Nightstand (April 2011)

Last month, I had just been to the library and my nightstand was full:

The books were flying off the nightstand this month–so fast that I replenished my supply halfway through!

This month, I read:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
A terrific dystopian novel that touches on bioethics, personhood, genetic engineering, helicopter parenting, and more–but does it in a non-propagandist, non-pedantic way. Imagine that! (Read my full review.

Another Homecoming by Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn
When Martha’s husband of less than a year is missing in action, she’s not sure what she should do. One thing is for sure-she knows she wants better than she can give for the daughter growing in her womb. So she gives her baby up for adoption. Then her husband returns, a broken man–and their family is a broken family, grieving for the lost child even as a new child arrives. A lovely little story about a family split by war, later to be brought together by God’s grace.

Batman: No Man’s Land
I’ve always kinda assumed that comic books aren’t really my thing–and after reading this, I have decided that my assumption was correct. The format is lost on someone like me who cares only for words and little for illustrations.

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
More Wooster and Jeeves hilarity. These follow a typical formula, but manage to be funny regardless.

A Family-Style Christmas by Carolyne Aarsen
A “Love Inspired” novel in the typical “Love Inspired” fashion. Twaddle. Short on plot, characterization, and pretty much everything. But that’s the “Aa’s” in the adult fiction section of my library.

An Honorable German by Charles McCain
This story centers around a youngish Max Brekendorf, a German Naval officer who finds himself embroiled in Germany’s war–what would become World War II. Seeing World War II from the perspective of an “honorable German”–a German warrior who wasn’t a Nazi–was interesting. The story itself? Meh. Nothing spectacular, but not bad. Some gratuitous sex, lots of descriptions of life on board a U-boat. A so-so book altogether.

Kristallnacht by Martin Gilbert
A stunning look at the night that began the Holocaust–from the personal viewpoints of dozens of heretofore unpublished eyewitnesses. This is a great book that clearly shows the widespread devastation of “the night of the broken glass”.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo
This novel tried (unsuccessfully) to be profound–but succeeded wonderfully in greatly surpassing Pattillo’s “Betsy Blessing” series (see here.) I enjoyed this novel–and it’s induced me to give Pattillo a second chance after those two awful “Betsy” books.

The Obama Diaries by Laura Ingraham
It’s true. I enjoy reading conservative rants. Most are entertaining but few have lasting power. I enjoyed this specific conservative rant. But with money tight and opportunities to spend it plentiful, I’ll keep borrowing these from the library (but not even consider spending money on them.)

The Third Reich by David Williamson
Another children’s nonfiction title–this time a not-so-great children’s nonfiction title. Even with all my prior reading on the topic, it was hard for me to follow this title. It used quite a few names, places, and unique terms without bothering to identify or define them. So, if you didn’t already know what the SA and the SS and Lebensraum and Kristallnacht and the Treaty of Versailles were, you would be completely lost.

What? What? What? by Lyn Thomas
Subtitled “Astounding Weird, Wonderful, and Just Plain Unbelievable Facts.” Interesting, but not as jam-packed or information-full as one of the Dorling-Kindersley books I’ve read previously. I don’t think I’d be buying this one for my reference library.

The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
It was filed in with the children’s picture books–and since I was reading the “BAU”‘s, I read it. Then I got to the end and realized it had been misfiled. This illustrated edition of The Wizard belonged in the general old juvenile fiction section. Oh well.

Also read, but not (yet) reviewed (even in short):

• The Amusement Park Mystery created by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• The Book Thief by Markeus Zusak
• Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds and Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the UFO by David A. Adler
• The Complete Worst Case Scenario Handbook: Man Skills
• Mike’s Mystery by Marcie Aboff
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo
• Your Teeth by somebody whose name I’ve forgotten
• Children’s picture books author name BAUER-BECCIA

Having read all that I read this month (and with the extra additions along the way, I still have a bit left on my shelf for next month:

Don’t forget to drop by 5 Minutes 4 Books to see what others are reading this month!