Readers' picks

I reread Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, then Geraldine Brooks's 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning historical novel March. This excellent book is the story of the March girls' father set during the Civil War and is a thought-provoking read that covers that period and the moral dilemmas of every war.
– Marty Marsh, Fort Collins, Colo.

Recently, I read Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende. It was an easy-to-read story about how the author and his bride lived with "minimites" [a technology-shunning, Mennonite-like community] for 18 months, then used their new-found knowledge about how to live better with less technology when they established their home in a more traditional town. It shows how no society, even that of the "minimites," is perfect, but that we can take a more conscientious role in our lifestyle.
– Suzanne Soule, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Gutted by Lawrence La Rose. A true home- renovation tale by a Manhattan writer who marries, buys an expensive Sag Harbor fixer-upper, loses his job on closing day, and is forced to take construction work (with no experience!) Much more gripping than HGTV!
– Joy Cartier, Indian Wells, Calif.

A River of Doubt by Candice Millard is truly a page turner. It chronicles the journey of Teddy Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and others, who succeeded (and some who did not) in navigating this treacherous river in Brazil. Though perhaps not for the squeamish, this is a harrowing tale told in exciting prose.
– Mary Folsom, Kennebunk, Me.

What are you reading? Write and tell us.