Twelve Nonfiction Books on Tanzania

September 17, 2013

In just a few weeks, I’m leaving for Tanzania! Naturally, my mind first turns to books about or from Tanzania. Last week, I listed six novels I’d like to read before/after the trip; this week, I’m focusing on nonfiction titles. Guides & Wonky Stuff Bradt Guide to Tanzania by Philip Briggs Hunger and Shame: Child Malnutrition and Poverty on Mount Kilimanjaro by Mary Theresa Howard The Hadza: Hunter-Gatherers of Tanzania by Frank Marlowe Personal accounts The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuściński […]

Six Novels on Tanzania

September 10, 2013

This month, I head out for my next IRP trip: Tanzania! Naturally, my mind first turns to books about or from Tanzania. As I learned on my recent trip to Zambia, there are many fine books that I’m sure I won’t discover until I set foot in the country. But these titles should help me prepare for the trip. Unlike my research for Zambia, I’ve found a ton of interesting books from and about Tanzania. First, I’m looking at six novels that […]

September Nonfiction Book Club: “The Violinist’s Thumb” by Sam Kean

August 15, 2013

It’s been a few months, and the Nonfiction Book Group at One More Page Books & More is going strong! Our selection for September is The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean. Here’s more on the book: In The Violinist’s Thumb, bestselling author Sam Kean explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have […]

“Wild” by Cheryl Strayed

August 13, 2013

When Cheryl Strayed set off to hike an 11,000-mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), she wasn’t just leaving the comforts of home behind. She was attempting to discard a lifetime of emotional baggage as well: grief over her mother’s death, anger over her father’s abandonment, pain over her recent divorce, promiscuity, and a heroin problem.

Six Authors, Ten Books on Zambia

July 13, 2013

I am currently traveling in Zambia for work. Before I left, I did what I always do: searched for seminal works of literature about the country or by authors representing the country. I was quite surprised that Zambia remains a relatively unexplored country in literature. (Perhaps the world is waiting for my bestselling thriller about journalists in Zambia!) But I did find a few titles that are worth sharing, if you’re itching to read about Zambia—either as an armchair traveler, or in […]

How to Dry Herbs Like Laura Ingalls Wilder

June 28, 2013

If your garden is like mine, this is the time of year when mint takes over. In order to give my new blueberry bushes room to grow, I have to be aggressive about trimming back their minty neighbors. Fresh mint is great for cooking, from Greek rice pilaf to mint brownies, and for mixing drinks like mint juleps and mojitos. But those recipes only require small amounts of mint. What to do with the rest of your crop? Channel your inner Laura […]

“Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” by Jenny Lawson

June 20, 2013

Jenny Lawson, better known as The Bloggess, is kind of a big deal. She has more than 342,000 Twitter followers–including Neil Gaiman–and a popular blog supported by ad revenue; maintaining her site and Twitter feed is a full-time job. After becoming an online superstar, she published Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir.

A Short Guide to “Atlas Shrugged”

June 17, 2013

Assigned to read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged? Curious about the book after Paul Ryan proclaimed his devotion to it last year? Don’t worry, you don’t have to wade through this long and ideologically…. interesting book. Not to get into the business of shilling for others’ films, but I ran across this video recently and thought I’d share. Here’s more about the book/video from Academic Earth: You know how some authors tuck their messages away in subtle narrative layers, inviting you to tease […]

You (Plural): An Interview with Filmmaker David Vaipan

June 7, 2013

David Vaipan has written and directed more than seventy projects. Currently, he’s at work on a feature-length adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Homer’s Odyssey, titled You (Plural). Recently, he answered a few of my questions about screenwriting and the process of adapting classic literature to film.

June Nonfiction Book Club: “Unnatural Selection” by Mara Hvistendahl

May 28, 2013

I’ve enjoyed the first few months of leading the Nonfiction Book Group at Arlington’s One More Page Books & More. So far we’ve read and chatted about Boomerang: Travels in the Third World by Michael Lewis; Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain; and Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. Our selection for June is Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full […]