Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: Book Review

4.5 Stars. If you look at all six of the genres I’ve placed this book in, you can tell that it defies description. The title sounds boring to me. I had to take a plant taxonomy class in college. While I enjoyed learning the names of things, I didn’t like learning about the plants themselves. Photosynthesis, xylem and phloem, or […]

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All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg: Book Review

4.5 Stars. Mostly what I took away from this book is humor and grace. Somehow Rick Bragg’s first memoir is the last one I’ve read and I have literally laughed ’til I cried in every one. I’ve read my family members bits here and there and retold stories I remember and made everyone listening to me laugh too. Maybe they’re just […]

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The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg: Book Review

4 Stars. Having now read one of Bragg’s books and listened to another, I am torn about the best medium. I’m left thinking that the best thing for everyone would be if his publishers just gave us one of those readalong books I remember from when I was little. “You’ll know it’s time to turn the page when you hear the chime ring like this […]

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Ava’s Man by Rick Bragg: Book Review

4 Stars. My uncle has been telling me for–oh, years now, that I just have to read Rick Bragg. I do take his recommendations seriously, but my to-read list is out of control and I’m just now getting to him. How I wish I had listened to my uncle earlier. I will not be waiting years to read more of Bragg’s work, that is for sure […]

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Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: Book Review

4 Stars. I just read Art Spiegelman’s Maus about a month ago and loved it. I thought I would go ahead and give this other highly-acclaimed graphic novel/memoir a try. I enjoyed it, if that’s the correct word, but it didn’t affect me quite the same way Maus did. I’m not too sure why. Maybe it’s because I know more about WWII than […]

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Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi: Book Review

4 Stars. I felt like I was sitting in this roomful of multi-generational women as they gossiped about themselves, each other, and friends they knew. I think all women have sat in a group like this, when there aren’t any men around, and said just exactly what we really think. It’s not all ladylike and demure. This is the chance […]

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