by Peter Mayle, 1993 Delightful book! Recommended on my Christie book-a-day calendar. Takes you from dreary England and back-biting advertising world to sunny France. The main character, Simon Shaw, is a wealthy advertising executive who is hassled by an ex-wife who just wants more and more of his money. He takes a much-needed vacation to […]
Author: bookhound
Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the 21st Century
by Josh Rogin, 2021 Nate told me about this book. It’s about what went on with China during Trump’s presidency. It’s written by Josh Rogin, a columnist for the Washington Post and an analyst for CNN. He knows of what he speaks (writes). He’s meticulously detailed. He is not partisan. I’m glad I read this […]
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
by Kim Michele Richardson, 2019 Wonderful book recommended by neighbor, Pat. Historical fiction, 1930s, a “Blue” horse pack librarian (Cussy Mary), who faces hardship, tragedy, racism, but finds true love in the Kentucky mountains. There were really blue-skinned people, who had congenital methemoglobinemia, but were considered “coloreds” and discriminated against. This is a fictional account […]
The Next Everest
by Jim Davidson, 2021 Excellent memoir by a mountain climber who lives in Fort Collins. The Library recommended this book on their monthly “Biographies” e-mail. It was about his two trips to Nepal to climb Mount Everest; the first in 2015 when the deadly 7.8 Gorkha earthquake struck Nepal and caused an avalanche on Mount […]
Crossing the Line
by Kareem Rosser, 2021 Excellent book! Learned about it from the Library’s monthly Biographies email. As I was reading their description of the book, about a young black man who learned to play polo in inner-city Philadelphia, and came to CSU for college, I realized I had read his scholarship application! I made sure he […]
Ender’s Game
by Orson Scott Card, 1977, 1985, 1991 Fast, easy read, recommended on Book-A-Day calendar. Science fiction tale about a little boy, Ender Wiggin, who is sent to battle school at the age of 6 and trained to be the Commander who will save the world from the buggers. He does after 5 years of brutal […]
Anthem
by Ayn Rand, 1937 Wayne read this in high school. He’s also read, Atlas Shrugged. This was a very short book; 105 pages–I read it in 2 days. It’s about a man, Equality 7-2521, who is unhappy in his life as a street sweeper. In this world, there is no “I,” only “We.” He knows […]
Swallows and Amazons
by Arthur Ransome, 1930 Precious, beautiful, sweet book about 4 children in 1930s England whose mother (and father, by telegram from a destroyer on the China Seas) allow them to sail away and camp on an island in the lake, and all the wonderful adventures they have. They meet pirates, 2 girls their age who […]
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates, 2021 Everything you need to know about climate change and what to do about it. We add 51 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere every year. We need to reduce that to 0 or there will be floods, famines, droughts, […]
A Framework for Understanding Poverty
by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. Revised edition 2005 Interesting book! Shines a light on how and why students who live in poverty think and behave the way they do; and how teachers, counselors, and administrators can provide the necessary supports which would enable them to move out of poverty. Schools are almost the only hope […]
The Rainbabies
by Laura Krauss Melmed, Illustrated by Jim LaMarche, 1992 Children’s book about a sweet old couple who lack nothing except a child. They go out on a moonlit night after a rain and find 12 babies. They care for them and save them through flood, fire, and wild animal dangers. Then a messenger comes with […]
The Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia
Practical Advice for Caring for Yourself and Your Loved One, by Gail Weatherill, RN, CAEd, 2020 This book is in the “Memory Care Kit, Volume 1” from the Library, that includes 6 books (this book and picture books), a 35-piece puzzle, a music CD and lyrics (songs like Talk to the Animals, Mairzy Doats, and […]
Village School
by “Miss Read,” Mrs. Dora Jessie Saint, 1955 What a sweet, sweet book! Transports you to an English village in about the 1930s. It’s precious – the people, the cottages, the school, the children. She takes you through the 3 terms of school: Christmas Term, Spring Term, Summer Term. She teaches the older kids and […]
The 36-Hour Day
“A Family Guide for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss,” by Nancy L. Mace, MA, and Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH, 2017 An easy-to-read guide, covering everything, on how to care for someone with dementia. Reading it makes me realize that Mom is not even close to “there” yet. I would […]
Johnny Tremain: A Story of Boston in Revolt
by Esther Forbes, 1943 What a wonderful book. I loved being with Johnny Tremain in Boston in the 1770s. It was on the Book-a-Day calendar from Christie: “For fans of The Simpsons: Can you recall what novel about the American Revolution captivated that not-so-eager reader Bart? ANSWER: Esther Forbes’s novel of revolutionary-era Boston, Johnny Tremain, […]
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley, 1932 I didn’t read this, but Wayne did, twice; once in high school and then, again, just recently. He said not to bother with it, but there are warnings for us. They used genetic engineering focusing on cognitive abilities, to mass-produce humans in test-tubes, some created to be slaves, others higher caste. […]
Disappointment River:
Finding and losing the Northwest Passage by Brian Castner, 2018 Well-written book. I almost gave up on it because of the many French and Indian words and names I couldn’t pronounce, but I’m glad I stuck with it. He takes you on the Mackenzie River (the Deh Cho River) through Canada to the Arctic Ocean; […]
Voices of the Colorado Trail
by David W. Fanning, 2017 (rawahranger.com) David Fanning is a photographer who posts his photos on Next Door. They are excellent! Many are of owls and other birds. He lives in the Sheely Addition which is near Red Fox Meadows. He was asked if he ever considered writing a bird book and he answered with […]
The Four Winds
by Kristin Hannah, 2021 Historical fiction covering the dust bowl, the depression, and the plight of Okies in California. Elsa is blasted by one traumatic event after another. She’s an unwanted oldest daughter of a wealthy family in Texas. She gets pregnant by an Italian boy, Rafe, who is forced to marry her. His mother […]
Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer
by Dorothy Gilman, 1996 Great characters, interesting setting and story. Mrs. Pollifax accompanies young Kadi back to the African country of Ubangiba, to help the young prince, Kadi’s childhood friend. Someone dressed as a lion is killing people. Rumors are it is the young prince, which is destroying the trust he needs from his people […]