A Moving Childhood Memoir

A couple of Saturdays ago - you know, one of those days when it was too hot to breathe outside, let alone do yard work - I sat down with a pre-publication copy of a book that had been sitting on my table for a long time. I only stopped to fix a sandwich for lunch, and by the time I'd finished the book, it was getting dark outside. Sometimes a book grabs you and won't let you go until you reach the end, and that was my experience with Thomas Buergenthal's tale of growing up under the Nazi regime, A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy.

At first glance, it's hard to allow that the words "lucky" and "Auschwitz" belong in the same sentence. Buergenthal and his parents found themselves imprisoned first in a Polish ghetto, then a work camp, and finally Auschwitz. Through a series of what can only be described as luck, however, the family wasn't separated until they arrived at the death camp, and even then Thomas and his father managed to stay together for several months. Thomas evaded at least two "selections," times when all the other children around him were removed from their parents and killed. He encountered fellow prisoners who helped him survive, and when the war was over he was reunited with the last surviving member of his family.

It's no wonder that his life experiences led the author to work in the field of international human rights; he now serves as a judge at the International Court of Justice in den Haag. The book carries a forward by Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel, a fellow Auschwitz survivor, and those who are familiar with Wiesel's Night may also find this a worthwhile read. I'd certainly recommend it for high-school students, who are still close enough to their own childhoods to identify at least with the narrator, even though they've not been exposed to the horrors he saw as a young child. It would also make for a terrific book club selection. Stop by the library and check it out for yourself.

--Nora

Handle With Care

The next four weeks will bring many popular new releases, with highly anticipated titles coming from many of today's top-selling authors. Danielle Steele's "Big Girl" comes out next week, Clive Cussler's "Silent Sea" is set to release March 9th, and Harlan Coben's "Caught" will hit bookshelves on March 23rd. Nonfiction books are also making waves in March, with both Mitt Romney and Karl Rove generating notable buzz about their upcoming memoirs. However, the new book I'm the most excited about is Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang."

Handler is a stand-up comedian and the host of the late-night talk show "Chelsea Lately." Her previous two books, "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" and "My Horizontal Life" were both on the New York Times Bestseller list. Similar to her stand-up act, her books focus on stories from her personal life, which are equally witty, off-kilter, and downright hysterical.

"Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" promises to deliver more of what I have come to expect from Handler: more ridiculous stories told from the odd perspective that can only be Chelsea. Nothing is safe from Handler- from Lean Pockets and Sex and the City to Cabbage Patch Dolls. I'm particularly interested in hearing her story of how she once managed to convince her boyfriend that there were Swiss Army Knives in the soles of her $16,000 shoes (that power of persuasion is something every woman should learn!!)

Fans of Celia Rivenbark (author of "Bless Your Heart, Tramp" and "We're Just Like You, Only Prettier") will love Handler's books. Check out a copy of "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang," set to release March 9th, but beware- this book will likely cause readers to snort unbecomingly from laughter, so you may consider reading alone!

--Jenn C.

Gotham City Murder!

If you are a history buff as I am, I highly recommend The Murder of Helen Jewett: the life and death of a prostitute in nineteenth-century New York. During this time period murder in New York was not as prevalent as you might think, and brothels were a societal norm. Using historical records, news articles, and letters written by the victim to her patrons, author Patricia Cline Cohen provides a thoughtful and in-depth look into the life of one young lady from her childhood in Maine to her brutal death in a New York City brothel. Cohen discusses Helen's migration from Maine to New York, and touches on commerce, the development of communities, and the mingling of the classes in New England. Upon Helen's death, the reader is witness to every circumstance - from the inquest, to the investigation and trial, and the rumor and sensationalism created by the burgeoning field of investigative journalism. Cohen also includes the scandal involved with the murdered prostitute’s clientele and the fact that during her formative years she was in the care of one of Maine's leading families, who afforded her a formal education.

--Larry G.

The Doctor is In

“Put this book down. Right now. Do not buy it. Stop Reading. Now. Why are you still reading this? Okay. I warned you.”

Straight from these opening words, it’s clear that Denis Leary’s Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid is not meant for the light of heart. He makes it quite clear that no matter who you are, this book will probably offend you. It's tactless. It's uncensored. It's also absolutely hysterical. Why We Suck is 240 pages of pure comedic ingenuity. “Doctor” Denis Leary expresses his opinion on what’s wrong with America these days – and how to fix it. No one and nothing is safe from his scrutiny - from Angelina Jolie to ice cream to Ritalin.

Part memoir, part self-help, and part rant, Why We Suck declares an all-out war on pop culture, politics, and cats. Yes, cats. Of his cat, Leary says, “I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him - which wouldn’t be very far since he’s the size of a fat raccoon on steroids. He’s the Roger Clemens of catball.” Fans of Leary’s stand-up comedy know that he is not one to sugar-coat his opinions. He thinks that kids these days are spoiled and overmedicated and that Oprah is “the cure for what ails America.” Every opinion Leary has is somehow expressed between the covers of Why We Suck, and the end result is an instant satirical classic.

If you’re a fan of heavy sarcasm and political humor, and don’t mind occasionally vulgar language, then you’ll probably enjoy this book. Just don’t take it too seriously, or you’re likely to end up on the phone with your lawyer. Or, a psychiatrist. :-)

--Jenn C.