What Was the Great Molasses Flood of 1919? by Kirsten Anderson

What Was the Great Molasses Flood of 1919? by Kirsten Anderson -- 107 pages

I listened to this on audio as I don't really know anything about the event.  It was interesting to learn to about.  It is typical of the books in the series in that it goes off on tangents every once in while but I found it more interesting than the last couple I listened to.

What Was the Children's Blizzard of 1888? by Steve Korte

 What Was the Children's Blizzard of 1888? by Steve Korte -- 112 pages

I've always wanted to know more about this catastrophe so decided to listen to the book on Spotify.  I don't think this was the strongest book in the series.  The first half of the book shared information about the time period, the Midwest, and westward expansion.  It was a very surface level treatment of the issues -- especially the Native American relocation.  Most of the information about the blizzard was actually stories of heroic teachers that helped save the lives of their students.  The stories actually became a little repetitive as there were 2-3 chapters of them.  While it was interesting I would definitely prefer to read something with a little more substance.

Who Is Dolly Parton? by True Kelley

Who Is Dolly Parton? by True Kelley -- 105 pages

I listened to the audio version of this book.  I enjoy these short biographies for kids and usually learn some new information about the subject.  This book was interesting.  However, I found it confusing as it kept jumping around through time.  It would flit between from the 60s to the 80s and then back to the 70s.  I also didn't realize when I started listening that it was written back in 2014 so there was quite a bit left out.  Overall, not the best book in the series but still interesting for those who like Dolly Parton.

What Are Taylor Swift's Eras? by Niki Catherine

What Are Taylor Swift's Eras? by Niki Catherine - 107 pages

I listened to the audiobook of this.  It was interesting how the author broke down the eras into styles of music, symbols, and colors.  I thought it interesting that seemed to focus more on music that wasn't necessarily played on the radio as I didn't recognize a lot of the song titles.  This would definitely be a book for a Swiftie fan.

Mysterious World by Laura Knowles

Mysterious World by Laura Knowles -- 191 pages

I read this book in preparation for a homeschool class I'm teaching.  It was very interesting.  It contained information on various mysterious creatures, places, events, etc.  I've read several other similar books yet this one contained a lot of things I have not heard of before. I would definitely recommend this book to kids.

One Pot, One Portion by Eleanor Wilkinson

One Pot, One Portion: 100 Simple Recipes Just for You by Eleanor Wilkinson -- 223 pages

I picked up this cookbook to read as I'm always looking for smaller recipes for just one person.  This was a great cookbook for that.  However, I did not realize that it was a British cookbook.  While I like British food, there were several recipes that had odd combinations that I would not particularly like to try.  It also used ingredients (especially cuts of meat) that are expensive in the US.  I did find a few recipes to try out.  
 

Everything's Good by Toni Chapman

Everything's Good: Cozy Classics You'll Cook Always & Forever by Toni Chapman -- 255 pages

I was not very impressed with this cookbook.  The description made it seem like it would contain easy to make home cooking.  However, I found most of the recipes called for multiple ingredients you wouldn't normally have.  I only found 1-2 recipes I would even consider making.  Unfortunately, this was not the cookbook for me.

 

The Sheet Pan by America's Test Kitchen

 

The Sheet Pan by America's Test Kitchen -- 326 pages

I really liked this cookbook.  It had a lot of great recipes using just a sheet pan -- including things I never would have thought of.  I would definitely recommend this book.

 

Nights and Weekends by Alexis de Boschnek

Nights and Weekends by Alexis de Boschnek - 272 pages

I thought this cookbook would give recipes to make on the weekend and then more recipes using the leftovers to make on weeknights.  However, instead it gave what it considered time-friendly recipes to make during weeknights and then recipes that you could savor making on weekends.  I didn't actually see much difference between the two types of recipes other the weekend recipes usually required baking rather than stove top cooking.
 

On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt

 On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt, 83 pages

This brief treatise on the art of bah humbag is ironically circuitous but is an interesting read all the same. 

Spooky Lakes by Geo Rutherford

Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes That Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford -- 96 pages

This book was fascinating to read.  It contains information about 25 different lakes (or other bodies of water) that are different including lava lakes, nuclear lakes, and lightning lakes.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
 

Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo – A Hilarious Stand-Up Comedian Memoir of Filipino Heritage and Perseverance by Jo Koy

 

Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo – A Hilarious Stand-Up Comedian Memoir of Filipino Heritage and Perseverance by Jo Koy

318 pages

A stunning, hilarious memoir from beloved comedian Jo Koy, “far and away one of the funniest people out there” (Chelsea Handler). Mixed Plate illuminates the burning drive and unique humor that make Jo Koy one of today’s most successful comedians. Includes never-before-seen photos.

Well guys, here it is—my story. A funny, sad, at times pathetic but also kick-ass tale of how a half-Filipino, half-white kid whose mom thought (and still thinks) his career goal was to become a clown became a success. Not an overnight success, because that would have made for a really short read, but an All-American success who could give my immigrant mom the kind of life she hoped for when she came to this country, and my son the kind of life I wished I’d had as a kid. With all the details of what it felt like to get the doors closed in my face, to grind it out on the road with my arsenal of dick jokes, and how my career finally took off once I embraced the craziness of my family, which I always thought was uniquely Filipino but turns out is as universal as it gets.

In this book, I’ll take you behind the mic, behind the curtain—OK, way behind it. From growing up with a mom who made me dance like Michael Jackson at the Knights of Columbus, to some real dark stuff, the stuff we don’t talk about often enough as immigrants. Mental health, poverty, drinking. And show you the path to my American Dream. Which was paved with a lot of failure, department store raffle tickets to win free color televisions, bad jokes, old VHS tapes, a motorcycle my mom probably still hates, the only college final I aced (wasn’t math), and getting my first laugh on stage. There’s photo evidence of it all here, too.

In this book, I get serious about my funny. And I want to make you laugh a little while I do it. I’m like Hawaii’s favorite lunch—the mixed plate. Little bit of this, a little bit of that. My book Mixed Plate is too.

This was an interesting story about how Jo Koy struggled to find success as a comedian.  I listened to the audio, which was great since it's read by the author.  I really enjoyed this, as he reads it as only Jo Koy can.  

A Hymn to Life by Gisele Pelicot

A Hymn to Life by Gisele Pelicot, 246 pages

In 2020, as the world ground to a halt because of the pandemic, Gisele Pelicot's life similarly began to unravel as she discovered her husband had been drugging her, raping her, and inviting over 50 other men into their home to similarly abuse her. Despite the overwhelming sense of shame and turmoil, Pelicot opted to have an open trial to give courage and embolden other survivors. 

This book was simultaneously an easy read and an extrodinairely difficult one. Easy because Pelicot's way of speaking and navigating her past, present, and future is honest, searching, and open. Difficult because of the subject matter. Sexual violence is inherently abhorrent, but it seems especially unfathomable when it comes from someone you thought you'd spent decades building a life with. 

I can't imagine, even after reading this book, how much strength it must have taken for Gisele Pelicot to have withstood this tempestuous path, but as a woman, I am grateful she has let her story be heard loudly, publically, and without shame.

 

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, 151 pages

This book is a carefully crafted guide for people who are struggling emotionally or physically or both to keep their spaces clean. There are guides and references, and the author even has a "short cut" mode for those reading who do not have the mental bandwidth to deal with the whole book. It's also a good place for people to unlearn any cleaning-related trauma they might have picked up by well-meaning loved ones early in life.

 

Totally Random Questions, volume 3 by Melina Gerosa Bellows

 

Totally Random Questions, Volume 3 by Melina Gerosa Bellows -- 216 pages

I read this book in preparation for a homeschool class.  I love these books!  They are a lot of fun.  You find out lots of strange, random information that you wouldn't normally have any reason to learn.  I would definitely recommend this series to all kids.

Salt Pepper Season Spice by Jacques Pasquet

 

Salt, Pepper, Season, Spice: All the Flavors of the World by Jacques Pasquet -- 48 pages

I read this book in preparation for a homeschool class.  It was very interesting.  It gave the history, uses, and process of making eleven different seasonings and spices.  It would be great for kids who like food or just random information.

Astonishing and Extinct Professions by Markus Rottman

Astonishing and Extinct Professions: 89 Jobs You Will Never Do by Markus Rottman - 88 pages

I read this book in preparation for a homeschool class I was teaching.  It was very interesting.  It covered a range of professions that you really don't see any more.  I would definitely recommend this informational book to children.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, 117 pages

From the MARC: "Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you'd ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children's art projects). Digging into her late husband's tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go."

 

Weird and Wonderful Nature by Ben Hoare

 

Weird and Wonderful Nature by Ben Hoare - 192 pages

I read this book in preparation for one of my homeschool classes.  It was a really interesting book.  I learned quite a bit about various unusual plants, animals, and fungi. I would definitely recommend this book to kids.

How to Let Things Go by Shunmyō Masuno

How to Let Things Go by Shunmyō Masuno, 207 pages

The full title of this book is How to Let Things Go: 99 tips from a Zen Buddhist monk to relinquish control and free yourself up for what matters. Since I find myself on Team Limited Spoons, I thought it might be nice to get a zen perspective on letting go so I can hold on to what actually matters.   This book wasn't what I was expecting. It reads more like a daily devotional, and I was looking for something a little deeper with more grip. It would be better for a casual read to consider new ideas.