Twelve Clean Pages
Nika Maples, or Ms. Maples to her students, remembers how it felt to struggle through sixth grade: the loss of innocence, the rush to make friends in the lunchroom, the awkward transition from child to teenager. But for Maples, an extra obstacle thwarted her happiness. As a child, she had already been diagnosed with systemic lupus.
As the tried and true saying goes, things usually get worse before they get better. Fast-forward nearly a decade; Maples is far from sixth grade, but her medical problems have caught up with her. In March of 1994, Maples suffered a stroke. She was only 20 years old.
Maples escaped death that day and thankfully remains the talented, optimistic teacher her students now know and love. As one of the many anecdotes in her touching memoir, Twelve Clean Pages, Maples shares a particularly stressful first teaching experience. Linked with her cane, Ms. Maples greets her new students, only to have them question her health immediately and shake her confidence.
But if Maples knows how to do one thing extraordinarily, it's make a comeback. She's Fort Worth's own 2007 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. Oh, and she came full circle; Maples now teaches sixth grade, coaching her own students through the difficult life transition that is middle school.
Visit twelvecleanpages.com for more information on Maples" heartfelt memoir and her ever-amusing blog.
On the Hole
by Jeff Bacot
$21.95
Golf: a game of competitive drive and patience. Drives and putts, birdies and bogeys. Hole-in-one fist pumps and bunker shot grimaces. The good and the bad.
In Nick and Jay's case, a game of golf doesn't differ so much from their friendship. There's the simple enjoyment of golfing together and the unfortunate history stuck under the surface. What starts as first-hole excitement on a balmy golf day, two friends catching up over a much-loved game, quickly goes into the bunker.
As Jeff says, the golf course is a place to discuss women, work and whiskey. Golf and conversation go hand-in-hand for Nick and Jay, but light topics transition to dark secrets, bringing out hidden issues as the golfers progress on the course. It's not just surface level conversation anymore.
As the game and discussion turn ominous, you won't want to put down the book, whether you're familiar with the golf course or not. The shocking ending shows that a simple golf game isn't always just that.
In addition to On the Hole, Jeff Bacot has written 17 short stories and a nonfiction textbook. He graduated just down the road at SMU with two undergraduate degrees and one graduate degree.
Want to write a book as enthralling as Jeff"s? Or maybe you just want to read up on the art and science behind the creation of fiction novels? Look no further than your computer. Check out jeffbacot.tumblr.com for a series of well-thought-out (and often humorous) tips from the author himself.
The Lump: A Gynecologist's Journey with Male Breast Cancer
by Dr. Alan Johns
$11.95
Dr. Alan Johns had plenty of experience with women's health. As a gynecologist with years of practice reading charts, Johns felt quite familiar with the ins and outs of the medical field.
That is, until Johns got diagnosed himself with a disease more common amongst his patients: breast cancer. Suddenly, Johns found himself on the other side of the charts, the one receiving the bad news.
As any cancer survivor or family member knows, cancer is no walk in the park. And for patients with limited knowledge of the health field, treatment can be even more daunting. That's why Johns transformed his experience into a learning tool for anyone struggling through treatment.
"I felt like sharing my story from a gynecologist standpoint would be both entertaining for women who were recently diagnosed and also help them with what they'll have to go through," Johns said.
Johns drafted, rewrote and edited his personal recollections to produce the final version of The Lump in six years. For anyone facing treatment, you've got Johns guiding you along the way.
Proceeds from the book sales go to the Joan Katz Breast Center in Fort Worth. The center, a part of Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, offers breast cancer screenings, education and guidance on treatment options, and even a "Survivor Gals" boutique with products to help survivors look and feel their best.
