Not Sure I'd Call it Great . . .

This exhaustively researched book tells you all (and I mean all) about the British Arctic Air Route Expedition (B.A.A.R.E.), with a goal to explore, of course, but also to make air travel possible over the Arctic between the United States and England/European the 1930s. The spearheading wunderkind of this endeavor was Henry George Watkins ("Gino"), the rakish, devil-may-care phenom who seemed to be oblivious to fear or limitations. He (and his crew) were truly amazing, brave (or foolish, depending on one's mindset) and creative. I enjoyed learning about their incredible resourcefulness, and some of the truly amazing miracles that took place during their treks, but there was a lot of detail. A lot. I guess maybe that's important for feeling the feeling of being trapped in a tent in the Arctic for months, waiting for salvation . I surely felt the loneliness and dull panic. But I also looked longingly at my other books, hoping one of them would rescue me too. A great book for natural history and exploration buffs. For the rest of us, good information, but maybe take a speed reading class first.

So Interesting!

Bill Bryson could write about garbage and I would read about it. Not that this is remotely like garbage. But one assumes that, having lived in a body for, well, all of one's life, we'd know a little more about it. That's where Bill comes in and debunks your assumption. This book is jam-packed with fascinating facts about the shells that carry us around in spectacular fashion and all written in typical Bryson-esque . You'll have lots more respect for the sophistication of all your body does for you after reading this!

Maybe I Don't Have the Right Mitt

This book started out quirky and endearing, and ended up annoying me. Ellie is the only child of a marriage that didn't last due to her father's repeated dalliances. With such a messy wake behind him, his tradition is to celebrate all holidays with his varied children in the off-months so they can be together as a patched-together family, these children of a few different women. Therefore, the childrens' relationships with each other are thin and situational, and it seems that they're all somewhat jockeying for the attention of the most charismatic member of the family, dear old dad. When he dies unexpectedly, it throws Ellie into a turmoil that she can't reconcile. The tchotchke that he leaves her in his will not only makes her feel like he didn't love her as much as she thought, but was almost an insult. The author can write, and weaves the story together pretty well, but I just didn't like the main character at all. I found her frustratingly self-centered and of dubious integrity. The mystery of the bequest threaded through the story gets explained at the end--but by that time I didn't much care.