This lovely reading of Rachel Carson’s The Sense of Wonder serves to reinforce the knowledge that having the capacity to appreciate the beauty of nature affects our lives in countless positive ways.  I listened to this half-hour-long CD on at least five separate occasions and each time came away with something new.  Renowned for her [...]

I have been obsessed with the Arthurian legend since I was little. I have read countless different versions and seen  as many movie interpretations. Mists of Avalon intrigued me since it was from a female point of view, one I hadn’t seen before. The movie was beautifully done with a great cast and even better [...]

This book includes one of my favorite formulas of all time: a group of college roommates who become lifelong friends.
This is the story of Ceclia, Bree, Sally, and April, students at Smith College who live in the same dorm freshman year and become best friends, despite being totally different from one another.  Cecilia is the one [...]

This series of books is geared toward children in Grades 2-4.  The books have amusing illustrations and tell the story of young Araminta Spookie.  Araminta and her family are spooky, but not too scary for young readers.  The series involves her whole family of characters including Aunt Tabby and her nocturnal Uncle Drac.
I read the [...]

This unique nonfiction picture book packed with interesting information about the history of museums throughout the world is perfect for anyone curious about the evolution of artifact collection and display.  It particularly appealed to me since I have always wanted to work in a museum.  (I also happen to be the type who drives others [...]

This is the story of a boy named Santiago from Spain. He is looking for a treasure that is hidden in Egypt.  He is also looking for his personal legend, the work he was born to do in this life.  As he travels, he meets various people. Each one has some lesson they have learned [...]

So vampires aren’t really my thing. Never have been. I never liked Anne Rice, I never really got the draw. I read Bram Stoker, but…
Then Twilight came along and someone said it was the next Harry Potter, so I read it. And I LOVED it. I guess it was all downhill from there. I admit [...]

I decided to listen to the audio version of this New York Times-bestseller purely based on how much I had enjoyed one of Michael Pollan’s previous works, The Botany of Desire.  The Omnivore’s Dilemma is much denser, however, and I would recommend it for those who are extremely interested in the inner workings of American agribusiness and [...]

I brought this one along on a recent trip to Sonoma, since I thought it would be fun to gain some background knowledge on California wine culture before attending tastings myself.  If you haven’t seen the film, the plot centers around the misadventures and emotional roller coasters experienced by two good friends, Miles and Jack, [...]

On the Run is written by the children of Henry Hill (the infamous mobster and wiseguy depicted by Ray Liotta in the 1990 film, “Goodfellas”).  Gregg and Gina Hill take turns describing their life on the run when their family was placed in the witness protection program by the FBI.  Their father was an informant; [...]