Page Turners

• The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania by Jack Newfield

  Jack Newfield does a commendable job of profiling Giuliani in The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania. Dedicated observers of politics in Manhattan might find little they don't know already about Giuliani, but the book is indispensable for anyone else who wants to understand him. For the most part, The Full Rudy is the work of a skilled columnist who does well what columnists are supposed to do: create arguments that are as solid as trees and then go out on limbs to get the rest of us talking. It is beyond question that Newfield's reporting in The Full Rudy will help anyone who wants to assess Giuliani, the man behind the icon.
  Reviewed by Peter W.

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• One More Time: The Best of Mike Royko by Mike Royko

  Chicago icon Mike Royko was one of the most respected newspaper columnists in the United States. This collection of columns selected by his wife and friends shows why. There is a second volume as well. The selections represent his work from his first column on Sept. 6, 1963, an account of his conversation with a tavern owner forced out of his building, to his last on March 21, 1997, an argument that the Chicago Cubs lose so many games because of their owners' and managers' racial prejudices. (Royko, 64, died a little more than a month after writing that last column.) Royko has a reputation for being cantankerous, even mean. And his prose does lacerate those who deserve it. But underlying all his work is a deep respect, even affection, for most people, at least for the ones who try to do their best. His work inspires reflection and outrage and laughter, and it could easily inspire you as well.
  Reviewed by Peter W.

  out of 5
  
  
  
  
  
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

  Excellent, emotional story of Anna, who was conceived as a bone marrow match to save her sister's life. The struggles of the Fitzgerald's are revealed through the different points of view of family members. Reviewed by Jennifer C.

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• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Housseini

  This book, by the author of The Kite Runner, is about two women who form an unlikely friendship and their struggles to survive during the rise of the Taliban. The characters and setting stay with you long after the book is finished.Reviewed by Meg C.

  out of 5
  
  
  
  
  
• Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

  Relentless and spine-chilling, this book is about an aging rock star whose obsession with the macabre brings him face-to-face with a ghost who will not rest until vengeance is his. As obsessive as th e ghost pursuing the main character, my head could not stop obsessing about this book well past the last page. Written by the son of Stephen King, this novel shows that horror must be in the genes... Reviewed by Anonymous

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• When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd

  Moving account of the author's journey through her "dark night of the soul." Kidd discusses her loss of spiritual direction, and the experiences that helped her find the way to a new, deeper dedication to God. Reviewed by Anonymous

  out of 5

  

  
  
  
  

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