Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home Hilarious.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

A Year Down Yonder I read this to the boys. They loved it because it was funny; I thought it was OK.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich

Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America I really liked this, and not just because I am a curmudgeon. (Although I am.) But because she's absolutely right that a cultish devotion to "positive thinking" has taken over the country, to ill effect in a wide variety of fields. Recommended.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

The Warmest Room in the House by Steven Gdula

The Warmest Room in the House: How the Kitchen Became the Heart of the Twentieth-Century American Home If you had never read anything about the history of American cooking, this might be interesting. But if you have, there is nothing new here.

A More Perfect Constitution by Larry Sabato

A More Perfect Constitution: 23 Proposals to Revitalize Our Constitution and Make America a Fairer Country Interesting.

Friday, March 04, 2011

The Story of Thomas Alva Edison by Margaret Davidson

The Story Of Thomas Alva Edison (Scholastic Biography) I read this to the boys. Very simplistic writing style, but a decent story.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Gray Matter by David Levy

Gray Matter: A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer . . . One Patient at a Time An interesting book; I started off liking the author, but by the end, I thought he was unprofessional and creepy.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War I've seen this book on best seller lists for years, but ignored it because I don't do zombies. But it isn't about zombies; it is hilarious social criticism. Highly recommended (if you can look past some vulgar language).

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card

Seventh Son (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 1) I really enjoyed this.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy Charming and clever.

Friday, February 18, 2011

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything I read this out loud to the boys and really, really liked it. Highly recommended.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? by Jean Fritz

You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? I read this to the boys; interesting and funny.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely

How I Became a Famous Novelist Hilarious. (A little vulgar.)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Triple Town

Triple Town This is what I have been doing on my Kindle instead of reading lately. Pathetic, I know.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming

I Shall Not Want: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) Decent. I am unreasonably excited about the next one.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

The Wright Brothers by Quentin Reynolds

The Wright Brothers (Landmark Books) I read this to the boys. The writing style is wooden and dated, but the story is great.

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Friday, February 04, 2011

To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming

To Darkness and to Death (A Rev. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery) I really enjoyed this.

Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon

Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II I don't think I've ever been as shocked, infuriated, and distressed by any other book.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Out of the Deep I Cry (A Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery) This was absolutely superb--if you need a mystery, this is the one. It was even much better than _In the Bleak Midwinter_.

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.

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