IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF A 105-YEAR-OLD WOMAN

By: Ella Mae Cheeks Johnson with Patricia Mulcahy (Penguin Books, 203 pages, $17.50)

Among those witnessing Barack Obama's inauguration that chilly day in January 2009 was a tiny, ancient woman in a wheelchair, her bright, bespectacled visage peering out from the sleeping bag she was bundled in. Ella Mae Cheeks Johnson, who died March 22 at age 106 in Cleveland, was a brave, sensible African-American woman who, over her long life, saw her country transformed. With help from writer Patricia Mulcahy and family members, Johnson narrated the story of her life. But despite her book's subtitle, the result is not extraordinary. Johnson was a cautious and sensible woman whose triumph came through quiet faith, patience and endurance, not dramatic tragedy, struggle and heroism. Her impoverished childhood, hard-won education, two marriages and experiences as a matriarch were largely unremarkable. But because she was so thoughtful and independent and because her personal journey so closely paralleled that of black America through the past century, her story is well worth a respectful read. And her patient, calm, hopeful voice is inspiring. "One of the keys to successful aging is taking things under advisement, but then ultimately making your own decision," she wrote in her typically homespun, chipper way. "Independent thinking is the key to freshness of thought and consideration." We hope President Obama gets a copy of this little book; he could probably use it about now.

PAMELA MILLER

Night metro editor

SIZZLE

By Julie Garwood (Ballantine Books, 336 pages, $26)

A student filmmaker gets more than she bargained for when she begins a documentary project in Julie Garwood's latest novel. Lyra Prescott sets out to tell the story of an abandoned and neglected park and ends up scrambling to stay one step ahead of danger. Bad guys seem to be everywhere: following her to the park, breaking into her apartment, spying on her at a restaurant. Handsome and rugged FBI agent Sam Kincaid comes to her rescue, acting as a bodyguard protecting her from the sinister element. The thriller elements of this novel are thin, while the romance scenes lay it on thick. The sexual tension between Lyra and Sam overwhelms the plot, and the description is a bit much: "He wanted to know all of her, to kiss every inch of her, to possess her completely. The kiss deepened, becoming carnal as his tongue moved in and out of her mouth." TMI! I wanted to close the book after a couple of scenes like that, but I am a sucker for whodunits. And I couldn't figure out who did it until the very end. However, the cleverness of the plot is not enough for me, a romance hater, to recommend this book. I picked it up thinking I was getting a mystery story and I ended up getting taken for a long, sappy ride.

JUDY ROMANOWICH SMITH

NEWS DESIGNER