Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

The Kitchen House: A Novel Very, very good. Highly recommended.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 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.)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

All Mortal Flesh: A Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery 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

Hattie Big Sky 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.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn: A Novel A truly wonderful novel.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother 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

Elizabeth Street 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.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

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.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

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

American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us 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.)

Friday, January 14, 2011

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

At Home: A Short History of Private Life 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.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

The Color of Atmosphere by Maggie Kozel

The Color of Atmosphere: One Doctor's Journey In and Out of Medicine I enjoyed this.

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

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild

To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 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.

Monday, January 03, 2011

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple I read this to the boys. They liked it; I thought it was just OK.

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Jesus by Marcus Borg

Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary I enjoyed this immensely; very thought-provoking.

Saturday, January 01, 2011

This Girl Is Different by JJ Johnson

This Girl Is Different 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.

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