Tag Archives: nonfiction

Sky Burial, by Xinran

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Thistle

This book was surprisingly captivating, interesting, and fast. I began to read it last night, and within an hour, I’d gone through the first quarter. The book is sort of a memoir-in-proxy. Xinran is a journalist, and in 1994 met … Continue reading →

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Alex and Me, by Irene Pepperberg

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Thistle

I first heard about Alex, the African Grey Parrot, a couple years ago. Jason heard an article about him and his trainer, Irene Pepperberg, on NPR. The stuff they said Alex could do – counting, item recognition, etc – was … Continue reading →

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Harry, a History, by Melissa Anelli

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Thistle

You know you’re a Harry Potter dork when you read – with enjoyment – the end-notes and bibliography to a nonfiction book about the HP phenomenon. Oh yes. I am that dork. I received Harry, a History – appropriately named, … Continue reading →

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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Posted on December 24, 2008 by Thistle

I came across this book when trying to look up images of a diving bell when reading Airman. I’d never heard of a diving bell before and had no idea what Colfer was talking about. The image search led me … Continue reading →

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Protected: On Writing, by Stephen King

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Thistle

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

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In the Land of Invisible Women, by Qanta A. Ahmed

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Thistle

I hardly know what to say about this book. I’ve been trying to read it for the last two weeks, and though it’s only 437 pages long, I struggled to get through it. I don’t want to say it’s a … Continue reading →

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Kabul Beauty School, by Deborah Rodriguez

Posted on July 31, 2008 by Thistle

As opposed to The Bookseller of Kabul, I really enjoyed this book. It is about an American woman who goes to Afghanistan with a relief group. She’s a hairdresser, not a medical professional or any other professional whose skills were … Continue reading →

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The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Thistle

In her introduction, Seierstad states that she met Sultan Khan (the bookseller, whose name has been changed for anonymity) in Kabul, Afghanistan, after spending six months tagging along as a journalist with the military offensive in the country. She was … Continue reading →

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Facing the Lion, by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton

Posted on April 9, 2008 by Thistle

Subtitled: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna I saw this book on the shelf at Barnes & Nobles a week or two ago when I took one of my sons to buy a reward book. It looked interesting, especially … Continue reading →

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[refuge], by multiple authors

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Thistle

In February 2008, I went to Palestine to visit my sister and to be there for her wedding. I met her husband, Rami, who is a Palestinian refugee. Before I left, he gave me a copy of this book, which … Continue reading →

Posted in 2008, Adult, Poetry, Prose, Visual | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment