Books worth mentioning

Although I read a lot, I don't very often come across books that I'd rate 5 stars. It has to be a book that I never forget to rank that high. There were a few recent reads that made a 4 star rating and fully interested me though.

I expected A Man Called Ove to be just another mediocre novel, but ended up loving it. Ove seemed at first to be a grumpy old man but when you stripped away the gruff exterior, there was a sweet, tenderhearted person underneath. At times it was truly funny how cantankerous and rude he acted. Thankfully Ove's heart of gold began to shine through and by the end of the book, he was a much-loved neighbor and friend.

Destiny of the Republic is a nonfiction book about a little-known President, James A. Garfield. It reminded me a lot of Bill O'Reilly's Killing series (Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, etc.) For history fans, this is a great book. It's very informative and tells in detail about the assassination attempt and astounding incompetence of Garfield's doctor, who could've saved his life if he had not been so ignorant.

A book I read several years ago did actually make quite an impression on me, even though I didn't realize it at the time I read it.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a true story about a poor, unknown black woman, and how cells taken from her body became one of the most important tools in medicine. I find it fascinating to think that those "immortal" cells are still alive, over sixty years later. Truly intriguing for anyone interested in science and medicine. The book is also a story about Henrietta and her family, which is just as interesting.