January Reads
Eat, Pray, and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I’m reading it slowly, just a bit here and there, because I have library books with looming due dates. But, the bits I’ve read are really fascinating. First of all, her desire to explore her spirituality is interesting to me since it’s happening at a time when I’m exploring my own as well. But, I was also surprised when hard on the spirituality chapter, she started talking about her struggle with depression. Hello!!!! I really found her description fascinating. She describes Depression and Loneliness as two separate entities that visit her. I personally never separated them, but it makes sense since a big part of loneliness is a sense of isolation. Anyway, it’s proving a very interesting read to me.
The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd
I love good historical fiction. This novel introduces Dublin area history in stages, from pre-Viking to the time of King Henry the VIII (I wonder why he left out the turbulent Elizabeth periods). We are introduced to fictional families that have front-seat views of important Irish personages, and stay with those families from generation to generation. If I had any complaints about the book, it was that Rutherfurd seemed to only create abrasive, annoying women characters. What gives with that?
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
This is one of my favorite movies, but I’d never read the book. I’m really enjoying the book on CD read by Amy herself.
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
Book on tape. Two radically opposite ends of the morality question. She’s a Sex Ed teacher who suddenly, after years of conducting the class without complaint, is attacked by the Bible community as condoning sex to children. To protect itself from lawsuits, the school forces her to change her class approach to one of abstinence rather than education. It would be easy to see the Bible community as the enemy. But, we are introduced to Will, a battered man with a long and destructive history, who – though still fighting a daily battle with his issues – feels that the church has saved his life.
A Contract with God and other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner
Graphic novel. A peek at the Jewish, inner-city community during the depression.
The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan
The story of Emperor Jahangir and Mehrumnisa. Mehrumnisa was Jahangir’s 20th wife, and aunt to Arjumand. Arjumand married Jahangir’s son, Khurram. Khurram would eventually build the Taj Majhal for Arjumand. Mehrumnisa becomes the favorite wife of Jahangir, makes unusual demands (like to attend court by his side), and doesn’t hesitate to make enemies. This amazes me. In a world where women are in favor only temporarily, and then the rest of their lives are spent with the other discarded wives, why did she believe herself to be different? Why was she so willing to maliciously injur the women she had surpassed, knowing that if she fell one day, they would take revenge on her. It’s beyond my understanding. And yet, I’ve read it enough time in biographies to know that favored wives did this frequently.
From Hell by Alan Moore
Wow! A graphic novel with a fresh approach to the Jack the Ripper Story. Was the London slayer one person or, as this book portrays, the combined efforts of several unconnected people? Also offers an interesting view of the Masonry and ancient religions combined in modern day Christianity.
The Holman Illustrated Study Bible
This offered some fantastic insights into the various chapters of the old and new testaments. What was the purpose of the chapter? Who is believed to have written it and when? What was the literary style? Etc.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlement – Vols 1 and 2 by Alan Moore
The movie was fun, and these two graphic novels were quite interesting. I still liked the movie better.
Unspoken by Francine Rivers
A very short novel on the story of Bathsheba. There was one point that was made very well in this story. David and Bathsheba sinned, and many people were hurt by their action….even after they were forgiven. Bathsheba stresses that when teaching her children. She told them that God could forgive them their sins, but he would not take away the consequences. When asked why, her response was, “Because we must learn to obey.” That was a good point. Many people think they are not forgiven, because the consequences have not been lifted from them….this book sheds good light on that.
Dream of the Walled City by Lisa Huang Fleischman
China’s history is one of turmoil. Always. But, as the character says, the Chinese people are resistant and always survive. This story was written in the early 1900s, during the time of the fall of the last Emperor (just a child) and the invasion of the Japanese. The character is born of a wealthy family that falls into poverty at the death of her father. She is an educated woman, and we see China through her eyes and the experiences of her family and friends. Her closest friend is a communist activist, always trying to recruit our character into an active, dangerous, exciting life. But, our character is quieter, though equally involved. She marries, cares for her vicious in-laws after the death of her husband, teaches young women mathematics, and later remarries and raises a family. We see the devastation of the old ways through her eyes as she struggles to hold her family together and keep them safe. She is an empathetic woman, feeling the pain of all around her, seeing the beauty of the old ways while recognizing the failures of that same society, allowing us to see all points of view of a changing time.
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
A quirky story. After her death, Dee-Dee talks about her murder and the group of Americans who are abducted from Burma.
Sons of Heaven by Terrence Cheng
Story of the massacre at Tianneman Square, and particularly about the young man who stood in front of the tank.
Bathsheba by James R Shott
Disappointing. Unspoken was much better, because it also clarified the Biblical point of the Bathsheba story. Also, Shott’s writing style bugged me. I was convinced that if I read “Bathseba shrugged,” one more time, I would scream.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
I definitely have to check out some more of Sebold’s novels. Another tale told from beyond the grave. Susie is abducted, raped, and murdered during the 70s, a time during which, she says, people just couldn’t believe things like that happened. Her murderer was a neighbor, a quiet man who had been moving around the country killing young girls for most of his life. The story is not so much a focus on Susie herself, but on the impact her death has on her parents, her younger brother and sister, and her friends. The story was written with a sense of humor and a sense of hope….the death was probably made easier for the reader to bear because we knew WHAT had happened and HOW and WHY. I think it was the uncertainty….the not knowing if she was REALLY dead or whether or not she had suffered that made the tragedy so difficult for those she left behind.
Rahab’s Story by Ann Burton
Well written and interesting. Mostly based on fiction, since I believe the Bible actually tells very little about Rahab.
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein
Pre-WWI, Harry tells about his life living on a street where one side (his) is Jewish and across the street is Christian. Generally, the two groups co-existed pretty well. But, Harry witnesses the reactions and consequences when a Christian boy falls in love with a Jewish girl, so he recognizes the danger when his own sister falls in love with the boy across the street.
The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
Graphic novel.
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
A coming of age story. It’s more about the life of this little boy, growing up the only surviving son on a poor Florida farm, than it is about the deer itself. His loneliness, his love of his father and of nature. The book is pure pleasure to read.
I’m reading it slowly, just a bit here and there, because I have library books with looming due dates. But, the bits I’ve read are really fascinating. First of all, her desire to explore her spirituality is interesting to me since it’s happening at a time when I’m exploring my own as well. But, I was also surprised when hard on the spirituality chapter, she started talking about her struggle with depression. Hello!!!! I really found her description fascinating. She describes Depression and Loneliness as two separate entities that visit her. I personally never separated them, but it makes sense since a big part of loneliness is a sense of isolation. Anyway, it’s proving a very interesting read to me.
The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd
I love good historical fiction. This novel introduces Dublin area history in stages, from pre-Viking to the time of King Henry the VIII (I wonder why he left out the turbulent Elizabeth periods). We are introduced to fictional families that have front-seat views of important Irish personages, and stay with those families from generation to generation. If I had any complaints about the book, it was that Rutherfurd seemed to only create abrasive, annoying women characters. What gives with that?
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
This is one of my favorite movies, but I’d never read the book. I’m really enjoying the book on CD read by Amy herself.
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
Book on tape. Two radically opposite ends of the morality question. She’s a Sex Ed teacher who suddenly, after years of conducting the class without complaint, is attacked by the Bible community as condoning sex to children. To protect itself from lawsuits, the school forces her to change her class approach to one of abstinence rather than education. It would be easy to see the Bible community as the enemy. But, we are introduced to Will, a battered man with a long and destructive history, who – though still fighting a daily battle with his issues – feels that the church has saved his life.
A Contract with God and other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner
Graphic novel. A peek at the Jewish, inner-city community during the depression.
The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan
The story of Emperor Jahangir and Mehrumnisa. Mehrumnisa was Jahangir’s 20th wife, and aunt to Arjumand. Arjumand married Jahangir’s son, Khurram. Khurram would eventually build the Taj Majhal for Arjumand. Mehrumnisa becomes the favorite wife of Jahangir, makes unusual demands (like to attend court by his side), and doesn’t hesitate to make enemies. This amazes me. In a world where women are in favor only temporarily, and then the rest of their lives are spent with the other discarded wives, why did she believe herself to be different? Why was she so willing to maliciously injur the women she had surpassed, knowing that if she fell one day, they would take revenge on her. It’s beyond my understanding. And yet, I’ve read it enough time in biographies to know that favored wives did this frequently.
From Hell by Alan Moore
Wow! A graphic novel with a fresh approach to the Jack the Ripper Story. Was the London slayer one person or, as this book portrays, the combined efforts of several unconnected people? Also offers an interesting view of the Masonry and ancient religions combined in modern day Christianity.
The Holman Illustrated Study Bible
This offered some fantastic insights into the various chapters of the old and new testaments. What was the purpose of the chapter? Who is believed to have written it and when? What was the literary style? Etc.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlement – Vols 1 and 2 by Alan Moore
The movie was fun, and these two graphic novels were quite interesting. I still liked the movie better.
Unspoken by Francine Rivers
A very short novel on the story of Bathsheba. There was one point that was made very well in this story. David and Bathsheba sinned, and many people were hurt by their action….even after they were forgiven. Bathsheba stresses that when teaching her children. She told them that God could forgive them their sins, but he would not take away the consequences. When asked why, her response was, “Because we must learn to obey.” That was a good point. Many people think they are not forgiven, because the consequences have not been lifted from them….this book sheds good light on that.
Dream of the Walled City by Lisa Huang Fleischman
China’s history is one of turmoil. Always. But, as the character says, the Chinese people are resistant and always survive. This story was written in the early 1900s, during the time of the fall of the last Emperor (just a child) and the invasion of the Japanese. The character is born of a wealthy family that falls into poverty at the death of her father. She is an educated woman, and we see China through her eyes and the experiences of her family and friends. Her closest friend is a communist activist, always trying to recruit our character into an active, dangerous, exciting life. But, our character is quieter, though equally involved. She marries, cares for her vicious in-laws after the death of her husband, teaches young women mathematics, and later remarries and raises a family. We see the devastation of the old ways through her eyes as she struggles to hold her family together and keep them safe. She is an empathetic woman, feeling the pain of all around her, seeing the beauty of the old ways while recognizing the failures of that same society, allowing us to see all points of view of a changing time.
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
A quirky story. After her death, Dee-Dee talks about her murder and the group of Americans who are abducted from Burma.
Sons of Heaven by Terrence Cheng
Story of the massacre at Tianneman Square, and particularly about the young man who stood in front of the tank.
Bathsheba by James R Shott
Disappointing. Unspoken was much better, because it also clarified the Biblical point of the Bathsheba story. Also, Shott’s writing style bugged me. I was convinced that if I read “Bathseba shrugged,” one more time, I would scream.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
I definitely have to check out some more of Sebold’s novels. Another tale told from beyond the grave. Susie is abducted, raped, and murdered during the 70s, a time during which, she says, people just couldn’t believe things like that happened. Her murderer was a neighbor, a quiet man who had been moving around the country killing young girls for most of his life. The story is not so much a focus on Susie herself, but on the impact her death has on her parents, her younger brother and sister, and her friends. The story was written with a sense of humor and a sense of hope….the death was probably made easier for the reader to bear because we knew WHAT had happened and HOW and WHY. I think it was the uncertainty….the not knowing if she was REALLY dead or whether or not she had suffered that made the tragedy so difficult for those she left behind.
Rahab’s Story by Ann Burton
Well written and interesting. Mostly based on fiction, since I believe the Bible actually tells very little about Rahab.
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein
Pre-WWI, Harry tells about his life living on a street where one side (his) is Jewish and across the street is Christian. Generally, the two groups co-existed pretty well. But, Harry witnesses the reactions and consequences when a Christian boy falls in love with a Jewish girl, so he recognizes the danger when his own sister falls in love with the boy across the street.
The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
Graphic novel.
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
A coming of age story. It’s more about the life of this little boy, growing up the only surviving son on a poor Florida farm, than it is about the deer itself. His loneliness, his love of his father and of nature. The book is pure pleasure to read.
posted by Rhonda L at 6:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home