The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Very, very good. Highly recommended.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I adored this book . . . except for one sentence. That sentence was completely wrong, wrong, wrong.

(But I don't want to spoil it for you.)

All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

I really wanted to like this because I liked In the Bleak Midwinter so much, but it just fell apart at the end.

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

I read this to the boys. It is now one of my all-time favorite read-alouds. Highly recommended and a good companion to the study of the World War I era.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

A truly wonderful novel.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Hooboy. I don't even know where to begin. Perhaps it will suffice if I just say that if two mothers read this book and began to discuss it, I don't think they'd ever stop talking. Highly recommended, especially for bookgroups.

Elizabeth Street Laurie Fabiano

OK, so this isn't the best literature ever, but the story (true!) is amazing and it is about my people (=Italian immigrants), so I loved it.

Science Fair Season by Judy Dutton

Science Fair Season: Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch . . . and What It Takes to Win This was such a fun book! I wish I had read it out loud to the kids (although note that I would have had to do some minor editing for f-bombs and one [non-graphic] scene of sexual abuse) because it was this tremendously interesting combination of science and real-life stories of kids from a variety of backgrounds.

The publisher provided me with a digital review copy of this book.

American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Robert Putnam and David Campbell

This is must-reading for anyone interested in the intersection of religion, sociology, demographics, and politics. (I do have to say that I thought their presentation of the LDS ward was a little too perfect.)

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson

I listened to this. Bill Bryson is very hard to listen to--not an experience I would choose to repeat. There is all sorts of fascinating detail and wit here, however. Recommended.

The Color of Atmosphere by Maggie Kozel

I enjoyed this.

The publisher provided me with a digital review copy of this book.

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild

Absolutely fascinating history of the first world war and the people who opposed it. Highly recommended.

The publisher provided me with a digital review copy of this book.

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman

I read this to the boys. They liked it; I thought it was just OK.

Jesus by Marcus Borg

I enjoyed this immensely; very thought-provoking.

This Girl Is Different by JJ Johnson

So, I don't usually do YA books, but the homeschooling angle drew me in. This was much better than I expected it to be--not the pat Hollywood-esque plot that I had anticipated but rather an interesting meditation on anonymity and free speech. (This would be good for YA book groups, although you should be aware that there is a touch of PG-13 sex and language.) The ending did get a little Hollywood, though.

The publisher provided me with a digital review copy of this book.