Books I Read This Summer

Here is a list of books I (B. McDade) read over the past few months. Some of them I have, so ask me if you want to borrow any of them. (sorry I don't remember all the author's names)

The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane: An interesting twist on the Salem Witch "myth" written by a decendant of one of the so-called witches of Salem. I liked this book, but it was difficult to get started and then it was just a fun little mystery.

The Art of Racing in the Rain: I really liked this book a bunch! It is a tale of love and tragedy, told from the perspective of a well-loved dog. The main character is a race car driver with a talent for driving in the rain. The book is a metaphor about life's ups and downs and the art of getting through it in one piece. One of my favorites!

The Skin I'm In: This is a young adult literature book. I was reading it in class during silent reading time with my students. It is quite an awesome awe-inspiring tale about a young African-American girl and her struggles to accept her color and her abilities to do well in school. I would recommend this to all ages.

Mudbound: This is a truly fantastic book. It is a story about family dynamics, moral and social conflicts. It will make you cry, wring your hands, worry and fret...a real page turner. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to adults that like to read about the struggles of the pre-Civil Rights era.

Eat, Pray, Love: This is a non-fiction book that is now a movie. (I haven't seen the movie.) I enjoyed the book a great deal. It is about love and losing it, looking for it, finding it, and embracing oneself along the way. It is a sort of "coming of age" type book for a young journalist that has been self-absorbed. I liked the book but would not recommend it to all people. If you like self-discovery type books and books about meditation...it might be one you would like.

Five People You Meet In Heaven: I hate to admit that I hadn't read this one until just this summer. I don't know why, but I was afraid to read it. (I didn't want to be sad, I guess.) I am really glad that I did read it...it was anything but sad. The main character is endearing and I fell in love with him. I would recommend this to all adults. I just hope heaven is similar to this book.

The Lost Symbol: I read this book while on vacation...and it rained the whole time. If the weather had been better, I would never have finished this book. It was drowning in facts about architecture and historical mumbo, jumbo....not a favorite. I did read the whole thing, though, because the mystery interwoven among the "other multiple dreary words" was pretty cool. I kept thinking...."this is just a script for another movie." The movie should be good, but the book was a struggle to get through.

The Help: What a hoot! This was an awesome book and very entertaining. The main topic is about race relations and Southern class structure. It is a throught-provoking book, but delivered in an entertaining and colorful manner. I would recommend this to all adults...even men.

Between Friends: This was a good book about friendship. It had a really interesting twist about what one friend did for another friend and the paths their lives take after this event. It is easy to read and the story carries you along very quickly. I would recommend this to female readers and for people who like happy endings.

Pillars of the Earth: This is one big book! (about 900+ pages) I really liked this book after I got started. I have always like Ken Follett so I gave it a try. It is a book with romance, adventure, and historical issues. I found it hard to put down, but did find myself slumping through some of the "non-fiction" stuff about architecture and masonry. I would recommend this to all ages, especially if you like historical fiction.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: What can I say? It is a good book! It is full of adventure, love and friendship. I enjoyed reading it...actually read it twice. I would recommend it to people that like Harry and Hogwarts!

Heart & Soul by Maeve Binchy: Yep, I'm a Binchy fan. I have read almost all of her sweet tales of friendship, family, love and tragedy. It is just a fun type book to make you laugh and cry. I would recommend this to anyone that likes a feel-good book with lots of characters and happy endings.