Book Review: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Elizabeth Kostova dives deep into the history of Dracula in The Historian. It’s slightly more than 700 pages, and yet Dracula is a minor character. This was my second reading, done together with friends from Litsy and organized by Ami at Literature Goals. When I...Reading and Writing are Expressions of Life, and other Lessons Learned from Grief
Two years ago, our 18-year old granddaughter died in a one-car accident. At the time, I was blogging regularly about chronic pain, health, and wellness. I had self-published a book, Kick Pain in the Kitchen, some months before. And then my creative juices died along...Racial and Social Justice Reading in 2017
During 2017 I’ve made a specific effort to broaden my reading experience, with emphasis on balancing my white, middle-class education and upbringing. I’ve tried to choose classics written by African Americans, historical works, as well as books that...Book Review: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Susan Hill’s gothic horror book, The Woman in Black, is a perfect late October read. It’s the time of the year when I think about finding ghosts and goblins in my books. I listened to this as an audiobook, read by Paul Ansdell. His narration was spot on...Book Review: Funny in Farsi: A Memoir about Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas
Firoozeh Dumas’ memoir about growing up Iranian in California, Funny in Farsi, is a lighthearted look at her 1970s and 80s immigrant experience. Imagine moving to a country where you don’t speak the language, and everyone is geographically challenged with...Book Review: I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
I picked up I feel Bad About my Neck by Nora Ephrata on a Sunday afternoon when I needed a little levity. Having loved her movies but never read her books, this was a happy find at a library book sale. And it did make me laugh some, and groan quite a lot. Sometimes a...Book Review: We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates
To say Ta-Nehisi Coates covers a lot of ground in We Were Eight Years in Power is a true understatement. This book has done more to explain to me the state of the U.S. today than several of the other books I’ve read since the election combined. Coates reaches...Graphic Novel Review: Monstress, Vol. 2 by Majorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Monstress Volume Two continues Maika’s journey for answers that Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda brought us in the first volume. Volume One is subtitled “The Awakening,” because Maika is beginning to discover her two identities. Volume Two is subtitled...Book Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
In Alan Bradley’s charming tale, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia de Luce is a tween on a mission. At just eleven years old, she’s precocious in the extreme. And when she finds a dead body in the cucumber patch, she feels compelled to...Book Review: The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
Author Jac Jemc describes the house in her book, The Grip of It as having windows that distort the view beyond them. That’s very much how this short novel itself feels. I never quite got a grip (pun intended) on what was happening, nor did the main characters....Book Review: The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue
The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue is the story of the Keenans—Tim, Hollie, and Jack Peter. Also figuring in the plot are their neighbors Nell, Fred, and Nick Weller. The two families are year-long residents along the ocean in Maine’s...Book Review: Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister
With Girl in Disguise, Greer Macallister brings us a rip-roaring heroine caught up in a tense and fast-moving world. I read the book in just over 24 hours, which is not normal for me. Definitely a fun, unputdownable choice! Kate Warne is a widow in Chicago just before...Book Review: What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
What Happened, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s exposition on the election cycle of 2016 proves her to be a great political thinker. That she’ll not also be a great political leader is the result of many things, and she willingly takes personal responsibility...Currently reading
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I will definitely recommend Kick Pain in the Kitchen to my patients: Those who are looking to avoid pharmaceutical treatment and those who want to combine western medicine with alternative therapies.
Jane A. Swartz
ARNP, MSN, Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner
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