12 Months of Reading Goodness

 

Happy New Year, everyone!

Have you ever seen those reading lists “52 Categories of Books to Read this Year”? They are populated with categories like “Read a book that takes place in China” and “Read a book published in the 1800s”, and then the idea is to tick one category off each week of the year. They are fun to look at, but maybe a little too restrictive to follow. And a book a week is an ambitious pace. Continue reading

Book Review: The Library Book, by Susan Orlean

There is a lot to like about The Library Book. Author Susan Orlean chronicles the 1986 fire that devastated the Los Angeles Central Library, at the same time using it as a vehicle to explore the history of the library, the mission and future of libraries in general, and share her own poignant history and relationship with libraries. Continue reading

Book Review: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rosling

The title of this book says it all. This is a fact based look at the world, and the facts show that, on the whole, the world is improving in most key areas, including education, income and life expectancy. Written by a gifted storyteller and accomplished scientist, Factfulness is a powerful antidote to people’s tendency to think that the sky is perpetually falling. Continue reading