cover the most heinous crimes.

I think this book should be required reading for every American.

Book 192: Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang, MD, and Nate Pederson

2018-08-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

Damn, this book was funny... and also, not so funny. So many people died because of the insane cures that were detailed in this book.

Quackery is a list of certifiably ridiculous "solutions" that were concocted by their creators to heal people. In some cases, the quacks themselves believed in their cures, and in other cases, they knowingly defrauded their own patients.

The authors of this book are so, so snarky. I enjoyed the little remarks here and there that just brought the insanity of the "cures" home for the modern reader. I liked the photographs, too, although they probably would have shown up a lot better in the printed version of the book. (I had it on my Kindle Paperwhite.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think you would, too.

Book 191: The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro and Daniel Kraus (Audio book)

2018-08-09T20:55:00.000-04:00

The movie was beautiful, poignant, and well made, but the book had more of an impact on me. I was happy to have it as company on a really long road trip. And it was really good.

This book is unique, because its author was also the director of the movie. Guillermo Del Toro - who made the most disturbing movie I've ever seen (Pan's Labrynth) - has created a book that is engaging on so many levels.

In the book, some of the characters are more well cultivated in the book than they were in the movie. Some characters are more interconnected than I originally thought, and at least two did not exist at all in the movie but appeared prominently and were in fact instrumental to the story in the book.

The story of the Gill God, Eliza, Giles, Zelda, and Strickland and his wife Elaine is an incredible one. It begins in the jungle and ends in Baltimore sometime in the 1960s. On their regular rounds as custodians for a scientific research facility, Eliza and Zelda encounter an amazing creature being held captive in a lab. When Eliza - who is mute - discovers that she can communicate with the creature, they become inseparable. The story that unfolds is one of courage, strength, and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

I hope you'll pick up this book because it was worth reading, even after seeing the movie and having a preconceived notion of what things looked, felt, and sounded like.

Book 190: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (Audiobook)

2018-08-06T20:17:00.000-04:00

I am so-o-o-o lucky to have a coworker who is happy to share her advanced listener's copies of audio books. That's how I got my hands on this fantastic book.

It started out a little bit slow... but in no time I was hooked on the story so cleverly assembled by the authors. Every time I had to get out of the car, I was upset that I didn't have more time to listen.

The Wife Between Us is the story of two women who fall in love with the same man. Their stories are interwoven in such a way that it's almost impossible to tell them apart. And when the surprises come, they aren't just surprises... they're thrills... the kind that give you goosebumps when you realize you've been wrong all along.

I can't tell you much more without blowing the big secrets in the book, but the themes are clear. Abuse comes in many forms. Perception is everything. And people who will lie about the little things will lie about big things.

Definitely, definitely, definitely pick this up and read it. And pay attention.

Book 189: Origin by Dan Brown (Audiobook)

2018-07-21T15:28:00.001-04:00

The author of The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons wrote this book last year and it was heralded by everyone who read it as amazing. I'm not sure I'd use that word to describe it, but it certainly was entertaining.

I really like Dan Brown for his original stories and the fascinating way he weaves together fact and fiction. Origin didn't disappoint at all in that aspect. In fact, I can't imagine how much research Brown had to conduct to create the story lines of Origin and his previous books.

Where I feel he falls short, though, is in the dialogue. The main character, Robert Langdon, is the same professor that unraveled the mysteries in the books cited above. In those books and in Origin, when Professor Langdon explains something to another character, it's almost like he's reading the information out of a textbook. For me, the dialogue makes the exchanges feel disingenuous.

Other than that one small thing, Origin was a fascinating read. I loved the characters and plot twists. Like The DaVinci Code, Origin makes you question what you thought you knew about the world around you. Brown uses his characters to hypothesize about Earth's beginnings and the future of humanity. I was absolutely fascinated.