*My Own Country (Abraham V) -- Fascinating, compassionate memoir of an infectious disease doctor who ends up becoming the de facto AIDS expert in rural Tennessee in the late 1980s. A-
*The Unsayable (Annie Rogers)-- A child psychotherapist encouraged me to read Rogers's first book, A Shining Affliction, before I started graduate school. Rogers is supremely intelligent and writes in an almost lyrical fashion that is definitely not the norm for case studies! A Shining Affliction chronicles Rogers's early work in psychotherapy. In the course of treating a severely traumatized boy, Rogers's own experiences with trauma resurface and lead to a descent into psychosis and then her ultimate stabilization. In The Unsayable, Rogers delves into the theories of linguist/psychologist Jacques Lacan and combines those with case studies and interviews of her treatment with traumatized girls (especially girls who then become offenders), as well as more of her own story. Interesting book, well-written with some insights, but I wouldn't totally endorse this approach to therapy as it is likely to overwhelm young clients and lead to decompensation, as is evidenced even in the case studies in the book. There are those in the psychology/counseling world who generally believe that clients must get worse before they will get better. I am not of that school of thought. I think that defense mechanisms, now matter how dysfunctional, serve an improtant purpose, and clinicians need to be careful not to pry those away before the client has the skills to proceed. Again, I think this book is fascinating, and many of the visceral depictions of being a survivor of trauma are excellent. However, I think that applying all of the theoretical aspects of the book in a clinical setting could be dangerous. [For an absolutely fabulous book to read AND apply in clinical settings with all types of resistant or withdrawn children and adolescents, check out No Talk Therapy by Martha B. Straus. Her focus is strength-based, which is definitely more my orientation.] B-
*A Delicate Balance: Living with Chronic Illness (Susan Milstrey Wells)-- Very helpful, well-researched and well-organized (if not compelling reading). B
*Hope Rising (Kim Meeder)-- The author lost her parents at the age of nine when her father murdered her mother and then took his own life. She found healing and comfort in her horse. Now the author and her husband run Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch which takes abused and abandoned horses and rehabilitates them with the help of abused and traumatized kids. This book is really a collection of vignettes about the magic between horses and kids. I'm a sucker for books like this. It's not the most well-written book, but the stories really are quite touching. I can't recommend this as great literature, per se, but it inspired me to want to find more ways to help hurting kids. B-
*Help At Any Cost (Maia Szalavitz)-- This book is kind of horrifying to read, though the knowledge gained is helpful, I suppose. Basically, be very, very careful about where you send your troubled teen for any type of residential treatment. C-
Fiction Books
*Coming Attractions (Robin Jones Gunn)-- I read this book while still under the influence of anesthesia and pain meds, but it was great....I think. ;) It's the latest book in the (teen) Katie Weldon series. It deals with the painful-but-true fact that we can deeply love someone and yet not be meant to spend the rest of our lives with that person....and that trying to force it will only make everyone miserable. I hope teens do read this because that's a difficult but important lesson to learn. The ending is rather predictable (saw it coming from book 1), but I'll forgive that because it was a pleasant diversion on a not-so-pleasant day. B+
*Unveiled (Francine Rivers)-- I read this for a group in which I'm participating, and were it not for that reason, I would have stopped reading long ago. I found the book very boring and repetitive. For being so short, it took me a very long time to slog through it. When my colonoscopy was scheduled for the day the group would be discussing this book, I gave the book up with glee! D (I'm still participating in the group so I've had to skim the rest of the series. It doesn't get any better. Be kind and don't ever choose this series for a book club or small group.)
*The Good Mother (Sue Miller)-- This is Miller's first book, and I liked it a lot less than While I Was Gone. There's a certain distance and estrangement that I felt from the characters, and that made them less sympathetic to me...thus, I was less invested in the outcome. C+
*The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society-- Absolutely delightful. Not only does this book live up to its hype, it truly exceeds all of the attention it has received. This book is such a pleasure to read-- witty, creative, intelligent, playful. The story is told solely through correspondence and describes life under German occupation for citizens of the British Channel Islands. A++++
*The No. 1 Ladies Detective Society (Alexander McCall) -- I liked the international setting (Botswana) and all of the sights, sounds, colors, tastes, etc. B
Movie on DVD
*Phoebe in Wonderland--I just saw this movie a few weeks ago so I'm not sure that it will have the staying power to belong to my all-time favorites. It has that potential though.
The Sundance Film Festival says, "As an examination of normalcy and madness, this is realistic and cerebral storytelling, but it is also extravagantly magical, a metaphorical fable that examines childhood, our attempts to understand it, and the way we, as parents and teachers, navigate its treacherous shoals. A film full of strangeness, exhilarating moments of realization, and painfully real revelations, Phoebe in Wonderland is an honest and thoughtful work that is not to be missed."I concede that not everyone will enjoy this film, but if the above description appeals to you at all, I'd encourage you to watch it. It stars Elle Fanning (sister of Dakota), Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman. A
TV on DVD
*Torchwood Children of the Earth (BBC)-- This "season" (S3) is more like a mini-series-- only 6 episodes that are tightly connected, like a long movie. It reminded me of 24, but instead of Jack Bauer plotting against international terrorists, it's Jack Harkness trying to outwit intergalactic terrorists (i.e., hostile aliens). It's really good. If you like Torchwood, you'll love it, but I think you really do need to see the first two seasons in order to appreciate this. Also, if you're not at all a sci-fi fan, this isn't for you because aliens feature prominently in the plot. Further, I don't know that this season would have aired in the US on a broadcast channel just because some of the subject matter is very disturbing. I see it as disturbing in a good way; there's no easy answer so it makes us really question what we believe. However, you have to know going in that there isn't going to be a completely happy ending. There's also some yucky (somewhat gratuitous) gore and a bit of nudity (e.g., Jack's bum...again). On a side-note, I came to completely love Ianto's brother-in-law (and his "ten quid per kid" slogan) in this series! A
*Dexter: Season 3-- I can't say it's much different from the first two seasons. Since I was happy with those, I'm happy with this too. A
*Frontline: Sick around America-- Interesting, though depressing. You can watch it online here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundamerica/view/
Music
*Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends-- Leaps and bounds improvement over Viva La Vida. Some of these songs are even on par with the Parachutes album. A
Shows on TV (right now)
House-- The season premiere was sooooo good. House rocks. A+
Brothers and Sisters-- I wasn't overly impressed by the premiere, but it was passable. C+
Supernatural-- Well, I haven't seen all of the last two seasons, so I'm a bit behind the curve. However, this season seems pretty good, at least, in terms of Supernatural (i.e., bring your "willful suspension of disbelief"). It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I like my Sam and Dean. Add Apocalypse. Shake vigorously. B-
