What on Earth am I Reading?

It's time to check out book blogs!  Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books has asked her fellow book bloggers to talk about the book we are currently reading.

Wait a sec.  I'm supposed to be reading only one book?  Shoot.  Failed that one.

This is what's happening around here:

I am making my way, bit by bit, through Rooted in Barbarous Soil: People, Culture, and Community in Gold Rush California, which is fully textbook status.  It's only 384 pages, but since it's printed on huge 8x10 paper, it should count as more.  It is mostly very interesting, in a I-need-to-know-about-it-because-I'm-writing-about-it way.  I grew up in Gold Rush country, and since that's pretty much the only history I remember from my fabulous education, I thought I had a good idea of what I was talking about.  This is one of the books that is changing my mind.  But slowly.  Very slowly.


I recently finished a classic (The Master and Margarita) and then blew through two Junior Fiction titles in a day, so I started reading Mere Christianity.  I'm enjoying it, like how it's written, happy to finally be reading some nonfiction C.S. Lewis, but honestly the aforementioned titled has taken some of the Non-Fiction Zest out of my sails.  I want to continue with it, but am itching to start another fiction title.


I am also reading Ramona Forever aloud to my girls.  I Ramona.  Always have, probably always will.  It's not that I identify with her problems so much (my eldest daughter definitely does) but as a girl I drew great comfort in the fact that someone else out there felt out of place.  


Since we are on the subject of great old children's titles, can I just say that it really (really) bugs me when they update the classic cover artwork?  Please (please) don't try to make Ramona Quimby or Laura Ingalls look like they were born in 2001.  Kids aren't that dumb--they'll start reading the book and realize something is a little wonky about the illustrations.


Anyhow, it's a good thing Jennifer asked this question now, and not tomorrow...tomorrow I will certainly have added a title or two.  I seem to be unable to read only one book at a time.  If you are hopping by, leave me a comment--I'd love to check out your blog!