And Again by Jessica Chiarella

Four end-life patients participate in a clinical trial to transplant part of their brain and all their memories into new, cloned, biologically cleansed versions of their own body.

The point to be made is this: how much of our personality/humanity is in our head and how much is body-centric? Are habits part of your brain or in your muscles? Is love in your limbic system or in your heart?

This was a unique audiobook that utilized four narrators - one for each character. The book is told chronologically, but switches from person to person to give multiple perspectives. Each character struggles with the idea of "self" in their new bodies, and they work through some of their concerns in group-therapy sessions. But each also holds secrets - thoughts or actions they can't even share with these few people who might understand.

It's a fantastic story, mostly about internal struggles of self - the author mercifully leaves the science part rather vague and mostly out of the action. My favorite character is the young painter who can no longer make magic with her hands; when you've defined yourself by a talent, who are you when that's gone? I also enjoyed the way each character weighs out the despoiling of their new body: sex, alcohol, cigarettes, food, tattoos, scars and more.

Tessa Masterson Will Go To Prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Lucas dreams of grand gestures and Hollywood endings: He edits a yearbook spread and borrows the sale billboard out front of the grocery store to invite Tessa to prom. Meanwhile, helping her brother order his prom tux, Tessa falls in love with a fitted and slightly feminine tux and on impulse, buys it; she dreams of going to prom dressed in something comfortable and appropriate (not a big frilly dress - that idea gives her hives). She also dreams of asking her sorta-girlfriend/crush Josie to be her date.

Each is devastated their best friend hasn't notice the biggest thing in their lives: that Lucas loves Tessa, and that Tessa likes girls. Neither teen reacts well to the big news - and neither does the community as a whole, once the news gets out. Funny how something so personal can become a nation-wide news event.

I liked this book - there's a lot of "issue" in it and moral dilemmas to wrestle with, but it's handled in a pretty light and approachable manner. The book cover is INCREDIBLE in its simplicity, and is the whole reason I picked up the book in the first place. These teens are fairly normal - family, work, school - and their actions have far-reaching repercussions they never considered. It's maybe a little "down pat" in the end, but perhaps times a happy ending can be good, too.

Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? by Perry Romanowski

Ultimately skim-able and sure to bust the myths you've believed for years, this book may change the way you shop the beauty counter, drug store and salon.

Yes, you can get hooked on lip balm. Not addicted, but certainly dependent. The book explains why, but it has to do with skin cell regeneration.

No, the salon brands you find at the big-box store aren't different than the ones in salons - they just lie and say they're different so they don't anger the salon owners.

Biore pore strips may be the most fun, beneficial thing you can do for your face. In moderation.

I certainly didn't read every word of this book, but I did read every question and the bottom line answer (conveniently highlighted). If you're interested in the details, every response is given several paragraphs or more of scientific explanation into the fact or fiction.

Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey

Throwing aside Oprah's whole fiasco - fiction or nonfiction, I don't care. Frey knows how to write an engrossing story. This is the story of Los Angeles - its past, it people, its flavor.

This book is supposedly fiction. But you'll recognize many of the characters as not-so-made-up. Each chapter stands alone. Some of the people we meet in the story chapters reappear in later, other characters appear once then disappear forever. Between the story chapters are "fact" chapters: some are brief factoids of just a sentence or a paragraph, others are tourism propaganda, yet others are reminiscent of John Stewart's smarmy "fake news" stories.

Frey is the prince of the king of maybe the tzar of run-on stream-of-consciousness sentences that would have made your uptight wound-too-tight tight-assed high school English teacher weep into her Strunk & White.

I really enjoyed this book and its unconventional structure. But I also really enjoyed Frey's other books. But by all means ... form your own opinion. Don't let me (or Oprah) tell you what to think.