no one cares about crazy people by Ron Powers

Hard to read. Historical as well as current mental health policies and treatment strategies so abysmally inadequate and even in many instances have been criminally inhumane. A mostly hidden even though large population who are drugged, struggle to function, fall through the cracks, suffer homelessness, and often end up in jails. This author shares the tragedy of his two sons falling victim to mental illness infusing his informative and considered presentation of America's Mental Health Crisis with the sorely needed compassion and passion that might ignite a beneficent, effective, non-punitive, and all-inclusive approach to the many who suffer the ravages of mental illness.

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

Lovely book. Finished it, and just sat a bit musing. What comprises a family? An unexpected friendship between a young girl and an elderly man who meet in a cemetery grows into love and deep caring. She gains a friend, father, and grandfather, all rolled into one, and he enveloped by the recent loss of his wife is drawn back into life.

Born Naked by Farley Mowat

I read Never Cry Wolf and Owls in the Family by this author years ago and enjoyed them immensely. This book describes his childhood years, delightfully describing his experiences exploring nature and developing his lifelong dedication to the marvels of wildlife.

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild

I was very interested to read this book but disappointed by the author's focus on a few people who she befriended, and then did not seem to challenge to fully explain their beliefs.

Small is Beautiful by E. F. Schumacher

Very hard to read. This book, written in 1973 warned against economic policies focused on profits over care for the planet, natural resources, and human beings. The author provides detailed analysis and context for "the development of a life-style which accords to material things their proper, legitimate place, which is secondary and not primary." He warns so many years ago that "the downfall of civilization will not be a matter of science fiction. It will be the experience of our children and grandchildren." Fast forward to 2017.

Reading With Patrick by Michelle Kuo

 A poignant account of a dedicated creative teacher, and an inspired student working together in a prison setting.

The Human Age by Diane Ackerman

As I read this book, I felt both anguish and awe. We have really damaged our beautiful planet but amazingly, there are many wonderfully creative people working hard to reverse this horrific damage. This book describes briefly problems but then highlights restorative projects being implemented around the world. Sweden is doing some amazing things to become sustainable in its economy and lifestyle. Government leadership and a major commitment by citizens to adopt a new ecological mindset have in a very brief time enabled this country to make enormous progress toward sustainability. Impressive. Some scientists are preserving the DNA of animals galloping toward extinction. Innovators are developing new ways to harvest energy created by body heat. One chapter discusses robots. Another discusses epigenetics. This book is informative and exciting to read.

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal

A dense, informative book about the emerging science of evolutionary cognition which recognizes that nonhuman animals are intelligent in ways that reflect their specific adaptation needs. Studying animals in the wild is not an easy task yet it is necessary for any comprehensive study of their behaviors and cognition. I have always loved animals but now I appreciate so much more their unique intelligences. Animals are truly remarkable. Thanks to all the dedicated scientists who make it their life's work to study and advocate for the many extraordinary creatures with whom we share our extraordinary world.

The Golden Shore by David Helvarg

Important to read. Packed full of the history of our beautiful Pacific Coast and Ocean, its use and abuse and the battles fought to preserve the beauty so many Californians love. Recommended.

Animal Wise by Virginia Morell

Fantastic book, informative and poignant. The animal studies that are described give the reader such an incredible sense of the cognition and emotions of various animals. I wish everyone would read this book because many animal species are going extinct and I think if people started thinking about animals as creatures with intelligence and emotions, maybe we could curtail the terrible extinctions that are currently galloping forward.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

An incredible story both personal and professional of a Plant Scientist that opens up the usually hidden world of scientific research and scholarship. Fascinating descriptions of data collection and experiments were interwoven with revelations about the acute difficulties scientists face securing the funding necessary to develop and complete vital projects. An inspiring story of a young girl from rural Northern Minnesota who helps her father in his research lab, and loving that rarefied world pursues the education that qualifies her to eventually set up her own labs. Also, wonderful story of her long time collaboration with a friend and colleague that adds a delightful humor to this absorbing memoir and paean to the Scientific life. Recommended.

Arthur and Sherlock by Michael Sims

An interesting examination of the introduction and development of the detective novel, and more specifically, the development of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle into a mystery author. I read every Sherlock Holmes Story with great enjoyment when I was in High School. Definitely interesting to read about the author.

The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff

Lots of food for thought, somewhat repetitive, but definitely worth reading.

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

A lovely story about a photographer whose career has plateaued. Money is very scarce as she struggles to support her elderly parents and help out her adult son. She rents out her expensive New York City apartment and retreats to a run down house in a small rural community. As new experiences fuel some creative camera work, an unexpected relationship with a roofer many years younger chips away at a long term loneliness and dispiritedness that had enveloped her life.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

A disaster hits, and two teenage brothers take responsibility for raising two much younger sisters in a small rural Canadian community. The narrator is the older sister who many years later is contemplating returning to join her family in celebrating a nephew's 18th birthday. She is now a college professor and worries about "flaunting" unintentionally her success and that of her partner who is also an academic. She recalls life growing up, the struggles, as well as the pleasures, yet also feels guilt over the sacrifices her brothers made to keep the family together. A sweet poignant story.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

I just read this wonderful book.  Wow! In verse, the narrator tells about his life playing on his high school basketball team along with his twin brother. Both star players, sons of a retired great player, they play different positions and are close buddies until one gets a girlfriend.  I am not a sports enthusiast but I was totally absorbed in this story so evocatively descriptive of a young boy excelling academically and in his chosen sport but struggling with his emotions.  Outstanding!

Foreign Correspondence by Geraldine Brooks

A lovely memoir of a young Australian girl growing up in a stable family environment but yearning to adventure into the larger World. She solicits penpals, and through her correspondence experiences some places far from home, and then grows up to become a foreign correspondent. The second part of this memoir takes up her life years later when she endeavors to find her penpals. Really enjoyed reading this book.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew is a character of depth and interest and kept this reader absorbed for the entire story. Life in a small English village can be fraught with the gossip and judgment of neighbors but the Major is principled and handles actions and reactions with aplomb, and learns and adjusts when he on occasion stumbles. I really enjoyed this book.

The Wonder of Birds by Jim Robbins

A fascinating exploration of birds, their incredible diversity and their many wonderful and unique characteristics including demonstrable intelligence. Truly inspiring to learn about the many people studying and interacting with birds, and poignant to read about people whose psyches have been healed through their connection with birds. This is a paean to birds that excites the reader to care about birds and perhaps even work to ensure their future thriving in an increasingly human-dominated world. There was one little chapter that made me uncomfortable that described the author's pleasure in hunting pheasants, although my husband pointed out that often hunters are in the forefront of conservation of wild animals. Otherwise, I think this book is an important contribution to the literature about wildlife that is both accessible and informative.

The Fortunate Ones by Ellen Umansky

Wow. What a story! Children sent by their desperate parents to England to be raised by strangers all to escape Hitler's genocide. Two Austrian Jewish siblings reside with different families, separated from each other, their parents, their country of origin. Rose endures loneliness and loss over the many years of the war, and after the war upon learning that her parents died likely in a Concentration camp becomes absorbed with tracking down a painting her mother loved, and she remembers so well from their home.

The Last Days of Cafe Leila by Donia Bijan

A wonderful book, filled with characters I enjoyed meeting and getting to know. I want to enter the Cafe Leila, and share a meal with the many regulars who come seeking the conviviality and companionship of each other. This terrific book provides a heartfelt exploration of the human connections that make life meaningful.

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

A compelling story about three women who at the end of World War 2 share a previously luxurious castle home. trying to pick up the pieces of their lives in a devastated Germany. An interesting exploration of people who had to deal with what they knew about the horrific actions of the Hitler regime, their secrets, denials, acquiescences that enabled them to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and the war.

In The Great Green Room by Amy Gary

 An informative, interesting and quick read that focuses on this author's private life and relationships over the years she attended college and then developed into a children's author. It leaves me desirous to know more about her writing. I am familiar with only the most well known like Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. I do not want to be negative about this book but I find that I do need to express my regret that the book is so focused on this author's personal life. She was such a giant in writing children's books, and also in establishing children's books as a lucrative genre. I would love to know more about her impact on children's literature. It is sad to realize that she died so young. What other treasures might she have produced?

The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory

Fascinating historical fiction about Plantagenet Margaret Pole and her very precarious relationship to the Tudor family during the reigns of King Henry VII and then his son, King Henry VIII.  Married off to a kindly knight, she raises her family in rural obscurity hoping to avoid the horrible fate of her father and brother, both of whom were executed. She and her husband become foster parents for Arthur, the Prince of Wales, and then her life becomes gradually more intertwined in the Tudor Family travails as she develops a close relationship with Catherine of Aragon, and involved in caring for Princess Mary. Rich in detail and flavor, this book adds the perspective of an important player in the Tudor story.

Before We Visit The Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Absorbing narrative of three generations of Indian women. Well written novels about family trials, tribulations, and triumphs as well, provide a reader with much to contemplate, and a diversity of cultural experiences enriches our understanding of life.

Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner

Very difficult book to read/absorb about Cambodians who endured and survived the horrific Pol Pot regime.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

Fantastic historical fiction about Chinese Tea production and trade by the minority Akha people that follows the life of a female who moves far beyond her traditional role of wife and mother to globalize the sale of a specialized type of tea called Pu'er. Her personal life is threaded through this fascinating narrative with sad events but also brave resolve that poignantly enriches this wonderful story.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Delightful, humorous recounting of the author's childhood during the Fifties. I found myself chortling time and again as the author describes experiences and escapades of a mischievous nature but also reminds the Baby Boomer reader vividly of the many memorable elements of this decade from specific toys, television programs, and candies to events and attitudes that stemmed from a robust post WW2 economy but also the Cold War, and the Space Race. If you grew up in the Fifties, give yourself a treat and read this entertaining book.

Lillian Boxfish takes a walk bu Kathleen Rooney

 "The point of living in the world is just to stay interested" says Lillian Boxfish in this fictionalized journey through the life of a real woman who in the 1930s penetrated the world of advertising to become its most accomplished female voice at a time when clever, witty words had the power to manipulate consumers; and interested she remains over her long lifetime spent in a bustling, ever-changing New York City.  This delightful story works as a paean to both early feminism and the urban life of a remarkable city. Recommended.

In the Shadow of Man by Jane Van Lawick-Goodall

Re-read this book. First read in 1971 when I was studying Anthropology at Berkeley. Incredible story of Jane Goodall's establishment of the Gombe study of chimpanzees, and an introduction to a fascinating cast of chimp characters.

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

This is an incredible story of a Polish Jewish family who miraculously and with great resourcefulness and courage survived the horrors of World War 2. Imbued with authenticity because it is in fact based on the family history of the author and significant research, this engrossing, poignant story conveys much of the horror of the Holocaust even as it also transmits the tremendous spirit of one human family to endure and overcome inhumane consequences of such unfathomable dimensions. Highly recommended.

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

 Delightful travelogue by American expat that takes the reader through parts of England and Scotland. It is written with fondness and refreshing honesty and enlivened by humor.

The Dry by Jane Harper

Good presentation of locale, strong character development,  astute description of small town prejudices all work together in this well written novel.

The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan

Wow, this was a very difficult book to read because it introduces us to two people who hold very divergent views about the horrific Israeli/Palestinian conflict, one a Palestinian man dispossessed of his family home, the other an Israeli immigrant whose family bought his "abandoned" home. These two people meet, and over decades exchange their experiences and beliefs in this narrative that also describes in detail the historical events that lead to the current impasse and tragedy taking place in Israel and the Palestinian lands it occupies. The sadness, the hungering for peace and justice are palpable. Although published in 2006, this book is valuable reading because it clearly explicates the history of a conflict on-going and even escalating in 2017.

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Delightful travelogue and introduction to Australia that convincingly conveys the author's delight with Australia, its vastness, "what a preposterously outsized country this was", and its many unusual sights. He extols its diverse attributes even as he acknowledges its relative anonymity on the world stage. Several exploratory visits encompassing lengthy drives around this vast island enable him to knowledgeably describe this incredible country. Leavened with humor, the narrative moves at a pleasant pace that keeps the reader ever engaged.

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler

Really enjoyed this book. Thoughtful narrative about family dynamics. 

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Wow, what a lovely, poignant story. I savored every word.

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

Really enjoy this series. Bruno is a well developed, appealing character. He is a policeman in a small French town who knows and cares about the community he serves. He resolves problems diplomatically whenever possible. Each book in the series raises an important issue to consider as the plot unfolds. Vegans beware though because he cooks and eats meat, in fact food and wine descriptions are an integral part of the narrative.