Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

A big book and a big disappointment. Poorly written, poorly edited. Preoccupied with wealth and lesbian relationships which she sometimes does well but in this book fails miserably. Scarpetta is now an icon instead of a person.

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

A fun read. The narrator is a bottom-feeding scum-sucking trial lawyer with a glowing ember of a conscience. Worried that he might have missed the tiny possibility that one of his clients might actually be innocent, he still marches through the court system, making deals and getting thugs off on technicalities. But the story is a surprise and quite a ride.

Banana by Dan Koeppel

A whole book about one fruit packed with things I never knew. Politics, wars, business, all effected by the lowly banana. But the origins, the genetics, the raising, shipping, and study of bananas are the most interesting. Now the spectre of new and old diseases threatens our beloved fruit.

After the Dance by Edwidge Danticat

About Jacmel and Carnival and Haiti from a very positive viewpoint. A lot of culture and language (the title comes from a Haitian proverb: After the dance, the drum is heavy). Captures the openness and resilience of Haitian people. The author tells her own story and the story of Jacmel. She likes the people she meets, they like her. She has hopes for her country and is proud of her family and their values. To write about Haiti without pessimism and despair is itself an achievement.

Regeneration by Pat Barker

I enjoyed this book because it was a view of war from the psychiatrist's office. Some describe this book as anti-war, but I only agree insofar as saying that it shows the horrors of war most vividly. It is deeply troubling and shows the awful choices faced by soldier and doctor. It shows compassion for wounds that are invisible but will never heal. It shows healing of minds that had lost hope. It shows a psychiatrist perhaps taking on himself some of the suffering of his patients. Surely the psychiatrist is heroically withholding his own thoughts and feelings because to share them would only confuse a chaotic situation even more.

This is wonderfully written. The tone, length, and detail are just right.

Devices and Desires by P. D. James

Made doing dishes enjoyable as we read this aloud. It is well-written and very British. We couldn't figure out the villain till the end. Some dead-end story lines that were enjoyable and added to the mystery, I think. Worth the read.

The Demon Under the Microscope by Thomas Hager

The story of the discovery of sulfa, the world's first miracle drug, is very interesting and surprising. It is a story of hard work and luck - a tragic contamination, a delayed Nobel prize, and finally a triumph muted by the discovery of penicillin. The disastrous consequences of wartime wounds in the pre-sulfa era are a sobering look at what might be again if resistance becomes widespread.