Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore
September 26, 2018
This book took a while to read, completely worth the time.
Tag: history
Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen
January 28, 2018
My hometown was freezing… so what better than to read a voyage through the frozen North? Couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting into it until someone looked at a pic of ‘the girlfriend.’ I’ve gotten used to books where women take an active role, not staying home to be ‘the girlfriend.’ Oh. So that’s … More Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen
Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations by Martin Goodman
January 18, 2018
Starts with the war in the year 70, leading up to Titus and the legion burning down the Temple. Part two covers the Mediterranean region under Roman rule, and the Jewish communities in Jerusalem, Egypt, and other localities. What were communities like, who was head of household, how did they worship, lots of interesting details. … More Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations by Martin Goodman
Non Fiction to End 2017
January 8, 2018
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future byDaniel H. Pink 4 stars. The U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and a New Nation by Steven Otfinoski 5 stars
A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy by Jim Murphy
November 13, 2017
This book is a little too hard for my 5th grader so we are reading it out loud. We read a few pages a night, complete with side discussions about How Things Were Different Then. The story follows Joseph Martin, 14 year old boy who joined the Patriots to fight the British, ended his stint … More A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy by Jim Murphy
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
November 10, 2017
Did you know the word Salary comes from the time when Roman soldiers were actually paid in salt? It’s much more common these days… Shakespeare + Fairy tale “Cap of Rushes:” “How much do you love me, my dear?” “Why,” she says, “I love you as fresh meat loves salt” View all my reviews
New Authors I Could Have Skipped
October 29, 2017
366 Days in Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency: The Private, Political, and Military Decisions of America’s Greatest President byStephen A. Wynalda Grendel Affair (SPI Files #1) by Lisa Shearin The Case of the Fickle Mermaid (Brothers Grimm Mystery #3) byP.J. Brackston
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman
October 25, 2017
The Dark Ages – a time when nothing happened. Yes? No. Tuchman follows the life of the last Count of Coucy through the 1300s. The book opens before his birth, with a description of chivalry and the state of the continent, and of course a chapter on the Black Death, the plague which left Europe … More A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman
If You Were There in 1776 by Barbara Brenner
October 8, 2017
10 year old’s review: Read it again! Why is a king allowed to stay in charge if he is crazy? Why were the king and the big general both named George? Why did the colonies want to separate from England? Why were the colonies attached to England to start with? What to wear, how to … More If You Were There in 1776 by Barbara Brenner
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
September 1, 2017
Most books* that I read involving time-travel back to slavery days were children’s books… An adult black woman traveling back to slavery is going to be a LOT grittier, and so it was. * most recent:
