The County Library discussion

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Your challenge is to read a book to inform yourself about mental health or improve your own. You can also read a book with characters who are dealing with mental health issues. A few suggestions are Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Wishful Drinking, or What the Waves Know.

is Alzheimer considered a mental health issue? I am reading An Absent Mind about a man with it.

Carolyn wrote: "is Alzheimer considered a mental health issue? I am reading An Absent Mind about a man with it."

Absolutely, it counts.

I'm reading Carl Sandberg's biography of Abraham Lincoln, whom we know suffered from severe depression. BUT, the work is 6 volumes long and I'm on volume 2. Any chance I can count one volume as meeting the challenge?

Carolyn wrote: "is Alzheimer considered a mental health issue? I am reading An Absent Mind about a man with it."

yes Alzheimer's is considered a mental illiness.

Debbie wrote: "I'm reading Carl Sandberg's biography of Abraham Lincoln, whom we know suffered from severe depression. BUT, the work is 6 volumes long and I'm on volume 2. Any chance I can count one volume as mee..."

I say YES!!! One book is what the challenge is all about. What a huge undertaking. Good luck!! :)

If anyone has not yet read "Still Alice", I would highly recommend it for this topic! Or, if you're wanting to improve your own mental health, read some Brene Brown.

Carolyn wrote: "is Alzheimer considered a mental health issue?."

Carolyn, yes it does!

Debbie wrote: " Any chance I can count one volume ..." Yes. :D

Caytlin wrote: "If anyone has not yet read "Still Alice", I would highly recommend it for this topic! Or, if you're wanting to improve your own mental health, read some Brene Brown." Both great suggestions.

I just finished An Absent Mind. If you can stand listening to the annoying characters the story is good. I am also reading Flowers for Algernon and Leonard Peacock (I don't Remember the full name).

Carolyn wrote: "I just finished An Absent Mind. If you can stand listening to the annoying characters the story is good. I am also reading Flowers for Algernon and Leonard Peacock (I don't Remember the full name)." Great! Sorry you found the characters annoying though. But yay for finishing the challenge.

I am reading about Adult Attachment Theory, including Attachment Disorders, how to recognize them in yourself and others, how to effectively communicate with others based on their attachment style, and how to heal your own attachment issues. Not a book, but dozens of websites which will equal book length. I'm also taking notes.

i'm going to be reading the rosie project which is based on Aspergers Syndrome one of the main charectors in the book has aspergers syndrome.

Lisa wrote: "i'm going to be reading the rosie project which is based on Aspergers Syndrome one of the main charectors in the book has aspergers syndrome."

fun books!

Lisa wrote: "i'm going to be reading the rosie project which is based on Aspergers Syndrome one of the main charectors in the book has aspergers syndrome."

I just read that. It's really cute. I didn't think the main character actually had Asperger's; he was just really socially awkward.

I have finished the first part (v. 1 & 2) of Carl Sandberg's 6 volume biography of Lincoln. Yes, you may shake your head in wonder at me. I'm doing that myself, Reading it reminded me of Mark Twain's quip about the Book of Mormon that if they removed all the instances of "And it came to pass," there would only be a Pamphlet of Mormon.

If you have a desire to actually read Sandberg's Lincoln biography, choose a copy that has The Prairie Years portion in a single volume. All in all, I have found the biography, thus far, less than satisfying. Sadly. Will I continue? Yes. But now we move into The War Years. In the part of the Prairie Years where he was running for President the repetition ceased. But once he was elected and there were the favor-seekers hounding him, some repetition returned, but not so badly as before.

But, I tell ya, I had no desire to read, three times, stated only slightly differently, in a single paragraph, that a newlywed couple needed some legal work done and he did not charge them a fee, rather asking them to allow him the honor to present the work as a wedding gift. Three times, one paragraph. Three times. Gads.

Debbie wrote: "I have finished the first part (v. 1 & 2) of Carl Sandberg's 6 volume biography of Lincoln. Yes, you may shake your head in wonder at me. I'm doing that myself, Reading it reminded me of Mark Twain..."

HA! I hear your frustration loud and clear in your message. I hope the war years are more exciting. Nothing worse than a book that has 700 hundred pages of 200 page content. :)

I got Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life on inter-library loan for this challenge.

I finished "Forgive me, Leonard Peacock". A story of a depressed teen who plans to commit a murder suicide.

Carolyn wrote: "I finished "Forgive me, Leonard Peacock". A story of a depressed teen who plans to commit a murder suicide."
Wow, I hope they weren't successful. I hope the teen got help.

Becky wrote: "I got Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life on inter-library loan for this challenge."
Ooh, an interlibrary loan! I hope it's good.

Debbie wrote: "I have finished the first part (v. 1 & 2) of Carl Sandberg's 6 volume biography of Lincoln. ..." Man, this seems like, TOTALLY not the book for me.

Lisa wrote: "i'm going to be reading the rosie project which is based on Aspergers Syndrome one of the main charectors in the book has aspergers syndrome."

That's on my TBR pile.

Can y'all believe how fast May is speeding by? Only a little more than a week to read books about mental health!

i'm almost done with reading my book I barrowed for mental health month.

Lisa wrote: "i'm almost done with reading my book I barrowed for mental health month." Fantastic!

I read Finding Jake. It is about a school shooting. The shooter is suspected of being a psychopath. It has more swearing in it than I like, but other than that I really liked it.

I read Elizabeth Smart's memoir. It sort of counts, I guess.

Elizabeth Smart's memoir definitely counts. And I might add Finding Jake to my TBR pile, for when I want something super depressing.

Audrey wrote: "I read Elizabeth Smart's memoir. It sort of counts, I guess."

it only counts because the guy that kidnapped Elizabeth smart was crazy and had issues.

I read What Is It LIke To Be Me? A Book About a Boy With Aspergers Syndrome. I chose this book because I have a grandson with it and I wanted to know more. It was informative.

Lisa wrote: "Audrey wrote: "I read Elizabeth Smart's memoir. It sort of counts, I guess."

it only counts because the guy that kidnapped Elizabeth smart was crazy and had issues."

He's not really crazy -- he knew exactly what he was doing -- but he's got serious issues, mostly to do with being self-centered. Just total scum.

I am reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

I got Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life on inter-library loan and read it for this challenge. It was an interesting read about bipolar disorder. A lot of cursing in this book

I finished the following books this month: An Absent Mind; Forgive Me Leonard Peacock; and Flowers For Algernon. I enjoyed them all to an extent. I didn't think any of them were amazing re-read-ables, but I an glad I read them.

Elizabeth wrote: "May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Your challenge is to read a book to inform yourself about mental health or improve your own. You can also read a book with characters who are dealing with ment..."

do you know what June's book club theme is yet?

Lisa wrote: "do you know what June's book club theme is yet? ."

Actually, we do a Summer Challenge involving multiple books. So, to rephrase:
Have you defined the Summer Challenge yet?

Debbie wrote: "Lisa wrote: "do you know what June's book club theme is yet? ."

Actually, we do a Summer Challenge involving multiple books. So, to rephrase:
Have you defined the Summer Challenge yet?"

i'm planning on doing the summer reading challenge I just have to pick up the paper at the library . I just didn't know if the book club was doing something else besides just the summer reading challenge.

I also read The Perks of Being a Wallflower for this challenge.

Becky wrote: "I also read The Perks of Being a Wallflower for this challenge."

How did you like it?

Audrey wrote: "Becky wrote: "I also read The Perks of Being a Wallflower for this challenge."

How did you like it?"

This is my review:

Before I read the epilogue, I was going to write a completely different review, but that final piece pulled all of Charlie's behavior together, to me, and improved my opinion.

In spite of this book not being about the cool high school kids, but the kids who listen to "good" music and have deep thoughts, I thought the characters were very cliche. There was the gay jock, who didn't want to admit he's gay, the feminist, the pothead, the beautiful girl, the understanding English teacher, the girl who sneaks off to get an abortion and seems unfazed by it, etc. This book tries to be understanding about teens and sometimes seemed to "get it" but then these "typical teen" things would happen and I thought it lost credibility. It sometimes seemed liked the '90's version of Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

I think those who write teen books need to realize that teens are not one cliche, they are many, many parts, sometimes jumbled parts that don't quite fit.

The book gets three stars because the writing style was very good and Charlie had a well developed voice. Though he thoroughly frustrated me by his lack of choices or moral compass, and going along with anything offered, like I said, the epilogue well explained this.

Linda is our prize drawing winner for May 2016’s reading challenge. She read What Is It Like to Be Me?: A Book About a Boy with Asperger's Syndrome by Alenka Klemenc. Congratulations!

Hooray Linda!