Books High and Low

Sunday, October 24, 2021

My first ladies: twenty-five years as the White House chief floral designer, by Nancy Clarke

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  After reading the last book about first ladies, I pulled this book from my shelves. I received it at a Book Expo back in 2011, and it'...
Saturday, October 23, 2021

First Ladies: Women who called the White House home, by Beatrice Gormley

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  This is a good introduction to the women who served as First Ladies, although my edition ends with Hilary Clinton. Lots of images and phot...
Sunday, October 17, 2021

The night tiger, by Yangsze Choo

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This is a fast-paced story set in 1930s Malaysia about several characters whose fates are intertwined. Ren is a young orphan whose twin brot...

The red lotus, by Chris Bohjalian

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  This is a compelling thriller about a woman who is on a bike trip to Vietnam when her boyfriend unexpectedly disappears and later turns up...
Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Murder in the Marais, by Cara Black

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  I swore off Cara Black after the last Aimee Leduc mystery that I read, but I made the mistake of picking this one up and giving it a shot....

The Marsh King's daughter, by Karen Dionne

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  I loved this novel about a young woman who was raised in seclusion by her kidnapped mother and the man who abducted her. Years after her f...

Emirati women: Generations of change, by Jane Bristol Rhys

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This is a fascinating look at the role women play in Emirati society and the many ways their lives have changed since the country was formed...

King Alfred: Burnt Cakes and Other Legends, by David Horspool

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  This is a very well-written and scholarly look at the legends that surround King Alfred the Great. The author, David Horspool, breaks down...
Monday, September 20, 2021

Alfred in the Chroniclers, by Edward Conybeare

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I've been reading about Alfred the Great lately, and came across this account of Alfred's life drawn from 14 medieval chronicles, in...

Black dogs, by Ian McEwan

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  I loved this short novel by Ian McEwan. Orphaned at a young age, Jeremy has always admired the parents of his friends, and his in-laws are...

In the company of writers, by Charles Scribner, Jr.

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  I found this book at the Dog's Ear used book store in Hoosick, NY, in the Books about Books section, one of my favorite parts of the s...
Monday, September 13, 2021

The amazing, remarkable Monsieur Leotard, by Eddie Campbell and Dan Best

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  I really enjoyed this graphic novel about a young man who tries to take over the management of a circus troupe after his uncle plunges to ...

The almost sisters, by Joshilyn Jackson

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  This novel follows Leia, a comic book artist, as she faces several family crises at the same time, including an unexpected pregnancy, her ...

The young Alfred the Great, by Naomi Mitchison

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  I really enjoyed this YA novel about the young Alfred the Great, considered the first English king. He is famous for many accomplishments,...

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles

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This was a fascinating history of what became England from year 1 through the middle of the 12th century. Nicely illustrated and with lots o...
Thursday, August 19, 2021

The light in the ruins, by Chris Bohjalian

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  The Light in the Ruins takes us to 1943-1944 rural Tuscany where the Nazis were making a last stand against the allies as they invaded Si...

The law of similars, by Chris Bohjalian

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  Reading The Law of Similars was like watching a slow-motion train wreck. Leland is a recently-widowed lawyer whose tendency to hypochondri...
Friday, August 6, 2021

Then she was gone, by Lisa Jewell

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  I enjoyed this page-turner of a thriller by Lisa Jewell. Laurel's daughter goes missing, and 10 years later her remains are found. But...

Vox, by Christina Dalcher

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  I have mixed feelings about this novel. It has been compared to The Handmaid's Tale, but the writing is nowhere near as good. The prem...

Disappearing earth, by Julia Phillips

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  I really loved this novel about two girls who are abducted from their town on the Kamchatka Peninsula, part of Russia that is very remote ...
Monday, July 19, 2021

Books to build on: A grade-by-grade resource guide for parents and teachers, edited by John Holdren and E.D. Hirsch

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  This book provides reading suggestions for kindergarten through grade 6 in many disciplines: language arts, history and geography, visual ...

The National Portrait Gallery history of the kings and queens of England, by David Williamson

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  I finally got around to reading this purchase that I made many years ago from the History Book Club. It's a very high level overview o...
Sunday, July 11, 2021

A first dictionary of cultural literacy, by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

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I came across this book at work, and although dated (1989), I was curious about what the author thought every child should know (the book is...
Friday, July 9, 2021

The brain diet, by Alan C. Logan

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  This is an interested look at the research connecting diet with brain health. Fortunately, all the foods that are good for heart health, j...

Smaller and smaller circles, by F.H. Batacan

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  This was a good murder mystery set in the Philippines. Two priests serve as consultants with the National Bureau of Investigation to track...
Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Healthy aging, by Andrew Weil

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This is a valuable book with straightforward advice about all aspects of health and aging. I particularly appreciated the 2nd half in which ...

Sherlock Holmes, the missing years: Japan, by Vasudev Murthy

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  This is the first volume in a series that tries to fill in why Sherlock Holmes might have been up to after he fell off the Reichenbach Fal...
Thursday, June 17, 2021

Buja's diary, by Seyeong O

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  This graphic narrative uses 13 short stories to illustrate life in Korea during various periods of the 20th century. Many of the stories r...
Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Parsnips, Buttered: How to win at modern life, one email at a time, by Joe Lycett

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  Joe Lycett is another comedian (along with Sarah Millican) whom I was introduced to by Facebook (thanks!). You can find many of his clips ...
Sunday, June 13, 2021

Unwinding anxiety, by Judson Brewer

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  This is a useful approach to dealing with anxiety that has its roots in mindfulness. The author has conducted research and led experiments...
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