He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him
by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton
He wanted the moon by Mimi Baird (2/14/2015)
Upon starting this small book, the journal of a brilliant bipolar doctor of the 50's, I wondered about the number of people who might be interested. It turned out to be a page turner for me - the doctor's journal and his daughter's narrative of what she knew and when she knew it about her father's life and illness. Terribly sad, but even with a modest interest in mental illness, I was fascinated by his mind and by the way he was treated (I use that word very loosely) by the hospital. When the doctors put him in freezing bedsheets, tighlly bound for days, I was aghast to say the least. Most people will know at least one brilliant person who this guy reminds you of, and maybe after reading, you will be sure to treat the victim and his family with the belief that mental illness, just like a physical illness, is no one's fault and there should be no stigma.
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
by Paul Fischer
A Kim Jong-Il production by Paul Fischer (12/22/2014)
This was a fascinating book especially in light of the Sony-North Korea dispute going on. Kim Jung-Il, before he was the leader, was in charge of entertainment (yes, that's what I said!) for N. Korea. He kidnaps the most famous South Korean actress and director and keeps them for several years (until they escape) to boost his country's film chops. It is an amazing story. I had seen a Lisa Ling documentary on N. Korea and so was familiar with Kim's craziness. Because of my familiarity with N. Korea, the book went on and on in some places for me, but I think most readers interested in other cultures would love this.
Vanessa and Her Sister
by Priya Parmar
Vanessa and her sister (10/13/2014)
This novel is written in the form of artist Vanessa Bell's diaries plus some letters. I didn't know who Vanessa Bell was (fairly successful late 19th, early 20th century painter), but I had heard of her sister, writer Virginia Woolf. They were part of the Bloomsbury group of writers and artists who met regularly in London to gossip about other artists and to also take themselves way too seriously. I enjoyed the book, because even though I despised the characters, some of them were quite famous (E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, for example) and the group was a well-known part of literary history. If you are interested in this period of literature, you would enjoy this book. If not, you could easily end up very tired.
One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall
One minus one (4/18/2013)
One minus one was a beautiful character study of a girl in the 60's who is surprisingly divorced by her husband, the only partner she has ever known. I only gave the book 4 stars because it definitely is not for everyone because of the lack of plot. However, having once been a girl of the 60's, I could somewhat identify with Emily although I did find her rather whiney. I greatly enjoyed her new love interest and her roommates, both single girls in their 30's. One minus one is definitely a book where the reader wants to know what happens to the characters after the book is over.
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