Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry

A pre-read for Simon. I thought this was an excellent book. (Although I'll probably have a conversation with him about the racist overtones in the depiction of the cannibals.)

Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli

A pre-read for Simon; good but not extraordinary.

An Inconvenient Wife by Megan Chance

This was a pretty good novel. And it would be good for book groups--lots of interesting topics to discuss.

World Without End by Ken Follett

I found myself increasingly annoyed with each page. It's like he forgot that these people lived in the Middle Ages--their sensibilities were almost entirely modern. There was actually a dialogue about a character's self-esteem. Ugh.

Little Green Men by Christopher Buckley

meh

No Way to Treat a First Lady : A Novel by Christopher Buckley

All of his books are goofy fun.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Completely engrossing.
Too vulgar in some places.
Somewhat soap-opera-ish.

Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

I read this to the boys; it was worth reading but not extraordinary.

The Vitality of Worship : A Commentary on the Book of Psalms by Robert Davidson

This was disappointing; I wish I had gotten Robert Alter's psalms commentary instead.

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle

This was a pre-read for Simon. I liked it. It would also make a good read-aloud. But you'd probably want to either skip the preface or discuss the nineteenth century view of the "Dark Ages." In any case, a fun book.

Plain and Simple: A Journey to the Amish by Sue Bender

I liked this--it was a calm, simple book.

It's All Too Much : An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh

I'm pretty organized and clutter-free, but this book made me want to PURGE.

The Revolution : A Manifesto by Ron Paul

I'm not sure if this was largely unpersuasive because the ideas are largely unpersuasive, or because Ron Paul isn't the person to do the persuading. Or because he was trying to keep it to a reasonable length. Or because he was only preaching to the choir.

Bury the Chains : Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves by Adam Hochschild

meh

Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park

I read this to the boys; it was great.

Cross-X : The Amazing True Story of How the Most Unlikely Team from the Most Unlikely of Places Overcame Staggering Obstacles at Home and at School to

The author annoyed me, but the story was interesting.

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson

I read this out loud to the boys. It bored me.

Triangle : The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle

This is the first good book I've read in a looooong time. I wish there was a word for the genre of history-ish books that take one pivotal event and trace all that led up to it (from the pogroms in Russian villages and agricultural disasters in Italy that resulted in specific young women working at this factory) and all that came from it (such as new safety laws). Recommended.

Spirit and Flesh : Life in a Fundamentalist Baptist Church by James M. Ault

The ethnographic parts of this book were a little dull, but his sociological discussions were fascinating--I've never heard a liberal describe conservative beliefs with such charity and clarity.

Proverbs by Tremper Longman

I liked this.