Reading Rescue, April 2006: Large Print Books
By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
Is the print in many books so small you have eye strain
or do you have vision problems? We have the solution! Try large print
books. Personally, I think they are great! Large print books come in all
genres including mystery, romance, western stories, and non-fiction to
name a few. Your favorite authors will be in large print. Please give
them a try!
 Barbara
Delinsky's Flirting with Pete is an unusual book. It is really
two stories in one. Casey is the product of a one-night stand. She has
followed her psychologist father's career from afar. He never
acknowledged her and upon his death it was a surprise to learn that he
had left her his townhouse. As she explores her new home, Casey finds a
manuscript about a troubled teen named Jenny, who was physically abused
by her mother and sexually abused by her father. Jenny's father is in
prison and just about to be released when the manuscript begins. Jenny
is terrified and looks to escape with a mysterious stranger named Pete.
As Casey is trying to make sense of all of this, she meets and falls in
love with the gardener Jason. How is all of this tied to her father? Why
was the manuscript in the townhouse?
If you want to read a beautiful love story, try Nicholas
Spark's A Walk to Remember. In the preface Sparks warns you to
have a box of Kleenex handy as you read. This book will tear at your
heartstrings and will linger with you for days. In the story, Landon is
a typical teenage boy and Jamie is the unpopular preacher's daughter.
Together, they show what it really means to love one another by helping
your lover's dreams come true.
Debbie Macomber is a fabulous writer and in 311
Pelican Court, you will read for yourself how she writes storylines
we can believe. You will be pulled into the small town setting. Rosie
and Zack Cox are in the process of getting a divorce. They have two
children, Allison and Eddie. As usual there is a battle over custody but
in this case the judge decides that the children will be living in the
family home and the parents will be living with them on alternate
weekends. This creates big problems for Rosie and Zack. While they are
trying to solve this problem, they see a lot more problems with the
divorce. But, this book is not just about the Cox family and their
problems. A lot more characters are involved and the story is quite
good. The book is fast moving and a great read!
Jeffrey Deaver writes good thrillers and The Bone
Collector is a great example that is sure to please. Lincoln Rhyme,
a forensic scientist, who is also a quadriplegic, is the hero of this
book. His friends call him “the world's foremost criminalist.” Maybe
Lincoln has met his match when he deals with this serial killer. He will
have to use all of his skills and high-tech tools to outwit this killer
with a method to his madness! I will caution you that the crimes are
described in vivid detail, but it is a page turner that will make you
cheer for Lincoln as he stays one step ahead of the murderer.
A must read is At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks.
If you are thinking about marriage you will learn a lot from this book.
The story is about a couple who want to marry without really getting to
know each other. They go through all the emotions: love, devoted
friendship, anger, jealousy, betrayal and deep sadness. Will they make
it? Sparks writes in such a way that you will put yourself in the
scenes. You will find yourself laughing, sighing, and sometimes crying!
He lets you know Grandma usually knows best and maybe you should follow
her advice.
There are also non-fiction large print books in our
library. One good read is Abandon Ship by Richard Newcomb, a
naval war correspondent. The U.S.S. Indianapolis is to deliver a rare
cargo of several hundred pounds of uranium to the Pacific atoll of
Tinian. Ironically, the uranium would be used to make the two atomic
bombs dropped on Japan in just two short weeks. The captain, Annapolis
graduate, Charles Butler McVay III, set out for Guam and his final
destination, the Philippines without an escort. A Japanese submarine
torpedoed the ship with almost 1,200 soldiers on board. Eight hundred
men survived the torpedo and landed in the sea. After four days in the
water, 300 men were still alive. The Navy put the blame on Admiral McVay.
He received a court martial along with several other naval personnel.
The author was able to piece together the roles of several dozen people
involved in the tragedy. Ultimately, he was able to explain what
happened and why. He wrote this book thirteen years after the disaster
and many of the relatives and friends of the crew were still alive.
After thirty-two years McVay was eventually exonerated but it didn't
help him. McVay shot himself to escape the grief. This is a great book
for World War II aficionados or anyone interested in military history.
Blind Eye written by James B. Stewart is a real
eye-opener! How can a doctor repeatedly slip through the cracks of the
medical system by simply lying about the nature of his felony
conviction? Doesn't the direct eye evidence of an elderly female patient
count for something? How about the nurse's evidence? It seems that their
evidence didn't count while the suppositions and presumptions of doctors
count a great deal! What happens is that a serial killer doctor
continues to practice. How did Dr. Swango get away with so many murders?
He was a blonde-haired, blue eyed, energetic white American ex-marine.
Who would believe he would kill? Many have tried to explain Dr. Swango's
behavior and as you read, you will form your own opinion. Whatever you
think, this book will make you take a second look at the medical
profession. Maybe this is good because we should always be aware that
these situations can happen.
Charles Kuralt's America is another large print
book that is very interesting. Kuralt was the CBS newsman who served
thirty-seven years as a reporter and after retirement, traveled to see
his favorite American places. He traveled for a year and he recorded in
his journal the various people, places, and pets he encountered. You
will be treated to 120 stories about his travels. What you get from this
book is that there is something of interest all around no matter where
you go or where you live. This is a book for all ages and interests.
Some think it was Kuralt's way of saying good-bye to the America he
loved.
In conclusion, large print books are easy on the eyes.
They make reading easy and entertaining.. Please give them a try on your
next visit to the library. As always if you have suggestions or
questions, please call or e-mail, (724) 744-4414 or
mfulmer@pennlib.org.
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