Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Aliya’s Secret: A Story of Ramadan by Farida Zaman (OwlKids Books, October 2023) is a window into the world of one girl excited about Ramadan and eager to celebrate with a daily fast, just as her parents fast. When her parents discourage her from fasting all day, she decides to fast in secret, but it
After Abel and Other Stories by Michel Lemberger (Prospect Park Publishing, 2015) is a collection of short stories about women in the Old Testament that may often be overlooked. Lemberger attaches emotions, motive, and/or backstory to bring these women to life and help us consider just what these event may have been like. Here are
As as you would imagine, Gathered: A Novel of Ruth by LeeAnn Setzer (Cedar Fort, 2003) is a fictionalized retelling of the story of Ruth from the Bible, from when she first marries Naomi’s son until her betrothal and marriage to Boaz. Reading this well-researched historical fiction gave me a fresh new perspective on Ruth’s
I know not all the readers of my blog care about all the subjects that interest me, but as I continue to write about my reading, I love the ability to reflect back on what I’ve read in the past in the context of when I read it. This review is of a book that probably
A History of the World in 12 Maps by Jerry Brotton (Viking, November 2013)Â is not truly a world history story. It is, however, a look at how maps and history are intricately related. Each map throughout history tells what is important to the learned in the era in which it has been created. Likewise, each
 Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World by Alex York Lumbard and illustrated by Alireza Sadeghian (Wisdom Tales, 2014) shows people from religions around the world praying. Simple drawings are accompanied by a very basic text that describes how people from different religions pray: heads covered or not, singing and dancing or not, with water or
The stories of Elizabeth Smart and Stephanie Nielson are not that similar. Yes, both had a hard year that they wrote about in a memoir, and both are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). But there the similarities end. Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bed at knifepoint as a
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick (published by Penguin 2007) is about far more than the arrival of the “pious” pilgrims in the New World in a ship named Mayflower. Rather, Philbrick’s tome delves deep in the history of the Plymouth Colony. The facts shared seem to be essential in
Growing Up Muslim: Understanding the Beliefs and Practices of Islam by Sambul Ali-Karamali (published August 2012 by Delacourt Books for Young Readers) provides a practical and personal account of what it means to be a Muslim in America. Relating her own personal experiences growing up as a Muslim in Southern California, Ms Ali-Karamali manages to
I will not put Herman Melville’s Moby Dick (published 1851) on my favorite books list because it’s simply not a favorite novel (I shudder at each description of whale blubber).  And yet, I must give Moby-Dick a solid five stars out of five for the rich reading experience it provides. I simply loved reading it.
Wise Women of the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Tales of the Ancestral Power (Inner Traditions International, 1993) is a fascinating collection of tales from Australian Aboriginal woman as dictated to a Western woman in the late 1800s. Editor Joanna Lambert expands upon these tales by providing commentary and discussion after each tale, focusing on the various folkloric
Like historian Matthew Bowman, I am an active participant in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. Bowman’s recent overview of the history and people of the Church, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (published January 2012 by Random House), provides a different perspective
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