The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan

Title: The Last Castle

Author: Denise Kiernan

Publisher: Touchstone 2017

Genre: U.S. History

Pages: 388

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Nonfiction Adventure; Popsugar - 2017 Prompt (Recommended by a Librarian); Modern Mrs. Darcy - Biography

A New York Times bestseller with an "engaging narrative and array of detail” (The Wall Street Journal), the “intimate and sweeping” (Raleigh News & Observer) untold, true story behind the Biltmore Estate—the largest, grandest private residence in North America, which has seen more than 120 years of history pass by its front door.

This was our book club selection for June and I was super excited to read it. I love social history and the subject matter was something I knew little about. I must say that after reading this book, I know a lot more about the Vanderbilts, various other contemporary figures, random concurrent historical events, and Biltmore itself. The story lends itself to a fascinating look at the rise and (somewhat) fall of one of America's great families. What I found even more interesting was the surrounding non-Vanderbilt characters. The residents and employees of Biltmore contributed in many ways to the construction and building of the great house. I Overall a very interesting book. At times the writing became a bit too detailed and slowed down my reading, but I made it through to the end and learned a lot in the process. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

A History of the Wife by Margaret Yalom

Title: A History of the Wife

Author: Margaret Yalom

Publisher: Harper 2002

Genre: Nonfiction - Social Sciences; History

Pages: 464

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Reading Assignment; Perpetual - Nonfic Ad

How did marriage, considered a religious duty in medieval Europe, become a venue for personal fulfillment in contemporary America? How did the notion of romantic love, a novelty in the Middle Ages, become a prerequisite for marriage today? And, if the original purpose of marriage was procreation, what exactly is the purpose of marriage for women now? 

A very very very dense social science book but very interesting. I do appreciate Yalom's adherence to detail when examining marriage throughout history. This isn't the most uplifting book, but I was intrigued by the topic and the exploration of the historical record. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Title: The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of American's Shining Women

Author: Kate Moore

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2017

Genre: History

Pages: 496

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...

Our book club selection for April. I've been super excited to read this history and it did not disappoint. I was horrified reading the trials all of these "radium girls" had to suffer through during their (in most cases) very short lives. I knew their stories weren't going to necessarily end well, but holy cow, it was even worse than I imagined. The devious dealings of the various radium companies and lawyers depressed me. However, the strength shown by the women involved was amazing. A very fascinating history of a little know story. I can't wait to discuss at book club.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman

Title: Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure

Author: Amy Kaufman

Publisher: Dutton 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - Media

Pages: 310

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Nonfiction Adventure; Seasonal Series - Lemonade; I Love Libraries

Bachelor Nation is the first behind-the-scenes, unauthorized look into the reality television phenomenon. Los Angeles Times journalist Amy Kaufman is a proud member of Bachelor Nation and has a long history with the franchise--ABC even banned her from attending show events after her coverage of the program got a little too real for its liking. She has interviewed dozens of producers, contestants, and celebrity fans to give readers never-before-told details of the show's inner workings: what it's like to be trapped in the mansion "bubble"; dark, juicy tales of producer manipulation; and revelations about the alcohol-fueled debauchery that occurs long before the fantasy suite.

I heard Amy Kaufman do an interview on Here to Make Friends (a Bachelor podcast). I was intrigued by the premise of the book even more than the books written by former contestants. I dove into this one headfirst and didn't stop reading until the end. In speaking to a ton of people formerly involved in the show, she gained a very interesting perspective. I was at times horrified and intrigued. A very interesting take on the show.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon

Title: The Great Halifax Explosion

Author: John U. Bacon

Publisher: William Morrow 2017

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 432

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Nonfiction Adventure; Popsugar - Set at Sea;  I Love Libraries

After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT—the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for HIroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shockwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble.

This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands.

After hearing about this disaster on an episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class, I heard about a book detailing the event. Randomly the library had it on the new releases shelf last week and I knew that I had to read it. The book is very well researched in detailing the events leading up to the explosion and the aftermath. I was horrified to read about the tragedy that befell the citizens of Halifax. And yet, it was a fascinating read. I was thoroughly engrossed in the book for the entirety. Definitely a great read for fans of history. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Title: 84, Charing Cross Road

Author: Helene Hanff

Publisher: Grossman Publishers 1970 (Penguin Books 1990)

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 97

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Bookstore; I Love Libraries

This charming classic love story, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, at the time, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London at 84, Charing Cross Road. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally, they share a winsome, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Their relationship, captured so acutely in these letters, is one that has touched the hearts of thousands of readers around the world.

This book has been mentioned on Anne Bogel's podcast What Should I Read Next so many times, I had to add it to my library holds list. And I'm glad I did. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting, but was pleasantly surprised by the cute letters between Helene and the various people at the bookstore at 84 Charing Cross Road. Over the course of a few years, a relationship develops that I wasn't expecting but was delighted by. Such a slim little volume, but a great read. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Title: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Publisher: Norton and Company 2017

Genre: Nonfiction - Science 

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Essay Collection

What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.

While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

Our book club selection for February (actually the meeting isn't until next weekend due to last weekend's retreat). I was looking forward to learning more about astrophysics and this did not disappoint. I have always enjoyed Tyson's way of relating scientific information. This collection of essays has some great pieces with a ton of information about the universe. I know I didn't really retain all the information and will have to reread this one soon. But that's okay, Tyson's style of writing will make that reread enjoyable. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels

Title: The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics

Author: Elaine Pagels

Publisher: Vintage Books 1995

Genre: Nonfiction - Religion

Pages: 214

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd); Mount TBR; A to Z: O

From the religious historian whose The Gnostic Gospels won both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award comes a dramatic interpretation of Satan and his role on the Christian tradition. With magisterial learning and the elan of a born storyteller, Pagels turns Satan’s story into an audacious exploration of Christianity’s shadow side, in which the gospel of love gives way to irrational hatreds that continue to haunt Christians and non-Christians alike.

I really enjoyed Pagels's The Gnostic Gospels and hoped this one would be just as good. Unfortunately, I found this volume to be too meandering but also dense. I was bogged down by all the information included. I really enjoyed history tomes, but this one bored me a little too much. I was hoping for a much more lively account of the history of the Satan figure. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bonk by Mary Roach

Title: Bonk

Author: Mary Roach

Publisher: Norton 2009

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 321

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

In Bonk, the best-selling author of Stiff turns her outrageous curiosity and insight on the most alluring scientific subject of all: sex. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Why doesn't Viagra help women-or, for that matter, pandas? Can a dead man get an erection? Is vaginal orgasm a myth? Mary Roach shows us how and why sexual arousal and orgasm-two of the most complex, delightful, and amazing scientific phenomena on earth-can be so hard to achieve and what science is doing to make the bedroom a more satisfying place.

Our book club collection for this month. I actually read this about 6 years ago, but I couldn't remember the specifics of the studies highlighted. It was a nice easy reread for a busy time of the year. I fell back into Roach's hilarious style full of fun asides and irreverant questions. The first few chapters feel a little slow, but the book quickly speeds up. I flew through the last 100 pages or so. Definitely an interesting read.  

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol Karlsen

Title: The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England

Author: Carol Karlsen

Publisher: Norton and Company 1987

Genre: Nonfiction U.S. History

Pages: 370

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd); Mount TBR

Confessing to "familiarity with the devils," Mary Johnson, a servant, was executed by Connecticut officials in 1648. A wealthy Boston widow, Ann Hibbens was hanged in 1656 for casting spells on her neighbors. The case of Ann Cole, who was "taken with very strange Fits," fueled an outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Hartford a generation before the notorious events at Salem.

More than three hundred years later, the question "Why?" still haunts us. Why were these and other women likely witches―vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft and possession? Carol F. Karlsen reveals the social construction of witchcraft in seventeenth-century New England and illuminates the larger contours of gender relations in that society.

I'm always up for a good history book. And this one doesn't disappoint. I was fully into Karlsen's examinations of the events that led to and resulted from the Salem Witch Trails. More than merely a recounting, Karlsen dives into the motivations of the colonists in New England and focuses on gender dynamics of the time. This volume is very dense, but a great examination of the time. Diehard history fans will love this volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Reading People by Anne Bogel

Title: Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything

Author: Anne Bogel

Publisher: Baker Books 2017

Genre: Nonfiction 

Pages: 217

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar -- Career Advice

For readers who long to dig deeper into what makes them uniquely them (and why that matters), popular blogger Anne Bogel has done the hard part--collecting, exploring, and explaining the most popular personality frameworks, such as Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Enneagram, and others. She explains to readers the life-changing insights that can be gained from each and shares specific, practical real-life applications across all facets of life, including love and marriage, productivity, parenting, the workplace, and spiritual life. In her friendly, relatable style, Bogel shares engaging personal stories that show firsthand how understanding personality can revolutionize the way we live, love, work, and pray.

I'm a huge fan of Anne Bogel's podcast What Should I Read Next and was intrigued by the entire premise of her new book. I ended up preordering this one so I would get it when it released, but life got in the way of me reading this when it arrived. I ended getting this book this week and really did enjoy it. I read through all the various personality frameworks Bogel discusses but probably only really absorbed about 60% of the information presented. This book will definitely need a reread in a few weeks to continue my understanding of personality framelworks and how they apply to our lives. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Tea Reader by Katrina Avila Munichiello

Title: A Tea Reader: Living Life One Cup at a Time

Author: Katrina Avila Munichiello

Publisher: Tuttle 2011

Genre: Nonfiction - Food

Pages: 256

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (Nonfiction Adventure)

This anthology shares the ways that tea has changed lives through personal, intimate stories. Read of deep family moments, conquered heartbreak, and peace found in the face of loss. A Tea Reader includes stories from all types of tea people: people brought up in the tea tradition, those newly discovering it, classic writings from long-ago tea lovers and those making tea a career. Together these tales create a new image of a tea drinker. They show that tea is not simply something you drink, but it also provides quiet moments for making important decisions, a catalyst for conversation, and the energy we sometimes need to operate in our lives.

The entire premise of this collection really intrigued me on the library shelf, but I just didn't love it like I was hoping I would. Some of the essays were quite enjoyable. Some of them seemed unfinished, as if an except was taken losing all context. And some essays just didn't land at all. Fairly disappointed in this collection. Oh well...

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Title: Hidden Figures 

Author: Margot Lee Shetterly

Publisher: William Morrow 2016

Genre: U.S. History

Pages: 349

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (Nonfiction Adventure); Mount TBR

Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future.

We watched the movie a few months back and I've been itching to read the book. I heard it included much more information and I wasn't disappointed. In this deceptively slim volume, Shetterly packs in so much information. We trace the careers and lives for four women but also learn about social movements, the space race, court cases, and the inner workings of Langley through a very tumultuous time in our nation's history. I was completely entranced by the stories from page one although I will admit to taking a few breaks to allow my brain to absorb the information. The movie did a great job taking very complicated stories and distilling it down to something that could be enjoyed in two hours. But after reading the book, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Mary Jackson's story. Hers was the journey that really stood out for me. Her passion for engineering, helping her neighbors, and promoting education was fascinating. Definitely a must read! This one will most likely end up on my Top 10 Reads of 2017 list!

Next up on the TBR pile:

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

Title: We are Never Meeting in Real Life

Author: Samantha Irby

Publisher: Vintage Books 2017

Genre: Nonfiction 

Pages: 275

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsguar - Cat on Cover

With We Are Never Meeting in Real Life., “bitches gotta eat” blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making “adult” budgets, explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette—she's "35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-something"—detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father's ashes, sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms—hang in there for the Costco loot—she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.

Our book club book for August. And I must admit that my response to the collection was "meh." That is to say that I don't think it is a bad book. I enjoyed parts of the book, some of the essays, and yet I wasn't itching to pick it back up every time I put it down. At a different time, I may even enjoy the collection, but right now I just couldn't find myself caring that much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dead Feminists by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

Title: Dead Feminists: Historic Heroines in Living Color

Author: Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

Publisher: Sasquatch Books 2016

Genre: Nonfiction - Women's History

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd; Feminism);  Popsugar - About an Interesting Woman(en)

Based on the beloved letterpress poster series of the same name, Dead Feminists interweaves intricate broadside art with archival photographs and ephemera. This book brings feminist history to life, profiling 27 unforgettable forebears of the modern women’s movement such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Gwendolyn Brooks, Rachel Carson, and more. Across eras and industries, passions and geographies, this collection of diverse, progressive, and perseverant women faced what looked like insurmountable odds and yet, still, they persisted.

Random grab at the library, although someone on some blog had mentioned it. I did not read the description before diving in. I assumed it was just a book of short biographies of extraordinary women (which I would have loved to read). Instead, we get short bigraphies and artisitc broadsides created specifically for each woman. I loved the biographies of these amazing ladies, but the real interest was in the art that was created. I loved how the authors included some explanations as to their choices for each broadside. They incorporated so many aspects of life from each woman. Fascinating work! I would love to own a few of these broadsides for my walls.

Next up on the TBR pile:

50 Great American Places by Brent D. Glass

Title: 50 Great American Places: Essential History Sites Across the U.S.

Author: Brent D. Glass

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2016

Genre: U.S. History

Pages: 292

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd); What's in a Name - Number in Numbers

 A one-of-a-kind guide to fifty of the most important cultural and historic sites in the United States guaranteed to fascinate, educate, and entertain—selected and described by the former director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

I grabbed this one from the library new books shelf. I love a good history book and thought this would be fun little book where I could learn some new facts. Unfortunately for me, I knew 90% of the information presented. Sometimes it sucks to be a U.S. History major... I did enjoy the book and Glass highlights some interesting spots around the country. It's just not going to be on my favorite reads for the year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Title: Everyday Sexism

Author: Laura Bates

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books 2016

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 406

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Feminism; I Love Libraries

The Everyday Sexism Project was founded by writer and activist Laura Bates in April 2012. It began life as a website where people could share their experiences of daily, normalized sexism, from street harassment to workplace discrimination to sexual assault and rape.

While this book is extremely depressing, it is also very informative and should be required reading. I could only read a few pages at a time because their were so powerful. I needed extra time to digest the information and experiences. Thank you Laura Bates for giving people a place to share their stories and receive some sense of support.

Unmentionable by Therese Oneill

Title: Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners

Author: Therese Oneill

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2016

Genre: History

Pages: 307

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - With a Subtitle; I Love Libraries

Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there's arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn't question.)

UNMENTIONABLE is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood.

Random library find and I absolutely fell for it! Hilarious for page 1 until page 307. Oneill's writing style is amazing, full of wit and wonder. I seriously laughed out loud at almost every page. While I loved Oneill's writing in discussion the various aspects of life during the Victorian Era, I definitely appreciated the inclusion of primary sources to give evidence to her ideas. Thank you for proper research and showing evidence for claims. Plus, the passages were amazing at showing how out of touch some "scientists" and "doctors" at the time were. I'm looking at you Kellogg! A definite fun pick for some pre-bedtime reading.

Hamilton The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

Title: Hamilton The Revolution

Author: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

Publisher: Grand Central 2016

Genre: Nonfiction - Theater

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsguar -  Bestseller from 2016; I Love Libraries

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages--"since before this was even a show," according to Miranda--traces its development from an improbable perfor­mance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.

Finally got this from the library! And it was so worth the wait! For three days, I was completely engrossed in this book. Reading and rereading the libretto and essays. I loved catching the little nuances in the lines of the songs. Things I never noticed just listening to the cast recording. And it was great to hear the story of how the show came together over many years and many different iterations. My favorite essay was the one discussing the staging and progression of the four songs in Act II dealing with Hamilton's affair with Maria Reynolds. Fascinating! My stagecraft background definitely came into play while reading that essay. Such a great book for fans of the show.

The Daily Show: An Oral History by Chris Smith

Title: The Daily Show (The Book): An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff, and Guests

Author: Chris Smith

Publisher: Grand Central 2016

Genre: Nonfiction - Media

Pages: 459

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (Nonfiction Adventure); I Love Libraries

For almost seventeen years, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart brilliantly redefined the borders between television comedy, political satire, and opinionated news coverage. It launched the careers of some of today's most significant comedians, highlighted the hypocrisies of the powerful, and garnered 23 Emmys. Now the show's behind-the-scenes gags, controversies, and camaraderie will be chronicled by the players themselves, from legendary host Jon Stewart to the star cast members and writers-including Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Lewis Black, Jessica Williams, John Hodgman, and Larry Wilmore-plus some of The Daily Show's most prominent guests and adversaries: John and Cindy McCain, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, and many more.

I loved The Daily Show under Jon Stewart and was looking forward to learning more about the inner workings of the show. I liked that the book included interviews with all peoples involved and some show transcripts. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed that the book skipped over some big events and issues in the show's history. The book seemed to skim over a lot. And the book would definitely not be interesting to those who did not watch at least some of the episodes.