As if us parents of children with diabetes have the extra time or the energy to actually read a book, I’m giving it my best shot to read (or “read”) 50 25 books in 2011.
Notice I crossed out the 50 and made it 25. Yeah, that goal was totally unrealistic. What was I thinking?! Oh, it was wishful thinking. Maybe a more attainable goal would be reading one book a month.
Visit my 2:00 AM Book Club page to see all of the books I’ve read in 2011 and those that are on my list.
14. I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman (audiobook)
(About the book:) “Eliza Benedict cherishes her peaceful, ordinary suburban life with her successful husband and children, thirteen-year-old Iso and eight-year-old Albie. But her tranquility is shattered when she receives a letter from the last person she ever expects—or wants—to hear from: Walter Bowman. There was your photo, in a magazine. Of course, you are older now. Still, I’d know you anywhere.”
There is a passage in the book where Eliza’a sister and her father have a conversation about what happened and how it affects each member of the family. And although the book is about an entirely different subject, her father’s words resonated with me about how we allow diabetes to define, or rather not define, our lives: (May not be an exact quote because I was listening to the audiobook.)
Manny was always careful to use the most neutral words possible: experienced, not suffered or even endured. Not because he was inclined to euphemisms, but because Eliza’s parents didn’t want to define her life for her. “You get to be the expert on yourself” her father said frequently. And Eliza found it an enormously comforting saying. An unexpected gift from two parents who had the knowledge, training, and history to be the expert on her, if they so chose.
Purchase I’d Know You Anywhere from my affiliate Barnes & Noble. It’s also available as a NOOK Book.
15. Not Dead Yet: My Race Against Disease: From Diagnosis to Dominance* by Phil Southerland and John Hanc (diabetes)
(About the book:) “Part memoir, part sports adventure, Not Dead Yet tells the inspirational story of Phil Southerland’s battle with Type 1 diabetes and how from diagnosis to sheer determination, Phil Southerland beat all odds and turned his diagnosis and his passion for cycling into a platform. From leading a Race Across America to now managing a world-class cycling program, his journey on and off the bike is changing the way the world views diabetes.”
Read my review of the book Not Dead Yet.
Purchase Not Dead Yet from my affiliate Barnes & Noble. It’s also available as a NOOK Book.
16. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (audiobook)
(About the book:) Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth…but he is not alone. Every other man, woman, and child on Earth has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville’s blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?
I am a huge fan of the movie I Am Legend starring Will Smith. In fact after reading this book, I requested it from Netflix to watch yet again. I even reference the movie in my zombie apocalypse post.
The book may inspire the movie, but the two tell different stories.
The book is set in California and Robert Neville is not a kick ass scientist like the Will Smith character. Rather, for a possible reason we learn about, he was the only human not affected by the plague that turned humans into vampires. We hear the tale of how his wife and daughter are taken from him and how he survives day after day and keeps from being hunted and killed in the night.
Perhaps the most poignant part of the book was the last few pages when he comes to terms with his fate and describes why he is legend.
I think it is worth a read because it is definitely a classic in the vampire and zombie genre. It was written in 1954! But if you really want to be entertained, watch the movie again!
Purchase I Am Legend from my affiliate Barnes & Noble. It’s also available as a NOOK Book. I love the movie starring Will Smith which is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Book descriptions are from Barnes & Noble. Links to bookstores are affiliate links and are provided so that you can find the books easily. I personally utilize the public library quite a bit, especially for audiobooks and fiction. I received titles marked with an asterisk (*) free of charge for review consideration. Please read the disclosure statement regarding affiliate links.
{2:00 AM Book Club} September 11 is a post from: D-Mom Blog
