Review: One Thousand White Women

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd 

by Jim Fergus

A so-so, alternative-history book. Three things fell flat for me... 1) The way the accents (Irish and Southern) were written made me gloss over their dialogue. 2) Too many characters to fully flesh out any one woman. 3) The low points in this story's plot (torture, rape, battle, etc.) far outweigh any moments of tenderness or happiness. With that said, I did find it good enough to add Fergus' other fiction, The Wild Girl, to my TBR pile. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSoup.com.)

Review: Walking the Rez Road

Walking the Rez Road

by Jim Northrup

First-hand accounts of contemporary life (post-Vietnam) on a Native Indian reservation through a mix of poetry and short story. I completely enjoyed how Northrup just goes for it in his poetry. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

My favorite poem includes these lines...

Someone says we begin to die
the minute we're born.
Death is a part of life.
Who knows why the Creator
thins the herd.
Another old saying says
we must all be prepared
to give up those we love
or die first.
Take time to mourn.

Review: Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: A PracticalGuide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in YourRelationships

by John Gray

I read this book of curiosity. It's not that this book is wrong; it's impractical. People do exhibit the behaviors described in this book, but not because they are one sex or the other. The theories I can tolerate; the sweeping generalizations, I cannot. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

It's been a long time since I read this book, and the older I get, the more I appreciate it. In this story, it's the adults that make the real trouble and cover up their prejudices with hypocrisy ranging from white-lies to night-time terrorism. Even I found myself asking, ‘Why do grown-ups complicate things so much?' Between the simple pace, the Southern small-town setting, and the Scout's one-person narrative, I really slowed down to enjoy it this time around. And it's not the book that's changed; it's me. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

One of many excellent quotes from the book: 

"Dill was off again. Beautiful things floated around in his dreamy head. He could read two books to my one, but he preferred the magic of his own inventions."

Review: Teaching Montessori in the Home

Teaching Montessori in the Home
by Elizabeth G. Hainstock

Too simple. It would be better had the chapter about "Making your home Montessori equipment" been at the front of the book, and each toy had a page number to refer to its step-by-step exercise. I hope the newer editions are better than this 1968 printing. Not entirely worthless; it's just that thre are plenty of better Montessori books. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review(s): Bad Cat & Bad Dog

Bad Cat: 244 Not-So-Pretty Kitties and Cats Gone Bad by Jim Edgar

Not much to read in this book, but it is wicked fun! I enjoyed this more than Bad Dog because cats, for some reason, have a natural flair for posing.(Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Bad Dog : 278 Outspoken, Indecent, and Overdressed Dogs
by Harry Prichett, Rob Battles, and R.D. Rosen

I liked this book, but not as much as Bad Cat. The dogs' outfits are so embarrassing, it's painful. (Originally posted at PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Birchbark House

The Birchbark House

by Louise Erdrich

Having never read either series, I coincidentally read this book just after finishing the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I loved it - hands down. Louise Erdrich's series is a wonderful blend of realism and fantasy that weaves day-to-day details of Ojibwa life with supernatural/spiritual flourishes. Also to the author's credit, this and the following two books, The Year of the Porcupine and The Game of Silence, are not without sadness. It would make a good project to read Wilder's Little House on the Prairie in comparison to Erdrich's The Birchbark House. Both fictional stories take place in the late 19th century and are written from a young girl's point-of-view. Both stories take place during the time of pressuring Indians out of their homeland to move onto reservations. This tense theme lurks in the background without overshadowing each simple, heartfelt story. I cannot wait to find out if there will be a fourth book! (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Dexter in the Dark

Dexter in the Dark (Dexter, Bk 3) 

by Jeff Lindsay

I devoured this book in two days! I found myself thinking about the tension during work and couldn't wait to get back to it. Felt that the ending of this story was a bit of a let-down, but I forgive that considering how thoroughly I enjoyed the build-up. My favorite so far in the Dexter series. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Basic Montessori

Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives
by David Gettman

Picked this up from the local library in order to introduce myself to Maria Montessori's methods. Definetly a dry read, no getting around that fact. It served as a fine, if not excellent, introduction to Montessori. I found it much more useful as a d.i.y. guide to make the toys, and it did lead me to rearrange the living room to better accommodate my toddler. (Originally posted as SquareSpot at PaperBackSwap.com.)

Quote: Silence

"We can't underestimate the value of silence. We need to create ourselves, need to spend time alone. If you don't, you risk not knowing yourself and not realizing your dreams."

- Jewel quoted by Buffy Childerhose from From Lilith to Lilith Fair : The Authorized Story