2013 Books

Here’s my recap of books I read this past year.  I will list my Top Books at the end …

The Happiness Project (Rubin) – Several things that Rubin communicated in this book have stuck with me throughout the year.  What is it that makes people truly happy?  Is it different for each person, or are there general principles, or a little bit of both?  I was intrigued by the idea of this likable, intelligent woman setting out to find the route to happiness, writing about the subject in general, and focusing on a different area of life each month (relationships, money, etc.).  Even though she writes from a secular point of view, and I question true happiness apart from Christ, because He is hope and love and the Bread of Life, I think there are things that are generally applicable that anyone can take from it--and she does mention the correlation between spirituality and happiness.  As an aside, it seems like it is the vogue thing these days to take a concept, focus on a different aspect of it each month for 12 months, and wha-la, you can write a bestselling memoir about it.  Who started this trend? 

In the President’s Secret Service (Kessler) – If you want some insight into what the more recent presidents and their families were really like, behind closed doors, you will love this book.  It’s chock-full of so many interesting stories.  It also has lots of fascinating details about the workings of the Secret Service and its history.  The men telling the stories are people who were willing to take a bullet for the president. They didn’t always respect him as an individual, but they have always had utmost regard for his office.  This was a great book.

Be the Mom (Eyster) – This book had some good things to say about common attitude traps that moms can fall prey to, and how that affects our families.  I thought the book had good reminders but nothing that blew my socks off.  I am currently (it will make next year’s list) reading an absolutely wonderful book on mothering called A Mother’s Heart by Fleming.  It is one of those books that I feel will change my kids because it will first change me, and it’s making me a more intentional mom.  So, basically, I just hijacked the paragraph about this book to recommend ANOTHER book.  Nice. 

One L (Turow) – This memoir follows the author’s intense experiences as a first year student at Harvard Law School. The competition and stress is so thick, as you read you will feel that you are sitting in class with the author, praying the professor will not call on you today.  Turow writes well and also offers some critiques on how the next generation of lawyers is/should be educated.  Although the book was written in the 70s, I don’t think much has changed.   

Plain and Simple: A Woman’s Journey to the Amish (Bender) – This book is about a modern artist in San Francisco who admires Amish quilts and decides to go stay with an Amish family to learn more about the people who make such stunning, yet simple, works of art.  I could never really completely relate with the author.  Her experiences were somewhat interesting but I found the book to move rather slowly.  But maybe that was the point?  Since so many people are enamored with the Amish and their simple lifestyle, I guess this book wasn’t earth shattering for me. 

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (McCollough) – This book is about the American artists and literary figures (and some cutting-edge medical students), who went to live in Paris—the happening place—during the 1800s. I thought this book was informative and charming.  Anything about Paris is charming, right?  And it was interesting to learn more about who knew who and how these famous people’s experiences in Paris shaped them. I recommend it. 

Dietrich Bonehoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (Metaxes) – This book did not disappoint.  Bonehoeffer is a modern Christian hero, and for good reason.  In many ways, he was just an ordinary guy but he had the courage and insight to stand up to the face of evil, Adolf Hitler, when many church leaders in Germany were capitulating to him.  This book was excellent and I highly recommend it.  It was interesting how his mother’s faith was probably the biggest influence in his life and affected his decision to become a pastor and helped shape his worldview.  The power of moms!

The Return of the Native (Hardy) – Hardy is apparently one of the premier “landscape writers” in classical literature.  It’s been months since I’ve read it, but as I sit and think of the characters in this book, strong images come to mind.  I think Hardy did a great job of crafting memorable characters.  The book did, however, move really slowly with not a lot of interesting plot.  Let’s be honest: This is one of those Vitamin Books I read because I thought it would be good for me and it was on the list of classics I am trying to read in chronological order.  And this is an example of yet another book (joining three other classics I read in 2012, and another one later in 2013) about a woman in a discontented marriage, all written by men.   So. Tired. Of. This. Genre.  Divorce may be really awful, but I’m beginning to think that it’s not always the worst thing. 

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe (Clarkson and Mae) – This book captured the essence of my life the last several years, 2013 definitely included. I loved the format of the book, a young woman with small children who is trying to do it “right” in the midst of the exhaustion, and an older mentor who speaks so graciously and kindly, with such insight and wisdom.  This was a helpful and encouraging book.  It would also be good for women to read who are out of this crazy phase of life, to get ideas for how they could encourage younger women who are still in the trenches.  I think the thing that I miss the most right now is my freedom.  Even though I love my kids beyond measure, I feel trapped some days because I don’t have the ability to just go run errands, or take a quick run around the neighborhood.  Hardly anything can be spontaneous.  I hope I never forget this, when this season passes, so I can be compassionate and helpful to others who are going through it. 

Bossypants (Fey) – Hey, a gal’s gotta laugh sometimes.  (See the review immediately above.)  This comedienne’s memoir did the trick.  The book is irreverent at times, but what else would you expect from someone who makes her living making people laugh?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Sawyer) – What is not to love about Huck Finn?  I listened to the audio book on my iPod while doing chores and my kids would stop to ask me why I was chuckling. 

Cold Tangerines (Niequist) – I love this woman.  She is so real and I can relate to her so much.  Can I move next door to her, please?  Her writing is evocative, like a rich dessert, and spot-on.  After finishing this book, I immediately ordered the next one and am actually reading the third, her last one, right now (January 2014) which is also great.  Her blog is wonderful as well.  Cold Tangerines is basically a bunch of randomness, with each chapter speaking to something different.  But there is a recurring theme of spark and zest for life, and living largely.  She also writes from a Christian point of view. 

Holy Land (Waldie) – This book is a memoir about the history of the suburb I grew up in, in Long Beach, California.  After World War II, there was a boom in the aerospace industry in Southern California and massive amounts of homes were needed to accommodate the rising workforce.  It was the second largest development ever attempted in the United States and the first time that model homes were used to sell new construction.  There were lines and lines of customers every day and the builders could hardly meet up with the demand.  The book also details the first shopping center that went up in that area that set new standards for all modern-day shopping malls.  All of the places mentioned in this book are places I know well and can easily recall in my mind.  I really enjoyed reading this history of where I grew up.  You might not enjoy it like I did but if you are interested in housing development or random history, you might.  

The Portrait of a Lady (James) – Isabel Archer is a confident, intelligent, and kind woman who makes mistakes (one big one: she marries the wrong guy—yes, I know, this theme in classical literature is getting very old) but in the end she resurrects herself and reestablishes herself.  I really liked Isabel.  She had a zest for life that I admired.  I cringed when she unwittingly allowed herself to be manipulated into a loveless marriage.  But the ending wasn’t as desperate and bad as I thought it would be—although it does have an element of ambiguity—especially after all the other classic books I have read lately.  I enjoyed this one.   

A Path Through Suffering (Elliot) – Elisabeth Elliot has such a beautiful way of putting skin and bones on concepts and making them relevant and meaningful.  She has endured personal suffering and been refined because of it.  I picked up this book after talking with a friend at our neighborhood swimming pool.  She had suffered a health crisis and was asking me the meaning of suffering. I thought this book might be helpful to her.  I feel that Elliot’s book would be more helpful to someone who has been a Christian for many years and is already acquainted with the scriptures.  I think this book assumes that the reader already knows the bible well. I wasn’t sure this was the right book for my friend, but I did find some helpful articles online for her.  And I was glad I read the book in the end, but it just wasn’t right for my friend.  

A Year in Biblical Womanhood (Held-Evans) – This book is hot in Christian circles.  After reading about it on different occasions, and getting a recommendation from my sister-in-law, I thought I should pick it up.  I felt conflicted about this book.  But it did make me think.  I believe that if a book gets under your skin and makes you think, that’s a really good thing whether or not you end up agreeing with it in the end.  Held-Evans basically takes a year to ask what living out “Biblical Womanhood” really looks like.  She takes a new theme every month, for 12 months (see my comment above, after The Happiness Project).  She takes the bible literally at every turn.  Starting right there, I have a problem with what she did.  I realize that there is great debate over what should be interpreted literally in scripture and what should not.  But I think that most Christians agree that not everything should be taken literally—like we should not sleep out in a tent in our front yard during menstruation—and many Old Testament rituals are fulfilled in Christ.  Because she took everything completely literally, I felt like her book smacked of sacrilege and made a mockery of the bible.  I think that if a non-Christian read this book, they would ask why on earth anyone would believe any of this biblical mumbo-jumbo.  I think the biggest problem I had with it was that Held-Evans deemed herself the ultimate authority on the bible and did not attempt to treat the scriptures carefully and respectfully.  I think Held-Evans was trying to make the point that women should stop bickering and majoring on the “minors” in the bible, when there is a lot of disagreement on things like “egalitarianism vs. complementarianism” (something that I can see both sides of, and believe that either viewpoint can be taken to a wrongful extreme—you can read lots about this online), and focus on the central point of the gospel and our love for Christ and others.  We should be less harsh with each other and love each other more, as Christ loved.  That’s a good thing.  But I also think that the book is a bad testimony and makes the bible seem outdated, irrelevant, and even worse, just plain silly.  The scriptures are deep and rich and have stood the test of time, and numerous thoughtful, theological debates.  I would not have gotten that impression reading this book as a non-Christian with no background and experience with the bible or church history.  I think this book could ultimately do a lot more harm than good. 

Bittersweet (Niequist) – This was another great Niequist book.  The themes in this book centered more on taking what life hands you and how the good also, almost always, comes with the bad.  Life is bittersweet, for sure.  One thing I have been thinking about a lot since this book is the question of “Who is on my home team?”  Everyone has a home team.  Some have larger teams than others, but everyone has one.  The people who are on your home team are the people you would drop everything for to help them in time of need.  This helps prioritize your life and helps you decide when you should go to extremes to help people.  After reading this chapter, an acquaintance asked me to watch her daughter for a few hours so she could attend a political luncheon.  I was on Day #3 of a bad head cold and all I really wanted to do was take a nap. So, I told her no.  If this lady was on my home team (or if it was an emergency, of course), I would have probably said yes anyway.   

The Paris Wife (MacDuffie) –This was a great historical novel, about the first wife of Ernest Hemingway, who lived with him in Paris while he wrote The Sun Also Rises.  It was so well-written and evocative, with so many good word pictures.  I really enjoyed it and learned a lot about Hemingway.  It was also about the death of a marriage, which sounds depressing, but there were so many uplifting, fun, and good things in this book, that it balanced out the death-of-marriage part.  After reading this book, I spent hours online reading about Hemingway and all four, yes FOUR, of his wives. 

The Year of Magical Thinking (Didion) – Joan Didion was married to her best friend for four decades when he suddenly passed away, after coming home from the hospital to visit their daughter (only child) who was in critical condition at a local hospital and not expected to live.  Didion writes so well.  She kept repeating the phrase that “you sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends” to refer to her husband’s sudden passing.  I guess I wanted to read this book to learn more about her experience in grief.  It was sad but also “true” as death is a part of life.  They had a beautiful marriage, with so many wonderful memories.  Grief is not something that you do, and then you’re done.  Although some moments of grief are more intensely felt than others, you never get over losing your best friend of 40 years.  This was a good book.

The Necklace (Jarvis) – If reading The Return of the Native is akin to taking a vitamin, this book is like eating a Jolly Rancher.  My local library keeps a journal of books that patrons have enjoyed and recommend and I saw this one mentioned in there.  I was flipping through this journal because I was trying to find a fun and easy book to read on the plane, should my nine-month-old lap child allow me a few moments to read! (I am crazy, right?!)  My interest was certainly piqued after reading the first chapter of this true story.  In a nutshell, one woman admires a luxury diamond necklace at a jewelry store, something that very few people could afford to buy.  She decides to ask 12 friends to split the cost with her and rotate taking turns with the necklace, relinquishing the necklace to the next woman in line at monthly meetings.  The women made exceptions, loaning the necklace freely amongst themselves for special occasions, daughters’ weddings, or whimsical fancies (have you ever entertained the idea of skydiving, let alone doing it while wearing a $30,000 necklace?).  The necklace goes on to be shared with unlikely people in unlikely places (a Starbucks barista, for instance) and also is used to raise funds for charity events, touching many lives.  The necklace comes to mean different things to each woman in the group.  It transcends materialism and brings together these diversified women who may not have naturally had any other common bond.  I think it’s important for a woman to have girlfriends and I really enjoyed reading about how these women loved each other and supported each other, despite their differences.  (Warning: one woman talks about her marital sex life transformation in explicit detail and, while I’m thrilled for her, I wonder what her teenage daughter thought when she read the sordid details of her mom’s sex life. If that bothers you, then you can skip the chapter that has a picture of a woman holding a whisk!)  The motion picture rights to this book have recently been sold and I look forward to seeing what Hollywood does with this sweet and fun book.

Ender’s Game (Card) – The movie came out this year and some friends hurriedly joined the throng to watch it at the theater, claiming that it was their favorite book.  So, I got the audio book and listened to it.  I think sci-fi can be appealing, and highlight truth so wonderfully, and I enjoyed this book a lot, although it’s not my favorite genre.  Ender and his sister Valentine had such a sweet relationship and I really did like them.  The book swallowed me up in the details of Ender’s world, especially during the combat training scenes, and I really enjoyed the awesome plot twist at the end.  I recommend it, even if you don’t generally like sci-fi. 

The Madness of Mary Lincoln (Emerson) – Wow.  I knew Mary Lincoln was a really difficult woman and I knew people thought she was crazy, but I never knew that she actually was subjected to an insanity trial and was declared legally insane.  This book details the account of Mary Lincoln’s tragic life, and particularly focuses on the insanity trial and its aftermath.  Truth is definitely stranger than fiction at times.  This book was mesmerizing, from Mary Lincoln’s frivolous, privileged, high-society youth, to her sad, bitter, frenzied end.  She was a volatile, troubled woman to begin with and so you can imagine the affects of losing three sons at a young age and watching your husband be brutally murdered at a public event.  That would be traumatic for anyone.  For Mary, something snapped.  The book chronicles letters written by Mary Lincoln and her friends, and paints a defensive portrait of her son Robert Lincoln, who has been heavily criticized by historians for having his mother tried and committed.  The book also delves into the topic of insanity trials in the 19^th century and how they were often used for political reasons against helpless, innocent women who were no more insane than the judges who had them committed.  Interesting!

Blue Like Jazz (Miller) – My thoughtful friend Beth recommended this book.  She said to me, “If Jesus were here on earth today, he probably wouldn’t be hanging around our churches.  He would be out on the streets hanging out with people we don’t usually give much thought to.”  This book gave her a lot to think about and, after reading it, I agree!  One of Miller’s refrains is that Jesus wasn’t political, but so many churches are so adamant about party politics, insinuating that being a good Republican is inseparable with the True Faith.  Christianity transcends politics.  Miller was a youth pastor at a big church and kept repeating platitudes that felt so fake and just plain wrong, but he kept saying them because he thought that was what he was supposed to do (“the Lord bless you” for example) and this bothered him greatly.  He spent a lot of time at Reed College, which is a hotbed for all kinds of alternate lifestyles and behavior and “coming out” as a Christian subjected Miller to a heated crossfire of vitriol.   But he learned to love people at Reed because there was something true and transparent about them.  This was an interesting book, full of the author’s experiences and thoughts, sometimes rambling, but always provocative.   

What About Going Out? (Peel) – A friend asked me to help her teach a Sunday School class for the high school gals at church, using this book.  The subject is dating relationships, and I think it’s very interesting because my friend who is leading the class and I have such different experiences in this area.  She was raised in a lenient, non-Christian home and went out with various guys and had several serious, secular dating experiences.  I was raised in a conservative home where “courtship” was emphasized and I was discouraged from dating until I was ready for marriage.  I went on my first date when I was 22 and got married eight months later.  My friend is very sincere about her desire to encourage young women to avoid the mistakes she made.  I also see some flaws and downsides to courtship principles.  So, I think we balance each other out pretty nicely!  I was a little skeptical when my friend handed me this book because I think a lot of people who write these kinds of books have a tendency to capitalize upon their extra-biblical opinions in this area.  But, I was pleasantly surprised.  I think the authors of this book do a really great job of challenging young people to really look at what the bible says about honoring God in the area of dating and marriage preparation.  I feel like they really articulated the spirit of scripture without being legalistic.  This short book would give any young person (or parent of a young person) some important things to think about in this area and I recommend it! 

The Silver Star (Walls) – I really enjoyed Walls’ other books, The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses, her memoir and a semi-true book about her grandmother, respectively.  This one was pure fiction.  Walls writes a quickly-paced narrative with sympathetic characters, including children with a troubled mom.  I enjoyed this one, too, though I liked the first two better.  Walls is a great storyteller. 

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding / The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (Christie) – After years of reading Christmas books to my children, why have I never thought to read a Christmas book that’s just for me?  I am slow to learn, sometimes.  My friend Heather mentioned The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding on her blog.  When I ordered it from the library I saw that it came paired with The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.  I have fond memories reading Hercule Poirot novels during those lazy teenage summers.  The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding was such a fun story, about Poirot joining a family in their English country manor, during the Christmas season, to solve a mystery.  As I read this book, snow was falling softly outside my window and I was completely mesmerized by the scenes Christie created in her book.  It was perfect.  So very festive!  I also enjoyed The Mystery of the Spanish Chest and Poirot’s witticisms.  I love that guy.  I need to read more of Christie in 2014. 

Surprised by Oxford (Weber) – This just might be one of the best books I have ever read.  Where to start?  First, it was set in Oxford, a place that I have been able to visit twice and loved every minute of it.  This book moved me so much.  Some people have a crisis of faith, Weber had a crisis of doubt.  She left her loving, secular family to go to Oxford and pursue a graduate degree.  She was a confident, independent feminist/agnostic, engaged to a really “good man” who was an atheist.  After arriving at Oxford, she met some thoughtful, intelligent Christians who started influencing her.  She started wondering if there was something bigger out there that should have more direct meaning for her (God?).  God pursued her. She wasn’t interested in conversion but couldn’t get away from it.  She thought her life was pretty perfect and secure until she started having doubts about her disbelief and she couldn’t escape it.  She was surprised by Oxford and ended up being surprised by joy.  This memoir is thoughtful, intelligent, funny, beautiful, fun to read, and is brimming full of enchanting and provocative poems and literary references, as Weber was a literature major who enjoys words.  God works in mysterious ways.  Weber made the decision to live the mystery.  This book would challenge anyone who reads it, Christian or secular.  I hated to see this book end and look forward to reading Weber’s second book soon, even though it’s not set in Oxford. 

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The following books are my favorites (books that stuck with me, coupled with the “enjoyable” factor) in order, although there are definitely others I read this year that I would recommend!

Surprised by Oxford (Weber) – Overall best book.

Bittersweet (Niequist) / Cold Tangerines (Niequist) – So enjoyable and so relatable!

Dietrich Bonehoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (Metaxes) – Convicting and inspiring.

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding / The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (Christie) – Best Pure Fun

The Paris Wife (MacDuffie) – Best Novel

The Madness of Mary Lincoln (Emerson) – Best History

The Happiness Project (Rubin) – Interesting food for thought.

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe (Clarkson and Mae) – A shot in the arm for young moms. 

On the Nightstand and the iPod

At any given moment, you will find a book (okay, right now there are probably eight books) on my nightstand and you will also find a book on my iPod.  I love being challenged in my thinking.  I love a good story.  And I just love words, plain and simple.  

Sitting on my nightstand right now is a novel called The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  I just finished it but it makes me smile when I look at it because it was such a great story, so I don't really want to take it back to the library yet.

This novel really moved me.  Each flower has a distinct meaning and message, whether positive or negative.  Once upon a time, the language of flowers was more commonly known of and more commonly used.  The author cites old flower dictionaries and has her own in the back of the book.  This novel explores the meaning of flowers and relates their meaning(s) to the events that take place in the novel.  It is narrated by someone who has aged out of a group home and is seeking to find healing and forgiveness.  It is a book about emptiness, human relationships, and hope for the future.  It also raises questions about someone with loveless past being able to heal and move forward.

I don't think I will look at flowers the same ever again. There is something deeper and more mysterious about them now and it intrigues me.  I loved this book!  

After taking a break from the classics after Carson was born (okay, I took a break from a lot of things after he was born), I started back by loading The Return of the Native on my iPod.  The author, Thomas Hardy, is apparently known as a landscape writer.  Just as there are landscape paintings, there is landscape literature.  He writes evocative descriptions about the estate and surrounding land in his novel.  I have to say I had a hard time getting into this one at first but now that I am in the throes of it, I'm hooked.  

When Kevin asked me what this book is about, I summarized it for him.  We both remarked that a lot of classic literature--or at least the stuff I've been reading in the past months--centers on a heroine who is discontent in her marriage and has an affair!  And these books are written by MEN. Seriously.  Of the last four classic books I've read, three have been about adulterous women (Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina, and now The Return of the Native).  I think I'm ready for a new genre, people!! I'm reading these books in chronological order.  What does it say about the time period they were written in, I wonder?  The authors are from France, Russia, and England, respectively.  Hmmmm.  I will have to think on this some more ... 

Books of 2012

2012 was quite a year in books. Reading is the one thing I hold onto, and won't give up, in the midst of this whirlwind of mothering young children! Reading keeps me sane some days.

So, before it's Easter already (!), I will post some thoughts on last year's books.

The Pursuit of God (Tozer) - A Christian classic, about seeking a personal relationship with God and knowing Him better. We should not be content with sitting back and having opinions about God. We should actively seek after Him. My dear friend Kristi picks me up at 6 a.m. on Tuesdays and we head to Starbucks to discuss these books (well, she used to do this and then I had a baby ...). This was a convicting but encouraging book.

Standing on the Promises (Wilson) - This book had a few good points. The one that I took from it was that people often parent backwards, where they are lax with small children (because when kids are little their misdeeds are often "cute" and easy to laugh off) and then when the children become teenagers parents start reigning them in. This leads to the teenagers' frustration and more rebellion. Wilson's idea is that the opposite should be done. Parents should be consistent with discipline and stay on top of small children's behavior and then loosen the restrictions as children age. So, when children are teenagers, good behavior should be a habit and thoroughly ingrained. By the time a child is 16 or 17 there should not be a need for any rules. A child should be self-governed at that point. This line of thinking made sense to me. Having said all this, I was really put-off by the author's legalism and judgmental attitude. He also makes the outrageous claim that if you do X, Y, and Z (allegedly raising kids the "right" way), then they will always turn out correctly. I just don't believe this is true and it fails to take into consideration why some siblings grow up to embrace the faith of their parents and some don't. Proverbs 22:6 ("Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it") is a wise saying and a general truth, but it is not a guarantee. We have to do what is right, model our faith, and then trust God for the rest.

The Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne) - I enjoyed re-reading this classic and better seeing all the symbolism. It is a portrait of guilt and how unconfessed sin and hypocrisy eat away at the human spirit.

Steve Jobs (Isaacson) - If you are someone who is interested in either technology or business development, especially start-up companies, then I think you would find this book enjoyable. Apple devices have become ubiquitous in our society and I personally enjoy using them. It was fascinating to learn about the complex man who spearheaded Apple. Steve Jobs was also the founder of Pixar. He also came up with the idea for iTunes, revolutionizing the music industry. I enjoyed this book and have talked about it a lot and recommended it to a lot of people.

Moby Dick (Melville) - This book would have been absolutely riveting and maybe one of my favorite adventure books--who doesn't love the idea of a crew of men chasing after mammoth whales on the open, blue sea?--but it was so incredibly long with so many really tedious portions. It's as if Melville wanted to explore "everything whale" instead of just telling a good story. If the book had been edited down to about 170 pages, it would have been a gripping, amazing, completely enjoyable read. I did enjoy the symbolism in this book!

Middlemarch (Elliot) - This was one of the better novels I have read and maybe one of my favorite English novels. The character development was realistic and excellent. This book was largely about marriage relationships and contentment. I felt after reading it that I had been to a real Middlemarch and back and I enjoyed the journey.

The Latin-Centered Curriculum (Campbell) - This book, despite the intimidating title, was a super-easy read. I finished it in about two sittings and found it really interesting. I have read a lot of books on classical education and this was thought-provoking and I would recommend it. It referenced the classical school that we are sending Meredith to as a model of an older style of classical education where the classical languages are the foundation of the curriculum. This is the first time I understood the differentiation between traditional classical education as opposed to neoclassical education, something promulgated by Dorothy Sayers. Sayers' writings radically changed the definition of what people had traditionally understood classical education to mean.

A Thousand Gifts (Voskamp) - I might just be the only woman in all of Christendom who doesn't think this book is All That. It was good, despite the annoying sentence structures (which made more sense after I learned she was a writer for Day Spring greeting cards), but I didn't think it was profound enough to spur all of the hullabaloo that it has caused. Maybe the power of it is that it is so simple. Be grateful and see God's gifts in the ordinary things around you.

When I Lay My Isaac Down (Kent) - This book is the testimony of a woman who had a "perfect" Christian life. She had the model son--her only child--who had been a Christian youth leader and a U.S. Naval Academy graduate. She was a speaker on topics of raising children and family relationships. Suddenly her world was shattered when her son was arrested on charges of, and ultimately convicted of, first degree murder. It's a story about how she kept her faith and and saw God's purpose, even in these unthinkable circumstances.

Uncle Tom's Cabin (Stowe) - This, of course, is a very moving book about the evils of slavery. But I thought it was as much about Christianity as slavery. This is a provoking book and it is plain to see why it stirred people so passionately against slavery before the Civil War. The book highlights, not just the physical torment of the slaves, but even more compelling, the emotional torture they endured when they were forcefully separated from their family members. Even if a particular slave owner was kind and good to his slaves, as were many slave owners, their position was insecure and volatile unless he made specific provision for them in his will, which often didn't happen.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Chua) - I had been using the phrase "Tiger Mom" a lot so I figured I should read the book. This book is a fascinating contrast of Chinese and American cultures concerning raising kids. American mothers worry about self-esteem and lavish their children with compliments for mediocre levels of achievement. Chinese mothers think play time is wasteful and they demand excellence and respect for elders. These are generalizations, of course. This book was an interesting portrait of one Chinese-American family and it gave me a lot to think about concerning parenting styles and philosophies.

Madame Bovary (Flaubert) - I thought this book was depressing and I never really got into the characters. I never really liked Emma, although I know a lot of people say they can sympathize with her. I wonder if she had been kept occupied, e.g., not had servants doing all the work, if she would have had less time to ruminate on her domestic discontent and she would have actually found happiness.

Mere Christianity (Lewis) - Parts of this book were excellent and parts of it were just okay and some of the analogies were more helpful than others. I was particularly encouraged by Lewis' chapters on Christian virtues. For instance, when Lewis talks about forgiveness, he points out that we don't have to pardon others, but just forgive. He explained that we should treat others as we treat ourselves when it comes to forgiveness. We may still feel that we should suffer a punishment when we do wrong, but we never stop rooting for ourselves and believing the best about ourselves.

Midnight in Peking (French) - This was a dark book about the rape/murder of an Englishwoman in pre-WWII Peking. Even though some parts of this book were gruesome, dealing with a mutilated body, it was interesting to "participate" in the criminal investigation that ensued. The author delves into all of the complexities of the unsolved murder to try and uncover what really happened. The setting and historical details in the book were also interesting.

Give Them Grace (Fitzpatrick) - This is the best parenting book I have ever read. I reviewed it more fully here, six months ago. After all these months I can still say that this method has worked for us. The child I was struggling with has a whole new perspective and attitude, and so do I. Things are so much better, in every way. We can compare and contrast parenting books that we "like" or "like better" or "don't like," but this book worked for us and transformed us.

Out of a Far Country (Yuan) - This true story was written by a mother and her son who was involved in homosexuality and eventually drug dealing. Each of them wrote alternating chapters to tell their story from their perspective. Although the son's sins were more obvious and led to more drastic consequences, it is clear that the mother had her own set of sins to deal with and both were in need of saving grace and forgiveness. This book was a beautiful, and also sensitive and illuminating, testimony of the love of a mother for her son and God's unconditional love for both of them. It is a story of healing and forgiveness. I would recommend this book.

Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl (Gresh) - I suddenly realized that we are on the brink of the "tween" years. I remember when Meredith was a baby and I would finally feel like I had a handle on her schedule and her needs and then everything would change and I would have to figure it all out, all over again, starting from scratch. Well, I guess all of life must be like that. A new season is almost upon us, again. Gresh's book made me think about what kind of foundation I want to lay for the teenage years. It reminded me that it is important to be intentional about directing my girls' activities, guiding their friendships, creating family oneness, and having important conversations with them sooner rather than later. I really appreciated what she had to say about developing moral values by induction. I agree that it is much wiser to guide your children's thinking by asking them questions instead of constantly telling them what to think, believe, and do. Nine times out of ten, you can get your child to reason themselves into the right answer based on what they already know. (Of course, leading questions are allowed.) Then her values truly become her own, rather than simply something her parents preach at her. This was a great book. I bought it and have already loaned it out to friends.

Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky) - This was an interesting study in guilt and the criminal mind. I have decided, however, that Russian novels are not my favorite. (I also finished Anna Karenina at the beginning of this year.) And, as with other lengthy classics, I think this book could have been condensed greatly to make it more interesting. Or, do I just have a short attention span?!

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life (Meyer) - This book was full of tidbits and nuggets of wisdom, some more insightful than others. The chapters are short and it was easy to read and gave me some things to think about. Life is busy. Am I living simply so that I can maximize my time and efforts and reach my goals?

Confessions of an Unlikely Convert (Butterfield) - This book blessed me in many ways. It is the conversion testimony of our former pastor's wife in Virginia. Butterfield was on the fast track to tenure at Syracuse University as an English professor, and was also the head of women's studies. She was a lesbian activist who was passionate, articulate, kind, hospitable, and generous. Then she met an unassuming, modest pastor and his wife, who showed her Christ's love and some of their own hospitality. They gently challenged her and prodded her, but they mostly loved her. This unlikely friendship evolved and Rosaria was confronted with Christianity. She is clear that she did not seek Christ. He sought after her. She describes her conversion as a messy ordeal. She was broken and felt like she had lost everything she had lived for. This book was brutally honest and just might challenge your thinking about our stereotypes of Christians and non-Christians both. Butterfield allowed Christ to shape her life and transform her and flood her with grace. She writes with transparency and humility, as someone who has been broken. Butterfield is a beautiful soul. I already knew that, but was reminded of it and know it better after reading her book.

In But Not Of (Hewitt) - I have had this book on my shelf for years and am glad I finally picked it up. It's the kind of book I wish I had read in high school. Hewitt, a radio talk show host based in Southern California, tells it like it is and gives lots of great advice for people who want to reach their potential and impact culture--everything from why you shouldn't dress like a slob, say negative things about coworkers, and why you should try to get into a really good college, etc.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Skloot) - The president of our Friends of the Library group recommended this one. Henrietta Lacks was a poor, illiterate colored woman who fell victim to cervical cancer in her thirties. Before she died, her doctors removed some of her cells and put them in a petri dish. The cancerous cells (now named HELA cells) were the first to be resilient enough to multiply in a lab and be distributed to other labs for research, and eventually commercialized. The book chronicles Henrietta's life and the lives of her immediate family, some of whom are living today and became personal friends of the author. As you can probably guess, much of the book is a discourse on the ethics of removing body tissues without the consent of the donor for scientific research. What the doctors did to Henrietta, whose cells are still alive and ubiquitous in research today, was legal in the 1950s when it happened. It is also legal today. Courts are hesitant to impede medical research that could benefit countless millions of people. The HELA cells have been used to find cures for numerous diseases and also to develop the polio vaccine. I know a lot of people, several of whom I have talked to personally, got in an uproar over this book. I thought the book was fascinating and really worth reading but, in the end, I was not disturbed by what happened to Henrietta. She received good care and, unfortunately, met an untimely death. The removal of her cancerous cells for research did not cause her any additional pain or discomfort or increased morbidity. The fact that her tissues were used to help save countless lives is an incredible legacy.

Heaven (Alcorn) - This book is a thought-provoking look at what Heaven might really be like. The majority of humanity, and all Christians, believe in the afterlife but few people have actually studied it, including trained pastors. The author notes that courses on heaven are rarely offered in seminaries. I think one of the most interesting aspects of the book is the author's assertions that, according to the scriptures, heaven will be a recreated earth. The same God who created all the things that we love about earth and our present life, is the God who will someday create our permanent eternal home, where we will enjoy many things that we enjoy today, but without the taint of sin. God is not in the business of destroying and abandoning his projects. He is the great Redeemer. I never really thought about heaven in terms of a New Earth. It was interesting food for thought!

Finding Grace (VanLiere) - I picked up this book because the author of "Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl" (see above) recommended it. I thought it would primarily be about healing after experiencing childhood abuse, and it was about that, but it was even more a story about VanLiere's journey to adoption. The author allowed her broken dreams to be reshaped by God into something better than she could have ever imagined. This was a good story.

Left Neglected (Genova) - This is a second book by the author of Still Alice, which was one of the best novels I read last year. Left Neglected was a really easy, quick read. The author's background is in neuroscience and so this book centered on similar themes as Still Alice, yet I didn't find it as thought-provoking or interesting. Basically, you have a busy, career-oriented woman who is forced to slow down due to brain trauma, then she has to reevaluate her priorities. The ending was predictable. As 2012 wound down, I was in the mood for some "lighter reading." A friend laughed when I told him that "lighter reading" meant a book about a brain-damaged woman. Ha!

The Secret Daughter (Gowda) - Despite some really traumatic scenes at the beginning of the book (warning: do not read this book while pregnant, which I did), I really enjoyed this story of a birth mom in India and an adoptive mom in California, and a child who is caught between two different cultures (her adoptive father is also from India) and who is trying to find her own identity and find her own way. It was a touching story about parent-child relationships, misunderstandings, and coming-of-age and I recommend it.

Call the Midwife (Worth) - This book was a page-turner, about a young midwife who served on the east side of London during post-WWII. The book is filled with many colorful characters, and both funny and poignant stories. There are also some body fluid descriptions, which remind me why I was never turned-on to nursing. But I'm glad I picked up this book. Worth is a fantastic story teller.

I think my Top Favorites, in terms of books that I either really enjoyed or books that affected me and stayed with me are:

Steve Jobs

Middlemarch

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Give Them Grace

Out of a Far Country

Confessions of an Unlikely Convert

Heaven

Secret Daughter

Call the Midwife

Midnight in Peking

Midnight in Peking is set in eerie, superstitious 1937 Peking.  In the opening pages, as Japanese forces are prepared to invade the city, the body of an Englishwoman is discovered, brutally murdered.  It didn't take long for me to get hooked and want to know more.  This true-life book was a page turner, with lots of plot twists and surprising discoveries along the way.

After the body of 20-year-old Pamela Werner is discovered, we learn that there are conflicting authorities involved.  Both the Chinese police and the English police, who have jurisdiction over the foreign quarter of the city, will be conducting investigations.  The foreign investigator, DCI Dennis, tries to piece together what happened on the night Pamela was murdered but comes across numerous roadblocks and is told that he may not conduct a search of the foreign quarter of Peking.  He is also told he may not have further contact with key people, including Pamela's father.

There are numerous complicated and suspicious characters involved.  It is clear that there is some kind of coverup going on.  But why?  And by whom?

As war gets closer and the political backdrop in China changes, DCI Dennis is forced to drop the investigation and Pamela's case is closed and considered to be unresolved.

After the official investigation is concluded, Pamela's father, desperate to find her killer, begins his own private investigation into her murder.  She was his only child and he is determined to spend every last cent of his fortune, if necessary, to bring her killer(s) to justice.  His private investigators follow obvious trails that had not been explored by the police.  They uncover inconsistencies and lies that help piece together what actually happened on the night of Pamela's murder.

The author, Paul French, reconstructs the events of what really happened to Pamela, based on her father's private investigation.  More than 70 years after her death, the truth finally is finally revealed. Pamela's case finally gets the closing argument it never had.   

The author also goes on to detail what happened to the other main characters in the book.  Each of their stories is interesting, especially in light of the time period they lived in.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Midnight in Peking was learning more about the history of that era in China.  I could put myself in the shoes of the foreigners who lived there and relive their experiences.  U.S. dollars stretched far in 1937 Peking and many foreigners lived opulent lifestyles.  In the end, those who did not flee occupied China were sent to Japanese internment camps in Southern China to endure hardships there.

This book was truly fascinating.  I would recommend it.  Pamela's body is now buried deep under modern Beijing.  But her tragic story of injustice will not be forgotten, thanks to Midnight in Peking.

Here is a link to an interview with author Paul French, who walks viewers through some of the places mentioned in the book. 


Caveat: there are some gruesome details about the mutilated body of the victim, if you are sensitive about those kinds of things.

Note: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a review.

Tiger Mothers

Today, while planting annuals, up to my elbows in dirt (which I find a very cathartic activity), I finished reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother via audio book, read by the author. I enjoy when books are read by the author because I think they take on their truest intonation.

In the past several months I have found myself casually mentioning the phrase "tiger mother" and even describing some people as being such. In fact, some people may think I am a tiger mother of sorts. I know my husband probably thinks I am a tiger mother. Since I have been using this phrase I figured I had better read the book so I know what I am talking about.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is about the clash of Chinese and Western cultures, particularly as it manifests itself in parenting styles. It is one of the more interesting books that I have ever read. I found myself completely absorbed in what the author was saying.

I think that somewhere, way back in my family line, I must have some Chinese blood in me. Although what the author described was completely obsessive and totally nuts at times, at the end of the book, I respected her. She wanted what was best for her children. She cared deeply about their future and wanted to equip them with tools to make them accomplished, successful, and confident. Who can fault her for that?

One thing that impressed me was the humility and authenticity of the author. She didn't gloss over things and she was brutally honest, even when the scenarios she described were utterly unflattering to herself. I think it takes a lot of steel nerves and courage to write about yourself like that.

The author was an insane lady at times, trying desperately to instill Chinese values in her children, forcing them to practice their instruments for hours even when on vacation. She constantly fought against the encroachment of Western values into their lives, although, ironically, she married a Westerner and she chose to live in a Western society.

She often had painful shouting matches with her second-born daughter, while forcing her to practice her violin. She noted that strict Western parents might make their kids practice for 30 minutes or an hour at the most but, to the Chinese, the first hour is the easy part.

While I think that the author was rather extreme and I can't imagine having the same arguments with my kids, and hope it would never come to me threatening to burn their stuffed animals if they didn't practice violin--a real example cited in the book--I think there are good points that the author, Amy Chua, highlights. While I want my children to have beautiful memories of their childhood and lots of unstructured time, and can't imagine forcing them to practice an instrument for several hours every day while on vacation, I could clearly see that Chua simply wanted her children to excel and to reach their potential. You can't completely fault her for that. In fact, I think that those traits are highly admirable, when proper balance is given consideration.

Chua points out that Western parents lavish their children with compliments for accomplishing the most mediocre tasks. Western parents encourage their children to pursue their passions. But where does that lead? Often it leads to 10-hours a day on Facebook.

Chinese parents want to give their children skills to be successful and help them learn to be disciplined and excel at their work so that they can feel accomplished for legitimate reasons.

At the end of the book, the author describes a breaking-point for her, which I won't spoil in this review. Also, at the end, both of her daughters, including the rebellious second-born, mentioned that they were grateful their mother had forced them to practice their instruments and spend two-hours each day learning Mandarin and drilling their other subjects. They were confident and accomplished young adults that any parent would be proud of.

Interestingly, the Chinese have a much higher level of respect for their parents and feel a duty to take care of them when they are old. Westerners, by contrast, often resent and criticize their parents.

Maybe the Chinese have some wisdom here. Even more so, maybe there is truth to be discovered in balancing the wisdom of both cultures.

This book gave me a lot to think about.

2011 in Books

2011 was a great year in books, with a few exceptions. Here are my top 11 favorites:

Still Alice (Genova) - This was the first book I read this past year and my favorite novel. It was a page-turner and very thought-provoking. The novel is about a woman who gets early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The interesting thing about the book is that it is written in the first person. So, as the disease progresses, you are trying to piece together exactly what is happening using the words and gestures of others. As you read, you get a little muddled and disoriented, right along with Alice, but without being confused about the plot. It was expertly written and had wonderful themes. I insisted that Kevin read it so I could discuss it with him and he enjoyed it as well.

Pure Pleasure (Thomas) – This book gave me more to think about that pretty much any other Christian “sermon type” book I have ever read. In fact, while reading a lot of other books this year, I have thought back to Pure Pleasure in order to help me balance out some truths I have been wrestling with. The premise of this book is that Christians often lump sin/pleasure in one category and duty/holiness in another category. This is wrongful thinking. God is the author of pleasure and He delights to bless His children and give them good gifts from His hand. Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective, but this book made me more worshipful and more grateful.

Choosing to SEE (Chapman) – This book made my top list because it really struck a chord with me. I really appreciate people who are transparent and sincere. Chapman falls squarely into that category as she bares her heart and shares how God used tragedy in her life to shape and mold her to be more like Him.

When Helping Hurts (Corbett) – This is a book about alleviating poverty, both at home and abroad. This book was excellent and gave me a new perspective. It changed the way I think about trying to help people and get to the root of the problems faced by different cultures. The book differentiates between relief, rehabilitation, and development ministries and provides insight into when certain types of aid are more needed than others. 90% of American efforts are focused on relief ministry because it’s easy and quick and we can pat ourselves on the back and instantly feeling good about ourselves (and it’s easy to measure when giving a report to donors), when that is probably only 10% of the need here in the United States. There was also a very interesting chapter on short term mission trips.

Lone Survivor (Luttrell) – This is the mesmerizing true story of a member of Navy Seal Team 10 who was the lone survivor after a surprise attack by insurgents in Afghanistan. Luttrell has an incredible story, starting with his Seal training, his friendships with his fellow troops, the attack, and his subsequent fight for survival, and rescue by U.S. forces. This memoir is gripping and made me very proud of our men fighting overseas, and very proud to be an American.

The Glass Castle (Walls) – This was one of the most interesting memoirs I have ever read. Walls is a masterful storyteller. And to top it off, she has a fascinating story to share. The book had a wonderful hook at the beginning. Walls starts off describing herself as riding in a NYC taxicab, going to a party, and wondering if she is over-dressed for the occasion. Then, through the cab window, she sees a homeless woman digging in a trash can. Suddenly she realizes it’s her mom! This book stirred conflicted feelings within me. You have heard of the phrase “white trash,” but Walls was raised in that kind of family. At times, I felt that her parents really did love their children and they were doing the best they could. At other times, I felt like they were outright neglectful or worse. This book is fascinating and I loved it. Walls is a remarkable young woman.

Sacred Marriage (Thomas) –This is the best book on marriage I have ever read. It focuses more on marriage making you holy, as opposed to marriage making you fulfilled and happy. This book is uncompromisingly biblical and very insightful. Words are not minced. I was convicted by reading this book and also encouraged. Thomas has become one of my favorite Christian authors. This is a book I will read again.

The Case for Christ (Strobel) –I can’t believe I have had this book on my shelf for ten years and finally just read it this year. (This is why I am glad I have an accountability partner for reading these types of books!) I am really glad I finally gave this book a chance. Lobel was a hard-nosed Chicago reporter, who covered high-profile criminal trials for the Chicago Tribune. One day his wife came home and announced she had become a Christian. His world went spinning and he resented her decision. Then he decided he would at least look into Christianity, investigating it as he would any case. The book chronicles his journey from being a skeptic to becoming a believer himself. It forced me to delve into alleged controversies surrounding the Gospels and grapple with the underlying issues of my faith. In the end, my faith was greatly encouraged and strengthened. I appreciated how Lobel listed numerous books for further study after each chapter.

Oliver Twist (Dickens) –This is such beautiful and moving literature. Of all the classics I read this year, this was one of my favorites. Dickens does such a great job describing evil and filth but then contrasting it with descriptions of love and innocence.

Jane Eyre (Bronte) – Jane Eyre just might be my favorite book ever. I was completely moved by this story. This was the second time I have read it and it was way better the second time around. I think there is no better description of true love than in the final passages of this book.

Half Broke Horses (Walls) – Again, Walls did not disappoint. After reading about her childhood story, I wanted to read more! This book was about her grandmother, who broke horses on a ranch in Arizona, moved east, became a teacher, became a pilot, and lived a life full of grit, determination, and adventure. I loved this book.

_______________

Here are the rest!

When the Cradle is Empty (van Regenmorter) – This book is about coping with (or helping a friend cope with) the emotional affects of infertility. A MOPS speaker visited our group and spoke on this topic. I read it because I was moved by her story and know a lot of people who have experienced infertility and second infertility.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (Maguire) – I read this for another book club, that I shortly thereafter quit. You can only do so many book clubs, you know! It had some interesting themes but I didn’t feel drawn toward any of the characters in particular.

The Hobbit (Tolkein) – Sorry, Tolkein fans. I have to confess that I was disappointed with this one. After about the fifth adventure I kept thinking, when is this book going to move on?

The Art of Conversation (Blyth) – This book was very British. The writing was very flowery. But, I confess, I do enjoy conversation for conversation’s sake, so this book was kind of fun.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (Kesey) – Suddenly I realized I didn’t have any audio books lined up so I downloaded this one. I can see why it’s a classic. It was very interesting, as far as getting into the minds of a bunch of guys in an insane asylum can possibly be. Which is … not very. But there were some passages that were moving and I appreciated the themes of desiring freedom and individuality and fighting against a system that denies you those basic rights.

The Four-Hour Body (Ferriss) – Oh my word. This crazy book just goes to show you how peer pressure can get you to read anything. Some very passionate people used this diet and workout regimen (which I’m sure has been really great for a lot of people) and now many of the people in my circles, particularly my neighborhood, have attempted it. Here are a few things you need to know: 1) I hope you like to microwave eggs. 2) I hope you like cold showers. 3) The book chases some really odd rabbit trails. 4) The author is so full of himself, I could barely stand to read this book. Again … peer pressure is amazing.

The Well-Trained Mind (Bauer) – I re-read this book and really appreciate how practical it is. Also, there are so many people jumping onto the classical education bandwagon, it is good for me to keep reading to make sure I believe it is something that is helpful and right for my family and my kids. This is one of the best books on classical education, I think.

The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education (Bortins) – I thought this book also did a really great job of summarizing the rationale and goals of classical education, as well as giving a lot of practical helps. It’s a much shorter and less intimidating read than The Well-Trained Mind and is a good place to start for people who think they might be interested in classical education.

House of Sand and Fog (Dubus) – Wow, this book was good at times but depressing. This was another one I loaded onto the iPod when I was faced with the choice of doing dishes in silence or having my mind engaged and lost in a story. Actually, I think I listened to this one while I painted our living room.

Committed (Gilbert) – I read the very popular Eat, Pray, Love when it came out a few years ago and so I was interested to read this book on marriage by the same author. Wow. If you want to gain insight into the post-modern mind, this would be an excellent book to read. The author is truly likeable and conversational. While reading this book, I took a lot of notes. The author feels like women have had to give up too much, and bear too much of the load, and she blames marriage. She cites her grandmother as one example of someone who gave up too much for marriage. Despite her resistance to marriage, in the end, she comes to peace with marriage. But you still get the sense that she is only coming to terms with marriage because she “has to.” (Her significant other is a foreign citizen and is exported. He will only be allowed back into the country if she marries him.) I have a different perspective than the author but I thought this was an interesting read!

The Mission of Motherhood (Clarkson) – Contrasted with Gilbert (the author of Committed, above), Clarkson is someone who has lived out the biblical calling of motherhood, living a life of self-sacrifice, and she has reaped countless blessings as a result. This book was highly encouraging, especially since, because of the ages my kids are, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. I have subscribed to Clarkson’s blog as a result of reading this book. I recommend it.

Cleaving (Powell) – Here is a confession. I almost don’t want to admit that I read this horrible book. If only I hadn’t been on a long road trip to Texas, and that was the only book left to read, I would have put it down. Just go to Amazon.com and read some of the reviews, if you don’t believe me. Powell is the author of the Julie and Julia memoir, that details her endeavor to cook through Julia Child’s The Art of French Cooking in one year. I thought I would give this subsequent memoir a try. Julie Powell ends up having an affair and then going to work in a butcher shop in upstate New York (but that is where the “cleaving” analogy ends). Before I read this book, I had never realized just how self-absorbed a person could be. I have never disliked an author or a book more than I have disliked this author and this book. I cannot believe how intentionally cruel she was to her husband. She expected him to tolerate anything and everything and wanted two men to simultaneously adore her. She is clearly the center of her world and her own happiness is her highest goal. At the end of the book she was completely unrepentant, lost both men, and was consumed with misery and aimlessness. Basically, folks, she needs Christ. When you make yourself the center of your life, and not Christ, this is a study of what can happen to anyone.

Catching Fire (Collins) – This is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. I was surprised with how much I liked the first book and the subsequent two books were equally good. The author sets up these impossible scenarios and you wonder how anything is going to resolve itself. The characters are developed so nicely.

The Mocking Jay (Collins) – See above. The ending was entirely satisfactory. You can never have a perfectly happy ending with a plot like this one, but I thought it was a good and fitting one. I enjoyed this trilogy.

Don Quixote (Cervantes) – One of my most proud accomplishments this year was that I made it through Don Quixote. As a friend who read it with me said, “Anyone who survives reading Don Quixote with me, is a friend for life.” Some parts were really funny, though. I did laugh out loud a few times.

The Well-Educated Mind (Bauer) – This is a reading guide for the classics. It breaks books into specific genres and lists them chronologically. I am using it, with two girlfriends, to read through the classics. We figure it will take about three years, if we read one book a month, just to get through the novels genre!! Patience will pay off.

Her Daughter’s Dream (Rivers) – After complaining about this book, some friends told me that I need to give Rivers another try. The plot was unbelievable and the romantic scenes were really cheesy. Maybe I will give her another try … in 2037.

Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life (O’Kelly) – This is the memoir of a powerful CEO who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. A lot of this book was very inspiring. During the last months of his life, he tried to capitalize on “perfect moments” and write notes of gratefulness and live purposefully. He talks about focusing on what matters but I was seriously troubled that he spent so much time writing notes to old college roommates, etc. that he ended up running out of time to spend more quality time with his daughter. For example, he never was able to take the “dream trip” that he and his daughter had planned because he got too sick. Why was his daughter last on the list?

Pilgrim’s Progress (Bunyan) – I cannot believe I had never read this book and had only seen the cartoon. Shameful! This book was great and got better as the story progressed. I was completely moved by the scene where Christian arrives at the lake at the end and how God’s grace was sufficient for all of his life, his sorrows, and even his death. It was a powerful scene in literature.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood) – This book was very interesting and also very disturbing, futuristic political science fiction, where women are forced to become breeders.

Gulliver’s Travels (Swift) – This was my least-favorite classic this year. I felt like it would probably appeal to third-grade boys pretty well. (Just in case you are reading this and you are a third-grade boy, no offense!) And the plot was extremely disjointed. But this book has been influential in culture and so I’m glad I read it, for that reason alone.

Sophie’s World (Gaarder) – I’m really glad I read this book because I learned a lot about philosophy (and I probably have forgotten a lot of it by now). It was interesting how the author wove in a fictional tale, and I thought the ending was very creative and thought-provoking.

Pride and Prejudice (Austen) – This book is always delightful. I love the dialogue in this book. It is a favorite and a candidate for “top books” as well.

The Elegant Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis (Adler) –After visiting Dallas, I wanted to read more about the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories. Well, this was as far as I got. It wasn’t really about the conspiracy but it was fun to read about Jackie.

Never Let Me Go (Ishaguro) –This book was well-written and intriguing but completely, absolutely depressing. I kept waiting for something good to happen but it never did. I realize that this book was making a point about creating life to destroy it for our own scientific purposes, and I agree with the point. But, it was very disturbing.

A Good Year (Mayle) –This book was delightful, light, and fun. I read A Year in Provence a few years ago and enjoyed it. It was enjoyable to be transported to Southern France and be immersed in descriptions of vineyards, good food, wine, and interesting characters.

The Secret Life of Bees (Kidd) –This book was a good one to iron shirts to, which is what I did. But it wasn’t a favorite. I was slightly bothered by all the idolatry and Mary worship. It is about a young girl who comes to terms with the fact that she was unloved as a child. There are a lot of bees in this book, by the way.


Chapter books I read to the kids:

This semester we read most of the American Girl “Meet [Insert Character’s Name]” and “Welcome to [Insert Character’s Name] World” books, because we are working our way through American history and Meredith and Clara are majorly into the American Girl craze right now.

We also read …

Farmer Boy (Wilder)
The Boxcar Children (Warner)
Five True Dog Stories (Davidson)
Charlotte’s Web (White)
The Lion Storytellter Bedtime Book (Hartman)
Stuart Little (White)
The Trumpet of the Swan (White)
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (MacDonald)
James and the Giant Peach (Dahl)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Dahl)

The kids’ favorites were The Boxcar Children (Meredith’s) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (Clara’s). My favorite was The Trumpet of the Swan!

Pilgrim's Progress

Tonight we discuss Pilgrim's Progress during round two of our venture to read through great classics chronologically, starting with the novels genre. We are using Bauer's The Well-Educated Mind.

When I first started reading Pilgrim's Progress I just wasn't sure if I would see it as anything other than applicable allegory. I felt like it was kind of choppy--quickly introducing new characters and having them exit stage before there could be any development. In fact, Pilgrim's Progress reminded me somewhat of another classic I had recently finished: Don Quixote. Here was yet another passionate male, preparing to set off on a journey with unknown and dangerous adventures, and interesting characters to meet along the way. I thought, "Here we go again!" (And having also recently read The Hobbit I just didn't know if I could take any more of this genre!) 

Of course Christian in Pilgrim's Progress has slightly different motives than Don Quixote in making his trek. Don Quixote sought after glory and romance. Christian sought after the cross. Quixote had his head full of fanciful fiction. Christian had that ultimate source of truth, the Word of God, as his anchor and guide. Quixote was compelled to become a knight errant by his own delusions. Christian felt the very real and forceful weight of sin on his back which made his journey one of true urgency. 

As I journeyed alongside Christian his story became more real and engaging to me. Not only were there both subtle and blunt truths in the allegory at every turn, there were also moments when the beauty of the literature itself engulfed me. 

The culmination of the story comes at the end of Christian's life when he prepares to cross the great river (death), over which there is no bridge. Christian becomes despondent as he descends into the flow of that inevitable river. But then Christian recalls the King's promise to be with him. ("When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.")  At that point, Christian takes courage to battle through his fears and comes to Celestial City escorted by shining ones.  God will never leave us or forsake us. He is our guide through life and also through death. 

I loved Fearful's story. He was weak and flawed and full of fear, but nonetheless a child of the King. We don't have to be perfect to be saved. In fact, that is the whole point--we are unable to be perfect because of our sin. Christ is perfect in our stead.  

When it was Fearful's turn to cross the great river, he could not handle the river being so deep. So for him, it was a shallow crossing. God's grace is always sufficient for us. He never gives us more than we can handle, in life or in death. 

Pilgrim's Progress is a book about real human struggles along the journey of life and it is a book about victory. 

Pure Pleasure

I just finished reading Pure Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad About Feeling Good? and it was a book that truly made me delight more in God and worship him.

The premise of the book is that we honor God when we take delight in the blessings he has given us. God is akin to an earthly father who enjoys seeing his children take pleasure in the gifts he has given. When we truly delight in God and “build lives of true, lasting pleasure” we “fortify ourselves against evil because evil has lost much of its allure.”

The author, Gary Thomas, challenges us that, if we are not reserving time each week for restorative pleasure, then we are likely running on deprivation and are susceptible to any number of spiritual ills. “One of the ways we can fight sin is to build restorative pleasure.”

“Here’s the great irony: Most people outside the church (and some inside it) think of holiness and pleasure as opposites. They see holiness as the main threat to their pleasure. What a lie! Holiness is pleasure’s truest friend.”

This book has impacted the way I want to parent my children. I want my children to see the connection between godliness and enjoying life. My relationship with Christ is the reason WHY my life is so full and joyful. I see all the blessings in my life as coming directly from his hand. It is easy to equate Christianity with duty and obligation, and think of the world as the source of “pleasure.” Is this why so many young Christian adults leave the church? The world has nothing to offer compared to Christ. What would happen if more Christian young people saw their parents living out the principles in this book?

Thomas also talks about being a servant of other people’s pleasure, and experiencing pleasure together as a family. I was convicted when I read about his regrets over not taking more time for family pleasures: “We can make frugality a god when we sacrifice family at its altar. In one sense, I had put principles over people. I doubt my choice pleased God.”

I also really appreciated this statement, concerning truly enjoying your “sinful” family: “Here’s the stark reality: If you can’t love, celebrate, and enjoy raising a sinful kid, then you can’t love, celebrate, and enjoy any child. If you can’t love and play with a sinful spouse, then you’ll never be able to take pleasure in any spouse, for the simple reason that you can’t find any sinless kids or spouses.” How often do we get caught up in discipline issues, or the fact that our spouse isn’t doing what we think he should, and this robs us of all joy in our family?

Thomas also balances out his message by encouraging a life of service and stating that we should live in pleasure and not for pleasure. I also appreciated his remarks that we should accept and embrace what our Heavenly Father gives us, even if it is a cross to bear.

The author also insightfully pointed out how we often look down on other people’s particular pleasures, while blindly and unwaveringly adhering to our own particular pleasures, and had some funny anecdotes to share.

Thomas rebutted the argument of people who say, “Shouldn’t Christ be enough? You don’t need ‘things’ if you have Jesus.” When Adam was in the garden, he was lonely. Instead of berating Adam for not finding a relationship with God to be sufficient for meeting all his needs, God gave him Eve. Obviously God is the highest source of our pleasure, but he also gives us good gifts to enjoy here on earth and we all have a need for pleasure in this life.

Throughout this book, I kept thinking, “Thank you God that you love me and you delight in me and that you give me good things to enjoy.” My faith was strengthened.

Still Alice

The first book I finished reading this year turned out to be one of the best novels I have ever read. This book intrigued me and engaged me the entire time I was reading it, and it will definitely make my “Best Books of 2011” list! My librarian recommended it to me. I should have known it would be excellent. Now I am determined to pick her brain some more!

Still Alice (Genova) is a story about a woman who is a Harvard professor, at the height of her career and the picture of health, who has just turned 50. She starts experiencing some disorientation and memory loss and at first dismisses it as symptoms of menopause or being overly tired and stressed. Soon after, she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

The fascinating part about the book is that it is written in the first person. You see everything from Alice’s point of view. As the disease progresses, the book gets more and more interesting. Toward the end of the book the only way you know exactly what is happening is through the descriptions of other people’s reactions and words, and you are required to piece everything together.

I kept thinking about how tragic Alzheimer’s Disease is and how, in a lot of ways, it seems like a fate worse than early death. It was really interesting to see how the disease affected Alice’s relationship with her husband and also her children, and how there was one particular relationship that was restored through the disease.

The author gives us a lot to think about. How much of our mind creates the essence of who we really are? What about other facets of our being—our heart and emotions specifically? What exactly makes a good quality life? What are choices we would make if faced with a similar situation?

I expected the ending to be inevitably sad, and maybe even tragic, based on some clues the author left along the way. But I was surprised a bit at the end, and left wondering if it was truly a tragic story after all. Yes, it was sad. But I decided it wasn’t the worst thing and there were many redemptive things about the story and Alice’s situation.

This would be a fabulous book to use in a book discussion group. In fact, I’m going to make Kevin listen to the audio book (read by the author) so that he can discuss it with me! I highly recommend this book.

2010 Books

Here are my top favorite books from 2010, and all the rest are listed below, too.

The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life (Leveen)—A book about how to read more books every year and get more out of them. Excellent resource, and how could I not love this book when I read that the author is also an avid audio-books proponent!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Shaffer)—This one was a really fun novel written in a series of letters, set in post-WW II. It was light-hearted and very funny. I loved it.

Jane Austen (Shields)—Many biographies have been written on Jane Austen. I really enjoyed this one. The author is clearly passionate about Austen. I felt so much sympathy for Austen, a brilliant, creative, beautiful soul. In her day, to be married was to gain independence. Her story is just like her novels, except hers had no good ending. She was never able to find her “home” or her place in the world. I felt like the barriers of time and distance were removed and I could really identify with Austen’s struggles. This was a really good book.

Organizing from the Inside Out (Morgenstern)—This was an excellent book for someone like me who struggles to stay organized! It was very practical and, since you take one room or one closet at a time, not at all overwhelming.

The Hiding Place (ten Boom)—I had seen several different movies based on this book but was so glad to read the book and was really encouraged by ten Boom’s faith in the face of the most extreme form of evil imaginable to the human mind.

The Namesake (Lahiri)—This was a novel about a young man who comes of age and questions the past traditions and decisions of his parents and is trying to find his own place in the world. I just really enjoyed this book. The words and word pictures in this book were absolutely beautiful and I felt myself enjoyably immersed in this book and hated to see it end.

With the Old Breed in Pelelui and Okinawa (Sledge)—I think every American should read this book. This is the memoir of a foot soldier in the Pacific Theater during World War II. This story is gripping, incredible, and one that needs to be heard. This book makes me so grateful and so proud of those boys and what they did for us.

The Heretic’s Daughter (Kent)—This book was really well written and really gave me a stark view of the time period (Salem Witch Trials). It’s based on a true story. The whole way it’s written is dark and foreboding and very intriguing.

Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson)—This book was really incredible! Not only was I immersed in the mountain-climbing subculture, I also was taken on an amazing journey into the heart of Pakistan and learned about the incredible life and adventures of someone who is a true humanitarian. Greg Mortenson is an average man who has made an incredible difference in the lives of so many people. I would highly recommend this book.

Son of Hamas (Yousef)—This was another remarkable memoir! It gave me a lot to think about that is relevant to current events. It read like a (true) James’ Bond adventure. The author is the son of one of the founders of Hamas and it was intriguing to see his love for his father, even though he strongly disagreed with the choices his father made. One of my favorite reads this year!

The Hunger Games (Collins)—I wasn’t sure if I would like this book because of the genre but I found myself spellbound by the plot and the characters. The author set out this impossible scenario and I wondered how the book could have any sort of satisfying end. The book ends with a cliff-hanger and I think I will definitely get the sequel and read it this year!


Here are the others that I read this year:

The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry (Flinn)—A cooking memoir that was funny and interesting.

Educating the Whole Hearted Child (Clarkson)—A homeschooling handbook

How Reading Changed My Life (Quindlen)—A touching memoir by someone who is passionate about literature.

The Bell Jar (Plath)—A novel about a mentally disturbed young woman that was depressing, especially after (halfway into the book) I read on the flap of the book that the author had committed suicide some years after writing it.

Echo in Celebration: A Call to Home-Centered Education (Bortins)—Homeschooling book written by someone who is passionate about classical home education, and founded the homeschool program we are using.

The Help (Stockett)—A novel written from three perspectives about racial tension in Mississippi in the 1960s, and the inhumane treatment of colored servants. I really liked this book and almost made it a favorite.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (Hertzberg)—A really great book on making awesome bread in just minutes. Who doesn’t love fresh bread out of the oven?

The Stone Diaries (Shields)—This book was recommended by someone and, other than the creativity of the author in working her theme (“stones/rocks”) into nearly every depiction, I didn’t really care for this one that much.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde)—One of my favorite classics, about the constant struggle of conscience, choosing good or evil, the searing of the conscience, and the consequences that result.

Teaching the Trivium (Bluedorn)—A helpful handbook on implementing classical education at home. At first it can be overwhelming, and I definitely don’t agree on every point, but I really appreciated the things the Bluedorns had to say about educating younger students.

The Lovely Bones (Sebold)—Some parts of this novel were really great but it had really disturbing content and a really odd and dissatisfying ending. I can’t recommend it.

What’s a Smart Woman Like You Doing at Home?—I ran out of patience reading all the statistics, but overall this was good affirmation.

Blessings (Quindlen)—I really enjoyed this novel and the word pictures. I loved this author’s style and descriptions. Maybe, too, I was touched by it because I had a small baby about the same age as the one in this book!

How Should We Then Live (Schaeffer)—An excellent book about how ideas (world view) have consequences in all aspects of history and culture. A classic I had sadly never read until this year.

Raising Bookworms (Andrews)—More inspiration to continue encouraging an early love of reading for young children.

The Little Stranger (Waters)—This is a novel about an old house where strange things happen and you’re never quite sure if it’s haunted or not.

The Last Lecture (Pausch)—After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Pausch shares his passions and his advice about living a full life with no regrets.

Lies Women Believe (DeMoss)—Written to help women be more grounded in biblical thinking. I thought this book was helpful but found myself disagreeing with the author at times. I really hate generalizations, especially when it comes to women, because I often feel like I can’t relate.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Larsson)—This book was really a page turner and had an interesting plot, although dealt with gruesome and dark subject matter.

Rise and Shine (Quindlen)—A novel about a two sisters’ relationship as one of their careers is derailed. Not as good as “Blessings” but I like this author a lot.

The Total Money Makeover (Ramsey)—I thought about including this in my “favorites” because it gave me/us a lot to think about. But I think that some of his advice is a little extreme (having only a $1,000 emergency fund, for example), unless you have massive credit card debt and no savings. But it was definitely worth reading.

Every Last One (Quindlen)—My third Quindlen novel this year. This one dealt with a woman who experiences deep loss and tragedy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)—I finally joined the rest of the western world and have read a Harry Potter book! It was good, but I kept wondering if this was exactly “my” genre. I hear they get better as the series goes on. I think at some point I’ll keep reading!

The Wizard of Oz (Baum)—Not my favorite classic, but I’m trying to get more of them under my belt. I read this to the kids and they enjoyed it.

Life Management for Busy Women (George)—I was hoping this book would be more helpful but it really wasn’t anything profound.

Eat This, Not That (Zincenko)—If you want to be motivated to eat healthier, the descriptions of body fat in this book will probably do the trick! Disgusting! I think this book would have been more helpful for us if I was the type who ate out a lot or bought a lot of pre-packaged, convenience foods. Since I don’t, it was only mildly informative.