Subscribe
Recent Comments
-
Recent Posts
Contact
janetATacrossthepageDOTnetCategories
Archives
Recommended
Meta
Monthly Archives: January 2009
The Last Days
The Last Days is a page-turner — a political thriller about what its author calls the “epicenter” in his best-selling nonfiction book. I read Epicenter for a book club I belong to, and resolved to read one of Rosenberg’s fictional works. I wasn’t disappointed. It belongs, to me, on the shelf with John Grisham. But … Continue reading
Herland
How would a society composed exclusively of women function? This is the question Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes up in Herland (1915), a tale about three male adventurers who go exploring (and are held captive) in this unique, highly civilized, well-protected country. I chose this title for the Decades Challenge because “The Yellow Wallpaper” is one of the … Continue reading
Posted in Novels
Comments Off
Washington: The Indispensable Man
This isn’t how I’m accustomed to visualizing George Washington. Charles Willson Peale’s 1772 painting captures him young and gallant, with a twinkle in his eye, in his French and Indian War uniform. But thanks to Washington: The Indispensable Man, I got to know him a little bit, and follow him through his long and influential … Continue reading
Posted in Biography, History, Nonfiction
Comments Off
Sweet solitude
My pastor has been preaching a series on knowing God. Last Sunday he made reference to a book called Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. I haven’t read it, but I’m going to for sure. It’s a book about how we’re all wired differently, and God seeks to know us — and be known by us … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Nonfiction
Comments Off
Honoring Dr. King
This picture book was a good introduction for my girls to Martin Luther King. It’s geared toward young children; there’s even an introductory heads-up to parents reading to preschoolers that the book states that Dr. King was shot, and it can be sidestepped by substituting “died” instead. The book provides a very condensed and simplified … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, History, Picture Books
Comments Off
Eat This, Not That
I picked up this book because it seemed consistent with my goal to make more real food and less processed stuff. I haven’t been disappointed. Apparently not the first of the series, Eat This, Not That! is designed to offer a few priorities for healthy eating, a review of some alarming statistics, and a catalogue … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction
Comments Off
Sarah
This week I read the story of Abraham and Isaac and was confronted with its difficulty again. Sometimes poetry finds a dwelling place in the midst of a tangle, so I’ve looked around for an Abraham and Isaac poem. I liked this poem from Abraham’s perspective, by Fr. Kilian McDonnell, though it violates the limits … Continue reading
Bill Peet: An Autobiography
Weighing in at 190 pages, Bill Peet: An Autobiography has taken us several hours as a read-aloud. I’ve been aware of the book since I searched online for items on my 7-year-old’s Christmas list. Bill Peet, partly because of his winsome drawings and partly because of his entertaining and satisfying stories, has become her favorite … Continue reading
1984
At last, I finished it. What impulse compelled me to pick up this book from the Walmart shelf and purchase it? The bargain price of $5.97? The fact that I graduated from high school in 1984? Its classic status and my guilt over never having read it? The fact that I once had a teacher … Continue reading
Before the Throne
Lately I’ve been struggling with discouragement as a mother. My girls are wonderful, such gifted and beautiful little girls. They (like my husband) challenge me to come out of myself and engage more than I ever would have done on my own. But some days — like yesterday — I feel totally inadequate. These days … Continue reading
