Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

In this delightful, subversive novel, Voigt gives young readers everything they usually aren’t supposed to get: strangers, dangers, and unanswered questions. Voigt, Cynthia. Young Fredle. Illus. Louise Yates. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Print. Genre: middle grade Summary: Separated from his home and family in the walls of the house, Fredle the young mouse… Continue reading Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

Middlemarch by George Eliot

I need only one word whenever I am asked, “What’s your all-time favorite book?” Eliot, George. Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial life. 1872. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1994. Print. Genre: fiction (19th century British) Summary: An idealistic young woman and a noble-minded doctor enter disastrous marriages. The consequences of their choices ripple through the wider… Continue reading Middlemarch by George Eliot

The Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy

Eyes do not see; they touch. Vision evolved from skin gathering light in minute detail. The brain does not think; it smells. It evolved from a large olfactory nerve in skull. It helped us sew memories and scents together.This book will change how (and who) you are in the world. Meloy, Ellen. The Anthropology of… Continue reading The Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy

The Abundance by Annie Dillard

Growing up, did you have that slick and sneaky friend who lured you through the slit chain-link fences or the windows left unlocked, into restricted zones, behind the STAY OUT signs, into the smoky dim rooms packed with music so loud it turned your senses sideways? Annie Dillard is that friend. Dillard, Annie. The Abundance:… Continue reading The Abundance by Annie Dillard

The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination

Black Friday shopping? What could be better than a guide to world domination!? A perfect gift for the evil or ethically shady scientist and/or science fiction fan in your social circles. The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius. John Joseph Adams, Ed. New York: Tor, 2013. MP3.… Continue reading The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination