Currently reading
Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield
Badass Teachers Unite!: Writing on Education, History, and Youth Activism
Across the Plains
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Perfect Fifths
This book reads as though the author wrote down all her ideas for what she'd put in the book...and then stopped. Yes, events happen, but the structure and scenario are forced, the whole middle section reads like a one-act play (all dialogue, no stage direction), and the fantastically written sexual and emotional tension from the first two books is completely gone, replaced by a romance-novel-style third act. It seemed to me that perhaps the author didn't care to finish the series but had already committed to a contract. Thirds and Fourths certainly weren't as good as the first two, but they were still considerably better than this one. So disappointing.
The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old
This book is very strange. Aside from the annoying use of baby talk in all the examples, I found it bizarre that a pediatrician was recommending using cookies and juice as bribes in about 80 percent of the scenarios described. These problems made it hard to believe his advice was sound.
Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent
I think this was probably pretty groundbreaking when it came out, but most of the content is fairly well-known information by now. It also has a bit of a judgemental tone...and that's coming from someone who's pretty on board with the author's message.
MINIMALIST PARENTING: Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less
Nothing groundbreaking, but solid info overall.
Parenting With Love and Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition)
I found it a touch sexist at times, and the authors' values didn't quite coincide with my own. But if you can get past that and the religious component of it, the ideas seem pretty solid.
 - Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay, Eugene H. Peterson)
Unbuttoned: Women Open Up About the Pleasures, Pains, and Politics of Breastfeeding
Most of the essays were fine, but nothing spectacular. The essays on weaning, though, were completely fantastic.
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Little Earthquakes
While the writing is somewhat contrived (do people in real life really throw back their heads and laugh?) and the characters are a bit predictable, Jennifer Weiner did a fantastic job capturing the emotions of new motherhood.
