As a student of Indian history, philosophy and religion, the wider context of Asian culture fascinates me. How do all those cultures relate to each other? What does the famous Silk Road have to do with anything? Aryans came from central Asia to become... More about these gift suggestions...
Best Literature, Novels and Non-fiction books
My favorite biographies, Romantic novels, Fantasy Literature, cookbooks and books for children.
Kennedy Wives: Triumph and Tragedy in America’s Most Public Family
As a non-American, I did not grow up on ‘The Kennedy’s’. However, nobody can escape their myth completely. This book looks at the wives of the prominent Kennedy brothers, and their mother Rose. As we move through the generations, I... More about these gift suggestions...
Wiccan Spiritual Books for Children
Raising Children in Wicca It can be a tough job to teach the kids complex concepts and philosophies. Most people who have experienced this situation recommend including kids in rituals, sharing your knowledge of Wicca, and in general being... More about these gift suggestions...
Jewish Religious Books for Children
Shalom ve Ahavah!!! Best Jewish books for Kids According to the Jewish holy book – Children are a gift from God. Women who gave birth to many children were considered blessed by Jews in ancient times. Can you imagine – Hebrew has 11... More about these gift suggestions...
Tolkien: How an Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote The Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century
It felt like something of a betrayal when the first Tolkien movies came out. The private world my dad had taken us (my two brothers and I) to on our Sunday walks was suddenly public property. Of course we went – in a revolutionary move, our... More about these gift suggestions...
An Atomic Love Story: the Extraordinary Women in Robert Oppenheimer’s Life
I’ve been looking around for biographies of strong women and An Atomic Love Story caught my eye. However, it is really – and this is significant – a biography of Robert Oppenheimer, the famous (and infamous) physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb and was, in the McCarthy era, accused of communist sympathies.
Shirley Streshinsky and Patricia Klaus take on this biographers challenge in style and with insight into the challenges that women have faced over the 20th century.
We meet Jean Tatlock, Kitty Oppenheimer – his wife, and Ruth Sherman Tolman.
All three were smart. All three loved Robert and only Ruth was happy in herself. Ruth was also the only one with a significant career in her own right. And yes, this review contains spoilers. Continue reading An Atomic Love Story: the Extraordinary Women in Robert Oppenheimer’s Life
Amy My Daughter: an Amy Winehouse Biography by her father
Amy Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was one of the more notorious female singer songwriters of her generation. Her looks – 60’s inspired as her dad reminds us – her lyrics and her bouts of drunken and drug induced... More about these gift suggestions...
Dear Abigail – Founding mothers of a new Nation
I love reading biographies. I’ve been looking, recently, for biographies of strong women. After all, we do make half the world’s population and our story needs to be known. Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail... More about these gift suggestions...
Sikh Books for Children
Children have a great ability to absorb new ideas and thoughts. Therefore, it makes sense to instill Sikh Values in kids from the very beginning. The noble principles of Sikhism – One God, Equality among human beings, meditation, living honestly... More about these gift suggestions...
Best baking cookbooks
The top baking and desserts cookbooks are awaiting you so you can leave your mother-in-law speechless for once. These best selling desserts and pastry cookbooks are great gifts for mom this Christmas. Do you know someone who loves to bake? Get them one... More about these gift suggestions...
Best Vegan Cookbooks, according to my readers
My readers on this blog and elsewhere online love to share their recommendations. Their suggested vegan cookbooks is worth sharing here as a separate list, I think. So, if you’re into vegan cooking – that is cooking without meat, fish,... More about these gift suggestions...
Haggadah Ideas For Children
Let’s Have Some Fun This Passover “Our Passover Seder was really fun and I learn a lot!” If these are the words you hope to hear from your children at the end of this years Seder you have come to the right place. With any of the... More about these gift suggestions...
Best Religious Books For Children
Are you looking for some religious books for children that you can give as a gift? It may not be for Christmas as some of the worlds major religions do not even celebrate that holiday. Your gift may be for the child’s birthday or perhaps at a... More about these gift suggestions...
Dark Eden – Biblical Fantasy and Scifi
Chris Beckett’s Dark Eden is a book that I read in two sittings only because I forced myself to go to bed at a reasonable time. In Dark Eden he creates a world you won’t easily forget. In fact – 24 hours after putting it down... More about these gift suggestions...
Best Airplane Books For Boys
If you are looking for a great gift for boys who happen to love to read and also love airplanes then this list of suggestions for Airplane books for boys will definitely get you started in the right direction. From learning how to make a paper... More about these gift suggestions...
Best Books For Preschoolers
Books always make a delightful gift for children and can be very helpful in teaching different concepts, development skills, and tactile learning that is needed with preschoolers. Of course, these books should be fun while teaching the child. Take a... More about these gift suggestions...
Best human anatomy coloring books
Alright, this is definitely not a gift for anybody. For teens who like biology or want to go into a medical profession it’s a very good gift. It will also help college level students trying to cram all those details into their heads.... More about these gift suggestions...
The Annotated Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
We had a well supplied library of books growing up – both at home and at my grandparent’s: my grandmother collected children’s books. However, I did not start reading the collections of fairy tales we had till I was in my teens. I... More about these gift suggestions...
Fairy Tales Recordable Books
Kids and adults love fairy tales: their ‘once upon a time’ set takes us away from every day life. Unlike legends, we don’t take them as fact – they’re just fun and engaging. Fairy tales usually have some sort of magic... More about these gift suggestions...
Hallmark Recordable storybooks for kids
The idea of recordable audio books is great: a parent or grandparent buys the book, reads the story inside aloud, the book records it, and then they give it to their child or grandchild. The advantage is of course that the child will hear a loved... More about these gift suggestions...