Bone-Chilling Tale

I've always been captivated by stories of seafaring. Brave souls paddling a dugout by the stars, a clipper ship bouncing along, or more recent stories of sailors or merchants braving what that world has to offer--all seem terrifying and thrilling. There's no 911 out there, and things can get dicey. This narrative of the "perfect" storm of October, 1991 follows the crew and initial voyage of the Andrea Gail, sailing into this monster. Through comparisons with sister ships traveling just enough ahead or behind her, the author has pieced together what probably happened during this storm of deathly proportions. Beyond that, the unimaginable bravery of the Air National Guard is detailed in their multiple rescues during this same hellish soup. Truly nightmarish, I found myself stopping and looking up, outside, to estimate just how tall those waves were. Honestly, though, it's hard to comprehend. Riveting and brilliantly paced. I read the book years ago, when it was new, but it was just as captivating the second time around.

Part Goofball, Part Poetry

If you like John Irving, you just might like this quirky book. The protagonist, Eduardo, has committed some infraction and through connections has gotten a cushy sentence of community service--reading to people in their homes. His clients are unique and there are, of course, back stories and tangled webs involving them and theirs. Although I don't find myself drawn to deep poetry, and this book centers around one particular poem, I found it an easy and painless, if not page-turning, read.

Enlightening

Jory was a non-verbal mystery to his parents, but over time, his mom was able to help him unlock his brilliant brain and enabled him to navigate the world of neurotypical (average?) people. Written as an interview, you'll learn how this Rhodes Scholar's fascinating mind translates his "language" into standard oral communication--no easy feat for someone with his makeup. From spirituality to small talk, end-of-life to courtesy, you may be surprised at his logical, yet extremely sensitive view of things we often, condescendingly and erroneously, assume are beyond the realm of autistic people. It makes you realize that we, the "normal" ones, might be the ones who are lacking.