Hope and Lessons for Living

The Heart Has Reasons: Holocaust Rescuers and Their Stories of Courage

The dark cloud of disaster can't hide the brilliant light of joy and altruism in the human spirit. Somedays I don't turn on the news; it's too depressing to bear. But in this book, author Mark Klempner gazes unflinchingly at one of the blackest episodes in human history . . . and finds there hope and lessons for living.

Klempner interviewed ten of the "Righteous Gentiles": people who risked all to save Jewish children from the Nazis. A folklorist and oral historian, Klempner lets his subjects take center stage and tell their stories in their own words. This is precious documentation of the experiences of a generation that is passing on.

As counterpoint, Klempner relates the autobiographical saga of his own search for an ethical compass. This journey led him from the amoral canyons of the Los Angeles music scene to explore his Jewish immigrant roots in Europe. Klempner also includes historical and political essays that place the individual stories in the context of world events. The narratives are not homogenized into a smooth package. Think of these gems as displayed in their natural state, not cut and mounted so as to preserve the authenticity of the historical record.

To sum up, this book contains:

• Fascinating true stories, very accessible to the casual reader.
• Primary source historical material, lovingly preserved.
• Troubling questions about ethics, psychology and the meaning of life; pat answers not included.
• Inspiration, and proof that in the face of the most horrifying threats imaginable, some people will step forth and risk all to do the right thing.

Wine, Food and Friends by Karen MacNeil

I've recently come into that phase of my life where everyone I know is buying a house and I therefore spend many saturday afternoons and evenings at housewarming parties. This book is my new go-to gift (because no one needs another vase). Even if you're not much of an entertainer, this book has something for you. The recipes are from Cooking Light magazine and are therefore delicious and guilt-free. MacNeil (author of The Wine Bible) makes wine suggestions for a variety of budgets and her capsule descriptions of each type of wine are really all the average person needs to know before inviting friends for dinner. All the wines are easily found at any decent-sized liquor store. The illustrations are beautiful and inspirational and don't make the reader feel like they have to be Martha Stewart to pull off a dinner party.

Knit Fix

by Lisa Kartus

Having purchased this one for our library after reading a review, I never got a chance to do more than flip through it once it went out on the shelves because it circulated so frequently. So, I bought a copy for myself, and I am glad because this book is a strong reference for knitters of all levels. Though much of the book is aimed at more advanced knitters who have gotten past simple knit-and-purl scarves, Kartus provides a strong foundation in the basics, such as how to count rows vertically as well as horizontally in both knit and purl. She builds on this information to get to the meat of the book and topic of the title: techniques for repairing various mistakes in a knit work, from simple dropped stitches to trimming a too-large sweater. The text is well-depicted with color photos, and in many, contrasting colors of yarn are used to better illustrate what the reader should be seeing. Additionally, the spiral binding makes it easy to set the book on a table or a stand in front of you. --Inanna