false 17 263 244 true 5962967 read 2 true 1056120 currently-reading 17 true 1056119 to-read 30 false 2569813 historical-fiction 25 false 2569769 non-fiction 21 false 2569627 children-s-books 17 false 3873796 series 12 false 2569778 autobiographical 8 false 2569761 legal-thriller 7 false 2569842 young-adult 5 false 2569885 spirituality 2 false 5052389 inspirational http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61961931 American Savior: A Novel of Divine Politics (Hardcover) by Roland Merullo
bookshelves: currently-reading
Just found it, Tamara... you have led me well in book choices, so I'm putting it on my to-read list! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77985599 The Lacuna: A Novel (Hardcover) by Barbara Kingsolver
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73616233 to: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope (Hardcover) by William Kamkwamba
bookshelves: non-fiction
This is an inspiring and true story about William Kamkwamba, a boy who lives in a farm community in Malawi, Africa. As in much of Africa, this community has no electricity or plumbing and relies on crops for survival. In 2004, a drought hits and famine results. Because all money must be used for food to survive, many children, including William, must drop out of school. Although William never achieved particularly good grades, he had a real thirst to learn, especially science. So, William spends most of his spare time at the library, reading the 3 books the library has about electricity and physics. He uses scraps he finds at the junk yard to experiment with creating electricity and sets two goals for himself: (i) to create light in his house in the evening, and (ii) to pump water to his family's fields during the dry season and during times of drought. Not all of his experiments are successful, but it is amazing what the will can accomplish. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78018466 Rainwater (Hardcover) by Sandra Brown
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77540012 Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories (Paperback) by Elizabeth Strout
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74816281 to: Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Hardcover) by Spencer Quinn
A "down-on-his-luck" private investigator and his dog make quite a pair in the "Little Detective Agency". This is the this first in a planned series of books; the second is due out in January 2010. This book stands out from other detective stories in that the dog narrates. It makes for a light, yet engaging read. The story is humorous, with moments of suspense. I look forward to hearing more from Chet, the lovable four-legged detective. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56672428 to: Truth & Beauty: A Friendship (Paperback) by Ann Patchett
bookshelves: non-fiction
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39857251 to: Red Azalea: A True Story of Life and Love in China (Paperback) by Anchee Min
bookshelves: autobiographical
This is the autobiography of Anchee Min, born in China in 1957, under Mao and the "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution". The book details her childhood and young adult experiences. She attended elementary school at a time when learning to be a revolutionary was everything. Upon graduation, her life path was chosen for her. Children were taught to memorize poems and songs by Mao; e.g., "I'll Go Where Chariman Mao's Finger Points". The Party had a quota of sending at least one child from each family to work in the rice fields as a peasant. This was a culture where the good of the state always came before the good of the individual and where individual always felt watched. There was no talk of religion; Mao was treated as a god. Min managed to come to America in 1984, with the help of an actress, Joan Chen, where she wrote her memoirs. I found the story very engaging; it read like a novel. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20604634 to: The Island (Paperback) by Victoria Hislop
While on a Mediterranean vacation, a young woman contacts an old family friend. Not knowing much of her past, she visits a village on the island of Crete and uncovers her family history, going back four generations. Her ancestral history delves into World War II, leprosy, ancestors of both aristocracy and lower class, tight-knit communities, secrecy and selfless love. It is a beautiful story and one that is difficult to put down. ]]>