Even though there has been criticism of Dr. Aldrin’s behavior in the past there is not a single person in the astronaut corps who has done more to promote space

The Seven Wonders: A Novel of the Ancient World by Steven Saylor is a collection of short stories starring the youthful, wise cracking Gordianus.

Andrei is on his way to visit the Rostovs, on the way he sees an old, weathered oak and identifies with it, continuing on he sees a young girl which is full of life and spontaneous. The Count invites Andrei to spend the night, which he readily accepts. From his window, Andrei can hear the girl he saw earlier, Natasha, who is enamored by the moonlit night. Andrei feels his world weariness going away, being replaced by hope. On his way back, Andrei sees that same old oak tree sprouting new leaves.

Article first published as Book Review: God’s Middle Finger by Richard Grant on Blogcritics. About: God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant is a non-fiction book about the author’s “tour” of Mexico’s Sierra Madre region. Mr. Grant is a British journalist who came to the other side of the pond in search of strangeness and adventure – I think he found both. 288 pages Publisher: Free Press Language: English ISBN-10: 1416534407 My rat­ing for God’s Middle Finger — 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Richard Grant Thoughts: God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant (website | Facebook) is a fast paced, sprawling adventure in a strange world which is closer then you think, and sometimes simply too close for comfort. While the book might be considered to be in the travel genre it is a glimpse into a lawless part of Mexico. The often mis-quoted line from Treasure of the Sierra Madre said by Gold Hat (played by Alfonso Bedoya) “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges” comes to mind and, of course, makes an appearance in the book. The…

Article first published as Book Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett on Blogcritics. About: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett is a fictional book taking place, mostly, in Brazil’s Amazonregion. I have been in that region and ever since loved reading about it, reliving my adventures and banging my head against the wall wishing to go back again and look at things with more informed eyes. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 368 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury UK Language: English ISBN-10: 1408818590 My rating for State of Wonder – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Anne Patchett Thoughts: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (website) takes its time to build up, putting ordinary people, slowly but surely, in extraordinary situations where neither them nor the reader realizes it until the setup clamps behind you with no way back. The book has several themes running through it, but the two I found most fascinating is the effects mentors have on their underlings and being able to let go of formal education, when necessary, to look differently at the world around you. I believe that…

Dr. Seuss told us years ago, “The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This is great advice for children of all ages. There is no better way to travel worldwide and learn about life and people and everything else than by reading! With the distractions of video gaming, TV viewing and listening to music on an IPod, a parent or caregiver needs to be a bit savvy with electronic gadgets to entice youngsters to broaden a child’s horizons into reading the classics. Picture Coutesy of http://kidsoffthecouch.com/ 1. E-readers E-readers are relatively inexpensive, ranging from less than $100 to $300, and come with an instant tap into the world of classical books from the e-book vendors and local public libraries. Kindle offers a Premium Membership for an annual fee which allows the member to borrow and return e-books for free. 2. Public Library Offers Check with your local public library for the latest form of digital books. Digital books come in various forms from recordings on compact disc to a digital player resembling an IPod. These types of digital books are often theatrical quality with voice changes and…

A writer of Uruguayan origins, Carolina De Robertis is an award winning author and translator of Latin American and Spanish literature, and editor

Wel­come to another edi­tion of Tight­wad Tues­day. While look­ing around for non-fiction books, I saw some really cool free ones and thought that you might like them as well. Authors: If you’d like your book to be fea­tured on Tight­wad Tues­days please email me. For the Kindle: Daily Deal The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey From Booklist *Starred Review* At age 34, Bailey was stricken with a mysterious virus while on a trip to Europe. Her healthy life had been full of activity, and now just the thought of getting up to get something was exhaustive. When a friend found some violets and brought her one in a pot, she also added a live snail below the violet’s leaves. Bailey wondered why she needed a snail, but after square holes began to appear in a letter propped on the violet’s pot, it occurred to Bailey that the snail needed food. She put a withered flower in the saucer below, and when the snail began to eat, Bailey realized that she could hear it eating—it was the sound of someone very small munching on celery. Soon the author realized she was attached, the snail providing an oasis…

A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful by Gideon Lewis-Kraus is less about the scenic road and more about the internal journey towards self discovery.

A very strong part where three of the principal players in the novel, Andrei, Nikolai and Pierre all go under different crises.