Hitting the Books

The Sarajevo Haggadah

2008-02-12T23:09:00.001-05:00

People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks

Are you what you eat?

2008-02-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan

May your days be merry, and bright

2008-02-03T17:26:00.000-05:00

White Christmas: The Story of an American Song, by Jody Rosen

The Franco-Prussian War, and a Circus

2008-02-01T23:09:00.000-05:00

The Grand Promenade, by Gary Jennings

Moghul India

2008-01-31T23:10:00.000-05:00

The Temple Dancer, by John Speed

Just what it says

2008-01-30T22:43:00.001-05:00

Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, by Norman Solomon

This is a required text for Introduction to Jewish Studies.

Because They Can.

2007-06-12T19:25:00.001-04:00

why do dogs drink out of the toilet?, by Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

No Plans Yet

2007-06-11T12:40:00.000-04:00

This Year You Write Your Novel, by Walter Mosley

Sweet Revenge

2007-06-10T23:23:00.001-04:00

Night Work, by Laurie R. King

Kate Martinelli in Trouble

2007-06-06T23:24:00.000-04:00

With Child, by Laurie R. King

Was Madoc First?

2007-06-05T11:22:00.000-04:00

Children of the First Man, by James Alexander Thom

Chinese History

2007-05-20T16:53:00.000-04:00

The Last Empress, by Anchee Min.

This novel is the sequel to Empress Orchid, which I read some time ago. She offers a rather more sympathetic portrayal of the Dowager Empress Cixi than I've seen before, but I'm not really well-versed enough in Chinese history to know who's right. This one, like all of Min's novels, is entertaining - which is really all one can ask of historical fiction.

The Next President of the United States?

2007-04-04T10:42:00.000-04:00

Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama

Leaving the Ice Age

2007-04-01T22:59:00.001-04:00

The Shelters of Stone, by Jean Auel

Kate Martinelli, Part IV

2007-03-27T16:56:00.000-04:00

Night Work, by Laurie R. King. So now I've read all of the Kate Martinelli books - I hope she has something new out soon!

Japan in WWII

2007-03-26T15:12:00.000-04:00

Comfort Women, by Yoshimi Yoshiaki

Marie Antoinette

2007-03-24T23:10:00.000-04:00

Versailles, by Kathryn Davis
I didn't like this much. Maybe I've read too much Marie Antoinette recently, but the free-association format didn't really do anything for me. I think I tried to read this once before, and stopped, but now I own it. Look for this one on Bookcrossing.

Traveling with the Cavemen

2007-03-23T18:27:00.000-04:00

The Plains of Passage, by Jean Auel

Wasting time in the Ice Age

2007-03-18T18:57:00.000-04:00

The Mammoth Hunters, by Jean Auel. It's not what I should be reading, but it's good for the winter.

Kate Martinelli, Part III

2007-03-14T16:41:00.000-04:00

With Child, by Laurie R. King

Kate Martinelli, Part II

2007-02-28T23:01:00.000-05:00

To Play the Fool, by Laurie R. King.

Ancient "History"

2006-11-15T18:01:00.000-05:00

Helen of Troy, by Margaret George

Finished with Harry, for now

2006-10-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling. Time to wait patiently for Book 7!

Still Revisiting Harry

2006-10-21T22:36:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling

Never a Happy Ending

2006-10-18T08:33:00.000-04:00

The Wind of the Khazars, by Marek Halter. I hope I'm not spoiling things for anyone, but I have yet to read any of his books and find a happy ending.

Amelia and Tutankhamun

2006-10-07T23:53:00.000-04:00

Tomb of the Golden Bird, by Elizabeth Peters. This is the most recent book in the series, so now I have to wait to find out what happens next!

Nearly Finished with Amelia

2006-10-06T23:54:00.000-04:00

The Serpent in the Crown, by Elizabeth Peters. Only one more book to go in the "Amelia Peabody" series!

Learning to Make Toe Socks!

2006-10-04T22:41:00.000-04:00

The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, by Lynne Vogel

Revisiting Again

2006-10-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling

Revisiting and Chilling

2006-10-03T14:39:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

On the Homestretch With Amelia Peabody

2006-10-02T23:42:00.000-04:00

The Guardian of the Horizon, by Elizabeth Peters

More Planning Ahead

2006-09-29T00:06:00.000-04:00

Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, by Rick Steves

Planning Ahead

2006-09-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

When in Germany, Do As the Germans Do: The Clued-In Guide to German Life, Language, and Culture, by Hyde Flippo

The Dog Whisperer

2006-09-25T13:31:00.000-04:00

Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Top Dog Problems, by Cesar Millan

Biblical Fiction

2006-09-13T23:43:00.000-04:00

Wisdom's Queen: A Novel of Solomon and Sheba, by India Edghill

Regency Spies, Round II

2006-09-09T15:36:00.000-04:00

The Masque of the Black Tulip, by Lauren Willig

Canaan Triliogy, Part III

2006-09-07T23:50:00.000-04:00

Lilah, by Marek Halter

Back to School

2006-09-06T22:05:00.000-04:00

The Atlantic Slave Trade, by David Northrup, ed.

Renaissance Italy

2006-09-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant

Canaan Trilogy, Part II

2006-09-04T23:46:00.000-04:00

Zipporah, the Wife of Moses, by Marek Halter

More adventures in food

2006-09-02T23:20:00.000-04:00

Comfort Me With Apples, by Ruth Reichl

Adventures in Food

2006-08-31T22:19:00.000-04:00

Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl

Finally, something new!

2006-08-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

Children of the Storm, by Elizabeth Peters

Even More Amelia

2006-08-12T18:20:00.000-04:00

Lord of the Silent, by Elizabeth Peters

Amelia in 1914

2006-08-07T21:38:00.000-04:00

He Shall Thunder in the Sky, by Elizabeth Peters

Still more Amelia Peabody

2006-08-02T23:25:00.000-04:00

The Falcon at the Portal, by Elizabeth Peters

Great Dog Portraits!

2006-08-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

I Am Puppy, Hear Me Yap: The Ages of Dog, by Valerie Shaff and Roy Blount Jr.

With this well-crafted followup to their fabulous If You Only Knew How Much I Smell You: True Portraits of Dogs, Shaff and Blount have struck dog lovers' gold a second time around. I Am Puppy, as the title suggests, is heavy on the puppy portraits, but every dog has his day in this book. Shaff's evocative black-and-white photographs mesh so perfectly with Blount's poetry (doggerel?) that it seems they must be reading doggie minds. This is one to read again and again.

More Safety Tips

2006-07-31T20:18:00.000-04:00

The Gift of Fear: Survival signals that protect us from danger, by Gavin DeBeckham

Travelers' Tales

2006-07-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

Safety and Security For Women Who Travel, by Sheila Swan & Peter Laufer

Canaan Trilogy, Part I

2006-07-30T17:31:00.000-04:00

Sarah, by Marek Halter

Watch This Space

2006-07-29T19:49:00.000-04:00

For more pictures of Max, now that I've read Creative Canine Photography, by Larry Allan

Back to Egypt

2006-07-29T19:48:00.000-04:00

The Ape Who Guards the Balance, by Elizabeth Peters

A novel of Columbus

2006-07-26T23:51:00.000-04:00

The Velvet Doublet, by James Street

More Knitting Projects

2006-07-25T23:57:00.000-04:00

Folk Bags, by Vicki Square, finishes off my craft-book reading for the day. I've been decidedly unimpressed with most of the "Folk" knitting series, but this book looks really good. There's a nice, wide assortment of fun-looking projects. I may even have to buy it.

Patchwork Projects

2006-07-25T23:55:00.000-04:00

Patchwork Puzzle Balls, by Jinny Beyer. This could provide a fun way to use up fabric scraps.

Knitting projects

2006-07-25T11:51:00.000-04:00

One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and Crochet, by Leigh Radford. I've been waiting all summer to get this book from the library. I'm glad I waited and didn't buy it. It's pretty disappointing - there are only a couple of projects I'd try. Does anyone really want to knit leg warmers or detached sleeves? There's a reason why leg warmers went out of style.

Celtic Crusades

2006-07-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

The Iron Lance, book one of the "Celtic Crusades" series, by Steven Lawhead

The Albigensian Crusades

2006-07-21T20:23:00.000-04:00

The Treasure of Montsegur: A Novel of the Cathars, by Sophy Burnham

Andrew Greeley - always entertaining

2006-07-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

Death in April, by Andrew Greeley

Where Louisa May Alcott left off

2006-07-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

March, by Gwendolyn Brooks

Guinevere

2006-07-10T22:32:00.000-04:00

Guinevere, by Sharan Newman.

To Infinity and Beyond!

2006-07-10T16:12:00.000-04:00

Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth, by Andrew Smith. This really should get a review, when I have some thoughtful time to devote to it. It makes me nostalgic for a childhood that wasn't even mine, since the moon landings were over by the time I was born.

"Rankism"?

2006-07-08T22:47:00.000-04:00

Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank, by Robert W. Fuller

Scary

2006-07-07T14:47:00.000-04:00

Kingdom Coming, by Michelle Goldberg

Finally, something new!

2006-07-03T20:02:00.000-04:00

Has it really been 13 days since I've finished a book? Maybe, because I seem to keep picking up the easy-to-put-down stuff.

But here's a new one (well, a revisiting of an old favorite): A Letter of Mary, by Laurie R. King

A novel by Miss Manners

2006-06-20T19:38:00.000-04:00

Style and Substance, by Judith Martin

Amelia Peabody, Part VIII

2006-06-19T19:39:00.000-04:00

The Hippopotamus Pool, by Elizabeth Peters

A real-life memoir

2006-06-13T19:40:00.000-04:00

Geisha, A Life, by Mineko Iwasaki

Books I Hate

2006-06-12T19:59:00.000-04:00

There's a wonderful "Books I Hate" thread going on Salon.com. I feel compelled to add to it here.

Walden. This tops the list. Can't say I ever really read it, but large chunks of it were inflicted on me in high school English class discussion. 'Nuff said.

The Mayor of Casterbridge is yet another high-school-English casualty. For all I know, it may be a perfectly good book, but I'll never know. I was in my 20s before I could stand to read Mark Twain again. High school English classes are Evil. I'd like to say high school English teachers are evil, but I remember some (not all!) of them too fondly to say that. They must just be tragically misguided.

Speaking of high school, I really wish I'd encountered The Lord of the Rings then. It looks like a masterful book, with a great story, and I think there are many points in my life when I would've really liked it. But I've met one too many fantasy-obsessed dweebs to enjoy it now; every page reminds me of something (or someone!) annoying.

There's the previously mentioned Alexander the Great book, but it wasn't really bad enough to go on any sort of All-Time-Rotten list.

The Bear and the Dragon, by Tom Clancy. I've read most Clancy books, and will plow through all the horrible bits for the sake of the story, but I couldn't do that with this one. I don't know how it ends, and I don't care.

Tom Clancy inspires the introduction of a subcategory: Authors I'm Ashamed To Read But Read Anyway

Topping this list is Robert A. Heinlein. Authoritarianism, misogony, and a heaping helping of drivel, but somehow there's still an entertaining plot buried inside. So I can't help myself. But I'm really glad I'm not his daughter, or his niece.

Then there's Harry Turtledove and his various pseudonyms, perhaps a successor to Heinlein. Given his other stuff, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I like Over the Wine-Dark Sea and its sequels. They're entertaining historical fiction. But I couldn't stomach his alternative histories, and Household Gods, co-authored with Judith Tarr, has one of the most unlikable main characters I've ever encountered.

And I can't forget Jean Auel. She has such a fascinating idea for a book series. She tells much of her story so well. But I can't recommend her books to anyone - it's too embarassing. Does any book really need that much sex?

A Mary Russell Mystery

2006-06-10T19:36:00.000-04:00

Locked Rooms, by Laurie R. King

Amelia Peabody, Part VII

2006-06-08T19:38:00.000-04:00

The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog, by Elizabeth Peters

Amelia, Part VI

2006-06-06T19:21:00.000-04:00

The Last Camel Died at Noon, by Elizabeth Peters

Amelia Peabody

2006-06-04T19:10:00.000-04:00

The Deeds of the Disturber, by Elizabeth Peters

Amelia, Book III

2006-05-29T17:14:00.000-04:00

The Mummy Case, by Elizabeth Peters.

Amelia Peabody, Book II

2006-05-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

The Curse of the Pharaohs, by Elizabeth Peters

Oral History

2006-05-28T12:49:00.000-04:00

Oral History Primer, by Gary L. Shumway. A very short book of suggestions for oral history interviews.

Half a book

2006-05-27T19:45:00.000-04:00

Fire from Heaven, by Mary Renault. This novel about the childhood of Alexander the Great probably shouldn't be on the list since I didn't finish it, and I'm sorry I started it.

The Fourth Queen

2006-05-26T19:43:00.000-04:00

The Fourth Queen, by Debbie Taylor. A story about a Scottish girl who becomes Empress of Morocco.

Vatta, Part III

2006-05-24T23:25:00.000-04:00

Engaging the Enemy, by Elizabeth Moon. This is the third and most recent installment in the "Kylara Vatta" series, and the story definitely isn't going in the direction I expected. I was disappointed to see some colorful characters go, so I can only hope they'll resurface in some way in Book 4.

Not a How-To

2006-05-23T19:57:00.000-04:00

Poisons: From Hemlock to Botox and the Killer Bean of Calabar, by Peter Macinnis

Brother Cadfael

2006-05-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

The Potter's Field, by Ellis Peters

Amelia Peabody, Part I

2006-05-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

Crocodile on the Sandbank, by Elizabeth Peters

Yarn Harlot

2006-05-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

The Secret Life of a Knitter, by Stephanie Pearl McPhee. I'm not doing a very good job at the book-a-day thing lately - more like book-every-other-day, if I'm lucky. Too much time at work and too many distractions at home.

Alternative History

2006-05-17T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Seven Hills, by John Maddox Roberts

Historical Fiction

2006-05-15T20:37:00.000-04:00

The Little Balloonist, by Linda Donn (2006).

This one caught my eye on the "New Books" shelf at the local library. It's a novel about Sophie Blanchard, Napoleon's official balloonist.

Kylara Vatta

2006-05-14T16:26:00.000-04:00

Marque and Reprisal, by Elizabeth Moon. I have the next one in the series waiting for me at the library!

Bishop Blackie!

2006-05-13T16:27:00.000-04:00

The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood, by Andrew Greeley. Bishop Blackie is absolutely my favorite fictional character ever.

Brother Cadfael

2006-05-11T14:35:00.000-04:00

The Pilgrim of Hate, by Ellis Peters

Nuala Anne!

2006-05-10T15:02:00.000-04:00

Irish Crystal, by Andrew Greeley. The most recent installment in the Nuala Anne McGrail mystery series.

Experimental Travel

2006-05-09T20:19:00.000-04:00

Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel, by Rachael Antony, Joel Henry, and Andrew Dean Nystrom.

Knossos

2006-05-08T08:43:00.000-04:00

At the Palace of Knossos, by Nikos Kazantzakis

Alexander

2006-05-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

Alexander the Great: A Novel, by Nikos Kazantzakis

Amelia Peabody

2006-05-06T20:45:00.000-04:00

Children of the Storm, by Elizabeth Peters

The Origins of the Urban Crisis

2006-05-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

The Origins of the Urban Crisis - by Thomas J. Sugrue.

Another class reading for my last final!

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

2006-05-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

by Jane Jacobs.

So I haven't been that successful at this project - either the reading or the blogging. But now that summer's here, I can try to catch up.

Today's book is assigned reading for tomorrow's final exam. It's very entertaining - Jacobs wrote in the 1960s about the need to preserve city life, and it's just as true today. She makes me want to pack up and move to a city - and, if it's possible, she leaves me hating suburbs and developers even more than I already did.

The Grand Promenade

2005-10-12T00:25:00.000-04:00

The Grand Promenade, by Gary Jennings

Center Ring

2005-10-11T00:25:00.000-04:00

Center Ring, by Gary Jennings

Roadshow

2005-10-10T00:24:00.000-04:00

Roadshow, by Gary Jennings

Earthly Joys

2005-10-07T00:24:00.000-04:00

Earthly Joys, by Philippa Gregory

Hitting the Books

The Sarajevo Haggadah

Are you what you eat?

May your days be merry, and bright

The Franco-Prussian War, and a Circus

Moghul India

Just what it says

Because They Can.

No Plans Yet

Sweet Revenge

Kate Martinelli in Trouble

Was Madoc First?

Chinese History

The Next President of the United States?

Leaving the Ice Age

Kate Martinelli, Part IV

Japan in WWII

Marie Antoinette

Traveling with the Cavemen

Wasting time in the Ice Age

Kate Martinelli, Part III

Kate Martinelli, Part II

Ancient "History"

Finished with Harry, for now

Still Revisiting Harry

More Light Reading

Never a Happy Ending

Amelia and Tutankhamun

Nearly Finished with Amelia

Learning to Make Toe Socks!

Revisiting Again

Revisiting and Chilling

On the Homestretch With Amelia Peabody

More Planning Ahead

Planning Ahead

The Dog Whisperer

Biblical Fiction

Regency Spies, Round II

Canaan Triliogy, Part III

Back to School

Renaissance Italy

Canaan Trilogy, Part II

More adventures in food

Adventures in Food

Finally, something new!

Even More Amelia

Amelia in 1914

Still more Amelia Peabody

Great Dog Portraits!

More Safety Tips

Travelers' Tales

Canaan Trilogy, Part I

Watch This Space

Back to Egypt

A novel of Columbus

More Knitting Projects

Patchwork Projects

Knitting projects

Celtic Crusades

The Albigensian Crusades

Andrew Greeley - always entertaining

Where Louisa May Alcott left off

Guinevere

To Infinity and Beyond!

"Rankism"?

Scary

Finally, something new!

A novel by Miss Manners

Amelia Peabody, Part VIII

A real-life memoir

Books I Hate

A Mary Russell Mystery

Amelia Peabody, Part VII

Amelia, Part VI

Amelia Peabody

Amelia, Book III

Amelia Peabody, Book II

Oral History

Half a book

The Fourth Queen