Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that effects more than just simple memory; it takes over how people act, think, and behave. It effects more women than men and is the sixth leading cause of death in the US. There is a lot of promising research, some of which links cardiovascular health and head trauma to developing the disease (also genes and race). Prevention suggestions range from staying active, to eating healthy, to staying social and intellectually challenged. [I googled "cluttered countertops" and had an anxiety attack; source] Somehow, I missed the memo as a preteen that I was supposed to read and identify Judy Blume's Are You There God? I read some of her other books, but this one somehow slipped through the cracks. I saw Blume speak a few years ago at a festival and mentally put the YA novel on my wish list (for the record, it's the only YA book on there) but, once again, overlooked it. I finally picked it up this summer after grabbing her newest adult novel, In the Unlikely Event, and seeing other bloggers, like Rory, revisit this classic.

So, I decided I'd read about twelve-year-old Margaret for the first time at thirty-one.troopy curtains I invite you to do the samefaux silk curtains homebase This week's TTT asks us to list our top ten choices dealing with diversity, which is always a sensitive topic and one that seems to become more and more complicated. sheikh jee curtainsI'm afraid of saying the "wrong" thing; gold eyelet curtains 90x90it seems that as an upper-middle class, healthy, educated, American, white, heterosexual woman I'm on thin ice (not that I'm complaining about these things or asking for sympathy on this matter). curved shower curtain rod sags

I want to scream. "I grew up in a low-income family! I've watched mental illness wreak havoc on my family! red eyelet curtains argosMy husband is half Mexican! the tortilla curtain american dream quotesMy kid is a quarter Mexican! I donate money to Planned Parenthood! I teach in a low SEC area with a high-level of EL students! I'm very sympathetic to the plight of the illegal immigrants! I have friends of color! I-" But association and action doesn't always matter. 1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- 2. Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle- 3. Five Days at Memorial by Shari Fink- 4. A Single Man- Christopher Isherwood- 5. 'Master Harold'... and the Boys by Athol Fugard- 6. The Round House by Louise Erdrich- 7. Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun- 8. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Aspergers by John Elder Robison-

9. The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar- 10. The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall Make me feel better. Any "what the hell?" moments for you lately? Go Set a WatchmanTo Kill a Mockingbird 3. A first draft?- Go Set a WatchmanTo Kill a Mockingbird 4. (SPOILER... sort of?) 5. It's not well-written-TKAMGSAWTKAM 6. The characters are flat- 7. Probably more realistic- GSAWTKAMTKAMGSAWGSAW. 9. You should read it- Not buying books is like trying to put certain foods (here's looking at you, everything with sugar and fat) on the do-not-eat list: it works okay for a little while, but then all the sudden, you really want a huge bowl of ice cream. Or box of books. So, I buy books when I want and I find that in the end I purchase the same amount as I would with the restriction-binge cycle that I've committed to before. So yes, my recent acquisitions are very recent (like within the last month). As requested by The Broke and the Bookish, here are the last ten books I bought (two of which were ordered, but I have been charged, if we want to get all technical):