Recommendation for April....."House Rules" by Jodi Picoult

As promised here are my comments on "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult. Just finished this book last night and loved it. http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Synopsis: The story is centered around 18-year old Jacob Hunt who was diagnosed with Aspberger's Syndrome when he was a small boy. Asperberger's Syndrome is a form of autism in which the affected person is high-functioning with a high IQ (sometimes genius-level). But he also has problems reading social cues, communication, social interaction, maintaining eye contact, and lives by a regimented and ordered routine. For instance, Jacob has to be home and in front of the TV set by 4:30pm each weekday to watch his favorite show "Crimebusters", if this routine varies in anyway, Jacob has a meltdown.

As with all Aspberger's sufferers, Jacob is focused on one thing, for Jacob that is forensic science and crime scene investigations. As the story progresses, Jacob shows up at various crime scenes in order to help the CSI's read the clues. Jacob is often able to solve the crime, before the professionals do. The story takes a turn for the worse, when Jacob's social skills teacher is found dead. After a lengthy search, the police are alerted to the location of her body by a 911 call from her cell phone and when they arrive are treated to a staged crime scene. When Jacob is unable to answer questions by the police he becomes a suspect in the investigation.

The book gives insight into the difficulty of raising a child with a disability and the power and resilience of a family's love.


Next up: "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane. Just started reading this book last night and will, as always, provide my input in the near future. For now, keep on reading and enjoying your book selections.

See you at the library!
Colleen

Must Reads for the month of April.....

Reminder: April is poetry month....so in deference to the importance of poetry, I offer this little poem:

A Silly Poem by Spike Milligan

Said Hamlet to Ophelia,
I'll draw a sketch of thee,
What kind of pencil shall I use?
2B or not 2B?

_______________________________________________________

Here are my must read recommendations for April:

Number One:

JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts) - If you have never read the series of "________ In Death" books, you should pick one of these up. There are currently 30 books in print in this series including her most recent book: "Fantasy In Death".

The futuristic plot of these books revolves around Lt. Eve Dallas of the NYPD and her husband mega-rich entrepreneur Roarke (who has a very shady past). Eve as she is known by, since we do not know her real name, was abused as a child by her father and found near his dead body with a knife in her hand. She was taken into the foster care system and has made herself into a superior police officer and victim's-advocate. Roarke who was born in Ireland, also suffered abuse at the hands of his criminal father and made himself into a high-power businessman who sometimes does things that might be considered a bit shady, but his intentions are always virtuous. Of course, as in all Roberts/Robb books there is romance intertwined throughout the story.

In "Fantasy In Death", Eve investigates the death of a young "Bill Gates type" entrepreneur of futuristic games played in the virtual world. The victim is found alone in his private holo-room with his head severed from his body. Eve must investigate what happened to this well-liked young businessman who was on the verge of releasing a state-of-the-art game called "Fantastical". Who would want him dead? Is it his loyal partners or a competitor company which includes one owned by her husband Roarke?

I am a big fan of this series and highly recommend the book!


Number Two:

http://www.tchevalier.com/I have just finished reading the book: "Remarkable Creatures" by Tracy Chevalier author of "Girl with a Pearl Earring".

This is a true story of fossil-finder Mary Anning(1799-1847) who lived in Lyme Regis, England and was responsible for many significant fossil finds during the
19th century. While this book is a work of fiction, the story is true, and what makes this book highly readable is the mutual admiration that develops between Mary and her friend Elizabeth Philpot (a fossil finder in her own right). Through her words, Chevalier makes us feel what it was like to be a woman living within the rigid moral and social confines of the 19th century.

I highly recommend this book!


I am currently reading the book "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult and will let you know what I think in my next update.

Happy reading to you all!