An Unlikely Hero

Mental illness does not preclude intelligence, as this book illustrates. One of the main contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary, a herculean task taking decades to complete, was an inpatient at a mental hospital for the criminally insane for the majority of his life. It was there that he learned of the opportunity to submit definitions and quotations for consideration. I'd read another book on this topic, but felt this one was more thorough in fleshing out Dr. Minor's life behind the veil of the dictionary. Interesting and honestly, heartbreaking.

Not Gonna Lie--Loved It

Okay, first of all, this is a book for 12 and up. So if you think it's beneath you, move along. But if you want a fun mystery to spice up your evening, here you go! A group of kids and their advisor are traveling to a state drama competition find themselves battling a snowstorm, so they pull off the freeway when they see an option. When another group of high schoolers and their advisor turn up at the hotel, the kids all decide to play Two Truths and a Lie, to spice up their hungry and cold evening. Someone's slip of paper confesses a love of watching people die. Naturally this is the creepiest and most rambling of hotels, with a history of double murder. Is it one of the teens? An advisor? The weirdo hotelier or his sidekick maintenance man? The truck driver? While the cast of characters is trying to survive the power outage, people are disappearing, one by one. No, you won't impress your friends by reading this book. But come on, you wanna see who the villain is, too, doncha?

Could Use Some Editing

Imagine being in your elder years and suddenly being thrust into the role of guardian of a 10 year old, distant relative. That's the premise of this book. Through no fault of his own, this poor kid needs someplace to live, and the sometimes-crusty great uncle, Noah, is the only option outside of foster care. The unlikely duo embarks on a trip to France, the place of Noah's birth and very early childhood. While there, he digs up information on his mom, esoteric at best and suspicious at other times. Why did she voluntarily send her son to the U.S. and stay behind during WWII? Noah suspects the worst, and bravely pushes on to find out if he is right. The relationship between the two characters was charming and engaging, but the book spent much of its time in idle. Coulda chopped out 100 pages, easily, and had the same story.