From the back cover: In Under the Banner of Heaven, John Krakauer shift his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders. At the core of his book is an appalling double murder committed by a pair of brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they were commanded to kill by God. Beginning with a meticulously researched account … [Read more...] about Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer: B
Nonfiction
Prisoner of Trebekistan by Bob Harris: A-
From the inside flap: This is the story of a working-class guy from Ohio with little real knowledge of Ambidextrous Presidents, Things Made of Rubber, and hundreds of other categories, but who nonetheless plunges so far into cramming for Jeopardy! that it changes his relationships, bends his worldview, and literally leads him to the ends of the earth, trying to understand it … [Read more...] about Prisoner of Trebekistan by Bob Harris: A-
Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein: A
From the back cover: This is the astonishing true story of Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein, who shared a personal history for more than three decades—and didn’t know it. In her mid-30s, Schein finally decided to call an adoption agency to learn about her biological mother. Not expecting much, she instead got the surprise of her life. Her identical twin sister, Bernstein, lived … [Read more...] about Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein: A
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl: B
From the back cover: Ruth Reichl knows that to be a good restaurant critic you have to be anonymous, but when she signs up to be the most important restaurant critic in the country, her picture is posted in every four-star, low-star, and no-star kitchen in town. What's a critic in search of the truth to do? And so begin Reichl's "adventures in deception." She dons a frumpy … [Read more...] about Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl: B
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin: A-
From the inside flap: In the midseventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. This book is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away." Review: Having heard that Steve Martin is somewhat of a difficult person, I had some trepidations going … [Read more...] about Born Standing Up by Steve Martin: A-