Sunday, January 10, 2010

Book Week Two - B is for Biography




This month my mind seems to be on non fiction so will continue the theme for the rest of January.   I seldom read biographies and autobiographies, thinking they would be dry and boring.  However, once started home schooling discovered many interesting ones, not only for kids but for me as well.   From the presidents and their wives, to saints to philosophers to monks to civil rights leaders, there are many choices.  And surprisingly, they aren't all dry as dust.   


Mount Rushmore

Last year I stumbled upon the U.S. Presidents Reading Project and liked the idea so decided to join in and start reading about the lives of the presidents. I am going to read through the list consecutively from beginning to end.  The project is perpetual so my goal this year is to read about George Washington and John Adams.    I picked up His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis and John Adams by David McCullough.  So while my son and I reading George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster together,  I'll be reading His Excellency. 

Autobiographies I currently have sitting on the shelves waiting to be read are St. Augustine's Confessions and Teresa of Avila which are also classics, so perhaps I should add them to my list of classics to read this year.

Who would you like to read an autobiography or biography about?  

6 comments:

  1. Oh, I like the idea of reading about our countries leaders! I'm Canadian, though, and you've just inspired me to take on another challenge - to read books about our Canadian Prime Ministers. Hmmmmm....maybe I'll post the challenge on my blog and see if anyone else wants to play along.

    I've actually been thinking about trying to read more autobiograhies or biographies. I was looking for some in the later part of last year but couldn't find any in my library that interested me. Think I'll have another look

    ReplyDelete
  2. So fun! I've just started Madeleine L'Engle's autobiography, "Two-Part Invention." I'll be done by Monday, but want to read it through again so I can pull out some quotes and things. This is a moving book.

    I read 'The Jungle,' but it was between one week and the next. So, I've done my classic for the month, just not a good time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jacqueline - great idea. I forget sometimes that we are an international group. It would be interesting to hear about Stephen Harper or other prime ministers. Did you hear about the reading challenge Yann Martel is doing with Stephen Harper.

    What is stephen harper reading
    http://www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca/

    Julie: L'Engle's autobiography sounds interesting. Look forward to hearing about it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi!
    Didn't see the link for reviews so putting it here. My review of book week 2 is for Evidence - Jonathan Kellerman. You can see it at my place, Just Books. Have a great day!

    Sherrie
    Just Books

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sherrie,

    Until next Sunday, use the link book review links - week one and two in sidebar for book 2. With week 3 I'll be putting Mr. Linky up with each weekly post for links to current read.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My reading diet is almost exclusively non-fiction, with a good number of biographies thrown in there. For week 2 I read James Gleick's bio of Isaac Newton. Haven't written a review yet, but if you are at all interested in the man who single handedly changed the course of the world, this book is a good start.

    Probably the best bio I can remember reading is Walter Isaacson's bio of Benjamin Franklin.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your kind comments.