Calling on Dragons

Title: Calling on Dragons - Book three of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Author: Patricia C. Wrede

Pages: 5 discs

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: B-

Synopsis: The wicked wizards are again trying to take over the enchanted forest.  This leads Cimorene and her friends on a quest to find the king's magic sword. 

My Review:  Great book for kids, but for me the dialog in this book was especially annoying.  The book ends with a big cliffhanger though, so I'll have to track down the 4th book of the series and find out how everything ends.

Mother had a Secret

Title: Mother had a Secret: Learning to Love My Mother and Her Multiple Personalities

Author: Tiffany Fletcher

Pages: 188

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B

Synopsis: Tiffany and her siblings grew up in an LDS home where their mother, Vickie, had multiple personality disorder, with 15 separate and unique personalities.  A few personalities were those of little children, while others were nurturers, cooks, lovers, protectors and one that could be very violent.  These personalities stemmed from brutal abuse that Vickie suffered at the hands of her father as a child. 

My Review:  It is difficult to write a review about a book that deals with a topic that is frankly quite maddening (abuse), sad (psychological disorder) and depressing (suffering).  I have a hard time separating my thoughts about the book from my feelings about the subject matter.  That being said, I found this book to be very enlightening.  This is a story that could be told about your neighbor, a friend or another acquaintance.  If it ever comes to it, I hope that I can recognize the warning signs of abuse and do whatever is required to make it stop.  As Tiffany grows older her struggles to learn how to love her mother were very heartening.

Playing for Pizza

Title: Playing for Pizza

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 308

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis:  Rick Dockery wakes up in a Cleveland hospital, but can't remember how he got there.  As the fog lifts from his mind, and as he watches ESPN SportsCenter, he remembers the playoff game that he was playing in for the Cleveland Browns.  The Browns were up by 17 late in the 4th quarter and Dockery, the 3rd string quarterback for the Browns proceeded to throw 3 straight interceptions, leading to the Browns loss in the last game before the Super Bowl.  Dockery has quickly become one of the most hated individuals in Cleveland and he decides to lay low for a while.  His agent finds him a job in the Italian Football (real American Football) League with a small salary.  Dockery reluctantly agrees and finds that playing in Italy holds a few surprises.

My Review:  I bought this book at a garage sale a while back and I was surprised that this book had nothing to do with lawyers, courtrooms, judges, etc.  I didn't know John Grisham was capable of writing anything but legal thrillers.  There wasn't anything too special about this book, but I enjoyed having an easy read and being able to escape into Italian football. 

The Year of Living Biblically

Title: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Author: A.J. Jacobs

Pages: 12 discs

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Grade: B

Synopsis: A.J. Jacobs (known for reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica), embarks on another quest, this one to live the Bible as literally as possible.  While A.J. is mostly agnostic, he is Jewish by birth and has family who still adhere to religious principals.  For A.J. and his family though, this is a huge change.  A.J. grows a long beard, begins to only wear white robes, tries to be thankful and forgiving and embarks on a quest to live and understand the Bible's more well-known teachings as well as the more esoteric teachings.

My Review:  While I was a little afraid that I would find the book to sacrilegious, that wasn't the case at all.  While it was often irreverent, it was also very enjoyable and I found myself laughing at his experiences trying to stone the adulterers, performing sacrifices, avoiding mixed threads in his clothing and informing his wife of how unclean the Old Testament considers menstruating ladies.  I was often surprised by the requirements found in the Old Testament.  I'm not nearly as familiar with them as I am with those found in the New Testament. 

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Title: A Short History of Nearly Everything

Author: Bill Bryson

Pages: 544

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade: A

Synopsis: As the title suggests, this book is a short history of nearly everything.  In the nearly 500 pages, topics ranging from the big bang and the formation of the universe and solar system to what we understand about atoms, other subatomic particles and living cells.  This book is not just a history book either.  It is full of stories and controversies about what we know or don't know about everything and introduces the reader to experts on many of the topics discussed.

My Review:  In the middle of March I was in Portland, Oregon for the NCAA tournament.  We made a visit to the iconic Powell's bookstore in downtown.  I couldn't leave empty-handed so I had to think of a book from my 'to-read' list that I would actually like to own.  We buy very few books, so this was a huge step for me (although I did buy a used copy).  I couldn't be happier with this book.  I think that I learned something new on every page and thoroughly enjoyed Bryson's writing style and the way that the book moved from one topic to the next.  This is a book that I will read again.