Reading lately...

I've been reading ... and already have another book post forming in my mind, so I'd better get this one off.

Have you heard of or read In the Presence of My Enemies? It was free on Kindle so I got it awhile ago and just read through it lately. It literally made my heart stop. (When it got going again, all I could do was cry! And not many books make me cry.)

After my experience in Haiti, the story of Gracia and Martin's kidnapping was a very vivid picture in my mind. (Kidnappings/unrest have been a fairly regular thing in Haiti.) The very powerful story of their struggles during the year in captivity were all presented in such a real way - these were just people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both struggled very deeply with bad feelings toward their captors (of course, who wouldn't!?) and it was such an amazing story of faith.

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*On the flip side of Haiti, reading  this beautiful post and "room for one more", here.

I've heard tons about The Happiness Project and decided to see what the buzz was all about for myself. I love Gretchen Rubin's easy-to-read, humorous writing style and she made some really great points in this book. Overall a quick, yet thought-provoking, read.

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Finally, another free Kindle book, The Rose Hotel. I'm not very familiar with Iranian culture, but the writing of this "true life novel" helped normalize Middle Eastern culture for me. It is a story of a girl and a tragedy in her family. It is a powerful story, yet no earth shattering endings. Another real life story from a different voice than I'm used to reading.

That's all for now! Share anything you've read lately and recommend in the comments - I'll see if I can pick it up!

What I've Been Reading ...

Although I've been fantastically busy lately, I've found time to pick up a few books and read. Usually during naptime, after the girl goes to bed or on lazy Sunday afternoons.

Most of what I read is, admittedly, completely for fun. Which more or less means a fairly low reading level - which after my days of academic reading, I'm slightly shy to admit.

But then when you throw in day after day after day of life with an almost 2 year old, then you understand what "mom brain" is and why I literally can't read or comprehend anything more than fun books.

That said, I think I forgot to mention the book I read over our June vacation.

The Story of Stuff has been on my list and it added a bunch of other books to my reading list (included the next one in line).

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Suffice to say, this wasn't fun reading, per say, (stats throughout the entire thing) but it was so practical and revealing. If you are interested in materialism, consumerism or practicing simplicity, it's a great resource to get you started!

Which leads me to 7.

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Another great, practical (and super funny!) resource on how families can participate in simpler living.

Totally switching gears ...

I've been wanting to attend a book club led by one of our church friends but I haven't gotten ahold of the books in time (too many holds at the library!), I couldn't finish it in time, or they were just too complicated for my mom brain at 8pm at night ...

Finally! I got one and read it through. 11/22/63 is a new Stephen King novel - quite long, but a fast read. We're discussing it at the end of the month and I can't wait to join up with the book club for the first time!

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I have to admit, there was WAY more language than I would prefer, but I really wanted to participate in this one. Past that, the storyline was SO interesting ... and I couldn't put it down! My penchant for the past made me swallow this one hook-line-and-sinker.

Another book club book, The Night Circus, I just finished about 10 minutes ago. And I loved it. In sort of an Alice in Wonderland way. The author, Erin Morgenstern, is incredibly talented ... the whole time I was reading it felt like a dream (completely intended by her, but totally believable!) It used beautiful, descriptive language without being forced. It was completely "magic" but still believable. That makes a good author if you ask me ...

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Honestly, the ending still eludes me a bit, but I'd read it anyway. This is a January book club discussion, so maybe I'll be able to understand more then.

Last one for this post is Room. I was intrigued by Jess' description so I reserved it for our trip to Nashville.

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I was VERY confused at first and found it difficult to read the nuances of a five year old narrator, but about halfway through finally started to understand his language and get into his story (which I think was, again, totally intentional by the author). By the end I was choked up - a hard story told in a way that didn't make it less horrifying, but put a perspective spin on it that made it readable. Pick it up, I do recommend this one.

*****

That's it! Have you read anything good lately?

Books I've Read Lately - 4/24/12

I've been reading some lately. Most of my books are either free Kindle books or recommendations from others that I reserve at the library. This, my friends, is reading on the cheap. There is no way on this earth that I could afford reading books that weren't free, nor would I want to store books that I bought and only read once.

Free is so much more worth waiting for - even if it's a couple of months through a library hold. Of course, you do come across duds that come here and there - especially free downloads. Some of these I simply delete from my Kindle or skim through and decide, "Well, I guess that's what I get for reading free."

But every once in awhile I read a good one.


Promise Me This
**Still free if you go and download it to your Kindle!

Promise Me This is a Christian novel - most Christian stories are either too predictable, too corny or just have bad theology for me to enjoy - but this one was actually pretty good. It wasn't a super intelligent read (these days I pretty much just need a "get-away" read) but it was good. Told the story of a gardening family affected by the sinking of the Titanic, a journey of love and forgiveness, with a bit of war-time romance. I though at first it might be predictable, but in the end it kept me guessing.

If you want a "get-away" read with some history and romance and a decent story line, this is a good one.


The Language of Flowers

The Language of Flowers is a really good read, too. I got it as a recommend from my friend, Jess, and loved it. It's the story of a foster child, Victoria, who learns the meaning of family and love through the language of flowers. It was a simple read, but at the end, I cried. (And I don't cry much when I read, so that was a good sign.) I was definitely attached to the characters. Highly recommend.




The Hunger Games

And, in true reading-fad style, I finally got my reserved copy of The Hunger Games from the library this month. I read it in a day. Once you get used to the slightly strange first-person voice, the rest is a pretty easy read.

I only had one hang-up -- believing the post-apocalyptic setting of the USA. If it would've been Europe, Asia, anywhere but here, I think I could've believed the story a bit more. For some reason, the location being here in the States threw me a little bit. However, by the end I was chomping at the bit to read the second book in the trilogy. Unfortunately, I am number 420 on 81 copies, so by the end of the summer, I may have read book 2.


That's all for now!