In The River of Doubt, author Candice Millard focuses her researching and storytelling prowess on Teddy Roosevelt’s ill-conceived exploration of the Brazilian rain forest following his ego bruising, failed attempt to secure a third term as President of the United States. The story is enthralling because of its glimpse into Roosevelt’s larger than life personality as well as its details about the journey and what the men of the expedition were up against by taking on an unexplored section of the Amazon jungle. Continue reading
Category Archives: Nonfiction
Book Review: The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World by A. J. Baime
The Accidental President is a fascinating look at Harry S. Truman’s first four months as President of the United States. Thrown reluctantly into the role following the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Truman oversaw major world events including the end of World War II and the beginning of the nuclear arms race. Continue reading
Book Review: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Furiously Happy is Jenny Lawson’s candid and humorous memoir about her struggles with mental illness. Lawson, an award-winning blogger, holds nothing back in describing her disorders, her coping mechanisms, her family life, and her opinions on everything from the Australian outback to cats that yawn too much. Continue reading
10 Fascinating Nonfiction Books that Will Expand Your Mind
In the right author’s hands, true stories can be just as engrossing as fiction. Plus, the best nonfiction books teach you about a number of topics, including history, famous and non famous people, and both well-known and obscure events and locations. Continue reading
Book Review: The House by the Lake: One House, Five Families, and a Hundred Years of German History by Thomas Harding
In The House by the Lake, Thomas Harding chronicles the history of the summer lake house his Jewish great grandparents built near Berlin in the 1920s. He also weaves in one hundred years of German history and its impact on the house’s different residents, creating a fascinating story. Continue reading
Book Review: Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports by John Branch
Sidecountry is a collection of some of John Branch’s favorite articles. Branch, a Pulitzer Prize winning sports journalist for the New York Times, treats his readers to “something different, something unexpected. They would never ask for it, because they wouldn’t know to ask.” Continue reading
Book Review: The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair
The Secret Lives of Color provides a fascinating look at the history of colors – what individual colors have meant throughout the centuries, how pigments were made for paints and dyes, and so much more. Continue reading
Book Review: Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson
Pirate Hunters is the fascinating true story of the search for the pirate ship the Golden Fleece, only the second pirate shipwreck ever found. When you’re done reading it, you’ll be packing your scuba gear and heading to the Dominican Republic to hunt for treasure. Continue reading
Book Review: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Infidel is Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s 2006 memoir and tells of her remarkable journey from impoverished Somalia to the Dutch parliament. It’s also about her intellectual and spiritual journey, as her mind was broadened by Western ideas and she began to question the Muslim faith that is so deeply ingrained in Somali culture. Continue reading
Book Review: Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
Mere Christianity is a classic Christian apologetic based on a series of talks C. S. Lewis gave on BBC radio from 1941-1944 while Great Britain was embroiled in World War II. Lewis uses logic and approachable language to convey theological concepts common to all Christian religions (rather than focusing on theological differences). Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 