My Ideal BookshelfLike this list

19 items

• Sirens

  a Memoir

  Mohr, Joshua,

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• The Yellow Birds

  a Novel

  Powers, Kevin

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  Read this and you'll know why our young soldiers come home with PTSD.

• Stitches

  a Memoir--

  Small, David, 1945-

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  So much is said in what's not said, and the pictures here are worth 1000 words. Very powerful.

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

  Alexie, Sherman, 1966-

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  Just because you make it to the land of the haves, doesn't mean you'll like it. It's pretty confusing.

• Farm City

  the Education of An Urban Farmer

  Carpenter, Novella, 1972-

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  In addition to keeping bees and growing her own food, Carpenter raises an assortment of farm animals in a vacant lot (that doesn't belong to her!) in the inner city. True inspiration.

• It's a Long Road to a Tomato

  Tales of An Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (not So) Simple Life

  Stewart, Keith, 1944-

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  This was the first book I read about our food supply and it's beautifully done.

• Ender's Game

  Card, Orson Scott

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  I found myself thinking about this book long after I had finished reading. It's about the nature of war.

• Shape Up With the Slow Fat Triathlete

  50 Ways to Kick Butt on the Field, in the Pool, or at the Gym--no Matter What Your Size and Shape

  Williams, Jayne, 1963-

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  Fitness for people who aren't already fit. A novel concept in the flooded fitness genre.

• Jim & Casper Go to Church

  Frank Conversation About Faith, Churches, and Well-meaning Christians

  Henderson, Jim, 1947-

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  I loved this attempt by a Christian to understand an atheist, rather than beat him into submission. This book inspired me to take my niece to different churches around Kansas City.

• This Is Where I Leave You

  Tropper, Jonathan

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  Tropper has mastered the art of making you laugh in the face of tragedy.

• I Thought You Were Dead

  a Love Story : a Novel

  Nelson, Peter, 1953-

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  I actually don't appreciate talking dogs as a plot device, but I loved that the main character suffers from a very typical kind of alcoholism, rather than the debilitating, horrific hitting of rock bottom that's so popular to read about.

• The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

  a Novel

  Evison, Jonathan

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  The main character here is the saddest, of the sad. He's surrounded by equally damaged people, yet he leaves each of them a little better off than he found them.

• My Dog

  the Paradox

  Inman, Matthew

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  So, so true.

• The Loop

  Evans, Nicholas, 1950-2022

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  This story is about conflict between ranchers trying to protect their cattle and naturalist re-introducing wolves to the wild. It's a situation for which there are no good answers.

• How Do You Kill 11 Million People?

  Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think

  Andrews, Andy

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  Brilliant, to the point, and relevant.

• One Good Dog

  Wilson, Susan, 1951-

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  This is what happens when you loose it at work.

• Ratio

  the Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

  Ruhlman, Michael, 1963-

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  This book has given me kitchen freedom that I've never known. I grew up eating cold cereal for breakfast, a candy bar and a coke for lunch, and frozen pizza for dinner. So my attempts at cooking have always been recipe based. I still…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Fine Balance

  Mistry, Rohinton, 1952-

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  Mistry paints a vivid picture of India and its caste system. This book was such a revelation to me about a culture I know very little about. I wanted to throw myself in front of an oncoming train at the end.

• Chemistry for Beginners

  Strong, Anthony

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  So smart. So funny. It's chick lit for intellectuals.