I wasn't keeping track of how many books I read, nor did I have any reading goals other than to read more non-fiction. When I started to tally them up, preparing this post, I was surprised! The number was nearing 50! And that, I confess, urged me to finish those on my shelf these last few weeks.
Because there are so many, I thought I'd break them down into 2 posts.
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I've rated each of the following accordingly:
* (1 star) It was okay. If not my cup of tea, maybe it's yours.
** (2 stars) Good. One to borrow from a friend or the library.
*** (3 stars) Very good. Well-written. Definately worth your time.
**** (4 stars) Excellent. On all levels. One for your personal library.
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NON-FICTION:
1. BIRTH: THE SURPRISING HISTORY OF HOW WE ARE BORN by Tina Cassidy *** Babies are miracles...every single one of them. This book made me appreciate that fact all the more and thank God I live in the 21st century.
2. SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME by Ron Hall and Denver Moore *** A great, faith-inspiring, true-life story of two men literally from two different worlds, and the woman who encouraged their friendship. It challenged my worldview, and caused me to consider my thoughts/attitudes/responses towards those who are homeless--and why I have next to no contact with them.
3. MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child *** Loved this book! Some may find this memoir of her life and her love of la belle France a bit slow-moving, but that's how you should enjoy a fine meal.4. MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER by James L. Swanson *** It took me while to get into this one, but in the end I really enjoyed it. If you like early American history, crime dramas, and true stories, this one is for you.
5. THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson **** Excellent! The writing style was a bit awkward in parts, but the story totally made up for it. I find learning about other cultures and geographic regions so fascinating, and so this was a real gem.
6. THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND by William Kamkwamba & Brian Mealer *** It's kind of scientific, but William's ingenuity and zeal for learning made me forget that I don't enjoy science. (I married my husband because he's good at all that stuff. LOL.)
7. THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA: A NATURAL HISTORY OF FOUR MEALS by Michael Pollan *** Some of this was new information, other parts I was already familiar with due to reading Salatin's book (#18) and viewing a number of documentaries. Very worthwhile and I enjoyed Pollan's humorous presentation of what could have been dry reading material.
8. HALF BROKE HORSES by Jeannette Walls **** Mind-blowing memoir. Read this one before the next title if you can.
9. THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls **** How do you top "mind-blowing"?! I'm not sure, but she did it.
10. STILL LIFE WITH RICE by Helie Lee *** What a wonderful memoir--and with an element of faith that I had not expected!
11. THE OTHER WES MOORE by Wes Moore *** Two black men, same name, from the same inner-city streets, but by their early 30's are living polarly opposite lives. What made the difference?
12. LEFT TO TELL: DISCOVERING GOD AMIDST THE RWANDAN HOLOCAUST by Immaculee Ilibagiza *** An incredible account of how one young woman survived 91 days, hidden with 7 other women, in a pastor's tiny bathroom.
13. I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou ** What a story of resilience! She certainly had to overcome alot of pain at a young age. This memoir moved pretty slowly for me, but I'm still glad I read it.
14. I AM HUTTERITE by Mary-Ann Kirkby ** An interesting look at communal life among the Manitoban Hutterites, and one family's decision to leave. I felt this memoir did a good job of presenting the good and the bad--not always the case when someone leaves a faith community.
15. CROSSING OVER: ONE WOMAN'S ESCAPE FROM AMISH LIFE by Ruth Irene Garrett with Rick Farrant ** I learned a few more things about the Amish way of life, but I didn't agree with the choice Ms. Garrett made that precipitated leaving her community.
16. THE GREATEST GENERATION by Tom Brokaw ** Fascinating snapshots of life during the WWII era.
17. THE GREATEST GENERATION SPEAKS by Tom Brokaw ** Letters of response to the earlier book.
18. PASTURED POULTRY PROFITS by Joel Salatin *** This book got us started raising our own chickens for meat this year. An excellent resource for the WHY and the HOW. And even if you're just wondering what the fuss is all about.
19. THE COLOR OF WATER by James McBride ** Another interesting true-life story. What a diverse background this man has!
20. THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: THE EPIC STORY OF AMERICA'S GREAT MIGRATION by Isabel Wilkerson *** Chronicling the lives of two men and one woman as they search for a better life, this book spans the early 1900's to the 1970's--an era riddled by Jim Crow laws, lynchings, and grievous injustices. A very well-written account.
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More to come tomorrow!
2 comments:
I'm still at the beginning of "Omnivore" and finding it a bit hard to get going, even though I do like his writing. Glad you liked it and that will motivate me to continue on!
Wow, girl, you are SUCH a bookworm. I'm impressed by your quantity! You've steered me to a few good reads in the past (Same Kind of Different) and now I'm thinking I'll grab Half Broke Horses. Thanks for the reviews.
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