Dear Readers,

Many of you know that I have been fighting ALS since 2011. The name of my blog, Book Thoughts from Bed, alludes to the fact that I’ve been mostly confined to a hospital bed for the last 4 1/2 years due to the fact that ALS has taken away my ability to move. Yeah, it sucks, but I’m well cared for thanks to family, friends and the Veterans Administration. Unfortunately, not all people with ALS can say the same. That’s where the ALS Association comes in. ALSA provides much needed services, care and research. Their biggest fundraiser is their local walks. The one in my area is coming up and I really need to step up my fundraising.

Please consider donating to the walk. You can do that by clicking on this link: http://web.alsa.org/site/TR?fr_id=13240&pg=personal&px=3278042&s_hasSecureSession=true

Thank you!
Michelle

I was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) six years ago. It’s been a hard road. It started as a little bit of weakness in my foot and within three and a half years I was paralyzed and on a ventilator. I need 24/7 care but private insurance and Medicare don’t cover that. But there are patients in worse situations than me. Thankfully, we have the ALS Association to fill some of that support gap. Continue reading →

It’s not breaking news that not enough Americans read books. According to commonly cited statistics, 33% of US high school graduates will never read a book after graduation. Even if everyone was inclined to read, only 50% of US adults can do so at or above an 8th grade level. And 60% of inmates can’t read at all, so read between the lines about the effects of being illiterate. Continue reading →

Well, the monthly group read hasn’t been very successful, so I’m going to tweak the process and go to every other month. That will give everyone two months to read the book. Hopefully, more people will be able to participate this way.

February’s book is “A Gentleman in Moscow”, by Amor Towles. Continue reading →

Want to buy a book for someone but don’t know what to get?

I’ve read and blogged about a lot of good books this year. Here are five that I wouldn’t hesitate to give as gifts to my own family and friends. Put some of these on your black Friday shopping list and you’re sure to make someone happy. Continue reading →