I am in the midst of the Great Garage Renovation of 2010 (a slow-going process, but a process nonetheless). Currently I’m in phase one, which is the “throw everything I don’t need away” phase.

I have trouble throwing books away, but I’ve been forced to throw some away, while doing my best to keep the gems. But there were two I had no trouble throwing away today.

The first was Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. I read this one a year or two ago; being a Civil War enthusiast, I thought it looked intriguing. Instead it was just . . . well, extremely anachronistic. I have no doubt most of the historical details were true, but the attitudes and thoughts of the characters were post-modern and strange to what I know of 1860s thought. I tossed that one in the trash with no problem.

The other one was a fatherhood book I never read. Not that I probably didn’t need to, but the introduction to the book was a long dissertation about why fathers would rather not be in the delivery room when their kids are born. What the? Being with Jill as she delivered our four children was among the greatest privileges of my life.

That is all.