Brown Bag Book Discussion - February 2002

Santiago, a shepherd boy, literally follows his dreams from Spain to the Egyptian pyramids in search of treasure. For fans of The Little Prince, this is a simple fable, based on simple truths.

If your doctor can’t find what’s wrong with you, consider reading this natural health guide that explains how many maladies are actually caused by food allergies or sensitivity to yeast. Yeast infections are known as "great pretenders" whose many symptoms: depression, lack of energy, tiredness, mimic other illnesses.

"Falling back in love with your first wife while married to your fifth was a sticky, stupid business," comments Jack Mauser, a bumbling, cocky construction worker. Then he dies. Driving home from his funeral, his four wives are trapped in a North Dakota blizzard. Each character is so dysfunctional, she’ll make you feel normal, in this so-true it’s sad and funny at the same time novel.

This novel is tough to pin down. About to be released from prison for petty crimes, Shadow vows to clean up his act, return to the wife he loves, and start work at his best friend’s business. Then he’s called to the warden’s office and told that his wife has been murdered–and his best friend is also dead. On the plane heading to the funeral, his seatmate, Mr. Wednesday, seems to know his life story. Suddenly, Wednesday (really the god Odin) is everywhere...attempting to enlist Shadow in an epic battle between the old gods brought to America by immigrants, and the new gods, such as Internet and Media. It gets weirder from there, as old and new gods fight for Shadow’s attention, his dreams and waking moments get more and more bizarre. Odd, but extremely compelling reading.

Jane Hudson returns to the Heart Lake School for Girls as the Latin teacher, 20 years after her two roommates and one roomate’s brother died in mysterious circumstances her senior year. Now pages of Jane’s girlhood diary keep turning up, divulging ugly secrets about their clandestine rituals on the lake and the events leading up to the tragic deaths. When history begins to repeat itself, Jane becomes frightened for her daughter’s safety and her own sanity. Lots of mythological symbolism and hidden clues to discover in this thrilling page-turner.

This honest, unflinching memoir about the woman featured in so many tabloid headlines gives a fascinating look at a mixed-up childhood and its affects on her current behavior. Despite being exploited by her parents as a child, Heche doesn’t whine or make excuses, just explains who she is and what has happened in her life so far.

For thrilling non-fiction that reads like fiction, and a great horse story to boot, try this one about the rags-to-riches horse who beat the famous War Admiral and won hearts the world over during the late 1930s. An in-depth look at the key people who figured in Seabiscuit’s life: Red Pollard, a down-n-out jockey with heart, Tom Smith, "the Lone Plainsman", Seabiscuit’s secretive trainer, and Charles Howard, Seabiscuit’s owner. Worth the wait on the holds list!

1. The Light Years
2. Marking Time
3. Confusion
4. Casting Off

DO NOT read this at home alone at night! This may be the best ghost story ever--with a twist. This time, it’s not a ghost, but a HOUSE doing the haunting. See why Stephen King himself is a big fan of Shirley Jackson.

This was master of psychological horror Jackson’s last novel before she died. It’s about two reclusive sisters who live in a remote house. It features this stunning first paragraph,
"My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead." Wow! Creepy! We defy anyone to stop reading it after an intro like that.

A church organist gets involved in a murder investigation while installing a new organ. Plenty of humor, intrigue, and in-joke parodies of real-life Boston musicians.

A children’s book artist is painting a mural of children’s book characters on a wall in her newly remodeled home...but each day, new characters appear that she didn’t paint. Add a fair number of murders and you get another spooky, funny mystery. Line drawings for each chapter track the progress of the mural.

This little-known stitching technique, which is pronounced "shirr-ay" crosses shirring with crochet to make rugs. Plenty of illustrations provide step-by-step instructions.

O’Connor’s exquisite short stories are so vital because she makes it easy to see, feel and hear her characters, really getting into their heads. Although some stories can be described as weird or frightening, they always include some humor and a sense of inevitability. While a popular favorite is "A Good Man is Hard to Find," try "Everything That Rises Must Converge".

Ooh la la, this book was discussed at a previous BBBD and worth another look. It’s a love story involving Italian food and lots of pizzazz. Quirky, funny, sensual...you may never be able to look at spaghetti in the same way again!

Advanced Bach Flower Therapy
Blome, Gotz
[Adult 615.321 Bl]

These works delve into the theory behind Dr. Bach’s homeopathic techniques for treating people’s emotional well-being with a combination of 38 remedies made from plant energy distilled in pure water. The liquids can be ingested or used topically in very small amounts. Certain library staffers swear by "Rescue Remedy" as a cure for mild depression, burns...you name it. A video is expected to be released soon.

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