Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff

I am probably the only person in the entire world who would adore a fake book describing the rules and procedures at Downton Abbey.

Review copy provided by publisher.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Wow. This was amazing. Go read it.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

Absolutely charming. One of the best books I have ever read to the boys.

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Lame. Totally lame.

Someplace Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon

Karon's books are pretty much the literary equivalent of comfort food. (Recommended especially for people with no tolerance for anything PG--these are totally clean.)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Great fun.

Helen Andelin and the Fascinating Womanhood Movement by Julie Debra Neuffer

Fascinating. No, really. Especially her interaction with LDS church leaders.

Review copy provided by publisher.

A New York Christmas by Anne Perry

A nice little holiday story. Typical Perry: good plot, decent characters, a few surprises, and always more depth than you would expect from the genre.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

This was definitely strange. A little sci-fi, a little theology, a little apocalypse, a little romance. Overall, I liked it quite a bit, but the ending was a smidge disappointing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

On the one hand, this was flabby and sprawling. But on the other hand, parts of it were great.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Started out strong but then got kind of lame.

Hearing the Whole Story: The Politics of Plot in Mark's Gospel by Richard Horsley

I think liberationist and economic readings of Mark are very important, but this book just was not very good. Read Ched Myers instead.

Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect ed. by Iverson and Skinner

This book is a reception history and exploratory extension of Mark as Story, which is one of the most important--and accessible--introductions to the modern study of Mark. So this book is pretty "inside baseball," and, while interesting, is definitely not a substitute for Mark as Story.

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

OK, so this isn't great literature, but it was charming, quirky, and touching. Recommended.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

I read this to the boys. It was pretty good. The pictures are fascinating.

Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen

I really enjoyed this. I assumed it might be too formulaic, but it wasn't.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg

Love this.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan

I enjoyed the process of reading this; I thought it raised some provocative issues in a novel way; and yet, at the end, I was vaguely unsatisfied.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar

Loved, loved, loved this. Great characters. It took on class, race, immigration, customs, education, friendship, models of mental health, fidelity and betrayal, etc. And it did it in provocative ways. (I think this would be a good choice for book groups.)

Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly

This had great potential and several interesting elements, but it just didn't come together. It was a little too (and unnecessarily) over-the-top.

Review copy provided by publisher.