This book is coming soon to a movie theater near you

It's time for summer reads (and Summer Reading -- don't forget to sign up starting Monday!), but it's also time for a few summer blockbusters.  There are a lot of books, both classics and newer, that will be showing up on a big screen this year.  From Jane Eyre and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan to One Day and The Help.  Oh, yeah, and the final installment of a small, relatively unknown series.  There's also the already-popular Water for Elephants and The Lincoln Lawyer.

Of course, having books translated into movies isn't limited to adult audiences there are also a lot of great books for kids and teens that have become great movies.  Check out a more complete list here.  If you've seen the movie but not read the book, check one out and see what you think.  Doesn't everyone say that the book is always better than the movie?  I suppose our friends over at Now Playing might disagree.  What do you think -- book or movie?  What's been your favorite movie based on a book?

A car wreck, a cardiac arrest, and an unintentional spate of good books about death

If my husband was inclined to browse through my book selection recently, he might have been a little worried.  It's not that he would have cause to, it's just that I've read several books in the past couple of weeks that involved 30-something women and the unexpected death of their husbands.  It was unintentional, but I can see how that pattern might be a bit disconcerting. 

The first one I stumbled across was Emily and Einstein.  Emily didn't realize her husband, Sandy, was on his way to tell her he wanted a divorce when he was killed by a car.  Sandy wasn't ready to die and is given a chance to make things right by staying on as a stray dog named Einstein.  Alternating chapters between Emily's and Einstein's perspectives, the book gives Sandy a chance to become a good man as a dog to make up for the dog he was as a man.  Susan Isaac's new book, As Husbands Go, like Emily and Einstein, also addresses the grief and confusion felt by new widows. 

Shortly after that, I moved on to Sara Pekkanen's new title, Skipping a Beat, which begins with, "When my husband, Michael, died for the first time..." so I knew pretty quickly that it would join my collection of dead-husband books.  Pekkanen explores the relationship between Julia and Michael, who were also near divorce, after his resuscitation from a 4 1/2 minute long cardiac arrest.  

For some older titles, P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern and Good Grief by Lolly Winston are also great reads on this subject.  For now, I'm off to go find some books that won't cause my husband to worry about my intentions. 

Worrywarts of the World Unite!

If you like to laugh and enjoy self-help books, this is a great book for you! The Worrywart's Prayer Book : 40 Help-Me-Get-A-Grip, God Meditations and Prayers by Allia Zobel-Nolan is the answer to my prayers.  I admit it, I am a worrywart.  I am not proud of it, but I stand up for my right to worry about where my child is. What did his cryptic phone message mean? He called and said, "I need to tell you about what happened this morning."  Does it mean he was in a car accident? Did he leave the faucet running at home? Did he just forget his homework? I can't call him, because he is at school, but what if he needs me? I am sure I drive my husband crazy.  I know I ought to relax, but what if? I tell myself, relax, but it is not as easy as it sounds.This is where Allia Zobel-Nolan enters in with her wonderful and lighthearted book for all worrywarts. 


The author is a reformed worrywart and understands what causes most people to fret.  She points it out with a gentle touch and provides inspiration to help the worrier in all of us overcome our angst.  A truly enjoyable novel that will inspire you, relax you and just make you smile. 

Ohioana Finalists Announced

Last year, I wrote a post about the finalists for the Ohioana Book Awards.  It's that time again!  The finalists were recently announced.  These awards recognize outstanding works by Ohio authors and are sponsored by the Ohioana Library Association.  Prizes are given for the following categories; Fiction, Nonfiction, Children's Books, and Poetry.

Here are the Fiction finalists and several books by each:

Lisa Black- Trail of Blood, Evidence of Murder
Carla Buckley- The Things that Keep Us Here
Michael Cunningham- By Nightfall, Specimen Days
Anthony Doerr- The Shell Collector, Memory Wall
James King- Bill Warrington's Last Chance
Ann Weisgarber- The Personal History of Rachel Dupree

Visit this site for more information on the Ohioana Book Awards and the other categories.

In the Queue

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

When Marina’s office colleague, sent to the Amazon to check on the work of a field team, is reported dead, her company asks her to go retrieve the body. What she finds there shakes her to the core.

Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell

Russell writes about the early life of Doc Holliday and his girlfriend Kate. One memorable summer in the two lovers’ lives is ripe with possibility and hope.

The Central Park Five by Sarah Burns

This is the full story of the five teens charged in the Central Park Jogger case: the racial implications, the vacating of the charges against them, and the DNA evidence that cleared their names.

Loved Ones: Stories that Warm the Heart

I wanted to read Heaven is For Real, as soon as I heard about it a few weeks ago.  It's a true story of 3 year old Colton who during surgery actually visits heaven.  It is his story told by his father, Todd Burpo.  The story begins with what led to surgery and his family's faith and frustration with God.  Colton's story is revealed to his parents over a few years time.  In the nature of preschoolers-their descriptions don't always fit within our realm of understanding.  Their lack of verbal knowledge diminishes our comprehension of what they are saying. Consequently, it takes a year or so before Colton's family begins to piece together what their son experienced during his surgery.  This is a wonderfully written inspiring and touching story,which will make you long to see heaven for yourself. 

Although looking through the eyes of a three year old boy--definitely adds an interesting dimension. As a parent it would be hard to get across the concept that crossing a busy street is dangerous to a child who has been to heaven.  When the author reprimands his 4 year old son and tells him he can get killed running into a busy street. He does not expect his son to be happy, but his son is thrilled. Colton is excited because he realizes he can return to heaven if he dies. What on earth does a parent say to that?  Well fortunately Todd had the answer. He simply tells Colton, that he (Todd), gets to go to heaven next.  After all he is older and Colton already went to heaven once.  This is a truly wonderful story that will make you think and dream of what is to come. 
Here are a few other heart-warming stories from our Great Books Great Libraries Reading List, that you may enjoy as well. These stories are of love, loss and moving on as best you can. They show that change can be wonderful.

My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Follow the Stars Home by Luanne Rice

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

This man is a survivor. Are you?

Imagine you're a bombardier in the Army Air Corps during World War II. On a rescue mission, your plane goes down over the Pacific Ocean, and only you and two others survive the crash. The search plane sent after you doesn't see you, dashing any hopes of a quick rescue. Surrounded on all sides by water, sharks, starvation, and dehydration, you drift for over forty-seven days before spotting land. Finally, you think, grateful that your ordeal is over, but luck is not with you, for it's the Japanese who come to your rescue. You're a POW now. Next stop: Execution Island. Still with me? Good, because this is exactly what happened to Olympic runner Louie Zamperini during World War II, and how he survived this hellish experience is a tale that is nothing short of amazing, brought vividly to life by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Without question, Unbroken is the best book I have read this year, hands down. It traces Louie's life from his raucous childhood to his career as one of the country's best track athletes, his enlistment in the Army Air Corps and the life-changing events that followed. If you've never met a hero before, you will in Unbroken. And if you've never stopped to count your blessings, this book may inspire you to do just that.