I will be the first to tell you that I am not a science head. Warmly smuggled in my English and U.S. history degrees, I shy away from anything scientific and mathematical - and that includes running away from books of scientific tendencies.

Or do I? When my blog buddy 3M announced her Science in Fiction project, I shook my head: "Not for me!" I declared to myself. The Science in Fiction project focuses on books with scientific themes written in a realistic setting (as opposed to science fiction). After thinking about some of my recent reads, I realized that I am not that science shy - in fact, books that used the scientific method to explore historical truths are enjoyable to me. Also, working in a health care setting, I enjoy books that discuss health conditions and their effects on loved ones.

Admittedly, science intimidates me, and that's reason enough to participate in the Science in Fiction project. There is no beginning or end date, no number of books to committ to - just an opportunity to mix science and literature. If you are interested in learning more, please check out 3M's project blog for the details.

As for my list of science books, I am starting with 2008 reads and will update my list on this post:

1) The Sister by Poppy Adams (review) - The study of moths is a central theme to this Hitchcock-like tale.
2) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (review) - A book conservationist uses scientific methods to uncover clues of the history of an ancient Hebrew codex.
3) The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block (review) - This book explores the devastating effects and genetic coding of Alzheimer's. 
4) The Crimson Portrait by Jody Shields (review) - An exploration of World War I plastic surgery techniques on facially disfigured veterans 
5) Moloka'i by Alan Brennert (review) - Discusses the historical and medical treatment of leprosy