“Alive a must read for anyone interested in learning what being human really means”

Time has not diminished the drama of the tale of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes Mountains on October 12, 1972. Of the forty-five people on the plane, thirty-five initially survived but only sixteen came down from the mountain 72 days later with a saga of survival that is still remembered 37 years later.

Piers Paul Read unfolds a tale that is gripping in the telling, as enthralling as it is almost unbelievable. Masterfully written, it is a well-balanced narrative that takes great pains to ground the experience of the survivors deep into your mind. I must admit there were a few parts I skipped over due to the fact I was a little bit squeamish (yes can you believe that?) but nonetheless I felt this story would somehow make a difference in my life so I continued on and I am so glad I did.

What most of the world remembers about this story is that after their food supply had run out and realizing that their days were numbered and if they didn’t have sustenance they would never get off that mountain, they all made a decision. Digging deep into their conservative, religious souls, they found a way to justify what they were about to do. Their fallen comrades would now provide the means of their nourishment. At first some refused but all eventually succumbed to this only means of survival.

As horrifying as it was, there is an upbeat message in this book about the unshakable will to live, about the utility of human solidarity in the face of death (and some 30 years later all these men are still very close with one another), and the mystical communion between the survivors and their dead comrades who saved their lives by providing the nourishment to survive.

A movie was made about these events, which is on DVD, included in the special features is a documentary about the 16 survivors 25 years later. One of the survivors, Nando Parrado, (one of the two who actually hiked through the perilous mountains to find help) has written about his experiences on the mountain the memoir is called Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home. This is an excellent read as well due to the fact you get to actually hear from one of the survivors and what was going on in his mind during those 72 grueling days.

The means that these men took to let the world know that indeed they were still ALIVE will astound even the most jaded of readers. It is an account of human endurance that is thought provoking and compelling, a quest to reconcile physical needs with the spiritual. It is, above all a testament to life.

The Paper Architecture

I just happened to see the book on display at the Library and was instantly intrigued by it. Filled with fascinating architecture origami from easy to advanced levels, it drew me in. I was awestruck by the 20 different projects ranging from a simple pyramid to the Tower Bridge in London. One of the staff and I just oohed and aahed over the examples shown. Soooo, I thought I would try one. I went for an easy project. Not wanting to waste card stock, I tried the process initially on plain paper. Not too hard. It looked decent too. Emboldened, I tried it on card stock. That’s when it got difficult. I had a terrible time attempting to fold the valley folds without crumpling the paper.

I think anyone with a mathematical mind or someone loving origami (or even a curious person like me) would absolutely love attempting the projects. Working with card stock can be a little tricky and I found the project to be much simpler on plain 8.5 x 11 paper. They look just as good as good also, just not as sturdy. An origami project from this would be a great activity on a rainy day or even a bad winter day.

Review by Kathy Stutzman Community Relations Assistant

True Stories of C.S.I.

I have to admit..I love anything to do with crime, especially True Crime. Although this book has nothing to do with the C.S.I. television show, it discusses true crimes which some of the C.S.I shows were based on.

Written by Katherine Ramsland, this book portrays behind-the-scene insights into stories that made the real headlines. The insights into the methods used to solve crimes in this book intrigued me. Although slightly gruesome at times, it really makes me think about the depravity that is in this world.

If you, like me, enjoy books on criminals and crimes, I think you will find this one interesting. The chapters are short, and they really hold your attention. It is a fast and easy read. And it will probably make you shake your head and ask "Why?"

At long last on the "Twilight" Bandwagon

Ok I admit it, I thought it would never happen but to my shock it did! A few months ago I finally found myself at long last on the “Twilight” bandwagon. I fought it for long as I possibly could. How did I manage to find myself tangled up in something that is definitely not my style? While I do have a thing for vampires and such, I normally don’t have a thing for all the mushy stuff that comes with the Twilight series. How wrong I was! I was pleasantly surprised that there is still a young, innocent 17-year-old girl lurking inside of me somewhere. I watched the movie while I was sick (Yeah that's the excuse I will use for being so shameless) and was expecting cheesy and sappy instead my heart and mind was transported back to when I was 17 and still in that fairy tale stage of love. Back to a time when the only worries were what to wear to school and high school crushes. I ended up watching the movie several times (which I rarely do) and decided I had to run right into the library and get a copy of Twilight to read. While reading Twilight I found some parts of it that irritated me. The “movie” Bella I was fond of but the “book” Bella was a huge irritation for me. Not since Jay Gatsby has a character aggravated me more. With that said I did like the other main character Edward Cullen (and who wouldn’t?) and that gave me the desire to root for their forbidden love.

It is a typical teenage love story with a twist – When young Bella Swan moves to a new town and starts school, the boy she inevitably falls in love with turns out to be a vampire. What happens next is somewhat predictable: vampire boy struggles with whether to hold her hand in the hallway or shove her into a dark corner and drink her blood. There are no real surprises to the story - but that doesn't stop it from being a page-turner, I did find myself from time to time wondering what the Adonis-like Edward saw in plain, boring ordinary Bella but, despite all of that, I enjoyed the book. Stephanie Meyer is a wonderful storyteller. There was a cliffhanger at the end of each bite-sized chapter pressing the reader to continue on, if for no other reason than to see whom else is glaring or grimacing at whom. The story also had a light-hearted comedic edge, which played in its favor. For some reason once you’ve started reading it’s hard to stop. I realized this when I found myself quickly moving through the other books in the series, I had to wait a little while on the last book “Breaking Dawn” but I can tell you it was definitely worth the wait. I was a little apprehensive about how it was going to end, I had my worries that Ms Meyer wouldn’t see the logical ending the way I saw it. In the end she and I both were in agreement and I was satisfied with the ending. My biggest dilemma now is… waiting patiently until the release of the movie “New Moon.” November 20th seems like a long way away!

For those who are interested in reading the series here are their titles....

1. Twilight
2. New Moon
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn