Sunday Summary

I think I'll admit to the library books I have bookmarks creeping along in, just to keep tabs on how many I actually finish. I'll also have to start reviewing more often, as some books are cluttering the nightstand when they should be resting in the library bag.

• A Poisoned Season, by Tasha Alexander. I like the story, but I find the voice of the protagonist a bit tedious. She reports even her tantrums in a calm, detached way. But I'm enjoying the mystery and the glimpse of Victorian England, so the bookmark moves on.
• What to Read When, by Pam Allyn. This discussion of books to read with your kids jumped on me from a library display table. I'm hoping to find some gems I've overlooked, and to reinvigorate my reading out loud, which has gotten a bit lost with the summer schedule craziness, and now with the harshly enforced school night curfew. I was shocked at how many landmark books my boys didn't recognize, but admit that perhaps they were a bit young when exposed to Pat the Bunny.
• The Science of Fear. The first few chapter discuss the difference between our gut instincts and our mind's rational thoughts, and how the modern world often leads our guts astray.
• Coyote Horizon, by Allen Steele. I've read the first book about the colonization of the planet Coyote, but didn't go back for the others. But I kept hearing recommendations, so I picked this off the new book rack. There is an annoying religious subplot that strains credulity, but I'm enjoying the explorer strand.

I'm also reading a few of my own books, but I won't mention those. I'm in denial. I'm impressed that these all came from the adult side of the library, and half are non-fiction. Only one is SF -- I'm clearly becoming an intellectual in my old age.

On the kids' side, A has spent the week re-reading old friends, including a slew of Animorphs and some Captain Underpants and Frannie K Steins. Since the book on reading just discussed how great it is for kids to read both challenging books and low level books, I feel smug that my child is a poster kid for just that. P has been lured into a share-read of the first Sammy Keyes book, and tonight I caught him reading ahead without me. SUCCESS. He's still plugging away at Number the Stars for school & car rides.