Books read in April

Argh! I’ve written none of these summaries. Usually I’ve done about half of them. What WAS I doing in April? I’m giving myself 12 minutes to write these, that’s one minute per post. Here goes.

Read:
Half the Sky
Kristof and WuDenn
Very hard to read in places, but with a hopeful message and also a handy four step action plan for you to do something constructive at the end.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society
Mary Ann Schaffer & Annie Barrows
I never wondered how the residents of the island of Guernsey fared during World War II but I was very interested in reading about their plight. This was a great “letters back and forth” book and I’m sad that the woman who wrote it became too sick to finish this book, much less write another one, as this was delightful.

Water Woman
Lenore Hart
Well written, but depressing. Very. But you can tell from the first chapter, so you know what you are signing up for.

Her Fearful Symmetry
Audrey Niffenegger
So good! It has twins! And ghosts! And a cemetery! And is set in London! I wasn’t enthralled with the ending, but enjoyed the rest so much I recommend it.

Love’s Labor’s Lost
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare. Still boring to read, but much fun to see in the Shoebox theater.

Naturally Thin
Bethenny Frankel
A really cool bike columnist recommended this book as a very good “normal healthy eating” guide. It has a really awful title, but did I mention that the bike columnist is cool? Because of how cool she is, I ignored the lame title and got it from the library. When it arrived, I was disturbed to find out that a reality TV star wrote it. I hadn’t heard of her then, but now I see her everywhere. Aside from that, some good tips and her focus on real food was refreshing.

Strong Waters: a simple guide to making beer, wine, cider and other spirited beverages at home.
Scott Mansfield
Good, beginners guide though relies a lot on already bottled juices.

Started but did not finish:
Inside Secrets of Finding a Teaching Job
Jack Warner
Dated, but good, advice.

Knife Skills in the Kitchen
Charlie Trotter
Lots of pretty pictures.

The Sea is so Wide and My Boat is so Small
Marian Wright Edelman
I read the “for teachers” chapter and called it good.

Create an Oasis with Greywater
Art Ludwig
Someday this book will come in handy. Ludwig doesn’t mince words about bad ideas in greywater. He also tells you how to put the good ideas in place.

Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood
Marilyn vos Savant
Kind of dumb. A bunch of lists that every American child should do.

Hah! Five minutes left.