Kat with a K

March Reads

(Explanation of the ratings)

9. Without a Net: Middle Class and Homeless (with Kids) in America by Michelle Kennedy
Genre: Memoir, sociology
Rating: 3.7
Comments: For some reason, I thought this was going to be more of a sociology thing, but it was basically just the author's story. Once I got past that misconception, though, it hooked me, because it's a fascinating story. The writing was a bit uneven and dragged in places, but I think it's definitely worth a read. A more theoretical section on how Kennedy's story fits into larger issues within society would have been interesting, but again, that wasn't really the point, so I can't complain.

10. Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Genre: Knitting
Rating: 5
Comments: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Even better than I expected. Steph has a great way of making scary concepts seem doable and fun; I had several "Oh, now that makes sense" moments along the way. And, of course, it's hilarious. I think this one, along with her others, will enter my "To Reread Frequently" category, and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone I teach to knit in the future. But it's not just for beginners: I've been knitting for several years and felt like I learned lots from it. Go. Read it. Now. (Even if you don't knit.)

11. Babysitters Club Graphic Novel #1: Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier
Genre: Juvenile, graphic novel
Rating: 3.5
Comments: Babysitters Club. Graphic. Novels. Whoever came up with this idea is brilliant. Brilliant, I say. No, seriously, I realize that this is one of those things that appeals almost exclusively to people of my exact demographic and very few others. But wow, it's an exciting concept. It's decently executed: the dialogue is almost all straight from the book and the pictures are believable, although not of course quite the way I imagined things. And I was very happy to see that it hadn't been updated: the kids still play with G.I. Joe and Rainbow Brite (the first time around), not, oh, Pokemon and Bratz. Overall, well done, and I'll probably buy more in the series as they come out for the combined nostalgia/novelty factor.