Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

Title: Yes, Please

Author: Amy Poehler

Publisher: Dey Street Books 2014

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Feminism; TBR Reduction; Ebook; 52 Books - W13

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy's one-liners?
If your answer to these questions is "Yes Please!" then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," "Plain Girl Versus the Demon" and "The Robots Will Kill Us All" Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

Oh yes! This was a great memoir to read. I loved watching Amy Poehler on SNL and Parks and Rec. I had to eventually read this novel. Actually this is our book club selection for April. I can't wait to discuss in a few weeks. But first, my thoughts:

This is not a typically structured memoir. We don't get a chronological account of her life and accomplishments. Instead we get a series of vignettes from her life and some essays of life lessons. I liked the mix of life stories and advice. I wouldn't say to shelf this in the self-help section, but Poehler definitely has some great life advice. Plus it's just funny. I love her sense of humor and loved reading her funny stories and observations. I also appreciate that she didn't get too nitty-gritty dirty details from her life. I don't really need to read all about her divorce about Will Arnett. I respect Poehler's decision to keep that chapter of her life private. Overall the book felt real to me. I now feel like I have a better understanding of Amy Poehler the woman. I don't think this is the book for just anyone. But for those readers already fans of Poehler, this book made me love her more.

Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Title: Living History

Author: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Publisher: Scribner 2004

Genre: Autobiography

Pages: 592

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Rory Gilmore; TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W9

Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with candor, humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban, middle-class America in the 1950s and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to student activist to controversial First Lady. Living History is her revealing memoir of life through the White House years. It is also her chronicle of living history with Bill Clinton, a thirty-year adventure in love and politics that survives personal betrayal, relentless partisan investigations and constant public scrutiny.Hillary Rodham Clinton came of age during a time of tumultuous social and political change in America. Like many women of her generation, she grew up with choices and opportunities unknown to her mother or grandmother. She charted her own course through unexplored terrain -- responding to the changing times and her own internal compass -- and became an emblem for some and a lightning rod for others. Wife, mother, lawyer, advocate and international icon, she has lived through America's great political wars, from Watergate to Whitewater.The only First Lady to play a major role in shaping domestic legislation, Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled tirelessly around the country to champion health care, expand economic and educational opportunity and promote the needs of children and families, and she crisscrossed the globe on behalf of women's rights, human rights and democracy. She redefined the position of First Lady and helped save the presidency from an unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment. Intimate, powerful and inspiring, Living History captures the essence of one of the most remarkable women of our time and the challenging process by which she came to define herself and find her own voice -- as a woman and as a formidable figure in American politics.

Hmmmm... I have mixed feelings about this one. I really liked the subject matter. Learning more about Clinton was my goal. She has been a very fascinating figure for the last twenty years. And yet, I found my mind wandering throughout the book. I finally realized that I am a fan of the writing style. The quick transitions between stories were somewhat jarring. Ultimately I finished the book, but not my favorite at all.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

Title: The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

Author: Amanda Palmer

Publisher: Hachette Books 2014

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 337

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W3; OLW Home

Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter.
Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of THE ART OF ASKING.

I'm not sure where to start with this book. It was an amazing read, but I feel like I'm still processing a lot of the ideas and concepts. I've been a fan of Amanda Palmer since "Coin Operated Boy." This book gave me insight into who she is and why she does what she does. Not just the music, but the social connections, the media, the side projects. I loved learning more about her. That part of the book I got. The larger scope of the book about asking and human nature, I'm still processing. I think this is one of those books that I will have to read a few times to truly understand everything. An amazing project that will stay on my shelves for years to come.

As an added bonus, here's Amanda's TED talk:

Lives in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson

Title: Life in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble

Author: Marilyn Johnson

Publisher: HarperCollins 2014

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 274

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Library; 52 Books - W1; Dewey Decimal - 900s

Pompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon—the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found (British king under parking lot) and treasures lost (looters, bulldozers, natural disaster, and war). Archaeological research tantalizes us with possibilities (are modern humans really part Neandertal?). Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter?
Marilyn Johnson’s Lives in Ruins is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Johnson digs and drinks alongside archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, mummies.

A great book to start off my 2015 reading adventure! I always love a good history related volume and this one does not disappoint. The reader is taken through a survey of archaeology today. We ride along as Johnson signs up for field school and learns about some forgotten history in the Caribbean. We chat with noted modern archaeologists on their journeys to the discipline. We commiserate with fellow history lovers at the loss of relics due to negligence, impatience, ignorance, or willful destruction. All throughout, Johnson teaches us the value of a discipline that seems to be disappearing. I was riveted by her stories. This book made me want to be an archaeologist, just like that little 8 year old girl reading about King Tut's tomb...

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Title: I am Malala

Author: Malala Yousafzai

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2013

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 327

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall Reading Challenge; Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W43

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.

I'll admit that I was a bit unsure about reading this one. I haven't had the best track record when it comes to memoirs/autobiographies from younger people. Glad I was wrong. This book was a special treat to read. I loved hearing about Malala's childhood. Her love of her homeland shines through. We get to see Pakistan through her eyes and it is beautiful. Every once in awhile we get the noticeably different voice of her co-author, journalist Christina Lamb. Those parts had more of a newspaper article feel to them. While informative about some of the larger political and social events, I kept wanting to hear more from Malala. Overall, an amazing read. Recommend to all!

Expecting Adam by Martha Beck

Title: Expecting Adam

Author: Martha Beck

Publisher: Harmony 2011

Genre: Nonfiction - Inspirational

Pages: 368

Rating: 1/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall Reading Challenge; Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; Well Read Reader - Memoir

John and Martha Beck had two Harvard degrees apiece when they conceived their second child. Further graduate studies, budding careers, and a growing family meant major stress--not that they'd have admitted it to anyone (or themselves). As the pregnancy progressed, Martha battled constant nausea and dehydration. And when she learned her unborn son had Down syndrome, she battled nearly everyone over her decision to continue the pregnancy. She still cannot explain many of the things that happened to her while she was expecting Adam, but by the time he was born, Martha, as she puts it, "had to unlearn virtually everything Harvard taught [her] about what is precious and what is garbage."

Thoroughly disappointed in this one. I was expecting a feel good, yet harrowing struggle through a difficult pregnancy and subsequent birth of her son. And yet, I could not find any sympathy for Martha and her struggle. She whined. The world revolved around her. Her life ended with the pregnancy. Ugh! Get over yourself lady! I wanted to read of an honest and brutal account of a difficult time, but there were no good lessons within the book. And the book wasn't at all about her son Adam. I can't summon any understanding for a woman who has everything, complains about how life changes, and places blame on others. And don't get me started about the supernatural aspects of the book. No thank you!

Washington by Ron Chernow

Title: Washington: A Life

Author: Ron Chernow

Publisher: Penguin Press 2010

Genre: Biography

Pages: 905

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; U.S. Presidents; Chunkster; 52 Books - W36

Celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation and the first president of the United States. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one volume biography of George Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the reader through his adventurous early years, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America's first president. In this groundbreaking work, based on massive research, Chernow shatters forever the stereotype of George Washington as a stolid, unemotional figure and brings to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods.

This was a chunk of a book and I loved every page of it. Chernow gives us a story, not a collection of random facts about Washington. The narrative flowed from one event to another interspersed with quotes from contemporaries and even Washington himself. I was lost in this portrait of an enigmatic figure in American history. A majority of the book was spent on the Revolutionary War and subsequent Presidency, but we do get a nice look into early Washington. I may have known what he did during the French and Indian War, but it was nice to read what he had to say about that time. Chernow's tome is not for everyone, but those willing to invest in a good chunk of time should definitely pick it up. Great biography!

Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon

Title: Becoming Mona Lisa

Author: Donald Sassoon

Publisher: Harcourt 2001

Genre: Nonfiction - Art

Pages: 337

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; TBR Pile; 52 books - W35; Well Rounded Reader - Art/Design

The Mona Lisa is widely recognized as the most famous painting in the history of art--and an undeniable icon of pop culture. Her celebrated face is used to sell everything from champagne to automobiles, and appears on ashtrays, mouse pads, and refrigerator magnets. More than any other art object, the Mona Lisa demonstrates that something can be high art and pop, classic and cool. Likewise, Donald Sassoon's elegant narrative is as much the story of one painting's ascendance to the status of global icon as it is the popularization of serious and distinguished art. A professor and acclaimed writer, Sassoon provides a fascinating account of Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance genius who created the picture; who the mysterious subject was; why it gained its unrivalled position in the art world; and how it has come to be used and abused by other artists and the international advertising industry. Lavishly illustrated, Becoming Mona Lisa is at once social, cultural, and art history of the highest order.

Meh! I thought this would be a great look into why the Mona Lisa is so popular. And while it is, I felt that the writing and overall book construction left much to be desired. It was just so clunky. I had a lot of trouble paying attention to the pages. I gave it 3 stars because the subject matter is interesting and there were interesting bits. I was just bored through a majority of it...

Crafty Book Reviews

Title: Handmade to Sell: Hello Craft's Guide to Owning, Running, and Growing Your Crafty Biz

Author: Kelly Rand, Christine Ernest, Sara Dick, Kimberly Dorn

Publisher: Potter Craft 2012

Genre: Business; Crafts

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; Well Rounded - Self Help

No one knows more about helping handmade businesses than Hello Craft, the nonprofit trade association for crafty entrepreneurs. Written by the directors of Hello Craft, Handmade to Sell is the most complete, up-to-date, and authoritative guide for DIYers seeking to learn every aspect of selling, marketing, and branding.

A very thorough guide for those serious about making crafting a full time business. I'm not there yet, but I did pick up a few pointers and concerns throughout.

Title: How to Sell Your Crafts Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Sales on Etsy and Beyond

Author: Derrick Sutton

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 2011

Genre: Business; Crafts

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR

With over 400,000 sellers on Etsy, how can you make YOUR shop stand out and increase your sales? This is a key question for many crafters and artists who are selling online these days. Now here are all the answers and much more from author and Etsy seller Derrick Sutton. Based on his self-published guide, and drawn from his practical experience, you will learn how to boost your Etsy sales, attract more customers, and expand your online presence. Derrick shares his proven online sales and marketing knowledge in an easily accessible format, complete with simple actions steps at the end of each chapter. Learn how to completely optimize your Etsy shop, website, or blog, and much more.

I'll admit that I skimmed the second half of this book. I don't need to learn how to set up a blog or even a Facebook account. Those sections didn't really apply to me. But I did get some great advice in the first half: all about the Etsy shop. I've been kicking around the idea of opening my own storefront, so this gave me some good points to think about.

Title: Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric

Author: Violette

Publisher: North Light Books 2009

Genre: Crafts

Pages: 128

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR

Whether you're looking to express yourself creatively for the first time or have found yourself in a creative rut, you'll soon be following your inspired voice with the help of Journal Bliss. With the guidance of author, Violette, you'll learn to express your thoughts and feelings like never before in your own art journal. Not only will Violette inspire you with her own journal pages, she'll teach you techniques for creating your own unique pages.

This book just wasn't for me. I'm not that into sketching or doodling and that's what the book focused on. I was rather hoping that it would be more about writing style journaling. Oh well. Not bad, just not for me.

Title: Pinterest Perfect: Creative Prompts & Pin-Worthy Projects

Author: Walter Foster Creative Team, Jamielyn Nye, Flora Chia Jung Chang

Publisher: Walter Foster 2014

Genre: Crafts

Pages: 128

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; Well Rounded - Home

Filled with step-by-step projects, tutorials, art tips, and crafting techniques on everything from drawing, painting, and illustration to mixed media, typography, and papercrafts, each featured artist shares her unique art style with readers in an interactive and engaging format. Each section features a brief introduction to the artist, followed by four to six easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects and/or art techniques. Open practice pages at the end of each section invite readers to brainstorm, sketch, and collect inspiration for their own artistic projects. In addition, useful sidebars throughout the book share tips for using Pinterest efficiently and effectively, as a hobbyist and professional artist. One part inspiration, one part how-to, and filled to the brim with color, inspiration, and beautiful artwork, Pinterest Perfect! is the picture-perfect visual resource for any artist, crafter, or creative Pinterest enthusiast.

Not that excited once I actually dove in. The creators said that they wanted to emulate the look of Pinterest and they definitely do. Unfortunately that look doesn't really translate to a paper book. Ultimately I was confused by the tactic. With regards to the projects, they were decent. But I found that almost all of the projects have a counterpart on my own Pinterest boards already. Why do I need it in paper form? I kept asking myself that questions, hence the 3 stars.

Death in Yellowstone by Lee Whittlesey

Title: Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park (2nd Edition)

Author: Lee Whittlesey

Publisher: Roberts Rinehart 2014

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages:412

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; 52 Books -- W26

The chilling tome that launched an entire genre of books about the often gruesome but always tragic ways people have died in our national parks, this updated edition of the classic includes calamities in Yellowstone from the past sixteen years, including the infamous grizzly bear attacks in the summer of 2011 as well as a fatal hot springs accident in 2000. In these accounts, written with sensitivity as cautionary tales about what to do and what not to do in one of our wildest national parks, Whittlesey recounts deaths ranging from tragedy to folly—from being caught in a freak avalanche to the goring of a photographer who just got a little too close to a bison. Armchair travelers and park visitors alike will be fascinated by this important book detailing the dangers awaiting in our first national park.

I grabbed this book from the new releases shelf at the library. I'll admit that the title made me pick it up. And I'm glad I did. While the book really is about recording all deaths in Yellowstone (and immediate surrounding area), I found another aspect of the book more intriguing. Occasionally the author has a story about early life in the park, sometimes before it even was a park. Those glimpses into history were much more interesting to me than the death stories. Overall, a very interesting random read for the week.

Grand Forks by Marilyn Hagerty

Title: Grand Forks

Author: Marilyn Hagerty

Publisher: HarperCollins 2013

Genre: Nonfiction - Food

Pages: 237

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Nonfiction Adventure

Once upon a time, salad was iceberg lettuce with a few shredded carrots and a cucumber slice, if you were lucky. A vegetable side was potatoes—would you like those baked, mashed, or au gratin? A nice anniversary dinner? Would you rather visit the Holiday Inn or the Regency Inn? In Grand Forks, North Dakota, a small town where professors moonlight as farmers, farmers moonlight as football coaches, and everyone loves hockey, one woman has had the answers for more than twenty-five years: Marilyn Hagerty. In her weekly Eatbeat column in the local paper, Marilyn gives the denizens of Grand Forks the straight scoop on everything from the best blue plate specials—beef stroganoff at the Pantry—to the choicest truck stops—the Big Sioux (and its lutefisk lunch special)—to the ambience of the town's first Taco Bell. Her verdict? "A cool pastel oasis on a hot day."

I loved the premise of this book: a look at one town's restaurant reviews over the period of almost 30 years. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed at the outcome. Each review is presented as published. There is no interesting commentary connecting the columns. In that sense, the reader gets a bit lost in the repetition of reviews. I would have liked more..

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Title: The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America

Author: Erik Larson

Publisher: Vintage Books 2003

Genre: U.S. History

Pages: 447

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Rory Gilmore; Library Books; Monthly Key Word - Color

Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS—intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

I loved this book. Initially I thought it was just about the serial killer H.H. Holmes, but in reality this book tells the story of the creation and destruction of The White City. I was fascinated by the process of planning and building the World's Fair. I did not realize the amount of famous to me people that either had a hand in building the fair or were attendees. All throughout we get interludes about the murder spree of H.H. Holmes (only to be discovered after the fair). Larson's writing is clear and concise but with a nice storytelling manner. We get the inclusion of primary sources fitted seamlessly into the narrative. Even switching between the two main story lines is done well. Definitely a well written historical narrative.

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

Title: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Author: Mary Wollstonecraft

Publisher: 1792

Genre: Nonfiction - Philosophy

Pages: 242

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Ebook; Well Rounded Reader -- Philosophy; Rereading; Classics -- Woman Author

In an era of revolutions demanding greater liberties for mankind, Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was an ardent feminist who spoke eloquently for countless women of her time.

Having witnessed firsthand the devastating results of male improvidence, she assumed an independent role early in life, educating herself and eventually earning a living as a governess, teacher and writer. She was also an esteemed member of the radical intellectual circle that included William Godwin (father of her daughter, novelist Mary Godwin Shelley, and later her husband), Thomas Paine, William Blake, Henry Fuseli and others.

First published in 1792, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman created a scandal in its day, largely, perhaps, because of the unconventional lifestyle of its creator. Today, it is considered the first great manifesto of women’s rights, arguing passionately for the education of women: "Tyrants and sensualists are in the right when they endeavor to keep women in the dark, because the former want only slaves, and the later a plaything."

No narrow-minded zealot, Wollstonecraft balanced passionate advocacy with a sympathetic warmth—a characteristic that helped her ideas achieve widespread influence. Anyone interested in the history of the women’s rights movement will welcome this inexpensive edition of one of the landmark documents in the struggle for human dignity, freedom and equality.

A classic of feminist theory. Really one of the first treatise on what would become known as feminist theory. I first encountered Mary Wollstonecraft in college during my women's studies classes. I was immediately struck by her well reasoned argument. She doesn't rail against the patriarchy or the men of her lifetime. Instead, she lays out why women deserve to be seen as worthy beings. I agree with critics when they take issue with Wollstonecraft's inability to state that women and men are equal beings. She cannot be classified as a true feminist, but her treatise does make strides toward that end. A must read for fans of philosophy.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Author: Mindy Kaling

Publisher: Three Rivers Press 2012

Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir

Pages: 222

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Ebook; 52 Books - W18; Read Your Freebies; Well Rounded Reader -- Media

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?” Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly! In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

Quirky, but not amazingly funny. That's my incredibly short review of this book. I was slightly disappointed but the lack of laugh-out-loud moments. I really appreciate Kaling's comedy writing, but it just didn't quite translate to the book very well. It's not a bad book, but not a great one either.

What Ifs? of American History edited by Robert Cowley

Title: What Ifs? of American History

Editor: Robert Cowley

Publisher: Berkely Books 2003

Genre: Nonfiction - US History

Pages: 298

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; Well-Rounded Reader -- History

Did Eisenhower avoid a showdown with Stalin by not taking Berlin before the Soviets? What might have happened if JFK hadn't been assassinated? This new volume in the widely praised series presents fascinating "what if..." scenarios by such prominent historians as: Robert Dallek, Caleb Carr, Antony Beevor, John Lukacs, Jay Winick, Thomas Fleming, Tom Wicker, Theodore Rabb, Victor David Hansen, Cecelia Holland, Andrew Roberts, Ted Morgan, George Feifer, Robert L. O'Connell, Lawrence Malkin, and John F. Stacks.
Included are two essential bonus essays reprinted from the original New York Times bestseller What If?-David McCullough imagines Washington's disastrous defeat at the Battle of Long Island, and James McPherson envisions Lee's successful invasion of the North in 1862.

This isn't the easiest book to read. Or I should say that it isn't the most accessible book. The authors of the various essays presuppose a level of basic history knowledge and then dive into counterfactual history. But for a history nerd like me, I loved every single page. I love wondering "what if?" when it comes to history. One small decision change could have changed the course of history. This collection explores those What Ifs. There are a few more common ideas: What if JFK lived? What if Eisenhower pushed on to Berlin? While those were enjoyable reads, my favorite was actually an essay exploring the idea that John Tyler never became president after the death of William Henry Harrison. Tyler is a forgettable president, but his policies regarding Mexico and Texas set the stage for the growth of the country and even changing the run-up to the Civil War. Fascinating stuff! I only recommend these books to the serious history nerd. To those people, pick up this collection for some history fun.

Sh*tty Mom by Laurie Kilmartin, Karen Moline, Alicia Ybarbo, Mary Ann Zoellner

Title: Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us

Author: Laurie Kilmartin, Karen Moline, Alicia Ybarbo, Mary Ann Zoellner

Publisher: Abrams Image 2012

Genre: Nonfiction - Parenting, Humor

Pages: 176

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Library Book; 52 Books - W9

Sh*tty Mom is the ultimate parenting guide, written by four moms who have seen it all. As hilarious as it is universal, each chapter presents a common parenting scenario with advice on how to get through it in the easiest and most efficient way possible. With chapters such as How to Sleep Until 9 A.M. Every Weekend and When Seeing an Infant Triggers a Mental Illness That Makes You Want to Have Another Baby, as well as a Sh*tty Mom quiz, this is a must-have, laugh-out-loud funny book for the sh*tty parent in all of us.

Not the laugh-out-loud funny book I thought it would be. At times, I think it tried too much to be funny and lost the realities of parenting. Not quite what I was looking for. Definitely don't pick it up if you can't see the absurd in parenting.

Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

Title: Medium Raw

Author: Anthony Bourdain

Publisher: HarperCollins 2010

Genre: Memoir; Food

Pages: 308

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; ebook; 52 Books - W2

Medium Raw marks the return of the inimitable Anthony Bourdain, author of the blockbuster bestseller Kitchen Confidential and three-time Emmy Award-nominated host of No Reservations on TV’s Travel Channel. Bourdain calls his book, “A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook,” and he is at his entertaining best as he takes aim at some of the biggest names in the foodie world, including David Chang, Alice Waters, the Top Chef winners and losers, and many more. If Hunter S. Thompson had written a book about the restaurant business, it could have been Medium Raw.

I read Kitchen Confidential last year, and I have to say that I enjoyed this one more infinitely more. I think my main issue with KC was that at times it was so technical. Because I do not have a background in cooking, there are terms and techniques that I just don't know. I had to stop periodically to look something up to truly understand what Bourdain was discussing. This book is a lot more friendly to the average reader. We are treated to the personal views of Bourdain as they relate to the food industry. I loved his chapters about the Food Network and its stars. I loved the chapters highlighting specific chefs. And I really loved the chapters where he discussed his own transitioning thoughts and ideas. It was a nice companion to his No Reservations television series. Very enjoyable read!

The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

Title: The World is Flat 3.0

Author: Thomas Friedman

Publisher: Picador 2007

Genre: Nonfiction -- Economics, Business

Pages: 660

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction -- Business; Mount TBR; Book Bingo -- 3 rereads; Nonfiction Adventure; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it!

"One mark of a great book is that it makes you see things in a new way, and Mr. Friedman certainly succeeds in that goal," the Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz wrote inThe New York Times reviewing The World Is Flat in 2005. In this new edition, Thomas L. Friedman includes fresh stories and insights to help us understand the flattening of the world. Weaving new information into his overall thesis, and answering the questions he has been most frequently asked by parents across the country, this third edition also includes two new chapters--on how to be a political activist and social entrepreneur in a flat world; and on the more troubling question of how to manage our reputations and privacy in a world where we are all becoming publishers and public figures.

I read the original edition of this book way back when it was released. That particular volume was given to a departing foreign exchange student. When I went to replace the copy, I picked up the 3rd edition and it proceeded to sit on my shelves and in boxes for years. I finally decided to read this edition.

Overall, I have to say that I've enjoyed both editions of this book that I've read. I have to say that Friedman's basic premise is fairly simplistic. Yet, I understand how people have misconstrued his concept of the flattening of the world. He doesn't actually mean that the world is equalizing, but that opportunities are becoming more accessible to people across the world. I find it very interesting to trace the progression of societies and globalization. Interesting reads, but I warn you that it's fairly dense. For the record, here's Friedman's list of 10 global flatteners:

#1: Collapse of the Berlin Wall
#2: Netscape
#3: Workflow software
#4: Uploading
#5: Outsourcing
#6: Offshoring
#7: Supply-chaining
#8: Insourcing
#9: Informing (Google and other search engines are the prime example)
#10: "The Steroids" (Wireless, Voice over Internet, and file sharing)

Bachelor Girl by Betsy Israel

Title: Bachelor Girl: 100 Years of Breaking the Rules -- a Social History of Living Single

Author: Betsy Israel

Publisher: Perennial 2002

Genre: Nonfiction -- Women's Studies; Cultural Studies

Pages: 294

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction -- Cultural Affairs; Mount TBR; Dusty Bookshelf; Nonfiction Adventure

How I Got It: I own it!

Drawing extensively on primary sources, including private journals, newspaper stories, magazine articles, advertisements, films, and other materials from popular media, Israel paints remarkably vivid portraits of single women -- and the way they were perceived -- throughout the decades. From the nineteenth-century spinsters, of New England to the Bowery girls of New York City, from the 1920s flappers to the 1940s working women of the war years and the career girls of the 1950s and 1960s, single women have fought to find and feel comfortable in that room of their own. One need only look at Bridget Jones and the Sex and the City gang to see that single women still maintain an uneasy relationship with the rest of society -- and yet they radiate an aura of glamour and mystery in popular culture.

One of those books held over from my days as a Women's Studies major. I always meant to get to the this tome, especially since it dealt with women in U.S. History (my concentration). Upon finally reading it years later, I can still say that it held my interest. While some of Israel's "current" references to Sex and the City and Allie McBeal seem very dated in 2013, the meat of the book is a timeless study of the concept of single women in history. Israel goes era by era to give the reader a clear picture of how our attitudes toward single women have and have not changed. Being single is still something of a deformity (just ask any single women of 25 how many times they get asked "when are you getting married?") and yet it is such an integral section of society. I especially loved reading about the various famous examples Israel sprinkles throughout. For example, Florence Nightingale is a fascinating example of a women with aspirations caught by her familial obligations and expectations. A very readable look at a complex societal issue.

A NonFiction Adventure Reading Challenge

When I found The Fantasy Project, I also realized that Michelle had created a nonfiction challenge. How did I not know about these? I lover her seasonal readathons and general book choices. I need to jump on this challenge also... I'm setting a goal of 100 books in 5 years, so my end date is August 2018. I think I can manage that, and I just might go over. I really want to read the nonfiction in my own stacks and branch out to those must reads I keep seeing. See my list below the challenge details:

Here are the guidelines:
choose 50+ non-fiction books; the number is up to you. Choose 50, 75, 100, 200. It's entirely your choice
Books must be non-fiction--biography, autobiography, history, memoir, cooking, travel, science, etc.
list them at your blog (or on Goodreads or another social media site, if you do not have a blog)
choose your completion goal date five years in the future and make note of it with your list of titles (like this: reading goal--50 books goal dates--March 20, 2012 - March 20, 2017)
come back here and post the link to your list in the linky below
write a review (or a short summary) on the book when finished and link it to the title in your list (or link to your review on Goodreads, again, if you don't have a blog)
there will be pages posted at the top of the blog for you to link your reviews
when you have completed the challenge, come add your link to the Completed Challenges page
there will be a blog roll in the sidebar where I will list you/your blog linked to your lists
grab the button in the right sidebar and link it back to this blog
check out this PAGE which contains links to various online sources with lists of reading ideas
I might host a read-a-long from time to time. If you are hosting one, or an event or challenge surrounding a non-fiction title, post about it at this PAGE
this challenge can be crossed over with any other challenges
your link in the linky below mustlead to your list, not just your main blog address. Any links that are blog links only will be deleted

Updates: *I was asked if the list has to be made in advance. The idea is to work toward reading non-fiction that you've been wanting to read so the list is mandatory. However, the list does not have to be set in stone. You can change out titles as the mood suits you.

My List:

The first 24 are taken directly from my Goodreads TBR shelf. And the first 53 are those that I currently own. The rest are suggestions and those I've been wanting to read. Notice the huge trend of history and women's studies volumes. Can you guess what my college majors were?

Tales from the Boom Boom Room by Susan Antilla
A History of God by Karen Armstrong
The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong
The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong
Alexander Hamilton by Richard Brookhiser
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
What Ifs? of American History by Robert Cowley
Collapse by Jared Diamond
Where the Girls Are by Susan Douglas
Born for Liberty by Sara Evans
Longitudes and Attitudes by Thomas Friedman
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
The Confessions of St. Augustine
The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Joan Aiken Hodge
13 by Nathaniel Lackenmeyer
1776 by David McCullough
Founding Myths by Ray Raphael
A Great Improvisation by Stacy Schiff
The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto
When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
One Woman, One Vote by Marjorie Wheeler
A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonescraft
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich
You Did What by Bill Fawcett
No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman
Bachelor Girl by Betty Israel
Ladies and Not So Gentle Women by Alfred Allan Lewis
Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels
Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon
A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom
What They Didn't Teach You About the Civil War by Mike Wright
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Spinning Straw into Gold by Joan Gould
John Adams by James Grant
Frida by Hayden Herrera
Histories by Herodotus
Witchcraze by Anne Llewellyn Barstow
Democracy by Alexis de Tocqueville
Jesus and the Lost Goddess by Timothy Freke
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol Karlsen
College Girls by Lynn Peril
Boundaries of Her Body by Deborah Rowland
Warrior Women by Jeanine Davis
Five Sisters by James Fox
The Words We Live By by Linda Monk
Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
Royal Panoply: Brief Lives of the English Monarchs by Carolly Erickson
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Joy of Books by Eric Burns
The Golden Bough by James George Frazer
On Writing by Stephen King
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
Washington by Ron Chernow
American Lion by Jon Meacham
Woodrow Wilson by John Milton Cooper
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
Traitor to His Class by H.W. Brands
Truman by David McCullough
Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt
The Shallows by Nicholas Carr
In the Footsteps of Alexander by Michael Wood
The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester
She-Wolves by Helen Castor
The Vanished Library by Luciano Canfora
(the rest is TBD)