4 Stars. John Wesley Powell caught my attention when my husband and I visited the Grand Canyon in 2013. I would periodically think that I should read a book about him and then I would forget about it. When we visited Lake Powell and Horseshoe Canyon in Page, AZ a few months ago, I decided that it […]
4 Stars. It is absolutely amazing to me that the author and her team tracked down this man who had evaded capture for 40-some years in 63 days. Days. She is quick to point out that the officers, medical examiners, forensics workers, and others kept this cold case alive and laid the groundwork for […]
3 Stars. Hmmm. It’s hard to write reviews of memoirs that don’t exactly work for you, isn’t it? I don’t want to discount someone else’s life experiences. But I personally felt there were some serious issues with the writing. Enjeela and her family experienced a terrifying journey when they left Afghanistan […]
3.5 Stars. I’ve been mulling this review over since finishing this book six weeks ago. I should have loved it and I didn’t. Not exactly. And I’m having a hard time digging down to the why. Ms. Williams writes about twelve national park units in this book, eight of which I’ve visited and loved. And I think […]
4 Stars. I try hard not to get political in my reviews, though if you look back through the books I read, you’ll get at least a sense of my political leanings. It’s impossible to review this book without discussing politics though, so bear with me. I wish all the politicians who love to speak so loudly and […]
4 Stars. There’s a lot going on here as John Lewis transitions his life story from March to Run. The Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act were finally passed at the end of March: Book Three but that doesn’t mean that the struggle is over. The book feels a little chaotic to me but it’s about a chaotic […]
4.5 Stars. I haven’t yet read Mr. Lewis’s more traditional autobiographies for comparison, but actually seeing the hate and the violence confronting people who just want to be treated like full citizens of their country with equal rights in these graphic memoirs is so powerful. What struck me most as I read […]
3 Stars. I read and loved Sy Montgomery’s earlier work, How to Be a Good Creature. I loved it so much that I literally read it twice back to back. So my expectations were high as I started this book. I was a little disappointed but that’s partly because of my own unrealistic expectations. In the early days […]
4.5 Stars. This is a slim volume and much of it is taken up with Mrs. Ritter, her husband, and his friend Karl’s day-to-day survival in Svalbard (Formerly Spitsbergen). Fair warning, that survival isn’t really for those who are disturbed by hunting for food and for furs to sell. Just trying to keep wood […]
4 Stars. I loved Jennifer Wright’s book, Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them. I loved her humor in tackling a pretty grim subject. She brings the same humor to this examination of some spectacular break-ups. She shines a light on the following couples: 1. Nero […]
4 Stars. Confession: I didn’t know who Issa Rae is when I picked this up. I’m only vaguely aware of pop culture at the best of times and influencers or even show writers and producers are just not on my radar. I don’t remember why I added this to my list but I’m glad I did because it was so funny!
I’m […]