Oral History by Lee Smith

An interesting story about a girl who goes to find out more about her family from Appalachia.  Smith tells the colorful life full of love, murder, suicide, death and family lines.  It is not a lifestyle that many people can relate to and Smith was very descriptive and well versed in telling the story.

Now, Where Were We by Roy Blount, Jr.

So I fell in love with this man's voice on Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me.  I didn't fall in love with his writing.  The book is a little dated, written in the 80's with a bunch of essays about Reagan.   There are other essays about kids, diet, exercise and some other very random things. For me it was a trudge to get through and I will stick to listening to him from now on.

Merle’s Door by Ted Kerasote

Subtitle: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog-- When I first started reading this I was not sure how much I would like it.  There was a lot of history and talk about dog behavior, when dogs became pets and how, analyzing dogs behaviors versus human behaviors.  Some of it was interesting, but I was glad when Kerasote started talking more about his relationship with Merle.   Kerasote came upon Merle at the beginning of a raft trip and they were together for almost 14 years.  There was a free spirit about Merle that was respected and the author learned as much about his dog as he did himself.  There were many great adventures and an amazing bond between them.  At the end of the book I bawled like a baby.   It was very well written and the author really touched on that special relationship between a human and their four legged friend.

Life List by Olivia Gentile

Subtitle: A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds-- This was a very enjoyable book about a woman who found birds as an outlet from being a housewife to then being an escape from cancer.  She did not start birding until her late 30's and it is amazing what she took in in about a 30 year period.  It came at a cost to her family and marriage, but she was driven and knew what she wanted.  She had some amazing adventures, scary encounters and an indescribable view of nature.  She was mourned all over the world after she died for her accomplishments but also her generosity and willingness to share her knowledge.  She grabbed life by the horns and did not let anything stop her.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

This was a difficult book for me to get through.  The language was challenging and the use of proverbs and riddles without saying what was really happening got to be a bit much for me.  I realize that it is a classic and on top 100 lists and there is a part of me that can understand that. The time period that it took place and the imagination was well thought out.  It was about a boy who traveled and had some amazing adventures,  it just wasn't for me.

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Disney movie this was not, but it was interesting.  There were a lot more stories about the jungle and the way things worked.  Mowgli got around and really was an integral  part of the jungle.  It was challenging to read and I am sure I could read it a few more times before I got all of it.  For the time period it was an amazingly imaginative story and I highly recommend it,  just take your time.

The Interior by Lisa See

The depth that See writes with forever amazes me and pulls me into to the wonderful stories.  This is the second book in the Red Princess Mystery series.  She delves deeper into her characters and weaves story lines that are beautiful and harsh at the same time.  The push and pull between the main characters, the fine line of partial truths to get to the truth and the brutal honesty of events creates a layered story.  Her portrayal of China, it's customs and history make the story come alive and I  find it fascinating.  She is an amazing author with a talent that just jumps off the page.