10 Things: Books

Books. Just the word makes me sigh happily. I love reading. I love holding a book and turning the pages, or pressing the button on an e-reader. Yeah, I'm equal opportunity. More books = happy me. More books taking up less space = happy husbeast.
My parents are readers. My grandmother always had a book nearby. When she was in the nursing home the last few years, she had two things with her at most times: a tissue, and a book.
It may surprise some people to learn that I don't enjoy reading fiction very much. I've tried to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at least three times, and I can never make it far. I don't remember how many pages into it I've gotten. I've tried to read Harry Potter twice, and made it about 100 pages. I've read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Meh. I'm not a completely lost cause: I adore The Hobbit by J. R. R Tolkein. But I'm drawn to non-fiction, to true stories that happened in our distant past, or last year.
This list will be different than my Facebook list, mostly to share more of the variety of stuff that I read. I recommend all of these books and will happily recommend more. In no particular order:

Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore

Ever wondered why we have OSHA? The FDA? I never have wondered, really, but if you have read this. Young women, quite a few of whom were immigrants or first generation Americans, trusted that their supervisors wouldn't knowingly expose their workers to deadly materials for the sake of profits. Their bones literally crumbled into pieces after radium exposure. The companies seized on any explanation for their deaths other than the truth, and because radium was considered safe, even healthy to ingest it took years to prove that the women died from exposure. This is not an easy read, but in these days of "fewer regulations" and "big government is bad" we need to remember how we got here and why these federal agencies exist. See also: Triangle by David Von Drehle

Every book by by Mary Roach

Do you have any questions that seem dumb rattling around in your brain? Are you afraid to ask them for fear of seeming stupid or rude? Mary Roach has the answers. This woman has no fear, and her sense of shame has limits. She asks those questions, sometimes reluctantly because she knows it seems weird to ask why dead male bodies get erections, or what happens to poop in space. What's it like to participate in a sex study? How do I find out if I have ESP? She has the answers.
I haven't read her latest yet, but I have no doubt it will be entertaining and informative.

Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth Century Europe by Sarah Gristwood

European men of the 1500s get a lot of attention. To be fair, the century includes some incredible personalities: Henry VIII of England, obviously, Francois I and Henri II of France, Emperor Charles V. They are the great men of the century, ruling their realms for better or for worse. Their mothers, sisters, aunts, wives, and daughters were equally great, and sometimes more important than the men supposedly in charge. This book is not rewriting history; it is revealing a more accurate story of how women helped govern in Europe. See also: Queens Consort by Lisa Hilton, She-Wolves by Helen Castor, Four Queens by Nancy Goldstone, Blood Sisters by Sarah Gristwood

Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold Packard

For some reason, Queen Victoria's family dynamics fascinate me. She had five daughters and four sons and never let them forget that she was their mother, yes, but more importantly she was their queen. And politics wasn't a question of policy and compromise: for Victoria it was family, a matter of writing to Uncle Leopold in Brussels, or her grandson in Berlin. The personalities involved and the different reactions are endlessly interesting to me. See also: Edward VII by Jane Ridley, Victoria's Matchmaking by Deborah Cadbury, We Two by Gillian Gill

Giants in the Earth by O. E. Rolvaag

A novel! Finally! My mother jokes that this is required reading for every Scandinavian American, which should be true, but it's more than that. This book is about the American dream of owning and working your own land. For many families, the cost of that dream is too high. It's heartbreaking, but also inspiring. Reading this book gives me a little insight into what my great-great grandfather Jakob might have been thinking when he left Norway to tend a farm in Iowa. It's hard to imagine two more different places, Norway and Iowa (or North Dakota). I can't imagine moving from Alaska to Iowa, but if Jakob had lacked the imagination, I might not be here. We owe debts to our ancestors that we can't possibly comprehend.

1066: Year of the Conquest by David Howarth

Back to history. This is the book that started it, that introduced me to Medieval history and the vagaries of source material. I've read it countless times, taking it on every plane trip for 20 years. It is an excellent introduction to the Norman Conquest of England, and how to read about history. See also: The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones

Really any of Dan Jones' books. They're good reads with good information. He takes complicated stories and lays them out, step by step, without being dull. Because I get it: history can be very dull. Why should we care about a king's wardrobe accounts from May through September 1168? Dan will tell you and make you want to know more.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede

I love this series about Princess Cimorene. Every book is a delight and introduces more amazing characters: Kazul, Morwen, Mendanbar, the Gargoyle! I am so excited to read these to my daughter. This princess is smart, beautiful, clever, and kind. These books teach you that it pays to be nice, life is rarely straightforward, and knowing how to cook is very important. So is an organized library.

Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik

I am fascinated by medical history, specifically epidemics and human reactions to disease. Illness brings out the very best and the very worst in humans, and inspires fear, poetry, art, and science. Another book that's not easy to read (I've only read the last chapter once), but rabies has been with humans for millennia. The more we know, right?

Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman

I'm ending this list with one of my very favorite books from my childhood. Norman is a mouse who lives and works at the museum. He lives for art, and finally gets the chance to share his own.

10 Things

There's another thing going around Facebook these days, the Book Cover Challenge. I'm going to set a goal for myself: one blog post per week for a year of 10 things that I love, or that inspire me, or that I want to see/read/use. Starting now!