Recent Reviews and Posts

Short Review | A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Neil Gorsuch

Neil Gorsuch's book, "A Republic, If You Can Keep It," is a blend of memoir, legal analysis, and philosophical musings, providing readers with insights into the mind of one of the U.S. Supreme Court's more recent justices. I was fortunate to hear the justice speak during a visit to Brigham Young University associated with the book's release. Though I read parts of it at the time, I only recently … [Read More...]

Recommendation | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

After finishing Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation, I couldn't wait to recommend it to my family, friends, and others. I truly believe this book is a must-read for anyone with a smartphone, children, or, well, a pulse. Smartphones' impact has been so fast and pervasive in our culture that we are only beginning to understand how they are changing us. Because of that, The Anxious Generation … [Read More...]

Reflections on Night by Elie Weisel

When reflecting on a literary work that has endured for almost 65 years and left an indelible mark on history, it's remarkable to consider its profound impact on millions of readers and its recognition with a Nobel prize. The moment was the Holocaust, and the book--the memoir--is Elie Wiesel's Night. It is a gut-wrenching snapshot of the horror and human suffering enforced on millions in the … [Read More...]

Book Review | The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

If there's one book that surprised me, it's The Book Thief. I brushed it off for the longest time due to my aversion to historical fiction and young adult novels. However, an unexpected trip to Poland, with a visit to Auschwitz on the agenda, led me to reconsider. It all started with Elie Weisel's Night, but my wife's suggestion for our girls to read The Book Thief truly piqued my interest. … [Read More...]

Happy birthday, Stephen Ambrose

I'm reading D-Day by Stephen E. Ambrose, and it also happens to be his birthday (January 10). I've also by him on my shelves I've got Nothing Like It In the World and Undaunted Courage. He was born in Decatur, Illinois (1936). He was 28 years old when a small university press published his first book, Halleck: Lincoln's Chief of Staff (1962), a biography of General Henry Halleck. Only a … [Read More...]

Looking back on 2023’s non-fiction reads

"Imagine a marketplace teeming with vibrant stalls, each overflowing with treasures not of gold or silk, but of words and worlds waiting to be explored. This, my friends, is the bibliophilic bazaar I invite you to wander today, where each book beckons like a whispered promise, a portal to hidden dimensions of experience." Thanks for that intro, Bard AI, but I'll take it from here. Talk of … [Read More...]

Short Review | Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

This summer our 12-year-old started a book club with her friends. I expected them to settle on something more fantastical--maybe Brandon Mull or Jessica Day George. Instead, they chose a more serious-looking story, Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen, about a young girl in Lithuania in the late 1800s. I was intrigued and decided to try it for myself. It was a time when Russia occupied and … [Read More...]

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