All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - This is a beautifully written book with a dissatisfying ending. I felt only sadness for the characters at the end. Endings don't have to be happy, but if unhappy, they must be meaningful. I suppose it might work as a commentary on war, but I felt only disappointment. (library copy)
How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer - I was considering adding this to our health reading for high school, which First Son is doing right now in tenth grade. It covers some useful information about how emotions and intuition can be beneficial when making decisions and when to set them aside and focus instead on more mathematical or logical considerations. The later chapter on morality was more problematic, mainly by discounting the possibility of natural law and an absolute truth. While not unexpected, it makes the book incomplete. Much of the earlier information is covered by other books and readings I have already scheduled, so we'll skip this one for school. (library copy)
The Merchant of Venice (No Fear Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare - First Daughter is reading this play now (seventh grade) and I wanted to refresh my memory by reading it again, if I ever read the whole thing. I do remember seeing it performed when I was in middle school. I think First Daughter will (mostly) love Portia. Shylock remains a baffling character. (purchased copy)
To Say Nothing of the Dog: Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last by Connie Willis - This may be my favorite audiobook of all time. I enjoyed every single minute of it, invented chores so I could listen to it, and was both delighted with the ending and sorry it was over. It's a quirky tale of time-travel, Victorian England, the Blitz, and romance, "to say nothing of the dog" (and cat). (purchased from Audible during a sale)
A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain - This was one of those free audiobooks Audible offers to members each month. It is the fictionalized tale of Marie Curie as a struggling student in Paris. Frankly, I found it frustrating to listen to the narrator tell me how Marie Curie was feeling rather than showing me through action. I have no idea what it was really like for Curie in Paris as she met and finally married her husband, but I rather hope it wasn't like this book describes it. (free Audible book in March 2019)
Come and See: A Photojournalist's Journey into the World of Mother Teresa by Linda Schaefer - This photographer is more talented at photography than writing. While the pictures are a fascinating peek into Mother Teresa's work in India, the book overall falls short of what I would want to give my children for the Level 4 twentieth century biography. (library copy)
West with the Night by Beryl Markham - link to my post (library copy, then requested from PaperBackSwap.com)
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