my own favorite books

(Note: each of the following has a link to amazon, if applicable; please do not regard this as pressure to shop there, as you can always use the link for added information, if you find that useful, and then shop somewhere else, if you prefer. I always like to use amazon's web site for more info on books listed in my public library, and then buy only those books that I cannot get at the library, or which, like the the books below, are so worth re-reading that they earn precious limited shelf space. Otherwise, there'd be no room for people in our house!)

zoom down to: [ non-fiction ] [ fiction for adults and older children ] [ parenting ] [ children's non-fiction ] [ children's fiction ] [ philosophy and self-help ]





Jared Diamond : Guns, Germs, and Steel : The Fates of Human Societies: This book draws together information from many different fields, coming together to give the real reasons why some cultures have been able to defeat others. Fascinating if you care about the history of food crops, reasons why horses can be domesticated but zebras can't, reasons why diseases didn't become endemic until populations developed to a high density, etc. Some may find it too scholarly in style, but you don't have to finish it to get a lot out of it. (Carlos, you still have my copy - can I have it back?)
Steven Pinker: The Language Instinct: Children are born with an instinct to acquire language; the nature of language is not pure randomness.
Steven Pinker: How the Mind Works: The first part of the book is kind of slow, but the rest makes it well worthwhile.
Edward Tufte: Envisioning Information: This is the only one of Tufte's three books that our local public library has! It's so good I think I need my very own copy, though.
Edward R. Tufte : The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
Edward R. Tufte: Visual Explanations : Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative
Gavin De Becker: The Gift of Fear : Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence: How you can use your own instincts to keep you safe.

fiction (mostly fantasies and mysteries) for adults and older children

Diana Wynne Jones: Dark Lord of Derkholm: An alternate universe is exploited by a man from ours, or a universe much like ours, for tourist trips similar to the imaginary ones in the game Dungeons and Dragons, until the people finally fight back. As in all of Jones' works, the details and characters are memorable.
Diana Wynne Jones: Howl's Moving Castle: An exception to the rule that all books marked "young adult" must be depressing. There is no upper age limit for this book, in spite of the label. Fun.
Robin McKinley: The Door in the Hedge
Robin McKinley: The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown
Connie WillisTo Say Nothing of the Dog: A wonderful time travel book - it seems full of absurd hilarious fluff, then at the end it all comes together and proves to have been very tightly plotted. Connie WIllis is one of my top few favorite authors.


R.A. MacAvoy's The Book of Kells , Lens of the World trilogy, The Grey Horse , and Tea With the Black Dragon .: How can every book by such a good author be out of print? These are all books with approximately one element of fantasy each.
Judith Merkle Riley: A Vision of Light and In Pursuit of the Green Lion ; also The Oracle Glass
Mercedes Lackey Firebird: a perfect fairy tale
Ellis Peters: A Morbid Taste for Bones, One Corpse Too Many , Monk's Hood , St. Peter's Fair , The Leper of Saint Giles , The Virgin in the Ice , The Sanctuary Sparrow , The Devil's Novice , Dead Man's Ransom , The Pilgrim of Hate , An Excellent Mystery , The Raven in the Foregate , The Rose Rent , The Hermit of Eyton Forest , The Confessions of Brother Haluin , Heretic's Apprentice , The Potter's Field, The Summer of the Danes , The Holy Thief , A Rare Benedictine , etc.

best parenting books

Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish: Liberated Parents, Liberated Children : Your Guide to a Happier Family
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish: Siblings Without Rivalry : How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too: These three books by Faber and Mazlish changed my life. I read them when my older child was an infant, in time to prevent a lot of misery. I think every parent should do the same.
Thomas W. Phelan: 1-2-3 Magic: What to do if you need more help after reading Faber and Mazlish. Not the best book to start with, but very helpful when more help is needed. Try the audiocassette or videotape if you can't get your spouse to read the book! This is for the child who already knows what is right or wrong, but has trouble applying that to his or her own behavior - such as the child who misbehaves on purpose, in order to get a reaction from the parents, or for the child who just needs help in learning to establish inner control of unacceptable impulses.

children's non-fiction

Frances R. Balkwill: DNA Is Here to Stay: A comic book format that was greatly enjoyed, and understood, by my son when he was only five or six years old (I read it aloud to him), though the book is aimed at ages 9 to 12 and is correct enough on its facts for any age at all, and especially useful for an adult who is interested but feeling lazy. (slightly overpriced at amazon, unlike the others)
Frances R. Balkwill: Cells Wars: How your body fights infection. Same great format and quality as "DNA is Here to Stay".
Frances R. Balkwill: Cells Are Us: What bodies are made of. Same great format and quality as "DNA is Here to Stay".
Geraldine McCaughrean: Greek Myths

young children's fiction

Rose Fyleman & Jamichael Henterly: A Fairy Went A-Marketing: This is a short picture book for young children, but the quality of the illustrations and the story, and the gentle feeling, make it a classic. Gorgeous.
Anne Mazer & Steve Johnson:The Salamander Room: Another short picture book for young children. A little boy describes everything he'll do to make his bedroom the perfect place for the salamander he found in the woods - resulting, bit by bit, in turning the room into a part of the forest, itself.

philosophy & self-help

Susan Heitler: The Power of Two : Secrets of a Strong & Loving Marriage: Most people don't know how to "fight fair", how to communicate their needs to their partner without using unfair tactics that create divisions without getting them what they want in the relationship. This is the only book I've read which has actual, practical, useful advice on this subject. There are a lot of books on the subject, which seem good when you read them but fail to have lasting effects; this one is different. You have to read it several times. It can be helpful even if your partner is the one who's being unfair to you, and you probably don't even realize the ways in which you are currently being unfair to your partner.

Sharon Salzberg: Loving-Kindness Meditation : Learning to Love Through Insight Meditation: An audiocassette, explaining a very simple, and very helpful, technique from traditional Buddhist psychology.
Thich Nhat Hanh: Peace Is Every Step : The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life: This is a gem, bearing constant re-reading.

The following are just books I'm thinking about buying, but haven't read yet - no reviews, here!

When Working Out Isn't Working Out: A Mind/Body Guide to Conquering Unidentified Fitness Obstacles
The American Physical Therapy Association Book of Body Repair and Maintenance
Organizing from the Inside Out : The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life
Start Where You Are : A Guide to Compassionate Living
Tolkien's Hobbit: this one is the comic book version - although we have the original version, I think my son needs this one, as well
The Color Printer Idea Book : 40 Really Cool and Useful Projects to Make with Any Color Printer: This was really good!
Imagery on Fabric : A Complete Surface Design Handbook
How to Draw Pokemon
Seeing Is Believing : 7 Stories by Diana Wynne Jones: They have this in now!
How Things Work in Busytown CD ROM: kids' game
Elfriede Moller: Shibori : The Art of Fabric Folding, Pleating and Dyeing
All ABoard Airplanes
Diana Wynne Jones: Charmed Life
The Airplane Alphabet Book
The Jet Alphabet Book
Sara Newberg King: Dye & Discharge : Playing on Fabric (Love to Quilt)
Kate Wells: Fabric Dyeing and Printing
Mickey Lawler: Skydyes : A Visual Guide to Fabric Painting
Dianne N. Epp : The Chemistry of Vat Dyes (Palette of Color Series)
Diana Wynne Jones The Lives of Christopher Chant (The Chrestomanci Novels , No 3)
Diana Wynne Jones The Crown of Dalemark (Dalemark Quartet, Bk. 4)
Diana Wynne Jones Drowned Ammet (Dalemark book 2)
Diana Wynne Jones Deep Secret
Diana Wynne Jones Dogsbody
Diana Wynne Jones Witch Week: Out of stock!
Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention : A Book for Kids About Add
Russell A. Barkley : Taking Charge of Adhd : The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents
Pema Chodron: Good Medicine : How to Turn Pain into Compassion With Tonglen Meditation
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis
Pokemon Jr. Adventure Game
Ron Zalme : How to Draw Pokemon : Gotta Catch 'Em All! (How to Draw)
Numbermaze Challenge Ages 5-12
Word Munchers Deluxe (Jewel Case)
Add/Adhd Behavior-Change Resource Kit : Ready-To-Use Strategies & Activities for Helping Children With Attention Deficit Disorder: $28. Looks good, but do I want it now?
Canon S20 camera
Canon power supply kit



Pema Chodron: ood Medicine : How to Turn Pain into Compassion With Tonglen Meditation
Getting a Grip on Add : A Kids Guide to Understanding and Coping With Attention Disorders
Pokemon Gotta Catch 'Em All ! Activity Book
Pokemon, Write Your Own Adventures!
Pokemon Chapter Book #2: Island of the Giant Pokemon
Mysterious Mew (Pokemon Adventures, Vol 1)
Starmie Surprise (Pokemon Adventures, Vol 3)
Wanted : Pikachu (Pokemon Adventures, Vol 2)
Pokemon Adventures Volume 4: The Snorlax Stop
Pokemon (gameboy snap story)
Laura Lemayteach yourself Java 2 Platform in 21 Days
Laura LemaySams Teach Yourself Perl in 21 Days
Michael Wilcox : Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green
Adriene Buffington: Hand-Dyed Fabric Made Easy
The Best Paper Airplanes You'll Ever Fly (Klutz Guides)
Big Fat Pipe Cleaners
Disaster Science
Klutz book of Card Games : For Sharks and Others/Book and Cards
The Klutz Book of Knots : How to Tie the World's 25 Most Useful Hitches, Ties, Wraps, and Knots
The Klutz Book of Marbles/Book and Marbles
The Klutz Yo-Yo Book
Paper Chains : A Klutz Guide
Spotters Guide to the Coolest Cars on the Road
Spotters Guide to the Nastiest Bugs in the Yard
The Explorabook : A Kid's Science Museum in a Book/Book and Magnet
Zap Science : A Scientific Playground in a Book
Glove Compartment Science
Easy Origami
Large Origami Paper : 24 9" X 9" Sheets in 12 Colors
Folding Paper for Origami (81/2 X 81/2)
The Gliding Flight : 20 Excellent Fold and Fly Paper Airplanes
Pokemon Origami
Glove Compartment Scavenger Hunt (Klutz Guides)
Shibori : The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing Tradition Techniques
Super-Sneaky, Double-Crossing, Up, Down, Round & Round Maze Book
Earthsearch : A Kids' Geography Museum in a Book
Puzzlemania Superchallenge
The Fantastic Foam Book
Mary Shoman's Living Well with Hypothyroidism
Herge's Adventures of TinTin - The Land of Black Gold

Pokemon Gold and Silver Strategy Guide
Robert Nye Beowulf : A New Telling
The Klutz Book of Marbles/Book and Marbles
Create-A-Scene Magnetic Playset Forest
Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat From Your Head to Your Feet
LEGO Action Wheeler My Bots Invention System (2916)
The Standard Deviants: Chemistry, Part 1 (1996)
Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required
Walkie-Talkies
The Mabinogion
Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Easy Search-A-Word Puzzles
Lego Modelers: Amazing Animals
LEGO Modelers: Amazing Figures
LEGO Adventurers Dino Island T-Rex Transport (5975)
Charles Sanders Peirce, Justus Buchler (Editor) Philosophical Writings of Peirce
Play-Doh Pokemon Character Maker
Pokemon Plush: Pikachu #25
The Magic School Bus - Best of 1998 3-Pak
The Magic School Bus - Best of 1997 3-Pak
Reader Rabbit Thinking Adventures Ages 4-6
The Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie
The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten (1995)
Viking CF48M 48 MB CompactFlash Card
Magic School Bus, The - Getting Energized (1997)
he Magic School Bus - The Busasaurus
Magic School Bus, The - Taking Flight
Animal ABC Stickers (Dover Little Activity Books)
Strong Women, Strong Bones: Great book everyone over 35 should read!
Classic Myths to Read Aloud: is this one good?
The Great Dumbbell Handbook: for working out at home
Viking CF64M 64 MB CompactFlash Card
Xircom Rex 5001 with Docking Station
Epson T009201 Color InkJet Cartridge: Color ink cartridge for Epson Stylus Photo 1270
Epson T007201 Black InkJet Cartridge: Black ink cartridge for Epson Stylus Photo 1270
Digimon Gift Set (Vols. 1-3)
Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones
Terry Pratchett's Pyramids
5" Digimon Digivolving Action Figure: WarGreymon/Agumon by Bandai
Super Mario Brothers Deluxe Gameboy Color version
LEGO Creator Board Game by Warren
'Smath game by Pressman Toy
Jokelopedia
Enjoy Your Cells by Fran Balkwill, Mic Rolph
Magic School Bus Whales And Dolphins
Spy Fox: Operation Ozone
The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien
Little Lit : Folklore & Fairy Tale Funnies by Art Spiegelman (Editor), Francoise Mouly (Editor)
LEGO Bionicle Gameboy Advance
Magic School Bus Volcano Adventure
Fisher-Price Rescue Heroes Meteor Madness
Franklin the Turtle: Goes to School
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
rechargeable battery for my camera
pokemon 2 gs: not durable, but much loved
Viking CF256M 256MB
Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: wonderful book!
origin of virtue: another great one
Tricky Pix : Do It Yourself Trick Photography With Camera
Epson Super B-Size Photo Quality Glossy Paper 20 Sheets
Emily Rodda's The Forests of Silence (Deltora Quest, 1)
Balkwill's Germ Zappers (Enjoy Your Cells, 2)
Emily Rodda's The Lake of Tears (Deltora Quest, 2)
DVD player?
Max the Cat Board Game
The Rocket Book
DK Readers: LEGO Rocket Rescue (Level 2: Beginning to Read Alone)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Edition) (2001)
Snowstorm Game
clustered world
The New Food Lover's Companion : Comprehensive Definitions of Nearly 6000 Food, Drink, and Culinary Terms (Barron's Cooking Guide)
The Simpsons - The Complete First Season (for a gift?)
Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Jr. Novelization) by Patricia C. Wrede
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones--The Visual Dictionary by David West Reynolds
In Space (Usborne Dot-To-Dot)
Mac OS X Unleashed
upgrade to FREEHAND 10.0
The Rocket Book
The Rocket Book - paperback
Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss - Deluxe DVD Edition (2000)
The All-Day Yoga Workout - A.M., Stress Relief, and P.M. Yoga for Beginners
Caves & CLaws cooperative game
GameCube Flash Memory Card 2X- Translucent Purple
Games to Play Every Day computer game
Round Up Game
The Secret Door: (game)
: Have a Nice DNA, by Fran Balkwill
: Gene Machines, by Fran Balkwill

The Lake of Tears (Deltora Quest, 2): by Emily Rodda
Have a Nice DNA (Enjoy Your Cells, 3)
Enter the World of Deltora (Deltora Quest, 1: The Forest of Silence, Deltora Shadowlands, 1: Cavern of Fear, Deltora Book of Monsters) by Emily Rodda
Fractals, Googols and Other Mathematical Tales by Theoni Pappas
Gene Machines (Enjoy Your Cells, 4)
The V Book: A Doctor's Guide
Koyaanisqatsi/ Powaqqatsi - 2 Pack
Yu-Gi-Oh! Collector's Gift Tin
Radical Self-Acceptance
Mindful Movements: Gentle Contemplative Exercises
By the Sword
Storm Warning
The Silver Gryphon
The White Gryphon
The Black Gryphon
Storm Rising
A Pebble for Your Pocket by Thich Nhat Hanh
Be Still and Know: Reflections
Geometry the Easy Way: watch out - this one appears *not* to be a fantasy novel, which is what my pre-teen child enjoys most in math. The "look inside" feature at Amazon is very helpful.
Algebra, the Easy Way: fantasy novel format, just what we need
Calculus by and for Young People (Ages 7, Yes 7 and Up) by Donald Cohen
The Cartoon Guide to Statistics: okay for adults, but not nearly as much fun as "Algebra the easy way"
The Myth of Laziness: America's Top Learning Expert Shows How Kids - and Parents - Can Become More Productive by Mel Levine
The Strange Case of Mrs. Hudson's Cat: And Other Science Mysteries Solved by Sherlock Holmes by Colin Bruce: The other Colin Bruce books using Sherlock Holmes are excellent - for those wanting a fun way to cover the subjects. Possibly a little annoying to Holmes fans, due to the occasional imperfection, but fine for those who know only a little Holmes and know that they like it.
Calculus the Easy Way: This is another fantasy novel, so we'll have to get it.
Barron's Trigonometry the Easy Way (2nd Ed) by Douglas A. Downing: another fantasy novel format
How to Host a Teen Mystery: Barbecue with the Vampire: not for eleven year olds - too challenging - stick to teens
Dr.Who: turned out to be loved by the six-year-old and the eleven-year-old as well as the recipient
Klutz Spiral Draw
I Dare (Liaden Universe Novel Series): seventh and concluding volume of the Agents of Change sequence
Plan B: volume 6
Partners in Necessity: the first three Liaden novels combined: Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem
Pilots' Choice: two tales are prequels to Partners in Necessity: Local Custom, Scout's Progress
A Thousand Words for Stranger by Julie E. Czerneda: first novel - Trade Pact Universe, volume 1
Ties of Power (The Trade Pact Universe Number 2) by Julie E. Czerneda
To Trade the Stars (Trade Pact Universe, 3) by Julie E. Czerneda
Beholder's Eye by Julie E. Czerneda: second book - but our library has this one - book 1 in a series - web shifters
Changing Vision (Web Shifters, 2) by Julie E. Czerneda
Hidden in Sight (Webshifters, 3) by Julie E. Czerneda
In the Company of Others by Julie E. Czerneda: but our library has this one
Garmin eTrex Legend
car lighter adaptor
The Secret of the Unicorn (The Adventures of Tintin)
The Blue Lotus (The Adventures of Tintin)
The Broken Ear (The Adventures of Tintin)
The Castafiore Emerald (The Adventures of Tintin)
Flight 714 (The Adventures of Tintin)
Explorers on the Moon (Tintin)

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