On Death and Dying by Elzabeth Kübler-Ross:
This book was very informative and interesting. It takes us through the 5 stages (or 5 responses, if stages seem to concrete to you) that people seem to experience when they are dying. The book has a lot of interviews with patients and their family members, and we also get the perspective of those who are taking care of these "dying" people, such as physicians, nurses, the chaplain, etc. Even though this book is three decades old it is still very applicable.


The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell:
My sister got me hooked on Patricia Cornwell novels and the main character, Kay Scarpetta. Once again, this author did not let me down. Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner, gets caught up in a real pickle and has to fight to clear her own name (after she is almost murdered by Jean Baptiste Chandonne, Le Loup Garou). While all of this is going on, two tortured corpses are found by the police. The murders bear all the hallmarks of the work of serial killer Jean Baptiste Chandonne. There's just one problem: Chandonne is in prison. It looks like Scarpetta has a copycat killer on her hands. If you like writers like James Patterson, you'll LOVE Patricia Cornwell.


Gather Together in my Name by Maya Angelou:
This is the second volume of Angelou's memoirs, and thus the follow-up to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This volume was just as wonderful as the first one. We enter young adulthood with Maya Angelou, who is now a single mother. She has a myriad of jobs, from being a madam to actually turning tricks herself. It is amazing and beautiful, at the same time, to see her honesty in exposing herself and her life to the whole world. She is, undoubtedly, a very proud, strong, and brave woman!