carriedoodledoo's reviews
1355 reviews

Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

4.0

Economics sounds boring, whether it's the expert droning on on TV or the professor droning on in your required microeconomics course. This book, however, blows the back of your skull right out and show you how economics applies to your life. (or not). Highly recommend!

Assurdo universo by Giuseppe Lippi, Fredric Brown, Adria Mandrini

4.0

"Alice in Wonderland" via pulp fiction, essentially. An entertaining read.

Lake Monsters of Wisconsin by Chad Lewis

3.0

From the author of such classics as "The North Dakota Road Guide to Haunted Locations" and "The South Dakota Road Guide to Haunted Locations" comes a compilation of monster stories of Wisconsin waterways. As a Wisconsin native (something apparently we have in common), I had to pick it up. Some are close to home. I never could dangle my toes off the dock before (spiders), but I certainly can't now!

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

5.0

PEER PRESSURE. Not just for teens. A man and his wife decide to spend the ungodly amount of money they usually spend on Christmas on themselves instead, in the form of a cruise. Will they succeed in ripping free of their suburban bonds, made of tinsel and tangled strings of electric lights? A short little read, worth snarfing down on Christmas Eve while waiting for Santa.

A Field Guide to Little-Known and Seldom-Seen Birds of North America by Ben Sill, Cathryn Sill

5.0

FIVE STARS this was hysterical! From camoflauged sparrows to post-sitters to ground-dwelling thanksgiving dinners, this clever pastiche of a field guide is a must-read for anybody needing a giggle. (Also a great joke gift for a naturalist or birdwatcher haha).

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

3.0

A short story by one of the best written humorists of the 20th century. I read this after watching the movie, and while I love both, I think the movie did an exceptionally good job of expanding this little bit into feature-length material. Worth reading!

The House on the Cliff by D.E. Stevenson

3.0

It's simple, not overly dramatic (although there is a little adventure). It's been referred to as a literary palate cleanse, and it really is. If you want breathing space or a way to clear your head, take a walk up to the House on the Cliff!

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

3.0

Heart breaking, wondrous, enthralling. I wish I knew more of the neuro-medical terms he uses, but it's still decipherable for the layman. These are good stories -- and it makes you think about what makes you you, and how much of that can be stripped away or added to by a blow to the head or a stroke or a tumor or illness. It's such a good thought to know that what is "other" is still one of us.

The Pink Motel by Sheila Greenwald, Carol Ryrie Brink

4.0

A charming children's novel by one of my favorite authors. A family inherits a motel in Florida-- one that is both improbably pink and attracts an array of improbable guests, including a magician, socialites, gangsters, and an old woman who may be a fairy but is probably just an artist from Greenwich Village.

One of the things I loved about this book is its written so that a child would like it -- not a "mini adult". It's got that quality of make - believe, in which you're not quite sure what's real but it's all quite lovely. A very nostalgic read!

Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward, Donna Frazier

5.0

A well-planned, organized, descriptive and accurate book on recognizing and dealing with manipulation--as well as what is NOT manipulation!