Recommended Reading

My Daughter in Saskatchewan phoned me today with a book recommendation. She said she thought it one of the best books she's read and thought I would love it. So I checked the library here in town and found that there were 115 holds on 26 copies! I couldn't get it when I wanted it (NOW), so I went out and bought it.

I'm half way through and am finding that Chris was right - I love it.

It's engaging, funny and very well written. The title is

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"

and it is written by Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, Annie Barrow. (That's kind of neat in itself, isn't it; to see an aunt and her niece do a book together?)

The novel takes the form of letters written between members of the society and a writer in London and is written about the Nazi occupation of the British Island of Guernsey.

It's delightful - I highly recommend it. Beg, Borrow or Buy yourself a copy, pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy it as much as Chris and I have.

Books, Books, Books

I had tea with my good friend VR last night. What a blessing to have friends we can laugh and cry with. Friends we can trust implicitly, who love unconditionally and with whom we can share ideas and common experiences.

We talked briefly about family and schedules and then went on to talk about books we've been reading and the ideas that challenge our stereotypes, and wake up our souls. When I actually took stock, I realized that I've got alot of very different books on the go.
A partial list:
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle (this is part of her Crosswicks journals and is for me a re-read)
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Bershear
Get out of that Pit by Beth Moore
The Shack by Wiliam P. Young (Also a re-read - this book needs to be reread a few times)

In my stash to take to Palm Springs, I have:
Life of Pi
The Memory Keepers Daughter
The Glass Castle
the other two Crosswicks Journals - the Irrational Season and The Summer of the Great Grandmother
and two books on drawing with Pencil Crayons

When I get to Palm Springs my friend VT will have her stash as well so I'll update a must read list then.

About getting off the couch

I've been encouraged by my daughter Chris and by several good friends to start reading again. Oh don't get me wrong - I read all the time - actually I re-read alot of the time - old favourites - like watching a favourite movie again or listening to a favourite CD. No what I mean is to pick up some of those books that are challenging to read - books that are not just an escape into another place but books that stretch my thinking and help me to grow closer to God. Books that take me to another culture or life circumstance and get me thinking about who I am and how I live my life.

I've just finished "The Shack" by William P. Young which clarified some of my beliefs and challenged other ideas of Who God Is. It's not that I concur with everything the author says about God but instead I've had to think about how little I really understand about Him and His role in life here on earth. It is sending me back to the Bible to read for myself who God says He Is.

Thanks to the authors and to Chris and the others who regularly challenge me to get out of my intellectual easy chair.