Reviewed by Cheyenne Marco University of South Dakota Let’s get one thing out of the way: I am not a birder. But one doesn’t have to be to enjoy Larkin Powell’s Great Plains Birds. Written for a general audience, Powell’s work moves beyond the litany of lists and maps of a standard guidebook and expresses… Continue reading Great Plains Birds by Larkin Powell
Reviewed by Lauren Jahn When taking a birthing class, it is often recommended to pack plenty of comfort items. By preselecting loved objects, it is supposed to ease the tension of labor. Following instructions, I packed essential oils, coloring books, silly Putty, and a book about a dying man. When Breath Becomes Air accompanied me… Continue reading When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
We asked on Twitter for blogs and books to read and had a wonderful response. All of these authors have worked hard to publish articles, short stories, and books. We're happy for all of them and their success. Want to know what all the buzz is about? Then you'll want to check out these blogs… Continue reading Blogs and Books You’ll Want to Put on Your Reading List!
Reviewed by S.B. Julian I call them my Irises -- my copies of the novels of Iris Murdoch. They have played such an intimate role in my life that we can't but co-exist on a first-name basis. I found my first “Iris” at age eighteen while back-packing in Europe. Near my hostel in Germany was… Continue reading Iris Murdoch, on the Anniversary of Her Birth and Death
Reviewed by Aaron Sommers You probably know that person. The one who’s always late and forgetful. The one who loses things never throws stuff out, or— worse yet—throws out the wrong stuff. The one who’s all over the place. The one that’s, more often than not, a hot mess. Sound familiar? Author Gretchen Rubin knows… Continue reading Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
Reviewed by Keegan Greenacre I really enjoyed reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was a great read and I couldn’t put it down once I had started reading it. I noticed that this book went into some dark topics as the story progressed and it really shows how the books are evolving… Continue reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Horse Soldiers is the exciting account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly enter Afghanistan following 9/11 and ride to war on horses against the Taliban. They are outnumbered forty to one but still pursue the enemy across the mountains of Afghanistan. After a series of intense battles, they capture the city… Continue reading Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told is an open account of two lovebirds and how they came to be. The story is designed differently than most memoirs or autobiographies. The book is written as a conversation between Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman discussing the start of their acting careers, how they met, and their marriage. The… Continue reading The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman
Alright! New Year, new challenge. 2019 is going to be your best year yet to read as many books as possible. While I love going to the bookstore or library to browse for a good read, it helped out a lot in 2018 to have some ideas of what books to look for. Here are… Continue reading Get Ready For the 2019 Book Smuggler’s Reading Challenge
WooHoo! 2018 has come to a close and so is the reading challenge. It was a push at the end but some downtime over the weekend allowed me to finish up the last book needed to complete my goal. In 2017 I made little time to read and wanted to change that. I'm so excited… Continue reading The Final Tally: The 52 Books The Book Smuggler’s Den Read In 2018
