I’ll be reading this again after I chew on what sunk in the first time through. (It’s a slim 119 pages, so that won’t be hard.) The most interesting argument in the book is that Americans see the country as an extension of their family, so their models for raising a family extend to what they think is the best approach for the country. Lakoff puts forth two basic models—the strict father model and the nurturant parent model. Most people have both models; it’s a question of what their active model is and whether that active model translates to their politics as well.

A cute middle-grade novel about a girl who speaks up when she sees something that needs fixing. The dedication in the front of the book is great: “To everyone who ever said, ‘Somebody ought to write a letter’—and then wrote it.”

Erdrich takes the reader through her winter pregnancy, becoming a new mother, and reconciling that motherhood with her own needs, namely writing. I’ve never read any of her fiction, but I imagine it must be very lyrical because of the way she describes things in this memoir. This was an enjoyable read, though as new-mother memoirs go, I think I prefer the more humorous style of Anne Lamott’s Operating Instructions.

From the back: “This is the exciting true story of Abbie Burgess, who single-handedly kept the lighthouse lamps lit during a tremendous storm off the coast of Maine in 1856.” I enjoyed this easy reader that also happens to be a Reading Rainbow book. I’ll be sure to check out more from the On My Own History series!

This book is very well written and tremendously poetic, but it took me a while to get into it. I’ve never really loved poetry, so that’s probably why. If you’re a poetry lover yourself, you’ll probably enjoy this book more than I did.

Irving is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of his best. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m sure the book is much, much better. How could you not love a book in which the family has a pet bear?

Funny, sad, and happy all at once. I finished this book in 3 days (only one of which was on the weekend), which is quick for me. This copy has an interview with the author at the back, and I thought I’d quote her answer to a question about her ideal reader: “My ideal reader is any woman who’s ever felt like she needed to get undressed in the dark, any woman who’s ever felt miserable about the size of her hips or the shape of her face or the texture of her hair…which is to say, lamentably, every single woman in America, and probably beyond, judging from the reception Good in Bed has gotten abroad.”

I’ve heard a couple people describe Barbara Pym as a modern-day Jane Austen. I love Austen’s books, so I decided to give Pym a try, and I wasn’t disappointed. This book was a very enjoyable read. It’s definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, but I still had a hard time putting it down once I picked it up. I’ll be sure to seek out more of Pym’s work in the future.

An interesting discussion of ambition in women’s lives and careers. For a nonfiction book, it was a very easy read. The author makes some great points, one of which is that recognition for a job well done is a basic human need.

Now I’m itching to read the last book of the series! I just can’t believe it’s almost over…