Book 5 and 6

My wonderful Samwise reminded me a book I missed in July, so that's one more for the count.

Still Alice - Lisa Genova

Ever wondered what descending into Alzheimer's Disease would be like? It's something I try not to think about, personally. But Lisa Genova paints the most amazing picture of just that. The worrying, the confusion, and the eventual realization that you're losing yourself completely. The challenges it presents to family members. Terrifying, but really wonderfully written.

Though this was a pretty fast read and it's not a long book, don't confuse it for a light read in the least. If nothing else, it helped cement my decision that if I were to be diagnosed with something like Alzheimer's I'd go be lawfully euthanized in the Netherlands.

Lisa Genova self published Still Alice and through social media turned it into a NY Times best seller.
http://www.stillalice.blogspot.com/

The Nanny - Melissa Nathan

So, this is total chick lit. You like a light, cute, girly novel, then you'll probably like it. If you don't, then you wont. Pretty simple.

Jo Green is a nanny in the quiet  Niblet-Upon-Avon who comes across a job listing for a cosmopolitan family in London. She's 20-something (a younger 20-something than myself, ugh), pretty and a little tired of her quiet life. She becomes indispensable to her new charges and, who would have thought, the dad has a son from a previous marriage who is handsome and also 20-something. Yeah, the formula holds true in this one.  Of course, things go awry and Jo and elder son (Josh) hate-love-hate-love-hate-love until it alllll works out perfectly in the end. How nice.

But here's what important about this book: There are truly some laugh out loud moments, pockets of hilarity that don't always have anything to do with the story line that completely caught me off guard. Those little moments are completely wonderful, a real treat. The other important thing about this book was I managed to not hate the children. Kids in media generally have the same effect on me as they do in life. They're annoying and generally cause more work than necessary (When Lily puts Carrie's cell phone in her little purse in the SATC movie? Ugggh), but not in The Nanny.  The kids are cutely written, and their parts in the story (along with the other characters) are written from their point of view. Cassie's social troubles at school with the manipulative Arabella, Zak's new found obsession with his wiener, Tallulah's instant affections for Jo.

In summary? Chick lit with some pleasant surprises, but it's still chick lit. Don't read it if you're expecting anything different.

****
Book count: 6/50