What I Read: February and March

I like reading books. I really like it. I also like discussing books I've read with others. I like reading all sorts of genres, I like to skip around all of them in the books I choose to read. I have thought about doing some book reviews on my blog, but I have never written a book review before. And sometimes when I read other thoughtful and well-written book reviews, I feel a little intimidated by the idea. So I thought I would start small and just quickly go over some of the books I have read in the past couple of months. Then maybe I can work my way up to full-on book reviews. :)

So here goes.

 

 I really enjoyed reading The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley. I thought this was a fascinating read, examining other education systems in the world and how they differ from our system here in the United States.

As a former journalist, I usually enjoy well-written and researched books written by journalists. I like the pace and the way they research all the way around something, and how a lot of their research and ideas come from interviewing people. I would love to read this book as part of a book group. Education is one of those things I have learned many people have differing view points on, so I think it could make the basis for a great discussion.

Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas I did read for a book group, and I thoroughly enjoyed this as well. It is about William Wilberforce, an English politician from the nineteenth century who lead the campaign to abolish slavery. This book is meant to educate the average person about this time in history and gives a simple glimpse of Wilberforce's overall life. I loved learning about this time in English history through this book. As a Christian myself, I also enjoyed reading about Wilberforce's conversion to Christianity and how he felt God lead him to his life's work. Now I want to go watch the movie that came out a few years ago. 

 Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose is a play I have read before, but I enjoyed reading it again for my book group. It follows 12 jurors as they discuss the verdict for a murder trial they have all just sat through. The entire play takes place in the jury room. None of the jurors even have names, they are all just Foreman, Juror Two, Juror Three, etc. In a day and age where Hollywood films and scripts rely on a lot of action and special effects, it is refreshing to read a simple script that completely relies on character development and simple delivery of each line. It's a quick read, and if you enjoy reading scripts or studying theater I highly recommend it.

Ok, that's it for me! It has been a little lighter reading (for me) the past couple of months, but still some good stuff. I think I might do OK at this book review thing. :)