You Can Stop Humming Now

You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor's Stories of Life, Death, and in Between by Daniela Lamas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is in the medical genre but it's a compilation of stories that the author has put together. There are happy/sad/triumphant stories. I really liked how the whole book spanned over the author's residency and beginning years as a doctor. The medical field is an endless bunch of learning opportunities and I am a bit of a jargon junkie, so when I start hearing or reading medical terminology, I am in it to finish it. I think this book earns it's 5 stars and then a little bit of extra love on top. The author is down to earth, good bedside manner (from what she mentioned in the book) and she made a point of getting to know the people she was writing about. There was back story all the way up to end (whatever it was) of each story. I enjoyed the manner in which this book was written. This book was slightly reminiscent of When Breath Becomes Air.


View all my reviews

52 Book Challenge (Blank)

52 books in 52 weeks

The 2017 List
1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 (link)
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view)
3. A book you meant to read in 2016
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E"
5. A historical fiction

6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
8. A book written by a person of color
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
10. A dual-timeline novel
11. A category from another challenge
12. A book based on a myth
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors
14. A book with a strong female character
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland)
16. A mystery
17. A book with illustrations
18. A really long book (600+ pages)
19. A New York Times best-seller
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read
22. A book by an author you haven't read before
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link)
24. A book written by at least two authors
25. A book about a famous historical figure
26. An adventure book –
27. A book by one of your favorite authors
28. A non-fiction
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link)
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre –
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle)
33. A magical realism novel
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link)
37. A book you choose randomly
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature
39. An epistolary fiction
40. A book published in 2017
41. A book with an unreliable narrator
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far)
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link)
45. A book with a one-word title
46. A time travel novel
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link)
48. A banned book
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf
50. A Penguin Modern Classic 
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) 
52. A book set in a fictional location

I'm Back

NOTICE

Dear Ladies/Gents, Lads/ Lass' or Anyone else in between.

I have been on a bit of a hiatus for a while. I haven't been posting anything and reading had a bit of a slow spot. I found the 52 book challenge incredibly difficult at times and taxing because I am not a very organized reader. There are times when I just want to read something easy or I've read before and when you have already marked off most of the challenge the things that are usually left are the harder things to find. Yes the 52 book challenge took me 2 years and 5 days BUT in my defense there were some pretty shitty books on there that I plugged through just to cross them off the list – book character Kurt Wallander that's a big arrow pointing at you! I am going to start posting book reviews again because I really enjoyed posting them and found it interesting to see who was checking in or looking at the reviews. Thanks for your dedication, trust and following. It means the world.

Below find a copy of my 52 book challenge that is now completed.

I will also post a Blank 52 book challenge in case anyone is interested in going through the adventure.

Thanks, Sg

The 2017 List

52 books in 52 weeks (started Jan 4, 2017)

The 2017 List
1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 (link) When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi (July 25, 2018)
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view) The Last Hero – Rick Riordan (Feb 6, 2017)
3. A book you meant to read in 2016 Hands of My Father – Myron Uhlberg (May 4, 2018)
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E" 15^th Affair – James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (June 7, 2017)
5. A historical fiction Midnight at the Electric – Jody Lynn Anderson (July 9, 2018)
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017  The Shack – Wm. Paul Young (Feb 24, 2017)
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title Homer's Odyssey – Gwen Cooper (Mar 25, 2018)
8. A book written by a person of color The Colour Purple – Alice Walker (July 15, 2017)
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list Weekends at BelleVue – Julie Holland (Apr 17, 2018
10. A dual-timeline novel Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined- Danielle Younge-Ullman (Aug 12, 2018)
11. A category from another challenge PostSecret – Frank Warren (June 7, 2017) – A book you can finish in a day
12. A book based on a myth Dinotopia Lost – Alan Dean Foster (Feb 4, 2018)
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors Quiet Journey – Joanne S Cripps (March 5, 2018)
14. A book with a strong female character Die Again – Tess Gerritsen {Rizzoli and Isles} (Mar 21, 2017
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) Faceless Killers – Henning Mankell (Aug 14, 2017) – Set in Sweden
16. A mystery The President is Missing – James Patterson and Bill Clinton (March 9, 2019)
17. A book with illustrations Dinotopia – James Gurney (Oct 21, 2017)
18. A really long book (600+ pages) Wonderstruck – Brian Selznick (Feb 19, 2018)
19. A New York Times best-seller Uganda Be Kidding Me – Chelsea Handler (July 26, 2017)
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading James and the Giant Peach – Roald Dahl (Nov 6, 2018)
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read Furiously Happy – Jenny Lawson (Oct 16, 2017)
22. A book by an author you haven't read before The Children Act – Ian McEwan (April 22,2017)
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link) Lord of the Flies – William Golding (Aug 26, 2017)
24. A book written by at least two authors Confessions: The Murder of an Angel – James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (May 7, 2017)
25. A book about a famous historical figure Hot Zone – Richard Preston (June 29, 2017) – Peter Jahrling and Tom Geisbert co-discoverers of Ebola Reston, Dr. Joseph McCormick Chief of Special Pathogens Branch at CDC (worked with Ebola patients in a hut in Sudan and survived a needle stick), Colonel CJ Peters overall leader of the Reston Biohazard Situation. Colonel Jerry Jaax the mission leader of the spacesuited SWAT team during the Reston Biohazard Operation, LT Colonel Nancy Jaax was a player in the Reston Biohazard Situation
26. An adventure book – The Witches – Roald Dahl (June 22, 2017)
27. A book by one of your favorite authors The Wonder – Emma Donoghue (June 4, 2017)
28. A non-fiction A Mother's Wreckoning – Sue Klebold (April 11, 2017)
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions A Dog's Journey – W. Bruce Cameron (May 18, 2017) – published by Forge which is a trademark of Macmillan Publishing LLC
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link) The Pain Eater – Beth Goobie (July 18, 2018) wasn't on GoodReads Top 100 but it was a YA*
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre – Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea – Chelsea Handler (Sept 4, 2017) [sub genre – Sex]
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle) The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy – Rachel Joyce (April 18, 2017)
33. A magical realism novel Chocolat – Joanne Harris (June 28, 2018)
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere Life Without Limits – Nick Vujicic, who is from Australia (April 2, 2017)
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty Norse Mythology – Neil Gaiman (Aug 27, 2018)
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link) Coraline – Neil Gaiman (Aug. 29, 2017)
37. A book you choose randomly Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me - Chelsea Handler (July 8, 2017)
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature The Madman's Daughter – Megan Shepherd (Sept 28, 2017) {classic lit was Island of Dr. Moreau}
39. An epistolary fiction Sam's Letters to Jennifer – James Patterson (July 20, 2017)
40. A book published in 2017 I Hate Everyone Except You – Clinton Kelly (Mar 7, 2017)
41. A book with an unreliable narrator The Man Who Couldn't Eat – Jon Reiner (May 27, 2017)
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far) The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware (Dec 28, 2018)
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver (Dec 3, 2017)
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link) Long Hard Road Out of Hell – Marilyn Manson and Neil Strauss May 29, 2018
45. A book with a one-word title Harvest – Tess Gerritsen (June 10, 2018)
46. A time travel novel – Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs (Oct 8, 2018)
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link) -a book with an appealing title My Life in Parts – Bryan Cranston (Jan 4, 2017)
48. A banned book The Face on the Milk Carton – Caroline B Cooney (July 10, 2017)
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf Scar Tissue – Anthony Kiedis (Jan 20, 2017)
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition Animal Farm – George Orwell (July 28, 2017)
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays)  The Stories of Your Life and Others - Collection – Ted Chiang ( May 3, 2017)
52. A book set in a fictional location – The Twenty Three – Linwood Barclay (June 20, 2017) = location was Promise Falls, New York which is a fictional setting for several of the author's books

Other Books I Have Read

53. My Horizontal Life : A Collection of One Night Stands – Chelsea Handler (July 4, 2017) -bio- memoir/ comedy/ adult non-fiction (Re-Read)

54. Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang – Chelsea Handler (Aug 2, 2017)
55. It – Stephen King (Discontinued on November 8, 2017) FUCKING TERRIBLE>NOT SCARY

Patch Adams

Patch Adams (1998) Drama/ Comedy 10/10

This movie warms the heart in so many ways, gives you lots of laughs and has you go through the emotion spectrum. The cast has a few big names but not being a total barrage of famous actors is another reason that this film excels. Robin Williams is of course the title role of Patch Adams, a gentleman who wants to use his positive attitude and bedside manner to improve the American Healthcare system. When thinking about this, a person may be distraught because most health systems are a mess but not only that the doctors often lack compassion and the ability to relate. Patch starts with the HELLO experiment to prove to a fellow classmate that there is a way to reach people. Patch takes on many other ways of connecting to people, ie. When a doctor is giving the run down on a patient, they often say “The Patient”. Patch makes the effort to find out what the patient's name is and the other residents are astounded (and afraid of the forsaken happening of 'transference'). Patch goes the extra mile to make people's final wishes come true so they can pass with a calm mind and heart. He believes that laughter is the best medicine and he can cite all the medical facts on its benefits. When you see at the beginning of the movie that it is based on a true story it makes you feel good to know that there is someone watching out for the sick/old/under privileged and whatever other categories there may be. This is another fine example of Robin Williams doing what he does best, acting, but I secretly believed when he was filming that it was more than just acting to him. When Williams takes on a role, he is an actor that truly embraces everything about the character, whether it's flaws, habits, oddities or what have you. He wants to give the audience an authentic and heart felt experience and this movie is right in his wheel house.

Note – the movie is based on a true story and Patch Adams is a real doctor that created the Gesundheit institute in West Virginia to venture on the journey to change the American Health Care system. Here is the link to his website and you can find all sorts of information and interesting things that Patch has done. http://www.patchadams.org/

Patch Adams Trailer

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward (2000) Drama/ Romance 10/10

This movie has a fairly good cast. There are lots of actors/actresses that appear or have a decent portion of the film. Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment.. This is after Haley Joel Osment sees dead people in the Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan). Spacey is the teacher of a grade 7 class. He gives the class a challenge “Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action”. This sounds like a daunting task and who would think a 12 year old kid would be able to make change in the world... BUT then there's Trevor (Osment). His mum's an alcoholic, working two jobs and never sees her son. He resents the fact that she is never around and decides that he is going to take matters into his own hands. He comes across the Pay It Forward model, which is something that he modifies so that he can make a change in the world. The model is a pyramid style but the goal is to make a significant change in 3 peoples lives. Trevor ponders and experiments with people that he can help or make a difference for. There are many trials and tribulations but Trevor's teacher, Spacey, is amazed by his determination to complete the challenge and also leave an impact on the world. Trevor does just that and makes his challenge come to life and work. This movie definitely got myself thinking because I somewhat feel like I partially do this challenge every day. Every day I try to do something nice for someone no matter what. Whether it's holding a door, making someone smile, helping someone in a certain way... there is always something you can do without having it cost you a million dollars (BUT if you have a million dollars and want to do something with it, GO RIGHT AHEAD!). This is a little bit more like random acts of kindness and the fact that I help/ do something every day doesn't mean that I am trying to make a significant change in a persons' life but I am doing something to help/ give hope for humanity. In a world where self-entitlement is running rampant, you need to be the change you want to see in the world AND every little bit counts. Below is the model of how the Pay It Forward model works.

 

Pay It Forward Trailer

Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) Drama/ Comedy 10/10

This is a cult classic because you get to witness Robin Williams at his best. He portrays a dad that is absolutely in love with his kids. He will do anything to make sure that they have the best time ever... and then Miranda (his wife played by a young Sally Field) comes in and has to be the 'heavy'. Miranda gets tired and says it's time for a divorce and puts Williams in the hole and tries to take the kids away from him. Enter Mrs. Doubtfire, a woman with a heavy British accent that becomes the nanny/housekeeper for Miranda and the kids. Williams goes through hoops to create a character that will entice Miranda and make her want to have Mrs. Doubtfire take care of her children. Little does Miranda know that there is a hitch with Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams does so many voices and ad lib characters that he should get all the credit in the world. He paints the picture that he will go to ANY lengths to be with his kids. His stance is “I've been with them since day one and to take that away from me and them is just plain cruel” (paraphrased of course). It's amazing how much he loves being a dad, it's like people need to take a page out of his character's book and learn the importance of love and having 2 parents that are willing to go to the ends of the earth. The make up is fantastic and the comedic relief is always present, even in the emotional times. Even though Robin Williams passed away, we need to honour his memory and contribution to the film industry because he was one of the greats.

Mrs. Doubtfire Trailer

G.I. Jane

GI Jane (1997) Drama/ Action 10/10

This is one of my favourite movies in the War/Military genre. I will say that if you are watching the dubbed version that is aired on TV it definitely takes away from the swearing moments because the words they use to fill in the 'bad' words are ridiculous ie. Suck my dick ----> Suck my stick. If you can get your hands on a version that isn't dubbed, this is one of those movies where the swearing is necessary. The cast is fairly decent with Demi Moore being the lead role, Viggo Mortensen being the Master Chief, Anne Bancroft as Senator Lillian DeHale and there are a couple other decent actors that hadn't quite peaked in their career (Jim Caviezel, Morris Chestnut, Jason Beghe, John Michael Higgins). This is the movie where Demi Moore does her infamous head shaving scene and she actually did have a shaved head in regular life, which was a testament to how committed she was to the role of Jordan O'Neill. This follows her through her journey through Seal Training and then eventually active duty. I cannot say for sure how real the drills were that they were putting the team through, but I know I sure as hell would not want to be signing up for that and I definitely would not be even remotely able to withstand the physical demands or mental ones for that matter. I will also state that this is one of the few movies that my Dad can watch over and over, he often forgets the last time he watched it but he LOVES this movie (and my Dad is not a repeat watcher for many movies). There's guns, PT training that is INSANE, combat/ fighting scenes, political moonlighting, and becoming a part of a team where you aren't necessarily wanted. There are a couple points that the movie drives home, the most prominent being that men couldn't stand seeing women blown up or injured in the field and it would cloud their judgment. I think this is a valid point and I'm sure at one time it was a very real problem but integration has happened and women are in various parts of the military as long as they can hack it and don't receive special treatment. This movie touches on so many situations and issues that are hot topics that I'm a sucker for it and LOVE it. Can't rave about this movie enough. If you haven't seen it, check the trailer below and see if it's the film for you!

G.I. Jane Trailer