Manic: A Memoir

Manic: A Memoir by Terri Cheney

Terri Cheney provides a raw, unflinching account of her mental illness, specifically the manic states of her bipolar disorder. Told in brief, non-chronological order chapters, the memoir mimics the unpredictability and jarring nature of mania, leaving the reader slightly unmoored.

One of Cheney's stated goals is to reduce the stigma of mental illness. She illustrates the lengths that those suffering from mental illness go to in order to hide their disease from colleagues, friends, and strangers. She also shows that once she shares her "secret" she finds more support and understanding than she expected.

More factual information about bipolar disorder would have been nice. Placing Cheney's illness and behavior in context and along a continuum would have been more educational. As a memoir, this book provided good insight into Cheney's most extreme episodes and behaviors. However, readers should not assume that Cheney's experience is typical of all manic depressives. A disclaimer to this fact would have been appreciated.

While Innocents Slept: A Story of Revenge, Murder, and SIDS

While Innocents Slept: A Story of Revenge, Murder, and SIDS by Adrian Havill

This book is poorly researched, disorganized, and a difficult read. The author also seems to be biased toward the killer, and in fact, obtained most of his information from the killer and his starry-eyed, fourth wife. Havill does not appear to think highly of women; the victim, Ms. Anastasi, has traveled the world, holds a master's degree and currently works for NASA. Havill describes her as an overweight, bleached blonde. (incidentally, she is an attractive, natural blonde who happens to be in her forties). The trial judge, Ann Harrington, was one of the first women prosecutors in the State of Maryland, and is considered a brilliant, fair jurist. Her convictions are rarely, if ever, overturned on appeal. Havill describes Judge Harrington only in terms of her daily choice of jewelry and makeup, and mentions that she is a former beauty queen.
Havill's "research" is flawed because he presents only one view; that from the killer and this then-current family and few friends. The lawyers and witnesses in the case were not free to discuss the case while it was pending, and thus a mountain of information (evidence that was not admitted at trial) was never revealed. If Havill had not been in such a hurry to publish, his account could have been much more informative and accurate. I know; I am one of the figures in the investigation.

Ultimate Accidental Housewife: Your Guide to a Clean-Enough House

Ultimate Accidental Housewife: Your Guide to a Clean-Enough House by Julie Edelman

Good title, but that's about it. It's a "How-To" house-cleaning guide which boasts that it will provide tricks to help you make your house "clean enough" and "blend eco-friendly habits into everyday routines". I diagree that the author has accomplished either of these feats. In my opinion, there are not enough hours in the day to do all of the house cleaning that she recommends. Also, the "eco-friendly" claim is a stretch because although she does recommend vinegar and baking soda to clean many things, disposable disinfecting wipes are not eco-friendly. Besides, I'm sure you can find all of this information for free on the internet.
In an attempt to be humorous, the author suggests a number of martini recipes to try while you scour the toilet. The part I don't appreciate is the promotion of the morning after pill. Yes, it's true. You will find it on page 202. I quote "Keep these items handy in case you need them: Band-Aids, Flashlight, Fresh batteries, Morning-after pill". What???
I found that part unnecessary and offensive.
My guess is that most readers wouldn't make it as far as page 202 anyway.

STEPHANIE WINSTON'S BEST ORGANIZING TIPS : Quick, Simple Ways to Get Organized and Get on with Your Life

STEPHANIE WINSTON'S BEST ORGANIZING TIPS : Quick, Simple Ways to Get Organized and Get on with Your Life by Stephanie Winston

I was a little disappointed with this audio book. I am really looking to get things whipped into shape and organized, but I didn't find this very helpful. There are a lot of ideas, but they all seemed kind-of obvious and nothing really jumped out at me as a "great new idea". I thought she spent WAY too much time on explaining how to organize files, and not enough time on around the house organization ideas. I'm sure it is a good audio book, but it just wasn't what I personally was looking for.