Escape from Camp 14

Escape From Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Ldyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden and now available at the Genoa Branch Library.

Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a political prison camp in North Korea.  He is the only known person to have escaped from this brutal life.  Many of the people incarcerated in this vast prison don't even know why they are there.  Usually it is because of something a grandparent or aunt or uncle did.  In North Korea if someone commits a crime three generations of the family have to be punished.  This prison camp is so huge it can be seen from satellite images.  Inside this camp live is unbearably harsh.  Shin Dong-hyuk was 23 years old when he escaped.  Prior to his escape he lived with constant hunger, long hours of back breaking work and torture.  This book is a real eye-opener.  It makes me wonder why no one is questioning this huge prison camp which has been in existance for about 50 years.  Even though Shin escaped from his hard life he is never really free from the consequences of growning up in such a place and what it has done to his emotional life.  This is a sad but important read.
Reviewed by:  Mimi @ Genoa Branch Library

The Good Nurse

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber
and now available at the Genoa Library.

This creepy, true story is enough to make you never want to be admitted to the hospital again!  Even though Charles Cullen had disciplinary citations, complaints, four police investigations and numerous suicide attempts over a 16 year span, he work history looked sterling.  In that time he worked in numerous hospitals and one nursing home in Pennsylvania and New Jersey killing untold number of patients.  He would study patient's charts and then decide which drugs to kill them with.  Usually when a patient was dying, Cullen was right there, on of the first to respond to the medical situation.  What I found interesting about this book, was how detectives investigated and finally cracked this case. 
Reviewed by Mimi Finte @ Genoa Branch Library

FULL BODY BURDEN: GROWING UP IN THE NUCLEAR SHADOW OF ROCKY FLATS

FULL BODY BURDEN: GROWING UP IN THE NUCLEAR SHADOW OF ROCKY FLATS
by:  Kristen Iversen and now available at the Genoa Branch Library


This memoir, by Kristen Iversen, follows her family's life in Colorado.  It begins with a happy couple and their four children.  Dad is a lawyer and mom stays home with the kids.  Their life seems idyllic.  The children ride horses through the beautiful, Colorado landscape.  Things keep looking up and  the family moves to a bigger home which is situated fairly close to Rocky Flats.  No one in their town is quite sure what Rocky Flats manufactures but many think it is cleaning solution.  The people who work there don't say much about it.  Eventually, the news comes out that Rocky Flats manufacture materials for nuclear bombs.  "Incidents" happened fairly regularly and a large number of people started getting cancer, even those who did not work in the plant.  As things got worse in the plant and the town, Kristen's parents marriage also floundered as her dad succumbed to alcoholism.  This book is a tragic tale but one that needs to be told.  Where will all the nuclear waste from bomb making and nuclear power plants be stored?  How can we protect citizens against being poisoned by nuclear waste?  This book was very interesting and thought provoking.

Birdology

Birdology by:  Sy Montgomery

This nonfiction book is a detailed and fascinating look at the socialology and scientific background of many birds.  Did you know crows are very family oriented and three generations may live together?  Did you know some birds have great rhythm and can dance?  Did you know parrots can use human language to communicate?  This book is just chocked full of amazing information.  It will have you looking at birds in a whole new light!
Reviewed by Mimi Fintel@ Genoa Branch Library

How Animals Grieve

How Animals Grieve by: Barbara J. King
Have you ever wondered if animals feel love and therefore grief?  In this book, King presents evidence that many animals do in fact possess thoughts, feelings, and emotions including a sense of loss.  This book contains many examples of animals seemingly expressing depression and sadness.  This book makes total sense to me.  Animals all seem to have personalities and show love so why wouldn't they feel grief?
Read this book and see if you agree with me!
Reviewed by Mimi @ Genoa Branch Library

The Girl With No Name

The Girl With No Name by: Marina Chapman

This memoir is quite intriquing!  Marina remembers being kidnapped at about age 4 years old and left in the jungle.  She spent the next 4 to 5 years alone in the jungle where she lost all memories of her family, her name and most of her speech.  The only thing that saved her was a troop of monkeys who welcomed her into their family unit.  Eventually she was rescued but spent many years in a series of unfortunate circumstances.  At about the age of 17 she was adopted by a couple and went on to live a fairly normal life.
I found this book to be totally fascinating.  There are also videos of Marina on line also speaking of her life.  Very interesting!
Reviewed by Mimi @ Genoa Branch Library

The Bag Lady Papers

The Bag Lady Papers by:  Alexandra Penney

This memoir details how Alexandra Penney dealt with the loss of her life's savings through the mismangement of Bernie Madoff.  Throughout her ordeal, she maintains a fairly upbeat attitude except for recurring nightmares that she will end up as a bag lady.  I enjoyed reading this book because of all the interesting things the author does to earn money.  Gradually, through hard work she was able to restore her nest egg. 
Reviewed by Mimi @ Genoa Branch Library.