la femme follette

Patricia Cornwell: Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No. 15)
I only put myself through this out of some sick completist compulsion. She jumped the shark when she brought Benton back to life. Although, reading this one reminded me of whatser in Misery. Maybe if someone kidnapped Cornwell ... she would write better books ... Hm.

Jennifer 8 Lee: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
This was cute, something light to read on vaca. But seriously, when I got to the end, at the big internment camps! reveal? I just thought ... What? She seemed real smart up till now. She couldn't figure that out? This is why an intense history curriculum is the cornerstone of our home education program.

Julie Kavanagh: Rudolf Nureyev
This is the finest piece of writing I have read in five years, maybe longer -- maybe ever. It is a fascinating biography, sure, but the writing! The writing!! Applause! Clapping! She is drawing from so many sources and narratives and different kinds of material to weave this whole story together, but she makes it look so easy, and it is a technical marvel, aside from a great yarn. The account of his defection is masterful and pulse-pounding and page-turning! Also, when Fillette came to me and asked me why her new school teaches second position differently from her old school: I had a real smart, accurate & informed history-of-ballet answer for her! Five stars!

Sheherazade Goldsmith, ed: Slice of Organic Life
This had pretty photographs and sweet, matter-of-fact introductions to all manner of suburban-y farmstead, carbon-fp-reduction things, without all that kind of wooden-necklace attitude that made that Kingsolver book so insufferable. I fantasized for 8 or 12 whole minutes about keeping bees, but a. don't look good in white and b. neighbor keeps bees and will trade honey for vegetables I grow as ornaments. I love my neighborhood.

Debra W. Haffner: From Diapers to Dating : A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children, from Infancy to Adolescence.
[while reading this book, I groaned in a singsong, "transphooobiaaaa!" Mari sang back, "Sweeeeediiiiiiiiish!"]
the one for older children is better, though when my children are actually that age, I may find it as basic as I found this one. apparently, I am totally Swedish in my uptight heart. she talks about not omitting the concepts of family planning, contraception, and HIV transmission from the family's culture of quotidian sex talk, even to the littlest, which was good to remember. also, in the introduction reveals that in 21stc, there are still parents telling children they came from cabbage patch. (not in sweden)