Brian O'Connell's Voices From The Heart, profiles 25 active volunteers from around the United States. The volunteers range in age and all are working on a variety of projects that help make the world a better place. The new book is perfect for a coffee table or holiday gift. I read many profiles on my way back from San Francisco and I couldn't put the book down.

I couldn't put this book down! It is a very short book, so not being able to tear myself away wasn't a problem. It was just a really intense, really enjoyable reading afternoon. There is something about the main character - Myrtle - that made me want to keep reading. Her story (told in first person) is about how as an art student in college, she has an obnoxious roommate who is always trying to make Myrtle into something she's not. Myrtle misses her old best friend from high school, but they had a big fight thier senior year because they were accused of being lesbians. Meanwhile, some mysterious unexplained happenings make Myrtle think of her old friend and the mystical, magical things her friend taught her. It is all told in a funny, ironic way with lots of priceless details. For instance, Myrtle hangs out at a coffee shop that has a Dr. Seuss theme, and the owner of the coffee shop dispenses wise advice.
I LOVED this book, and even though I read it in one afternoon months ago, I still think about it all the time.

Myrtle is a beautifully drawn character study of a young woman struggling to find an identity despite the best efforts of her "friends" and her own low self image to influence her thinking. Myrtle's use of food to attempt to fill her emotional hunger is especially telling, as many women in similar situations can attest. Not a big book, but a painfully real one. A mature book for a mature teen or young adult who has similar concerns about weight, sexuality and love.

This slim book is full of funny remarks and delicious food descriptions, but it was the butter melting in a "Hop on Poppyseed" muffin that did it for me. Myrtle, the main character, loves to eat, and she spends a lot of time at her friend Sam's restaurant. He serves up all kinds of comfort food (with Dr. Seuss themes) at the same time he serves up warm friendship and emotional support. She can use the emotional support, too. Her roommate and the roommate's boyfriend are making life miserable for Myrtle with their inappropriate sexual activity. She's also dealing with the pain of a broken friendship from years before. She deals with all this with her sarcastic sense of humor, her artisitc ability, and lots of comfort food. Good, funny story.