Book Reviews and More Book Reviews

This isn't the way to do it.  It's just not fun for readers to see paragraph after paragraph of one Golightly's opinion on so many books.  Spread it out over a few weeks.  Add pictures.

Or throw caution and readers' comfort to the wind and just pile 'em all up. 

You won't hurt my feelings if you click away now.  Too much.

Back in April, I created a list for the Non-Fiction Five challenge with the caveat that I might change my list.  Whoa Nelly, did I ever change it!  What follows is the new list, with reviews, as well as my take on some fiction.

1.  The Delicacy and Strength of Lace, reviewed here.

2.  The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  I read this cover-to-cover, which is not usually my approach to knitting books.  EZ manages to write as though she is in the room chatting with you, but she does so smartly; I never felt put off by her voice.  In fact, I couldn't get enough of her.  I enjoyed the biographical information, as well as her no-nonsense approach to knitting.  The patterns included are classics.  I resisted buying this book for a long time; it is pricey, and I have two other books of hers.  This one is the one to spend on, though.  It might even be my desert island knitting book!

3.  Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America by Francis Bok.  It's easy and comfortable to turn away from the atrocities in the world.  We all do it in one way or another, but there are times when we're presented with a chance to really see what is going on, to learn about something painful, and I try to take those opportunities, to learn what I can. Knowledge, is, of course, power.  My good friends Dana and Miguel are teachers, and before they moved to NM, the community in which they lived had a significant Sudanese population.  Dana talked to me about having some of the young Sudanese in her school, and her conversation about it made me realize how little I knew about Sudan and what has been going on there.  When I saw Francis Bok's book in my library, then, I couldn't wait to read it.  It is sad at times; he was taken from his family and forced into slavery at age seven.  For ten years, he was treated worse than the animals he herded.  But Bok's spirit remains strong, and he manages to not only escape, but in time to become a spokesman about the atrocities in Sudan.  The voice of is book is sweet, making it all the more harrowing to imagine him as a little boy, alone in a shed, uncertain about everything in his life.  He'll be speaking about his experience in my town in October, and I cannot wait to hear first hand what I read in the book.  I think this is appropriate for young people as well.  It's never to early to see that others need our help.

4.  Gustave Baumann's Southwest by Joseph Traugott.  I brought this back from Taos for Neal.  We're both fans of woodcuts, and Baumann's are lovely.  The reproductions are excellent, and the text is informative; I learned a lot about Baumann's life, techniques, and his journey to using the Southwest as a subject.  This is a wonderful coffee table book for anyone who likes woodcuts.

5.  It's Easy Being Green by Crissy Trask. (Note: I'm stealing my Goodreads review).  More than anything, this is a good reference book with a wide variety of ideas about how to live in a more earth-friendly way. The book is well organized, with tons of websites to help the reader find out more about everything from activism to buying more sustainable products. A bit preachy at times, especially as most readers are likely to already want to do more, the book is nevertheless useful.

I don't know about you, but I'm wiped out by all this book talk.  I'll save my other reviews for later in the week.  As always, let me know what you're reading!

Comments

[Amy]

I like the book reviews! I'm reading the second volume of L.M. Montgomer's journals. Sad how a woman, independently wealthy after publishing Anne of Green Gables, still had so few options in her life. We've come a long ways.

[Heather]

I will get the Bok book from the library for my daughter, she is very interested in Sudan and Darfur. Thanks for the rec, glad I didn't click away!:)

[Frances]

Thank you for the reviews - I'm always interested in what other people are reading and their perspective on the work!
I just read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It was lovely. The use of letters to tell the story from differnt points of view was very effective. Definitely my favorite book of the year.

[Marie]

please keep us updated after you read "Me Write Book." i'm calling up mom at the library to see if they have it there, and if so, to check it out for me! Michelle may be on to something here...