Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham One star (so don’t waste your time); nonfiction gardening and self-sufficiency This book has a history. “Mini Farming” has been out for a decade, having been originally published back in 2010. At that time, it showed up at our local library in the new books […]
Violence: A Writer’s Guide by Rory Miller This book is excellent. Even if you aren’t a writer, it’s worth a read to get a better understanding of violence in all its forms. If you are a writer, well! What a fabulous resource. The author, Rory Miller, is a long-time corrections officer, Army vet, and a […]
Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter I have a longstanding interest in garbage, recycling, waste management, and sustainability. The culture of unknown civilizations can be deciphered by their garbage heaps. That’s what archeologists are: history’s garbage analysts. What we throw away shows what we use. How we discard objects and […]
Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern: Fresh Techniques for Busy Quilters by Jera Brandvig I make quilts, although my quilts aren’t sewn like anyone else’s. Technically, they are not even quilts although the finished product looks like a crazy quilt. I’m working out my procedures and eventually will write it up as a book and, before you […]
This just came in the mail, a cultural history of Ruritania that was published this year. This’ll help me out on the Complete, Annotated Secret of Chimney’s project.
The Business of Being a Writer by Stephen Goldin and Kathleen Sky I’ll get the most critical piece of this review over with right away. This book was published in 1982. Yes, you read that right. 1982. I was 22 that year and the concept of becoming a writer needed another three decades to gestate. […]
Because of our ongoing interest in all things Agatha Christie, we’ve begun watching movies based on her books. There are a lot of them so we’ve got plenty of filmed murder in our future. The adaptations will vary wildly in quality and fidelity to the source material as I’m sure you can imagine. I’m going […]
Paul Among the People: The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time by Sarah Ruden This is an astonishing book that changed my views of Saint Paul. We all think we know who Saint Paul is. He was touched by God on the road to Damascus, changing him into the great missionary, founding Christian […]
The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide by Richard Conniff If you’ve ever wondered about the habits and mores of the rich, look no further than “The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide” by Richard Conniff. This is a gossipy, amusing investigation by a long-time science writer who specializes in human […]
Mind Your Manors: Tried-and-True British Household Cleaning Tips by Lucy Lethbridge I’ve always been interested in how people actually live; not just the ones who make the history books. Most people never make the history books. Most people are support staff for history-makers. After all, do you really think that Queen Victoria washed her own […]