Kiln People also by David Brin was much more interesting. In addition to being fun and exciting, it raises questions about what it means to be human. I might have read more by the author after this book, but I had the chance to hear him speak and found him so obnoxious I decided against it. (library copy)
My Sister the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell (review copy from Blogging for Books)
UnDivided by Neal Shusterman (library copy)
These Beautiful Bones by Emily Stimpson (Kansas Dad's university library copy)
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift is a book I had never read, and now I have. Some of it was fun and much of it was...long. But now I know what a yahoo is. (purchased copy)
The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma was the inspiration for one of the Read-Aloud Revival podcasts at Amongst Lovely Things. I loved the podcast and immediately requested the book. The book is a memoir of her childhood so it is about more than just the reading she and her father did together or even the direct effect of the reading promise on her life. It was a sweet memoir, but I thought the best parts were the ones that most concerned the reading. (library copy)
The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough is a book I couldn't put down. I literally read it in a couple of days, mostly in a few hours of straight reading in the evenings. It's fast-paced and fascinating. I didn't know much about the flood before I read the book but was constantly comparing it to recent events, how people survive and overcome tragedy, how corporations behave (in good and bad ways), and how people are held responsible. Most of all, I thought of how we should all pay attention to credibility and expertise of the "experts" who are telling us everything is fine (or not so fine). Kansas Dad thought it looked depressing, and it was sad in parts, but I felt in some way that the people who spoke with the author wanted to tell their tales and want them to be remembered. The author has some problems with other books, but as far as I can tell this book is reliable. (library copy)
Books in Progress (and date started)
- Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014)
- The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
- A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller (April 2014)
- Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
- Men and Women Are From Eden: A Study Guide to John Paul II's Theology of the Body by Mary Healy (September 2014, with our parish adult education class)
- The Little Oratory: A Beginner's Guide to Praying in the Home by David Clayton and Leila Marie Lawler (September 2014)
- The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures by Edward Sri (September 2014)
- The Religious Potential of the Child: Experiencing Scripture and Liturgy with Young Children by Sofia Cavaletti (September 2014, with a book club at our parish)
- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (October 2014)
- Another Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup (October 2014)
