Reported by
Kristin
Our first
Nevermore reader very enthusiastically recommends Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister. Based on the true story of the first female
detective in the Pinkerton agency, Kate Warne forges a career in what until
then has been an old boys club. Once
Pinkerton realizes that having women detectives would be to his advantage, Kate
is placed in charge of training other women, a task she falls to with a
vengeance. Our reader found this novel
fun, interesting and informative, and said that she just got enveloped in this
woman’s life.
The next reader
had a very different reaction to her novel—she thought that The Other
Einstein by Marie Benedict was
simply awful. The book made her dislike
Albert Einstein, as he was depicted as a selfish jerk who took credit for his
first wife’s work. Additionally, our
reader did not think that the book was well written. With mixed critical reviews, this volume
depicts physicist Mileva Maric, the aforementioned first wife of Einstein, as a
brilliant woman who sacrificed her own career for her husband’s.
Discussion
turned to non-fiction with Makeup Man: From Rocky to Star Trek The Amazing
Creations of Hollywood’s Michael Westmore by Michael Westmore with Jake Page.
The Westmore family has been involved in the Hollywood make up business
for a full century, since 1917. As well
as working with such stars as Sylvester Stallone, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank
Sinatra, Michael Westmore also designed the make up for hundreds of Star Trek aliens. Our reader found this a fascinating book.
Going from art
to science, our next reader talked about Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of
Everyday Life by Helen Czerski. Just detailed enough to be challenging, but
simple enough to understand, Czerski seems to know everything about mid-level
science. Our reader was fascinated by
the variety of scientific facts offered up, and in fact performed an experiment
at the book club table. How can you tell
if an egg is hard boiled or raw? Spin
them and observe which one goes fastest and longest. After several people tried testing the eggs,
our reader cracked the two “boiled” eggs.
Fortunately, our spinners were correct.
Many other scientific curiosities are included in this illuminating
book.
From physical science
to life science, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph
from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman
Doidge discusses the way that our experiences shape the physical properties
of our brains. Throwing out the old idea
that brains are static organs, the author examines the idea of
“neuroplasticity,” looking at how brains can rewire themselves after
trauma. Our reader was very impressed
with the idea that our brains can use cognitive reserves to adapt to new
circumstances.
The End of
the Day is a new novel
by Claire North. Charlie decides he’s ready for a change in
his life, so he applies for a new job.
The title? Harbinger of Death. Charlie visits people all over the
world. Sometimes he comforts them as
they are dying. Sometimes, he may visit
quite some time before the time or day of actual death, but his visit serves
some purpose to prepare them for what lies ahead. Our reader commented on the fact that in
Charlie’s world, everyone dies twice: one actual death, and a second when
people stop talking about you.
Lastly, another
reader discussed Eva Luna by Isabelle
Allende. Eva is a young girl who was
orphaned early and is making her own way in a rough South American
country. As Eva moves through life, she
experiences a series of unusual circumstances.
Our reader called it a tale of mystical realism, as the reader may
question if the events really could have happened. Our reader said that it was a good book and
worth suspending disbelief over the fantastical elements in order to appreciate
the story.
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