James (Word Biblical Commentary) by Ralph Martin

I've tried to like the WBC series because people I respect like it, but I just don't like it.

The Epistle of James (NICNT) by James Adamson

The NICNT is one of my favorite commentary series but this one wasn't that good, perhaps because it is so old--almost my age!

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This was so stupid.

The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson

I read this to the boys because it is the follow up to the absolutely delightful Best Christmas Pageant Ever. But this was lame.

Group: Six People in Search of a Life by Paul Solotaroff

I never would have picked this up--I only own it because some doofus from half.com shipped the wrong book to me and then told me to keep it. I decided to give it a whirl before I got rid of it and . . . it was fabulous. The author played fly-on-the-wall for a year at a group therapy. The stories are fascinating. The best part, however, is the surprise twist at the end (which then changes the tenor the reader's impression of everything that came before) but I don't want to give it away . . .

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

I read this out loud to the boys. They really enjoyed it but it didn't do much for me.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

At first I thought that this book was going to do for time travel what Twilight did for vampires. But about half way through the story kind of sputtered and by the end I was just vaguely annoyed.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

I normally like Bill Bryson quite a bit, but I think he shot himself in the foot by writing a book that is, to paraphrase, true except for the parts that aren't. It wasn't as funny this way--it was just mindless.

The Mummy Congress by Heather Pringle

Exceptionally intriguing, The Mummy Congress ranks as one of the best books that I have read this year. It reads more like a collection of essays on different topics, all somehow related to the practice of mummification. I honestly don't want to describe it too much for fear that I won't do it justice, but I will say that her picture of Chilean women digging through handfuls of sand for pigment with which to paint their deceased children seven thousand years ago will probably be with me for a long time. Highly recommended.

Dr. Spock: An American Life by Thomas Maier

It is hard to overestimate Dr. Spock's influence--he taught all those hands how to rock the cradle. Maier's book did an excellent job of exploring his life and exploding the myth of his "permissiveness" (which I had always believed accurate but now see as a political attack raised not by his book but by his opposition to the Vietnam war before it was cool). Maier deftly elucidates the failures of Spock's personal life in a way that makes him seem not a hypocrite but rather a flawed man. Highly recommended.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Didn't live up to the hype ("Best mystery of the decade"--Stephen King) and was kinda vulgar. Ugh.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo

I read this to the boys and we all adored it--a book nearly perfect in every way. Highly recommended.

The Young Joseph Williams Trilogy by Dean Hughes

I read these to the boys because they were the only juvenile historical fiction about Church history that I could find. They weren't that good: the plots plodded, the characterization was flat, the writing was lame. The third volume was slightly better in that it took on some heavy issues of Mormon culpability in Missouri (my five year old knows about Danite excesses now), but I still can't recommend these.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

I needed some mind candy on Sunday; this fit the bill.

A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger

When the author was a baby, the Boston Strangler worked in his home. (Fortunately, his mother ignored his invitation to join him in the basement.) This book is fascinating (and, of course, unpleasantly graphic at certain points)--nothing like a good mystery.

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

To me, novels either "work" or they don't: they either succeed in creating a world--or they don't. This one worked and it was a joy to read even though the topic was horrific and the details graphic. (The only sour note was the revelation at the end of the rector's character.) This is the kind of book that would lead to excellent book group discussions (although it might have a smidge too much sex and violence for some book groups). Recommended.

Thunderstruck by Erik Larson

Erik Larson is one of my all-time favorite writers: Isaac's Storm and The Devil in the White City rank along with Thunderstruck as three of the best non-fiction books I have encountered. I did think the pacing was a little off on this one, but it was still very good.

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Hmmm. I'm not sure about this. It was a quick read, it kept my attention, it was funny and horrifying. I'm still playing around in my mind with the ending. I may need to get back to you on this one.

The Gospel According to the Simpsons by Mark Pinsky

This book was pretty lame. Very little analysis--just plot summaries from The Simpsons.

Orrin Porter Rockwell by Harold Schindler

This book is an excellent example of what I consider to be an overriding problem with early Mormon history: every source is either Mormon or virulently anti-Mormon. Schindler makes liberal use of some of those anti sources in this book and so I found it difficult to determine how likely the various reports of Rockwell's evil deeds were. He was more myth than man and I can't say that I trust all the stories of his nefariousness. At the same time, he wasn't a choirboy. This was an interesting read, but it was also almost as frustrating as I find historical fiction since I just couldn't decide what to believe.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach

I loved Roach's first book and this one was equally weird and wonderful. She explores all sorts of paranormal phenomena in a light-hearted, Dave Barryesque sorta way. Recommended.

Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark

We read this because we were covering Peru in history; the boys liked it but it didn't do much for me.

The United States of Arugula by David Kamp

This was a good history of the creation of "American food" over the last fifty years--not life-alteringly good, but good.

Uh-Oh by Robert Fulghum

What's not to like about Robert Fulghum?

Ten Circles Upon The Pond by Virginia Tranel

This was a very unusual, very successful memoir by the mother of ten children. She managed the mix of day-to-day details, life-defining moments, and reflections on faith and feminism in a masterful way. Recommended.

La Bella Figura by Beppe Severgnini

I loved this book because my husband surprised me with it after he heard an interview with the author on NPR. The content was mediocre, but surprise books from the dh are my brand of flowers.

The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendehlson

This was fabulous--a sort of Holocaust "Roots" but a narrative of discovery instead of a fictionalized account. Words fail me with this one to some extent, but his meditations of life, memory, place, family, and history are pretty amazing. The fact that he was able to discover so much information about his lost relatives is even more amazing. Highly recommended.

Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament

It looks like a coffee table book but it reads like top-notch scholarship.

I read this to the kids this week; it was good but not outstanding. I was amazed at how difficult the vocabulary was for a children's book and figured that for sure my kids would lose interest when they couldn't follow the story, but they hung in there and said they really liked it. Go figure.

The Great Plague by John M. Barry

This was disappointing. The 1918 flu epidemic is a fascinating story, but this book gets lost in the personal histories of the scientist who were on the front lines. I was surprised, since Barry's Rising Tide was fabulous.

Brief Notes

This weekend I read:

Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service

Isaiah for Airheads by John Bytheway

The Ten Virgins by Emily Freeman

The first isn't really the kind of book you review and the second two fall under "if you can't say something nice . . ."

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith

I read this out loud to the boys and we all loved it--what a treat.

Yearning for the Living God by F. Enzio Busche

This was pretty good-it had some excellent and some unusual moments. Not the best GA biography I've ever read, but certainly worth the time.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Ack. This was a trainwreck. I didn't think anything could live up to Twilight, but this wasn't even in the same ballpark. Ack.

The Honey Thief by Elizabeth Graver

This book was average in a mediocre sort of way.

Twilight by Stephenie [sic] Meyer

This is way high on the list of best books that I have ever read. The strange thing is: I cannot really figure out why. I wouldn't say that the writing was extraordinary, the plot was somewhat predictable, and did I mention that it was about vampires? But there was something about this story that just sucked (ha!) me in. I think the vampire backdrop serves as an extraordinarily good metaphor for teenage angst--maybe that was it. In any case, this one is highly recommended.

Intuition by Allegra Goodman

This is an excellent novel: an engaging story with interesting thoughts on science, gender, politics, etc. Recommended.

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris

Bah. This is the second time that I have gotten hundreds of pages into a biography of Theodore Roosevelt only to decide that I hated it (despite a few interesting anecdotes).

I suppose TR just isn't my guy.

Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood by Gregory Prince

This didn't do a whole lot for me; I'm not entirely sure why. I ended up just skimming most of it.

Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg

I'm not sure how I felt about this: the plot was loopy and meandering, but the characters were somewhat endearing. Eh.

The Twelve Little Cakes: Memoir of a Prague Childhood by Dominika Dery

This was a good story; I wouldn't bet the farm on every anecdote being 100% accurate, but this was an enjoyable read despite my slight distrust of the author.

The Book of Revelation by G. K. Beale

At over 1200 pages, this was a good commentary. If it had had an excellent editor and 700 pages, it would have been a great commentary. In other words, it was a little flabby.

The Book of Revelation by Robert Mounce

This book has confirmed my suspicion (after doing Leviticus and parts of Ezekiel as well) that NICOT/NICNT is the single best commentary series around. This title was great--amazingly concise and yet filled with great stuff. Recommended for anyone who wants to study Revelation.

Juanita Brooks: Mormon Woman Historian by Levi Peterson

This is a fabulous and important book. Brooks is up there with Laurel Thatcher ulrich in my pantheon of heroes: Mormon women who persued their academic interests while raising their families. Her story is fascinating and her work on the Mountain Meadows Massacre is of lasting importance. This book had just a little flab that could have been trimmed, but is still highly recommended.

Thinning the Herd--Take Two

It's that time again. Here's what I took to Half Price Books today:

Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Flu by Gina Kolata

Molecules at an Exhibition by John Emsley

The Sleepwalkers by Arthur Koestler

Patenting the Sun by Jane Smith

Walk on Water by Michael Ruhlman

Stiff by Mary Roach

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

blink by Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Complications by Atul Gawande

Blue Latitudes by Tony Horowitz

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Personal History by Katherine Graham

Honeymoon in Purdah by Alison Wearing

Fortunate Son by Lewis Puller

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Alexandra by Carolly Erickson

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen Carter

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg

Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth

Christmas Books by Charles Dickens

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossenini

Bodies in Motion and at Rest by Thomas Lynch

Unto the Sons by Gay Talese

Nisa by Marjorie Shostak

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea by Gary Kinder

The Girl in the Picture by Denise Chong

Rising Tide by John Barry

Complete Works of Wlliam Shakespeare

Family Matters by David Guterson

Kingdom of Children by Mitchell Stevens

Dictionary of First Names

On Becoming baby Wise

The Best Baby Name Book

The Island of Lost Maps by Miles Harvey

Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Collapse by Jared Diamond

Why We Eat What We Eat by Raymond Sokolov

American Pie by Pascale Le Draoulec

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

The Undertaking by Thomas Lynch

Lenin's Tomb by David Remnick

Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah (Volumes 34 and 35)

This was OK, but just OK. I'm not sure how much to blame the commentaries I read and how much to blame Isaiah, but this was a very disappointing experience for me. It may be that the Book of Mormon led me to expect to get so much out of Isaiah, and it just didn't happen. It may be that I was expecting to 'get' Isaiah in a way that I hadn't before, and that (despite the hundreds--thousands--of pages I read) didn't happen. I don't know. In any case, this is the first time that I have studied a book in depth only to like it less at the end than I did before. Again--whether the fault belongs to the commentaries I read or other factors, I can't say. But I'm sure glad I'm done with Isaiah.

The Prophecy of Isaiah by J. Alec Motyer

This is a solid commentary. I wish he had spent a little less time defining words, and there is a certain 'spark' I get from the truly great commentaries that wasn't here, but this was OK. If it sounds like I'm darning with faint praise, it is because I am.

Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet by Victor Ludlow

This is the only LDS commentary that I have ever read that is worth recommending. I think he occassionally adopts traditional LDS positions that don't have enough to support them, but for the most part, this is responsible scholarship. At the same time, I think it only removes about 40% of the Isaiah fog--readers who want more than that will be disappointed.

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart Ehrman

This is an important and fabulous book. Very little of the material was new to me, but it was still a very useful read to have a basic introduction to textual criticism wrapped up in a nice, neat little package instead of scattering all over--the way that I picked it up in school. While this book would be a killer for someone who thinks the scriptures are inerrant, I think a fairly conservative Saint could handle it--the confirmations of the Church's attitude toward scripture ("insofar as it is translated correctly" and "corrupt and designing priests" come to mind) will be enough to tide them over through the tough parts. (I don't think most people know that the story of the woman taken in adultery is not original to the text.) This book is highly recommended to anyone with any interest in the Bible and is essential reading to anyone who wants to seriously study the scriptures.

The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter

I just wasn't that interested in this. The thought that chemical changes brought on by pregnancy, lactation, and mothering might permanently change brain chemistry is certainly interesting, but I don't think there is enough data to really make her case. One can only read the phrase 'rat mother' so many times . . . and then the obligatory liberal-agenda-to-make-working-motherhood-painless at the end was extremely annoying.

T. Edgar Lyon: A Teacher in Zion by T. Edgar Lyon, Jr.

Brother Lyon, along with Lowell Bennion, taught at the U of U Institute in its formative years and represented an early, liberal strand of the CES. Lyon and Bennion left the U of U under unpleasant circumstances in 1962. T. Edgar Lyon's story may not be for the generalist, but it captures important data points in the growth of CES and the dramatic changes that affected the Church throughout the twentieth century.

The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan

I listened to this on our Utah trip; it was phenomenal. I suppose I was expecting a quaint story of how a Jew and a Palestinian became friends; their tortured friendship is about ten percent of the book--the rest is a concise and fascinating history of Israel/Palestine. I had no idea how much I didn't know until I listened to this. Highly recommended.

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

(I reviewed this a few weeks ago but apparently my review is lost in cyberspace.)

This was a tremendous book--absolutely required reading. King Leopold of Belguim was a fascinatingly diabolical character and his exploitation of the Congo was beyond belief. And, as if all of that isn't bad enough, as the story is winding down and things seem to normalize, we find out that the CIA killed the first democratically-elected leader of the Congo. Unbelieveable. This well-written tale is much stranger--and more interesting--than fiction.

Morning by Morning: How We Homeschooled Our African American Sons to the Ivy League by Paula Penn-Nabrit

This was disappointing. I suppose I imagined a WTM-type book, but this was short on details and long on her tale of racial woe. I 'get' the idea that the real problem in this country is that if you are a minority, you never know if the waitress' rudeness is because of her or because of you, but I seriously doubt that the stewardess who saw her family sitting in first class and asked, "What are they doing here?" was making a racial statement. Unless they were flying Confederate Air, I suspect such sentiments (which may very well exist) would at least be kept under wraps. In any case, there were a few interesting tidbits about homeschooling in general and about the juxtaposition of homeschooling and racial issues, but for the most part, this felt like a moralizing rant. Not to mention a bit of false advertising: How could that subtitle neglect to mention that one of those sons was kicked out of Princeton? Which brings us to a bigger issue: apparently their effort to have [almost] exclusively African or African-American male tutors backfired. This almost turns the book into a cautionary tale, but you'd never guess that from Penn-Nabrit's tone.