A Year in Paradise by Stephen Wright Watterson

Subtitle: How we lived our dream -- A very short, fun read.  They left Ohio and headed to the Erie Canal, down the Hudson and made their way to Florida for the winter.  They explored many haunts that we have and just enjoyed their year on the water.  If you want a fun overview of a trip like this, Watterson did a great job capturing the essence of the experience.

X by Sue Grafton

An interesting book, but I was never quite sure what the main story line was.  There was a picture that had been stolen, a fake identification and a dead private investigator that left some cryptic notes that needed to be figured out.  It seemed like all three eventually resolved themselves, but it was a bit ragged for me.  In the middle of it all there was also another little sub-story about some neighbors.  This is the first Grafton book I have read, because of my alphabet challenge, and I am not sure if I want to try another.

Wind, Whiskey and Whales by Silver Donald Cameron

Subtitle: A Cape Breton Voyage -- A great story about a wonderful summer voyage around Cape Breton.  It was a nine year project building the boat and they made many amazing stops along the way.  Lots of harbors and nooks and crannies, great people and towns.  I learned a lot of history about the island with all the ups and downs with industry - coal, fishing.  Beautifully told, great humor.

The Voyage of Kristina by Wayne Carpenter

This was a wonderful travel narrative of a family starting in California, heading down the coast to go through the Panama Canal, over to Florida, up the coast to Nova Scotia and down to the Bahamas.  It was very well told and nice to see that some sailors that are even more seasoned than me freak out from time to time.  This was not their first adventure and it is sure to not be their last.  This was a great read and very well told, I felt like I was riding along with them at times.

Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer

Subtitle: A Story of Violent Faith -- If you want an education on Mormonism, this is a really good start.  I really did not know much, and most of it was hear say, not actually reading it for myself.  When you are learning about different faiths there is always the 'rose colored glasses' view, but there is also much violence, disruption and change.  Krakauer was expounding on an event that happened in 1984 and the best way to even attempt to understand it was to delve into the history of the religion.  I had a hard time following everything because he did bounce around a lot from past to present.  I wish I could say that I would read it again to get a better grasp of it all, but it is just too much for me to take in.  Depending on what you know about Mormonism, you probably don't know as much as you think.

This Life is in Your Hands by Melissa Coleman

Subtitle: One Dream, Sixty Acres and a Family's Heartbreak -- This was a very good look at how people were trying to get back to the land in the late 60's and early 70's and how it did and did not work for people.  Everything starts with good intentions, but challenges come up that can strain people and families.  Add to that a tragic death and it can really form how the family functions.  It was very well written, I could feel the despair and joy and wonder of all that was happening to their family.  Well worth the read.

Seven Summits by Dick Bass, Frank Wells and Rick Ridgeway

If you like adventure and the art of getting it done you will enjoy this book.  Dick and Frank had a goal to climb the seven highest summits in the world in one year.  There were many trials and tribulations, much wheeling and dealing and a lot of personal growth..  This is not something that I would ever really want to do, but it does make me want to explore a bit more and see what I can accomplish.  The writing did not always have the best flow and rhythm, but it was very enjoyable.