Non-Fiction of Choice

Anderson, Christopher. Somewhere In Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve. Hyperion, 2008.

He was a hero in every sense of the word ― the chiseled-from-granite star of four blockbuster Superman films and the romantic classic Somewhere in Time who, after being paralyzed in a freak horseback riding accident, became a symbol of hope for millions. Dana Reeve was no less heroic, standing steadfastly by her husband's side until his surprisingly sudden and unexpected death at age fifty-two. When Dana, a non-smoker, passed away from lung cancer just seventeen months after Chris's death, she left behind their thirteen-year-old son, Will, to be raised by friends and family. Dana was only forty-four years old. That fate could have dealt such a cruel hand to this golden couple seemed unfathomable. That they could endure it all with grace, courage, and humor defied belief. Yet for all the millions of words that have been written about their public causes and private struggles following Chris's accident, little is known about the lives they led as passionate young lovers. Andersen draws on those who knew them best to examine in touching detail the Reeves' unique partnership and the romance, faith, and fortitude that defined it. Sometimes heartbreaking, often uplifting, always compelling, Somewhere in Heaven is more than just a portrait of a marriage. It is the profoundly human story of two souls whose brief lives made a difference, a bittersweet saga of tragedy, triumph, and loss, and ― above all else ― a love story for the ages. - Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Brennan, Kate. In His Sights: a true story of love and obsession. Harper, 2008.

This is a memoir of a journalist’s experiences with a man who she was in a relationship with, who would later become her stalker. She writes under an assumed name and does not give many details about her life because her stalker is still living and occasionally still tries to contact and intimidate her. Her writing shows the fear she lived with on a daily basis and recount horrifying episodes of harassment by an obsessed man. It is an intriguing read that shows how the author tried to balance living a somewhat normal existence with her stalker on the loose. - April Deaton, Irondale Public Library

Clapton, Eric. Clapton: An Autobiography. Broadway, 2008.

Readers hoping for sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll won't be disappointed by the legendary guitarist's autobiography. As he retraces every step of his career, from the early stints with the Yardbirds and Cream to his solo successes, Clapton also devotes copious detail to his drug and alcohol addictions, particularly how they intersected with his romantic obsession with Pattie Boyd. His relationship with the woman for whom he wrote Layla culminated in a turbulent marriage he describes as drunken forays into the unknown. But he genuinely warms to the subject of his recovery, stressing its spiritual elements and eagerly discussing the fund-raising efforts for his Crossroads clinic in Antigua. His self-reckoning is filled with modesty, and especially in the form of dissatisfaction with his early successes. He professes ambivalence about the famous Clapton is God graffiti, although he admits he was grateful for the recognition from fans. At times, he sounds more like landed gentry than a rock star: bragging about his collection of contemporary art, vigorously defending his hunting and fishing as leisure activities, and extolling the virtues of his quiet country living. But both the youthful excesses and the current calm state are narrated with an engaging tone that nudges Clapton's story ahead of other rock 'n' roll memoirs. There is a good deal of personal information here too. It's not all about his work. I was struck by his candor and brutal honesty in this book. This book is a rare glimpse of a real cultural icon. You'll get a close-up look at this man in a way few autobiographies provide. Highly recommended. - Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Horan, Nancy. Loving Frank. Ballantine, 2007.

It's a rare treasure to find a historically imagined novel that is at once fully versed in the facts and unafraid of weaving those truths into a story that dares to explore the unanswered questions. Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney's love story is ― as many early reviews of Loving Frank have noted ― little-known and often dismissed as scandal. In Nancy Horan's skillful hands, however, what you get is two fully realized people, entirely, irrepressibly, in love. Together, Frank and Mamah are a wholly modern portrait, and while you can easily imagine them in the here and now, it's their presence in the world of early 20th century America that shades how authentic and, ultimately, tragic their story is. Mamah's bright, earnest spirit is particularly tender in the context of her time and place, which afforded her little opportunity to realize the intellectual life for which she yearned. Loving Frank is a remarkable literary achievement, tenderly acute and even-handed in even the most heartbreaking moments, and an auspicious debut from a writer to watch. - Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Myron, Vickie. Dewey : the small-town library cat who touched the world. Grand Central Pub., 2008.

One freezing winter night in 1988, a tiny kitten was placed into the book drop at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. At the time, no one would have guessed that the library would end up as his home for many years to come. In this cute story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. Dewey thrived in his role of “resident library cat”. He brought disabled children out of their shells, invites stern businessmen to pet him and is eventually seen as a source of comfort by a town that gets hit with hard times. This book is not just another animal story, it is a story of hope and resilience that everyone can relate to. – April Deaton, Irondale Public Library

Preston, Douglas and Mario Spezi. The Monster of Florence: A True Story. Grand Central Publishing, 2008.

From 1974 to 1985 a gruesome killer made the scenic mountains of Florence his (the killer is still at large, so gender is debatable) personal hunting grounds. Apparently the tradition in Florence is to get engaged early, marry late, and live with your parents all the while so young lovers drove to secluded areas to be together. Unfortunately, it was the last time for seven couples. Preston, best known for his adventure novels featuring FBI Special Agent Pendergast (beginning with the novel, Relic), gets this investigation off to a rollicking start and he and Mario Spezi keep it that way until the very end. This doesn’t seem like it should be true, much less unsolved and still under investigation. Why had I not heard of this before? Preston and Spezi risk their professional careers and, presumably, their lives to try and identify The Monster of Florence. They do name their prime suspect in the end but no one in power listens or cares so we are all left wondering if this ruthless killer will ever be brought to justice. - Holley Wesley, Mtn. Brook Library

Read, Simon. In the Dark: The True Story of the Blackout Ripper. Berkley Books, 2006.

The streets of London were dark in 1942. The Luftwaffe was in full effect and the city was under blackout conditions to try and thwart the German bombers. London’s prostitutes directed their fearful gazes upward as they walked the streets when they should have been more cautious of the dark alleys and street-level bomb shelters. A ruthless killer was stalking the streets of London during one of its most vulnerable times and it took the most talented of Scotland Yard’s detectives to track him down. - Holley Wesley, Mtn. Brook Library

Van Praagh, James. Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side. HarperOne, 2008.

Everyone loves a good ghost story. Perhaps the human fascination with the supernatural stems from the fact that most of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced something we couldn't quite explain. From a very young age James Van Praagh was aware of a dimension that most of us cannot see, and he has dedicated his life to explaining it to the rest of us. Ghosts Among Us takes us on an incredible journey into the spirit world that brings to light one of our greatest mysteries — what happens to us after we die? Van Praagh, the New York Times bestselling author and co-executive producer of the CBS series The Ghost Whisperer, shares his knowledge and life experience about ghosts, a subject that can seem to many of us both bizarre and terrifying. But when the world beyond is explained fully by an experienced guide, dismissal and apprehension can be turned into knowledge and inspiration. With incredible true ghost stories and surprising details about how ghosts actively participate in our lives, Van Praagh challenges us to question our perceptions and shows us how we can live more fully through understanding the world of spirits. Including eerily accurate readings, the author's development as a medium, and detailed how-to information, Ghosts Among Us is an all-encompassing guide to the supernatural. - Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Weller, Sheila. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--and the Journey of a Generation. Atria, 2008.

At 525 pages this book about Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon ― is my candidate for "beach book of 2008" for smart boomer women? I'm not kidding. It's that good. And that addictive. The late sixties was the culture these women were entering. Women were decorative arm pieces. Silent helpers. Sexual objects. And uncomplaining victims. Each of these women fought that culture. Not because she wanted to ―  simply out of biography and necessity. Joan Anderson gets polio as a kid, and her creativity is pushed inward. Carly Simon may be the daughter of one of the founders of Simon & Schuster, but in her case "privileged" refers mostly to her father, who banished his kids from his sight when he came home from work. Carol King writes hits with a kid in her lap. Everyone of import in the history of rock appears in these pages. Men come and go, most of them hideously inappropriate. And then there's the ― shall we say ― cross-pollination. Give James Taylor the sword of gold; he befriended King and did a lot more with Mitchell and Simon. Messy stuff, all of it, and revealing about the way relationships play out in the superstar set. My favorite moment: decades after "You're So Vain", Warren Beatty came up  ―  and on  ―  to Carly at the Carlyle Hotel. "What are you doing in town?" he asked. "Seeing my oncologist," said Carly, who was then afflicted with cancer. Guess Warren's reaction. It’s hard to believe but they're grandmothers now. I enjoyed reading about them as they were  ―  young and shiny, the future rich in possibility. This book charts the price they paid, the pain and the foolishness. It's a splendid chance for women of a certain age  ―  and the men who love them  ―  to look back and grid their own lives over these years. - Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library