Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This is the first story of Larua as a 4-year old in a log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. I've never read any of these books before, and honestly I can't even say whether I ever watched the TV show. So I didn't know quite what to expect. Whatever I expected, this wasn't it. This book is written with a slice-of-life narrative with no plot and very little dialog - it was kind of a passive story...or perhaps a string of memories/anecdotes that are connected in approximate chronological order. 

I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

I Am Malala: The Girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban
by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
narrated by Archie Panjabi

I am Malala is Malala Yousafzai's memoir about her time in Pakistan promoting education for girls. She begins by discussing her family - from her grandparents, to her parents, and then to herself. She discusses the major political and geological forces that impacted her childhood and led up to her eventually being shot by the Taliban. She finished the book talking about how she felt when she awoke in England not knowing what had happened or where her family was. It is truly an amazing story. 

Nonfiction in Audiobooks

The discussion post for the third week of Nonfiction November is to discuss "nontraditional nonfiction." I admit, I'm a really slow reader and by the time I'm relaxing at home with a book, I'd rather be reading fiction. Therefore, my "traditional" nonfiction reading is pretty much at a snail's pace. But I get a lot of nonfiction read through audiobook. In fact, I alternate fiction with non-fiction when I'm listening, so I get a lot of nonfiction "read" this way. I can't recommend a specific book, because there are just too many, and I'm  not all that picky - as long as the reader is reasonably good, I'm happy. 

Little House Read-Along 2016

Little House Series Readalong
Cohosted by An Armchair by the Sea
Cohosted by Smoke and Mirrors

Ok, I'm doing it again. Signing up for another 2016 reading challenge. But I think I can handle this one. I've been eyeballing the Wilder 9-book box-set at Barnes and Noble for at least a year. I've never read these books. And since I'm now signed up for a Women's Classic Literature Event, and I need more women's classics, I guess this is a great time to break down and buy those books. 

Here's my brand new set, isn't it pretty? 

The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels, by Alexander Heidel

This classic book published in 1946 begins with a short introduction to The Epic of Gilgamesh, gives Heidel's translation of the Epic, and finally provides a comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and other Mesopotamian tablets with similar stories. Heidel's translation is organized into tablet format, with fragments and unsure translations represented with an ellipsis and brackets.