New Year, same resolutions Get Organized, Fit and Read

HALF A LIFE

By Darin Strauss McSweeneys, $22

“Half my life ago, I killed a girl.”

So begins this memoir of a man who, at 18, crashed his car into a classmate who inexplicably steered her bicycle directly into his path. Unavoidable, the police said, yet Straus was torn with guilt, unable to face the accusing glances of fellow students and the unspoken bitterness of her parents.

Only now, 18 years later, did he find the courage to write this memoir and quiet the gut-wrenching feelings of blame.

UNBROKEN

By Laura Hillenbrand Random House, $27

Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible little boy, sneaking booze and stealing from neighbors and friends alike until introduced to running track, where he eclipsed all high school and college records, ran in the 1936 Olympics and was predicted by many, the man to break the 4-minute mile, an opportunity interrupted by WWII.

An Army Air Corps bombardier, he was shot down over the Pacific, survived 47 days on a tiny raft, mostly without food or water, fighting sharks with his fist and finally being rescued, unfortunately, by the Japanese.

For the next two years he was brutally beaten, starved and unspeakably humiliated by a sadistic camp guard, yet he remained unbroken and now, at 93, went on to forgive his tormentors.

LOSS OF A HISTORICAL LANDMARK

By Issa Abou Issa Blurb Books, $42.95

For two weeks after the fire that destroyed St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, local author, a renowned artist, searched among the remains of the church and school, photographing graphic images in the charred debris.

The church, founded in 1858, was best known for its gothic revival architecture, magnificent stained-glass windows and wonderful Wicks pipe organ. Its loss is a terrible one for parishioners and the community alike.

Abou Issa’s book, a treasure of black and white prints, will serve as a reminder of what was lost and the determination to rebuild. All proceeds from its sale will benefit St. Matthews School.

GETTING A FIT BODY AND WINNING SMILE

Mayo Clinic’s new “Fitness for EveryBody” ($22.95) has 350 pages of workouts, with or without equipment, eating right and preventing and repairing injuries. In “Self-Help Guide To Dental Hygiene” (Create Space Books, $14.99), registered dental hygienist Leah M Nelson uses actual pictures and X-rays to illustrate oral problems and describe the best techniques for avoiding them.

Your newfound knowledge will amaze your dentist.

LET’S GET ORGANIZED

Two books to help are Laura Stack’s, “Find More Time” (Broadway Books, $12.95), which dispenses with the philosophy of organization and gets right down to the How of organizing your space and time. Your finances, on the other hand, are the specific subjects of “One Year to an Organized Financial Life” (Da Capo Lifelong Books, $16.95) Regina Leeds and Russell Wild, MBA, clearly show, in bite-sized bits, how to “Eliminate, Categorize and Organize” your finances month-by-month and week-by-week.

DEATH ECHO

By Elizabeth Lowell William Morrow, $24.99

Imagine being on a yacht out to sea when pirates attempt to board and confiscate its’ lethal cargo.

Emma Cross, former CIA agent, who has just joined St. Kilda’s security consulting firm, is partnered with MacKenzie Durand with orders to thwart the pirates and save the ship and its’ cargo. A ferocious cat-and-mouse game played out with little chance of beating the pirates at their own game. But the ingenious duo with a limited amount of firearms is up to the task in this exciting thriller.

TOUGH CUSTOMER

By Sandra Brown Simon and Schuster, $26.99

Caroline King’s daughter Berry is being harassed by a maniacal genius who threatens to murder her so what’s a mother to do? After a 30-year separation, she calls former lover, private eye Dodge Hanley, Berry’s father, who hasn’t seen his daughter since her birth.

Joining forces with Deputy Sheriff Ski Nyland, who grows quite fond of Berry, the two face down the stalker who’s gone on a killing spree, presenting Dodge with the fight of his life.

WAITING FOR SUPERMAN

By Karl Weber, Editor Public Affairs Books, $15.95

Millions of American students attend “failure factories,” according to the contributors to this book, a companion volume to the movie. “Our schools are in crisis,” a fact documented by the recent release of results from a key international assessment in which U.S. schools ended midpack.

The book asserts it is “failing schools that destroy neighborhoods n not the reverse n and how research reveals that dedicated, attentive teachers are what help at-risk kids succeed.”

Who’d disagree, but how to attract and retain them on the salaries offered? More support from parents would also help.