LATE DECEMBER
Mandolin for Dummies, by Don Julin (2011)
A very good how-to-play-mandolin manual.
Total read so far: 1.
JANUARY
Portrait of Canada, by June Callwood (1981)
A quick history of the country, focusing mainly on political disputes.
A Friday Night Lights Companion: Love, Loss and Football in Dillon, Texas, edited by Leah Wilson (2011)
Essays and commentary on the show.
Grammar Essentials for Dummies, by Geraldine Woods (2010)
Exactly what you'd expect from the title.
Girls of Summer: In Their Own League, by Lois Browne (1992)
A breezy history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League written for the non-sports fan.
Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From its Cultural Captivity, by Nancy Pearcey (2004)
This was one of Courtney's books from the Challies internship. It was pretty good for a book on philosophy.
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away, by Bill Bryson (1999)
This is a collection of columns written for a British magazine, about the daily life of an American expat returning to life in the States.
Total read this month: 6, bringing nonfiction total to 7.
FEBRUARY
The World According to Star Wars, by Cass R. Sunstein (2016)
Written by a law professor, this is equal parts analysis about the sci-fi megafranchise and the complexities of determining constitutional law.
Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, by Ben Batchelor (2017)
A well-researched but inconsistently-paced biography.
Now All We Need is a Title: Famous Book Titles and How They Got That Way, by Andre Bernard (1995)
Short anecdotes about how famous and obscure books got their titles, and examples of the (usually much less compelling) working titles.
The Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets, by Jean Craighead George (1996)
A memoir of all the exotic pets she and her children raised.
The Western Lit Survival Kit: An Irreverent Guide to the Classics from Homer to Faulkner, by Sandra Newman (2012)
If Dr. Mackie was feeling really snarky, she could have totally written this. It was entertaining and informative, though I disagreed with the author on a lot of the writers that I'd read (for example, Kipling, Twain and Faulkner are all fantastic).
Total read this month: 5, bringing nonfiction total to 12..
MARCH
The Not-So-Lost Soul Companion: More Hope, Strength, and Strategies for Artists and Artists-at-Heart, by Susan M. Brackney (2002)
A little too fluffy to be useful, in small packages it might be inspiring.
The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life, by Os Guinness (1998)
This was well worth reading.
Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work that You Love, by Barbara J. Winter (1993)
This felt a little too "rah rah rah" to be helpful, not to mention dated, but it might be helpful for some people.
A Dab of Dickens and a Touch of Twain: Literary Lives from Shakespeare's Old England to Frost's New England, by Eliot Engel (2002)
This is It Happened in America, only about famous authors. It's great.
Making Movies, by Sidney Lumet (1995)
The director of Long Day's Journey Into Night talks about the storytelling process. A little dull, honestly.
Never Leave Your Block: Adventures in Urban Living, by Scott Jacobs (2012)
A Chicago journalist chronicles the happenings in his neighborhood in this collection of essays.
Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, by John Matteson (2012)
An exhausting, thoroughly well-researched and well-written biography of two passionate, strong-willed people.
Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will, by Kevin DeYoung (2009)
Extremely helpful book.
Total read this month: 8, bringing total to 20.
APRIL
Cary Grant: A Biography, by Marc Eliot (2004)
I was disappointed by this one, after enjoying the author's book about Ronald Reagan.
One Summer: America, 1927, by Bill Bryson (2013)
A look at the American summer of 1927. Lots happened, including Charles Lindbergh's flight over the Atlantic.
A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson (1998)
The author recounts his experience of trying to conquer the Appalachian Trail.
Sports From Hell: My Search for the World's Dumbest Competition, by Rick Reilly (2009)
Did you know chess boxing exists? Me neither.
Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary, by Roger Ebert (1999)
The title says it all...TV Tropes before the internet was really much of a thing.
Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale, by Dan Dye, Mark Beckloff and Richard Simon (2000)
A memoir of a deaf albino Great Dane and the gourmet dog-biscuit company she and her owners founded.
Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell (2011)
A history of Hawaii from Captain Cook to American annexation, written by the historian/radio personality who is the voice of Violet Parr.
For the Love of Books: 115 Celebrated Writers on the Books They Love Most, collected by Ronald B. Schwartz (1998)
Most of these writers I had never heard of, and I doubt I'll ever read Moby Dick or The Brothers Karamazov, but it was interesting to see what books had an impact on them.
Bigger Than the Game: Bo, Boz, the Punky QB, and How the '80's Created the Modern Athlete, by Michael Weinreb (2011)
A very interesting, though also depressing, history and analysis of the 1980's and its impact on pop culture and sports.
Total read this month: 9, bringing total to 29.
MAY
Aspects of the Novel, by E.M. Forster (1927)
E.M. Forster tries to define the elements of a novel as a guest speaker at Yale. Very interesting.
How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster (2003)
This would have been very helpful when starting college. Funny and well-written, too,
Hang Time: Days and Dreams with Michael Jordan, by Bob Greene (1992)
You always hear about Michael Jordan the basketball player - otherwordly excellent. Michael Jordan the advertising guy - otherworldly excellent. Michael Jordan the baseball player - kind of a disappointment. Michael Jordan the owner/player - rather depressing and pitiful. But you never get to hear about Michael Jordan the human. Bob Greene became friends with him, because he wasn't a sportswriter, and he could listen well.
Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen: Reflections at Sixty and Beyond, by Larry McMurtry (1999)
Reflections on living in north-central Texas, ranching, reading and writing fill this meandering but pleasant read.
Prime-Time Hits: Television's Most Popular Network Programs, 1950 to the Present, by Susan Sackett (1993)
A short overview of the history of top 10 TV shows each decade from the early days to the early nineties.
Travels, by Michael Crichton (1988)
Crichton's journey of trying to understand himself and the world, featuring essays on subjects as varied as medical school, mountain climbing, living in Hollywood and mysticism.
The Intimate Marriage, by R.C. Sproul (written 1978, revised 2003)
R.C. Sproul's guide to marriage.
A Child's Delight, by Noel Perrin (1997)
A series of short essays praising obscure children's literature.
Total read this month: 7, bringing nonfiction total to 36.
JUNE
First Person Rural: Essays of a Sometime Farmer, by Noel Perrin (1978)
Humorous essays on New England country living minutiae.
Fatal: The Poisonous Life of a Female Serial Killer, by Harold Schecter (2003)
A "meh" account of late nineteenth-century New England serial killer Jane Toppan.
Counter Culture: A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography, by David Platt (2015)
That subtitle pretty well sums it up... Platt always feels like he's yelling at you in his writing.
Bush League: A Colorful, Factual Account of Minor League Baseball from 1877 to the Present, by Robert Obojski (1975)
A rather dry, academic history of minor league baseball. Would be useful as a reference for historical fiction.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain (2012)
This was very much worth reading. Some of the life-survival tips I'd stumbled across myself, which was also interesting.
Five Patients, by Michael Crichton (1969)
A critical analysis of the hospital environment and medical school practices. Really interesting.
Rebound: The Odyssey of Michael Jordan, by Bob Greene (1995)
The baseball period has always been one of the most fascinating parts about Michael Jordan's life, and one that you rarely heard about. The true story of Space Jam (which was being filmed as this book was in the publishing process) was well worth reading.
Total read this month: 7, bringing nonfiction total to 43.
JULY
Second-Person Rural: More Essays of a Sometime Farmer, by Noel Perrin (1980)
Subjects include the differences between city and country people and an account of taste-testing potato varieties.
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller (2008)
This was excellent.
Third-Person Rural: Further Essays of a Sometime Farmer, by Noel Perrin (1983)
Subjects include Vermont's weather and the threat of nuclear warfare.
Rapture Ready! Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture, by Daniel Radosh (2008)
This snarky analysis needed to be written, but a Christian could never have written it. So a Jewish agnostic did instead.
Baseball: An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns (1994)
This history was masterfully researched and well-written. The photos were interesting, too.
We Made This Country Great, edited by Ken Tate (2002)
Short essays telling about everyday life in America from the 1890s to the 1950s.
Total read this month: 6, bringing total to 49.
AUGUST
Belles on Their Toes, by Ernestine Gilbreth Carey and Frank Gilbreth Jr (1950)
The sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen explains what happened to the Gilbreth clan after their father died.
Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad, by Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard (1999)
"Hey, guys! We found a secret code hidden in slave quilts! Unfortunately, we don't understand it." It does make Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" a little clearer, though, so there was some good to reading this book.
Sam Walton: The Inside Story of America's Richest Man, by Vance Trimble (1990)
This biography wasn't nearly as good as the first handful of times I read it.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less, by Terry Ryan (2000)
A hilarious, pathetic, miraculous tale of a southwest Ohio family's struggle to survive.
Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society, by Danny Fingeroth (2004)
This is a breezy tone, but deep questions being asked. It's well worth reading.
Bill Peet: An Autobiography, by Bill Peet (1989)
A former Disney animator and picture-book author/illustrator tells his life story, using plenty of drawings to fill in the word-gaps.
Moments: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs, edited by Sheryle and John Leekley (1978)
These pictures....it was like being in the Newseum again. Sometimes, as Dan Rather says in the introduction, it can be discouraging how one image can really say a thousand words.
Total read this month: 7, bringing total to 56.
SEPTEMBER
Yin & Yang Nutrition for Dogs; Maximizing Health with Whole Foods, Not Drugs, by Judy Morgan and Hue Grant (2017)
This is a cookbook for dog-owners who have a ton of extra time and resources to cook natural foods for their pets. I reviewed it for Dog O'Day.
From Lucky to Smart: Leadership Lessons from QuikTrip, by Chester Cadieux and Judie Nera (2008)
A book on management principles from QuikTrip's history. Pretty good book for its kind.
Total read this month: 2, bringing total to 58.
OCTOBER
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, by Bill Bryson (1989)
Bryson has two settings: hilarious and insufferable. This book has enough elements of both to wash out into a "meh, that was okay." Still, I was expecting Travels with Charley, so that was somewhat disappointing.
Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites who Ruled Texas Football, by Jim Dent (2007)
This wasn't bad, but it should've been much better, considering that the author was a sportswriter with 30-plus years of experience. The chapters felt disconnected and basic facts didn't quite add up, but if you enjoyed Friday Night Lights, Matt Saracen and Tim Riggins could have been at home here. It tells about the Fort Worth Masonic Home football teams that rose to the top echelon of 1930s Texas high school football.
Sacagawea's Nickname: Essays on the American West, by Larry McMurtry (2001)
Interesting essays on a wide variety of Western characters, places and literature.
Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History, by Kati Marton (2001)
This was a really interesting history, especially when viewed with Tevi Troy's book on pop culture and the Presidency.
The Complete Samoyed, by Robert H. and Dolly Ward (1971)
An especially dull academic history of the Samoyeds of dog-show fame. Reviewed for Dog O'Day.
Total read this month: 5, bringing total to 63.
NOVEMBER
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction, by Neil Gaiman (2014)
Essays and introductions by the ever-zany and clever Neil Gaiman.
You Can Write Children's Books, by Tracey Dils (2009)
An easily readable guide to the process of writing children's books.
Face the Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-Winning Broadcast, by Bob Schieffer (2004)
This was well worth reading, both for political history and TV history, in addition to several good essays on the role of journalism and journalists in the world.
Stolen! A History of Base Stealing, by Russell Roberts (1999)
Exactly what it sounds like, which was so oddly specific to write an entire book about that it made for a book-sale gamble. It wasn't the best baseball book I've ever read, but it wasn't awful, either.
Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family, by Nicholas Pileggi (1985)
This is the book Goodfellas was based on. The movie was better.
Nike is a Goddess: The History of Women in Sports, edited by Lissa Smith (1999)
About half the history in these essays I already knew, but they were still interesting reading, particularly the hockey and soccer chapters.
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, by Paco Underhill (1999)
This was really interesting, as a "I never would have thought of looking at it that way, but that's awesome!" type of book.
To America: Personal Reflections of an Historian, by Stephen Ambrose (2002)
Somewhat boring, but not terrible as an introduction to his work.
Bare Fists: The History of Bare-Knuckle Prizefighting, by Bob Mee (2002)
This was written well, but there's only so long you can read about 18th century British boxers.
The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block and the Creative Brain, by Alice W. Flaherty (2004)
This was interesting; the author is a mentally-ill writer whose day job is neurology, which made for a unique spin on the subject.
Total read this month: 10, bringing total to 73.
DECEMBER
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell (2005)
Gladwell is always interesting. This is about gut decisions.
Western Christians in Global Mission: What's the Role of the North American Church?, by Paul Borthwick (2012)
This was one of Courtney's textbooks that was lying around. It was pretty good.
The Last Outlaws: The Lives and Legacies of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by Thom Hatch (2013)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are some of the most interesting outlaws ever, which is saying something. The author has an interesting writing style that fully admits where he might be speculating and not venturing theories when there's zero data to back them up.
Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis (2007)
An exhaustively researched and thorough biography of a very complicated man.
The Library Book, by Susan Orlean (2018)
Partially a true crime book about a devastating inferno, partially a history of the Los Angeles City Library, and partially an ode to the wonderfulness of the concept of libraries in general, this is hard to sum up, but well-written and worth reading.
Total read this month: 4, bringing total nonfiction read this year to 77.
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