It had been a while since I had been utterly absorbed by a book and found it intellectually stimulating as well (Baby Proof by Emily Giffin I loved, but will admit it is a piece of fluff). It boggles my mind that Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a first novel, since it’s so well-written and crafted.
With Chapter titles like Othello and Paradise Lost, and countless citations that refer to actually pieces of literature, this 515-[age novel must have taken years to write! It’s the story of Blue Van Meer, a precocious girl who travels around the country with her University professor father. He teaches her constantly, getting her to read classics in the car as they drive and exposing her to a huge array of books, leading to Blue’s unique way of looking at the world. When they decide to linger in Stockton, N.C. for Blue’s entire senior year to set her up for Harvard, she becomes part of a group of popular yet odd kids, and their teacher, the haunted Hannah Schneider. The novel then turns into a murder-mystery of the best sort—where you totally don’t see things coming.
An original book that has a few moments where it seems contrived, Special Topics is generating some real buzz for a good reason. I loved it and if you like the stuff I like, you will too.

I hate cooking on weeknights. I would love to be able to just order in and save the cooking stuff for weekends when I actually feel like it. Unfortunately, my fiancé hates take-out and I don’t want to start weighing 400 pounds. So I’m always on the hunt for cookbooks that get me food fast and somewhat healthily. This little number fits the bill quite nicely.
While I dislike Rachael Ray as a television personality (yum-o! ugh) I’m really digging her recipes. I have tried several in here and they have come out really well. One—not so great (the cheesy spinach and artichoke tortellini) but that could have been my fault as I’m not the best cook. There is HUGE variety here, and you’ll find a recipe for every craving. The gimmick here is that Ray gives you a list of stuff to always have on hand, and then each recipes has a little list of things that you can grab and go though the Express Lane with (get it?) Of course, there are some recipes you don’t even need anything extra for, you can just create them with the things you have on hand. The best part is that they all take approximately 30 minutes or less to make. So while I’m not a huge fan of the ever-perky Miss Ray herself (I just can’t handle all that bounciness), her cookbook is solid.

Recently, I had a close friend pass away. This book arrived at my doorstep just as I was leaving to go to the airport and fly home for her funeral. I tucked it into bag despite the fact that I already had two books in there, thinking maybe it was something that might help me get through this.
I’m a pretty spiritual person to begin with and a believer of God. But in times where something so awful happens to someone you love, you question what the heck He could be thinking. I settled in to read on the plane and was glad I brought the book along. It’s written by the head of the Human Genome Project; basically a very good and credible scientist. The first half kept me intrigues as he tackled things like the fact that all things living have the same moral code and why God would permit suffering if he is all loving. He then went into why the occasional miracle absolutely is possible.
Collins did start to lose me in the second half of the book as he launched into a huge explanation of the genome and DNA. But even though I stumbled through most of it, he brought me back in for the end of the book.
If you’re a non-believer, read this. If you are a believer, read it too. Going on faith alone can be difficult at times, especially when your faith is being tested. If you don’t care about faith or belief, it’s still a good read and might still answer some questions you may have.

The premise was intriguing: conjoined twins, one of which decides she no longer wants her other half around and sets out for San Francisco where the Unity Foundation promises to make two one. Unfortunately, the execution leaves much to be desired.
This is Shelley Jackson’s first novel and it’s obvious she is talented and will hopefully turn into a great novelist one day. Half Life just isn’t all that great. The writing is very fragmented and the characters are not likeable or even relatable.
Jackson has a real way with words and obviously a brilliant imagination in order to come up with this alternate universe where Siamese twins have become an active subculture. Yet, the story just isn’t gripping or interesting enough to make you want to keep reading. It’s a book I put aside for a month before continuing and I didn’t miss it. I look forward to Jackson’s second novel to see what this sly and often hilarious author comes up with next, but I just can’t recommend Half Life as a good read.