Still Alice by Lisa Genova Book Review

This is one of those books that you literally cannot stop reading. The characters are all likable and you feel a connection to this family without even trying to. The story is compelling yet not overly theatrical and exaggerated. It is a very true to life depiction of Alzheimer’s disease.

So often an author will try to express what it is like to go through something, and there will be an obvious disconnect, but not in this novel. I had to remind myself many times that I really didn’t know Alice and her family because she seems that real.

The author Lisa Genova does a fantastic job at depicting what life would be like if you had to go through these same or similar events. The writing style is elegant, but not pretentious. Here is one of my favorite bits of writing from the book:

“The date on the calendar only made everyone feel offended or cheated, aware that it was already spring elsewhere, and there people wore short-sleeve shirts and awoke to the sounds of Robins chirping. Here, the cold and misery showed no signs of relenting, and the only birds Alice heard as they walked to campus were crows.” – From Still Alice pg. 106

This book is honest and that is really all that you can ask for in a book like this. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Don’t skip this book for any reason whatsoever.

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A Din’s Thoughts

Timothy Hatfield is a name the majority of you will not recognize, but it’s a name you will come to appreciate, and respect after you read some of his poems.

Hatfield is a freshman studying at Marshall University, who partakes in the art of writing poetry in his spare time. He took the time to discuss how poetry has influenced his life, as well as what his goals are when it comes to writing poetry.

Hatfield stated that he began writing poetry when “I was 13-years-old, after my parents divorced.”His major influences with writing have come from “watching people,” and the works of brilliant poets like “Edgar Allan Poe, John Steinbeck, and H.P. Lovecraft.” Hatfield has a goal in mind as for where he would like his poetry to take him, and that plan is A Din’s Thoughts, a book which he hopes to write. When asked the purpose of A Din’s Thoughts, he responded with “to one day have enough pages to complete a small book of poetry, and to have it published.” He hopes to have this book completed within the next two years.

“I’m currently working on one more poem. Usually I try to write one per day, but here recently that’s been a strain. I should have one up by the end of the week thought.” The poem featured here, is titled “A Din’s Thoughts pg. 10.” A poem Hatfield explained as coming to life from him watching his grandfather’s grieving the death of his sister. He said “I had seen my grandfather morn his sister who had just passed away. It was around fall time. So you could say that A Din’s Thoughts pg. 10 is based on personal loss.”

The message Hatfield wants readers to take away from “A Din’s Thoughts pg. 10” is, “That life goes on, and there is a dreamer in all of us. It’s a short poem, with a very simple meaning.” Hatfield’s book in the making is one that will be filled with artistic poetry that will be enjoyable to a broad range of readers.