May is a Good Month for Books

I don't know where to start - there are so many good things coming up in May. I believe I will start with 3 non-fiction books. I usually don't talk about nonfiction but these are exciting entries and I think that they will appeal to many of you.

One of my favorite books of all time is 'Black and Blue' by Anna Quindlen. Quindlen has written 6 best selling novels and won a Pulitzer Prize for her New York Times column. When she writes, she writes well.  Towards the end of April/beginning of May, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake will be arriving in the library. Quindlen is now in her 50's and this is a memoir or a series of essays on what life is like for women of all ages. Look at this quote from the book that discusses her view of women's bodies. "I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It’s like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine.” How can you not love that quote. Imagine a book full of them. I can't wait for it to get here.

Robert Caro has been writing a multivolume work on "The Years of Lyndon Johnson". The first 3 volumes - 'The Path to Power'; 'Means of Ascent' and 'Master of the Senate' have won one National Book Award; one Pulitzer Prize and two National Book Critics Circle awards. The fourth volume, The Passage of Power, will be out on May 1 and covers the 5 years from 1958 when he ran for president till 1964 when he was in the White House following Kennedy's assassination. He draws on interviews and primary documents to tell his story. A fascinating man and if this one runs true to the former works, a fascinating book.

Finally, Mike Scotti's The Blue Cascade: A Memoir of Life after War is being released on May 15.  Scotti in 2003 as a 1st Lieutensnt in the Marine Corp was sent to Iraq and then Afghanastan. He decided to use a home video camera to record his expeirences with the thought of writing a book on his return. When he returned, instead of a book, he produced and narrated 'Severe Clear', an award winning documentary. He also experienced an invasive sense of depression - he described it as "the feeling of isolation from the people all around you at home. Everyone's complaints seem trivial: The plane is delayed 30 minutes. They put onions on your sandwich. You don't like your job. "You think you got problems, pal?" is the thought that would go through my mind. I would think of the people I knew that were still over there -- in convoys hitting IEDs that rip apart armored vehicles and the troops inside them, or on patrol caught in a firefight in some dusty alley somewhere. Or of close friends that I had already lost. This sense of isolation, if not dealt with, can quickly lead to problems with loved ones, with colleagues or worse; self-destructive behaviors feed upon themselves, pulling the vet down the wrong path. The isolation can also manifest itself in feelings of anger or resentment." This book seems to be valuable reading for soldiers who need to understand what is happening to them as well as others who can benefit from understanding what the soldiers are going through.