For the month of June we will be reading Ever by Gail Carson Levine. I suppose it would qualify as "light" reading -- and it looks really good. Levine wrote one of my all-time favorite books (Ella Enchanted) so I am definitely looking forward to reading another one of her books.
I figured as long as I was posting, I might as well mention what we'll reading for July. We're going to do The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman. It's a real-life story from WW2 - see link here - it looks very interesting.
If anyone has a book they are dying to read, feel free to make a suggestion. Happy reading!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A book for June?
Is anyone else wondering what's going on in the universe that is making life so crazy? Some kind of rip in the space-time continuum? (yes, I finally saw Star Trek :) I'm still reading The Lace Reader ... so I'm asking ... do we want a new book for June? Something light and fluffy? Something meaty? Thoughts from you readers?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Has anyone else finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns?
I finished it yesterday afternoon, and thoughts have been swirling around in my head since then... but I can't seem to form them into something coherent. The book was heart-wrenching and heart-warming, all at the same time. Kudos to the author for writing such a spell-binding story.
I sat on my porch yesterday after I finished reading it... and thought about the book... and life. It was one of those soul-searching moments, a time for real reflection. I was thinking about how lucky I was that I could sit on my porch, safe and sound, watching spring valiantly try to take over upstate New York.
You know, we hear all the time the phrase "glad to be an American." But those were my thoughts as I read the book. I am grateful to be an American... as corny as it may sound. My 4 months spent in China really opened my eyes to how others in the world live... and how good I really have it. This book elicited the same strong emotions.
I've never feared for my life. I've never been beaten. I haven't lost all my family members; everyone dear to me. I've never lost my home, my children (not that I have any...) or anything like that. I've never been that hungry. I joke with Cory all the time that I'm so hungry that I might starve to death before he comes to get me for lunch... but we both know it's not even close to being true.
I know A Thousand Splendid Suns is a work of fiction... that Mariam and Laila are fictional characters. But all the things that happen in the book have most certainly happened to someone. Someone real. Daughters are married off, wives are beaten, womens' rights are nonexistent, war is tearing that region apart (and has been raging for years). I don't pretend to understand what factions are fighting with each other - I didn't even follow it that well in the book - but the emotion rings loud and clear.
Of course, I cried through the end of the book. Cried for Mariam, cried for Tariq, cried for Laila, cried when she read Jahil's letter. And yet, I felt at peace with the ending. I liked seeing Laila & Tariq return to Kabul and renovate the orphanage, doing their part to rebuild their war-torn nation.
I really liked the book... sad as it was. I look forward to discussing it more with you guys. Anyone have any thoughts?
I finished it yesterday afternoon, and thoughts have been swirling around in my head since then... but I can't seem to form them into something coherent. The book was heart-wrenching and heart-warming, all at the same time. Kudos to the author for writing such a spell-binding story.
I sat on my porch yesterday after I finished reading it... and thought about the book... and life. It was one of those soul-searching moments, a time for real reflection. I was thinking about how lucky I was that I could sit on my porch, safe and sound, watching spring valiantly try to take over upstate New York.
You know, we hear all the time the phrase "glad to be an American." But those were my thoughts as I read the book. I am grateful to be an American... as corny as it may sound. My 4 months spent in China really opened my eyes to how others in the world live... and how good I really have it. This book elicited the same strong emotions.
I've never feared for my life. I've never been beaten. I haven't lost all my family members; everyone dear to me. I've never lost my home, my children (not that I have any...) or anything like that. I've never been that hungry. I joke with Cory all the time that I'm so hungry that I might starve to death before he comes to get me for lunch... but we both know it's not even close to being true.
I know A Thousand Splendid Suns is a work of fiction... that Mariam and Laila are fictional characters. But all the things that happen in the book have most certainly happened to someone. Someone real. Daughters are married off, wives are beaten, womens' rights are nonexistent, war is tearing that region apart (and has been raging for years). I don't pretend to understand what factions are fighting with each other - I didn't even follow it that well in the book - but the emotion rings loud and clear.
Of course, I cried through the end of the book. Cried for Mariam, cried for Tariq, cried for Laila, cried when she read Jahil's letter. And yet, I felt at peace with the ending. I liked seeing Laila & Tariq return to Kabul and renovate the orphanage, doing their part to rebuild their war-torn nation.
I really liked the book... sad as it was. I look forward to discussing it more with you guys. Anyone have any thoughts?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Girl Who Could Fly
Well, I totally read the books in the wrong order. I checked out both A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Girl Who Could Fly from the library. I was intending to read Suns first, but I grabbed the wrong book in my haste to be on time for work. I started reading Girl at lunch, and I was hooked. Hooked I tell you. It's so good. Must keep reading... must know what happens!
Stephenie Meyer said on her website: "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried)." Amen Stephenie, amen. It is the cutest mix! I grew up reading Little House on the Prairie and I'm also in love with X-Men. This was the perfect book! For someone who considers herself not a "fan" of fantasy, I sure enjoyed the book! (I may have to re-think my stance on fantasy :)
I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't read it, but the ending is sooo good. It's not what you expect -- and that makes it even better. I found the book to be enthralling. I can see why Stephenie likes it so much. It's her kind of book. The writing isn't the best I've ever read, but it's a great story. Very imaginative, good characters, twists around every turn and a heart-warming ending. My kind of book, too. I loved it and whole-heartedly recommend it!
Stephenie Meyer said on her website: "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried)." Amen Stephenie, amen. It is the cutest mix! I grew up reading Little House on the Prairie and I'm also in love with X-Men. This was the perfect book! For someone who considers herself not a "fan" of fantasy, I sure enjoyed the book! (I may have to re-think my stance on fantasy :)
I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't read it, but the ending is sooo good. It's not what you expect -- and that makes it even better. I found the book to be enthralling. I can see why Stephenie likes it so much. It's her kind of book. The writing isn't the best I've ever read, but it's a great story. Very imaginative, good characters, twists around every turn and a heart-warming ending. My kind of book, too. I loved it and whole-heartedly recommend it!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Shack
I finished The Shack weeks ago, but I haven't had the chance to post anything, due to Cory always hogging our one computer. So, here it goes. I liked it. I don't agree with everything that was written, but I do agree with the overall theme (like the rest of you have mentioned) that God loves us and never leaves us. Never.
I'd like to discuss this with some detail, so if you haven't read the book, now would be a good time to stop reading this post.
Spoilers below...
And yes, I'll be coming from my LDS viewpoint... and I should preface this by saying that my current calling at church is to teach the 'Gospel Essentials/Principles' class. I'm teaching new members, investigators, and people who wander in off the streets (literally). It's a challenging and awesome calling, since I have to be on my toes at all times -- and class is never boring.
This book has been on and off various best-seller lists. I know it made an appearance on USA Today's Top 10 list, but I don't know how long it was there. And then there's the fact that we were all on waiting lists to receive this book from our local libraries. Obviously, this book is gaining in popularity, and many people want to read it. What I find most interesting about this is the conclusion I draw from the book's popularity. People want religion. People want to read about and learn about God. People want to know that God loves us, His children. Obviously (even though we're living in a time of great growth of the LDS church) people are starved for religion.
I was a bit surprised by how much of the book I agreed with. The author had many truths in the book ... and then he had some things that I don't agree with. I want to talk about some of these parts and get others' opinions.
On page 63, Mack talks about how he had been taught in seminary that God had "stopped any overt communication with moderns." I think this is one of the saddest commentaries of modern life -- that people cannot accept that God still talks to His children. Somehow, the belief has taken hold that the only way God speaks is through the Bible. I see this time and time again, as people in my Sunday school class tell me they believe God no longer directs His children -- and in turn, many believe this means God no longer cares for His children. How fortunate for me to know differently! God does speak to us through a living prophet. And he cares immensely about what happens to His children. At least the book was good about making the point that God does care. Deeply. More than we really can understand.
I also thought it was interesting when they talked about us taking care of this earth we live on. On page 145 Jesus says "humans, who have been given the task to lovingly steer the world, instead plunder her with no consideration, other than for their own immediate needs." Ha, how true this is. Humans are the crowning glory of God's creation, and we were given domain over this earth. I'm not one that is getting caught up in the whole 'global warming crisis' but I do believe we could all do a better job with our stewardship over this earth. I believe we will be held accountable.
I also liked how the book tried to teach that Jesus chose the "way of the cross" so "mercy triumphs over justice because of love." (page 165) Though this doesn't nearly cover the whole scope of the Atonement as we understand it... still, it scratches the surface. The Atonement is, in part, a way for us to overcome our sins. I wouldn't say that mercy "triumphs" over justice - rather that Christ fulfilled justice's demands, allowing us to be shown mercy. It all centers around Christ as our Savior. The book tried to show that, but as the author doesn't have a full understanding of the Atonement, he didn't quite get it all.
This one I found interesting - on page 178 Mack and Jesus were talking about what heaven would look like - and Jesus says heaven is a "cleansing of this universe." We've been taught that the Celestial kingdom will actually be here on earth, after the earth is cleansed. I've always found this to be such an interesting concept, and I was frankly surprised to find it in this book. I agree, but I thought this was an LDS belief. I wasn't aware other people thought similarly.
And one more - on page 188 God says "just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrated the tragedies. Don't ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes." Amen. I think one of the biggest misunderstandings people (in general) have about God is that He causes suffering. Bad things happen in peoples' lives (like children being kidnapped, a relative dying, health problems, etc) and people tend to blame God for their suffering. What people don't understand (and what I believe) is that God does not cause suffering (well, he can punish us, but that's a different subject). I believe God grieves when we grieve. Consequences (both good and bad) are the nature of living on this earth; the nature of agency. Sometimes we make poor choices and bring things upon ourselves - and sometimes we are affected by someone else's agency (like Mack, having his daughter kidnapped). But God doesn't orchestrate these things to make us suffer - they are all consequences to choices that we (humans) make here on this earth.
There were some things that I didn't agree with - namely, the way the Godhead was portrayed. But overall, I found there was a lot of truth in this book. It had some parts I disagree with, and it was lacking in some parts, but it did have some good things to say. It did make me appreciate (all the more) my membership in the true church. It made me appreciate that I have the answers to all the questions Mack was asking. I know I have a long way to go, but I know where to go when I lack answers, and that makes me very, very grateful.
Oh, and did anyone else just want to wrap up a send-along card and a Book of Mormon for the author?
I'd like to discuss this with some detail, so if you haven't read the book, now would be a good time to stop reading this post.
Spoilers below...
And yes, I'll be coming from my LDS viewpoint... and I should preface this by saying that my current calling at church is to teach the 'Gospel Essentials/Principles' class. I'm teaching new members, investigators, and people who wander in off the streets (literally). It's a challenging and awesome calling, since I have to be on my toes at all times -- and class is never boring.
This book has been on and off various best-seller lists. I know it made an appearance on USA Today's Top 10 list, but I don't know how long it was there. And then there's the fact that we were all on waiting lists to receive this book from our local libraries. Obviously, this book is gaining in popularity, and many people want to read it. What I find most interesting about this is the conclusion I draw from the book's popularity. People want religion. People want to read about and learn about God. People want to know that God loves us, His children. Obviously (even though we're living in a time of great growth of the LDS church) people are starved for religion.
I was a bit surprised by how much of the book I agreed with. The author had many truths in the book ... and then he had some things that I don't agree with. I want to talk about some of these parts and get others' opinions.
On page 63, Mack talks about how he had been taught in seminary that God had "stopped any overt communication with moderns." I think this is one of the saddest commentaries of modern life -- that people cannot accept that God still talks to His children. Somehow, the belief has taken hold that the only way God speaks is through the Bible. I see this time and time again, as people in my Sunday school class tell me they believe God no longer directs His children -- and in turn, many believe this means God no longer cares for His children. How fortunate for me to know differently! God does speak to us through a living prophet. And he cares immensely about what happens to His children. At least the book was good about making the point that God does care. Deeply. More than we really can understand.
I also thought it was interesting when they talked about us taking care of this earth we live on. On page 145 Jesus says "humans, who have been given the task to lovingly steer the world, instead plunder her with no consideration, other than for their own immediate needs." Ha, how true this is. Humans are the crowning glory of God's creation, and we were given domain over this earth. I'm not one that is getting caught up in the whole 'global warming crisis' but I do believe we could all do a better job with our stewardship over this earth. I believe we will be held accountable.
I also liked how the book tried to teach that Jesus chose the "way of the cross" so "mercy triumphs over justice because of love." (page 165) Though this doesn't nearly cover the whole scope of the Atonement as we understand it... still, it scratches the surface. The Atonement is, in part, a way for us to overcome our sins. I wouldn't say that mercy "triumphs" over justice - rather that Christ fulfilled justice's demands, allowing us to be shown mercy. It all centers around Christ as our Savior. The book tried to show that, but as the author doesn't have a full understanding of the Atonement, he didn't quite get it all.
This one I found interesting - on page 178 Mack and Jesus were talking about what heaven would look like - and Jesus says heaven is a "cleansing of this universe." We've been taught that the Celestial kingdom will actually be here on earth, after the earth is cleansed. I've always found this to be such an interesting concept, and I was frankly surprised to find it in this book. I agree, but I thought this was an LDS belief. I wasn't aware other people thought similarly.
And one more - on page 188 God says "just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrated the tragedies. Don't ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes." Amen. I think one of the biggest misunderstandings people (in general) have about God is that He causes suffering. Bad things happen in peoples' lives (like children being kidnapped, a relative dying, health problems, etc) and people tend to blame God for their suffering. What people don't understand (and what I believe) is that God does not cause suffering (well, he can punish us, but that's a different subject). I believe God grieves when we grieve. Consequences (both good and bad) are the nature of living on this earth; the nature of agency. Sometimes we make poor choices and bring things upon ourselves - and sometimes we are affected by someone else's agency (like Mack, having his daughter kidnapped). But God doesn't orchestrate these things to make us suffer - they are all consequences to choices that we (humans) make here on this earth.
There were some things that I didn't agree with - namely, the way the Godhead was portrayed. But overall, I found there was a lot of truth in this book. It had some parts I disagree with, and it was lacking in some parts, but it did have some good things to say. It did make me appreciate (all the more) my membership in the true church. It made me appreciate that I have the answers to all the questions Mack was asking. I know I have a long way to go, but I know where to go when I lack answers, and that makes me very, very grateful.
Oh, and did anyone else just want to wrap up a send-along card and a Book of Mormon for the author?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Interview with a Vampire
Ok, sorry, I just couldn't resist the play on words with the title :) It's more like: Interview with a Vampire ... Author. LOL.
It's an interview with Stephenie Meyer, and it's worth reading. It's got fresh material, instead of just recycling what Steph's said in the past. A good reason to actually read Vogue.
Link here
It's an interview with Stephenie Meyer, and it's worth reading. It's got fresh material, instead of just recycling what Steph's said in the past. A good reason to actually read Vogue.
Link here
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