Saturday, January 22, 2011

Review: Under a Flaming Sky

Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894
by Daniel James Brown

Ditto what the previous reviewer said, "This book is not for the faint of heart." The book's narrative follows people fleeing - successfully and unsuccessfully - from a firestorm that raged across Northern Minnesota. I was "name-dropping" this one to my fellow Minnesotans weeks after I read it. Really got my adrenaline pumping. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Review: I Thought My Father Was God

I Thought My Father Was God: And Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project
Edited by Paul Auster

One night, I started to read this thinking it would be good 'bedtime material.' Each micro-memoir was like a cliffhanger that kept me turning pages. I ended up devouring half the book that first night. My pace slowed down as I came upon the darker stories in the War, Love, and Death chapters. Even the introduction is an interesting backstory about how the National Story Project started on National Public Radio. The 179 stories in this book are organized into thematic chapters (Animals, Objects, Families, Slapstick, and so on...) which serves 'mood-reading' very nicely. Very enjoyable book that keeps me coming back. (Originally posted as SquareSpot at PaperBackSwap.com.)