• Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran - Azadeh Moaveni

This is a great book for someone looking to understand the emotional ordeals that face living in America as an immigrant. (Mind you, she's a legal immigrant, or an emigre to be more specific.) She struggles with issues of trying to fit in while her parents struggle to hold onto their own culture. Then, feeling like she doesn't fit in 100% in America, she travels to Iran only to find out that her home culture is also foreign to her. She struggles with the realization that she'll never fully fit in anywhere and that she'll have to come to terms with that. It's a great book. If it weren't for one page, I'd use it in a high school class, but parents would freak over that one page so I can't. I wish they'd realize that there kids have already heard this stuff before and be okay with it as long as the book wasn't teaching them how to do something, or advocating doing it... It just alludes to something that would set off most parents. But, since you're all adults...READ IT!

• The Mediaeval Church - Marshall W. Baldwin

The visual organization of the book isn't pretty, but the information is good for someone looking for an introduction to the Medieval church. It's one of those supplemental books that help when someone needs a few gaps filled, or else to get the basics. I'd put a pic up, but they didn't have one. It's an older book, but I can steal bits and pieces for a lecture later in life.

• The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana - Umberto Eco

I'm not sure about this one... There were moments that I loved and moments where I was just kind of reading just to get through. The main character has lost his episodic memory and must attempt to sort through the tangible things of his past. Sometime's it's really intersting sorting through the guys things, and other times I got a little bored. As I said before Umberto Eco's a little pedantic and this time it was harder to get through for me. Maybe it's because it's my third Eco book in a row, or maybe just because it's not taking place in the Middle Ages. Honestly, I'm not sure... I loved the beginning of the book and I loved the stories of this guys past as he starts remembering what's happened to him. Everything else I'm still debating on.

• Baudolino - Umberto Eco

Wow... I don't even know where to begin. I got more than I ever expected out of this book. I think it was a great choice to fulfill the goal that I set a few months ago (It's my 12th book). The main complaint that I hear about Umberto Eco is that The Name of the Rose started out to slowly, or that he's pedantic (which I happen to like). I think that this book will suprise those people. It starts out much faster and his love of details is integrated nicely thoughout the book so that they flow with the pace of the particular event.

The overall setting of the book is the Middle Ages during the Crusades. The main character, Baudolino, is closely associated with Frederick Barbarossa. Baudolino likes to tell lies and these lies lead to all kinds of adventures, the primary adventure being the search for the kingdom of Prester John in the East.

The story begins normally enough, but at some point you're thrust into Baudolino's (or Eco's) version of Middle Earth. Things start to get a little strange and reality is altered. There's adventures, debates, passion, ... it's just an interesting read. Plus, I think this book has the best last sentence I've read so far. Give it a try. The longer you stick with it the more involved you become.

• Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong - James W. Loewen

I really enjoyed this book. Loewen studied 12 of the most common high school American History texts and then analyzed their historical accuracies and inaccuracies, as well as their omissions, tone, and audience. I noticed a huge difference between the history presented by my college profesors and the history that I had learned in K-12. I had always wondered why, and this book really talks about those differences and the reason why authors writing for high school students present more biases than those for college student (not to say that college texts aren't bias). He talks about Columbus, Thanksgiving, slavery, the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and other issues. Most of these chapters are really interesting and I think that most of you would enjoy reading them, even if it's just to stir up a little debate. =)