The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

After meeting in a college art class, Sharon and Mel(ody) become inseparable, their lives absolutely intertwined as they start their own animation company, drink and smoke, work, and even live together in the studio. Just as they're becoming legitimate stars, an unexpected emergency derails everything.

The book's about creative energy and inspiration, and it's about friendship and how close two people can be and still not really see one another. These women mine their personal lives to make intimate, biographical films, but not everyone is estatic to find themselves part of the movies.

I loved this book - they're self-absorbed, self-destructive artists in the prime of their lives. But they're forced into a delayed adulthood that ultimately expands their perspective and their work. It's sometimes hard to watch them sleepwalk through life with such oblivion - hard to watch because it's easy to recognize yourself in these characters.

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor

In December 1996, the author was a 37-year-old neuroanatomist when she suffered a major left-brain bleed. While her medical background allowed her to observe the situation with special understanding, it didn't lessen the severity of her crisis. Ultimately she says it took eight years to overcome her brain's damage, and this book is part of her campaign toward better understanding.

Our library book club chose this one, and many readers had their own stories to share of loved ones and stroke. Parts of the book are incredibly detailed (and honestly, boring), but Taylor's personal observations and recollections are very interesting.

I'm glad I read it - there are several things I especially drew from the book, and she does give a list of tips at the end - but this book could certainly be a tough slog at times. I'll recommend it, but with the advice to feel free to skim; you'll be glad you did.