Year 2, Books 61 and 62

61. Water Witches by Chris Bohjalian
62. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

I really liked his newest book Double Bind, so I decided to start reading some of his backlist titles. I wasn’t nearly as happy. I never really got into Water Witches. It’s about a family of dowsers in Vermont. I just didn’t get into the plot. I didn’t really care what happened, and I didn’t really identify with the characters either. I give it a 6 out of 10.

Midwives was better, but I still didn’t like it nearly as much as Double Bind. There was a nice little twist at the end like there was in Double Bind, but I wasn’t as into the story as I was with Double Bind. It was a decent read though. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Year 2, Book 60

60. How Doctor’s Think by Jerome Groopman
An interesting look inside the mind of doctors and the things that influence how they think. A very interesting read and a good book for anyone who has a chronic condition or a medical problem that has not been easily solved. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Year 2, Book 59

59. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
A sad look at the life of a boy who was forced to become a soldier during a war in Sierra Leone. He eventually gets out and moves to New York City. I don’t think the writing itself is that great, but the story is heartbreaking and compelling. I especially found the last 1/4 of the book really interesting when he details his first experiences in cities first in Freetown, Sierra Leone and then eventually in NYC. Having grown up in a small village in Sierra Leone it is interesting to hear him talk about not understanding how to use elevators or seeing snow for the first time in NYC and not knowing what it was. One thing I didn’t like though was that the story ends before he fully explains how he winds up permanently in NYC. He begins to tell the story of leaving Sierra Leone for good, but never completes the journey. I don’t understand why, and it kind of felt like I was left hanging. I give it a 7 out of 10.