Antonina Zabinski always had a way with animals, which made her the perfect women to marry a zookeeper. For many years, Antonina and her husband Jan tended the animals of the Warsaw Zoo with humor and passion. But when the Nazi’s took over Poland, their lives and the lives of the zoo animals are thrown into disarray.
Book Review
Title: Assassination Vacation Author: Sarah Vowell Genre/Format: Nonfiction/Journalism Year: 2005 Acquired: Library [rating:3/5] Summary: Sarah Vowell loves death and she loves U.S. history, so writing a book about presidential assassinations seems almost inevitable. To tell the story, Vowell travels with friends and family to see various landmarks and locations connected to the first three presidents [...]
Title: Undress Me In the Temple of Heaven Author: Susan Jane Gilman Genre/Format: Memoir/Audiobook Year: 2009 Acquired: Won in an online giveaway [rating:4.5/5] Summary: After their graduation from college, friends Susan and Claire decide they are going to go on a year-long backpacking trip around the world. Their first stop: China, a country just opening [...]
Title: Into Thin Air Author: Jon Krakauer Genre/Format: Literary Journalism/Audiobook Year: 1999 Acquired: Library [rating:4.5/5] Summary: On May 10, 1996, eight climbers were killed and several others were injured when a storm hit the peak of Mount Everest while multiple groups of climbers were on the mountain. Journalist Jon Krakauer was along on the trip, [...]
Title: The Wordy Shipmates Author: Sarah Vowell Genre/Format: Nonfiction/Audiobook Year: 2008 Acquired: Library [rating:3.5/5] Summary: A bunch of important Puritans came to America in 1630 to start the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Things weren’t all fine and dandy, however. The Puritans of this colony didn’t get along very well with the previous colonists, the Puritans of [...]
Way, way back in April I gave away a copy of Susan Orlean’s book The Orchid Thief, along with the chance to read the book along with me. The winner was Nicole from Linus’s Blanket, so starting in June Nicole and I e-mailed back and forth talking about the book. I managed to lose track [...]
I’ve been on the waiting list for Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins Hunger Games series, for like six months now. I went to the library yesterday to pick up another book and discovered the book finally came for me! Yay! So instead of working on a paper while I babysat last night, [...]
Title: Waiting for Columbus Author: Thomas Trofimuk Genre: Fiction Year: 2009 Acquired: Library [rating:4/5] One Sentence Summary: When a man washes up on a beach claiming to be the famed explorer Christopher Columbus, he’s transferred to an insane asylum where his nurse, Consuela, tries to help him find his way back to reality. One Sentence [...]
Title: Salal: Listening for the Northwest Understory Author: Laurie Ricou Genre: Nonfiction Year: 2007 Acquired: Free from publisher for review [rating:3.5/5] One Sentence Summary: Salal is a travel story and literary exploration of a common plant that often gets ignored. One Sentence Review: The book is a little hard to get in to, but ends [...]
Despite some beautiful Madison weather yesterday (almost 70 degrees!), I spent most of the day inside just reading because I feel like I have so much work to do! It was nice actually — I liked feeling like I was being a good student for a change. I anticipate another full day of reading and [...]
