MORE OR LESS MADDY
Author: Lisa Genova
Call number: FIC GEN
Reviewer: Andy Jackson
Date: April 29, 2026
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 2.8% of U.S. adults had bipolar disorder within the past year, and an estimated 4.4% will experience this mental illness at some point in their lifetime. In More or less Maddy, Lisa Genova (perhaps best known for her novel Still Alice) utilizes her background as a PhD in neuroscience to lend credibility to her narrative of Maddy Banks, a college freshman at NYU who seeks help from a clinic on campus for her crippling depression–only to have the anti-depressant propel her into a manic episode.
For those unfamiliar with bipolar disorder, this book is a revelation. Genova does a remarkable job of realistically cataloging the depths of Maddy’s lows and the highs that inevitably follow until friends, family, law enforcement, and doctors can intervene. And for those who are aware of the symptoms of bipolar, the details of Maddy’s actions and eventual treatment are probably quite familiar—although no two experiences with this tricky to diagnose affliction are exactly alike.
It helps that Maddy is a likeable, though flawed (like the rest of us) character. Genova especially excels at creating an inner dialogue through her that seems plausible for a woman nearing twenty who is trying to navigate relationships with an old boyfriend, high school acquaintances, prospective boyfriends, family members, co-workers, and doctors. But what I especially like and find helpful about this book is that the eventual treatment for Maddy (partly through a prescription for lithium carbonate) requires a great deal of trial and error. There simply are no “quick fixes” for a bipolar diagnosis, and there is no cure for it, either.
Additionally, Maddy’s decision to enter the world of standup comedy brings further drama into her path to recovery. Although a little unrealistic as a career choice for anybody, Maddy’s authentic personality is revealed through it. Ultimately, Maddy is a realistic and admirable role model for anyone who has the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which is sometimes not the case when this topic is portrayed elsewhere.
CURSED DAUGHTERS
Author: Oyinkan Braithwaite
Narrators: Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark, Diana Yekinni
Call#: CD-FIC BRA
Reviewer: Sonja Downey
Date: April 28, 2026
Munife grows up in Lagos, Nigeria, under a terrible family curse: “No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace…” When the effect of the curse hits her, she sees no other way but to take her own life. The day she dies, Eniiyi is born looking like the spitting image of Munife.
Growing up under the pressure of being the reincarnation of her troubled aunt is not easy for Eniiyi and when she falls in love with a local boy it looks like the curse will hit again. Or is it Munife reaching out from the afterlife? Eniiyi is determined to fight the curse, her dead aunt, and a lot of family secrets to find liberation from all the strings that hold her back.
This was a breathtaking story. I am not familiar with Nigerian culture. I was particularly fascinated by how superstition and modern life go hand in hand. The audio book is read in the Nigerian English accent and at first it was hard for me to understand until my ear adapted to it. Then, I found, that it gave the story authenticity to hear it read in the local accent. It made the audio book even more adventurous and swept me away.
THE TURTLE, THE MITTEN, AND AN EPIC HISTORY OF MICHIGAN
Author: Aaron Helman
Call #: NEW 977.4 HEL
Reviewer: Sonja Downey
Date: April 26, 2026
As he bikes the circumference of our beautiful state, the author recounts little-known and altogether forgotten historic events. This book is full of fascinating facts.
Starting his bike tour in Detroit, I was instantly grabbed by the author’s writing style and how vividly he describes neighborhoods, land and city scapes.
He recounts the events leading to the War of Toledo and how Toledo was supposed to be a part of of Michigan. He explains the origins of the names of the counties, how some of them were originally named using Native language and then were renamed after lumber barons or local politicians.
With poignancy and occasional humor, Helman brings together the breath-taking beauty of Michigan and its captivating history in this book that should not be missing from the book shelves of any Michigander.
THE AMAZING GENERATION
Authors/ Narrators: Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price
Illustrator: Cynthia Yuan Cheng
Call number: NEW J 616.8 HAI
Reviewer: Randy Morgan
Date: April 17, 2026
The Amazing Generation is a juvenile non fiction about mental health and technology. Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price captivate the audience by opening with an analogy about “The Greedy Wizards and the Curse of the Stones” putting the reader into the mind of a rebel. The call to action is immediately relatable by replacing the cursed stones with smartphones. Throughout the rebel’s journey utilizing different tools, and several accounts of real life rebels, readers are empowered to put away their phones to seek extrinsic connections.
My first experience with The Amazing Generation was in audiobook format. It was short, sweet, and relatable. When the library acquired the graphic novel version/ physical version, I was captivated by the illustrations. The formatting was simple and engaging. Both versions provide great resources that are applicable for all ages.
FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS
Time Management for Mortals
Author: Burkeman, Oliver
Call number: 650.1 BUR
Reviewer: Andy Jackson
Date: April 7, 2026
Although this is not marketed as a “self-help” book, Four Thousand Weeks could certainly fit into that category for many people, including me. The title is a reference to how much time that the average person has to live, based on an 80-year lifespan. The shift from looking at one’s life in weeks instead of years seemed reassuring to me until I realized that at my current age of 55, I have already lived nearly 2900 weeks of the 4000, so I better make the most of the 1100 weeks that I have left!
Borrowing heavily from contemporary culture, classical philosophers and other sources, Burkeman argues that one of the beliefs that would be helpful to all of us is understanding that humans are all “finite.” As the title of the introduction says: “In the Long Run, We’re All Dead.” And some of us (me included) have been trying for decades to get to a place where we can finally live worry-free lives before the inevitable happens. In fact, Burkeman argues that many of our society’s values lead us to believe that we can achieve this Nirvana. But we have been misled. We will never eliminate our worries and trying to do so just makes things worse. For example, he looks at how when we are born, we prepare for elementary school, then middle school, then high school, then college. We are told by our professors in college that they are preparing us for life. Of course, most of us would agree that while higher education may prepare us for some of what it is to come later, even the best undergraduate or graduate
Burkeman’s book is not all theory, either. For example, many of us like to make lists and get some joy by crossing things off them. The problem is that the list of life is endless, which is harmful to our mood if getting “done” with tasks gives you the most pleasure. Instead, he suggests that we make a list of things that we accomplish in a day, preferably as we do them. Surely, this paradigm change will be an ego boost to most of us. He also suggests keeping a short (5 or 10) “closed” list of things that need to be accomplished soon, and an open list that could have dozens of items on it that can be done at a more leisurely pace. Theoretically, items on the open list could be transferred to the closed list at some point.
There is much more to this book, but I only have limited time and space to share. Burkeman would probably approve of me realizing that.
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