I Dewey!

So I've finally finished the Adult Winter Reading Program - Dewey or Don't We. It took me all 6 weeks, but I finally finished 5 nonfiction books. So here's what I read:

A Princess Found: An American Family, an African Chiefdom, and the Daughter who Connected Them All by Sarah Culberson and Tracy Trivas - Although it's in the teen area, this book was written for adults but will appeal to both. Biracial Sarah Culberson was adopted and raised by a white family in a predominantly white community. As she grows up and reaches adulthood, she struggles with issues of identity and goes searching for her biological family. What she discovers is that she is a princess of an African tribe, and her relatives there have an amazing story of their own.

Alligators, New Mink & Old Money by Allison Houtte & Melissa Houtte - One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing - as someone who shops almost exclusively at thrift stores, this book was a fun trip. I actually didn't want to put it down. For more details, read Carrie's review in a previous post.

Way Off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small Town America by Bill Geist - A wacky road trip to small towns all over the country, this collection of essays explores some of the strangest festivals and institutions in some of the most remote areas of the United States. Completely irreverent, Bill Geist takes us to Dead Guy Days, the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival, on the route with the 90-year-old airplane pilot/paper boy and more. I laughed out loud at nearly every chapter.

Lavender: How to Grow and Use the Fragrant Herb by Ellen Spector Platt - I've been thinking of growing some lavender in my front yard, so this was an excellent resource. I learned about different types of lavender, what it needs to grow well, and lots of different uses for the herb. After reading this book, I'm determined to give it a try, although I'm not sure I'll succeed...

The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of an Unexpected Blooming by Jeannie Ralston - A succesful New York journalist marries the guy of her dreams... and finds herself in rural Texas raising children alone for extended time periods and watching over a lavender farm that she never wanted. However, life has more surprises in store for this city girl-turned-farmer, and what's to come is all the sweeter for the difficulties that surrounded its coming. I had trouble relating to Jeannie because I'm exactly the opposite - I dislike cities and prefer living away from the crowd and closer to nature. However, I would love to visit her lavender farm....

February Books Sandwiched In:

This month for our Books Sandwiched In, everyone brought books they were reading or recently enjoyed to share with the group. The picks were:

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
Country Driving by Peter Hessler
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo & The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson
Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato
Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall
Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
March by Geraldine Brooks
Married to a Stranger by Patricia McDonald
Middling Folk by Linda Matthews
Missing Mark by Julie Kramer
Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Take the Cannoli by Sarah vowell

Also mentioned: How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gill and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith