38 posts tagged “books”
I realize I haven't updated any of my summer, and now, fall, reads. And I've just discovered that the amazon search for books is gone nutty. Anyone else notice this? Did I miss the memo?
So instead of pictures, there's titles to be had! In some cases, I have something to say. In others, not so much.
- Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives by Wendy Horder Alsup.
A quick and easy read. In my opinion, she stuck to the 'majors' of theology and left, in my opinion, most of the grey areas alone, left to be each person's grey area. The book was clear and basically laid out in this fashion: If you believe x about God, then your behaviour should reflect that, usually looking like y.
The thing is, this stuff isn't limited as being only 'for women.' She explains in the prologue that she's encountered an attitude out there in Evangelical Christendom (at least the North American version) that theology, or the 'deep stuff,' is more for seminary scholars and the men and most women just prefer to find straightforward application through the Scriptures. This book is to help women realize that theology can actually be very applicable to one's life. Thus the subtitle. However, I couldn't help but feel that by addressing this subject with her title, she was almost reinforcing the attitude that there are some books for men and some for women when it comes to theology. If she were to change some of the pronouns and minor references, this book would be equally as applicable to men. Would they not benefit from such a book?
- The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A quick read, dealing with a lot of heavy stuff, but not in a heavy way. Does that make any sense? As I was reading, I was thinking about how this could work really well in a classroom - say for Grade 10s. I haven't seen the movie; would anyone recommend it?
- The Vertias Conflict - by Shaunti Feldham
A re-read for me about fictionalized spiritual warfare at Harvard. Engaging.
- The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough
It's twenty years after the closing of Pride and Prejudice and Mary suddenly finds herself with freedom when her mother dies in the opening paragraphs of the novel. She decides to research and write a novel about the poor of England. Of course we learn what has become of the Darcys, Bingleys, Wichkhams and Kitty and their offspring and friends. There is child slavery, mystery, murder, hidden identities, and intrigue to be had. When it comes to fan lit, I liked it as much, if not more, than The Darcys and The Bingleys, though each takes the story at a different angle with one being more comic and the other more serious.
- One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Thought I'd see what the fuss was about; after all, she's on to number 14, or is it 15 now? It was darker than I had thought, and wondered why the reviews raved about the comic element to the tale; it was lost on me. However, a friend has let me know that the others aren't quite as heavy as this one, so maybe one day I'll give number 2 a go.
- Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith
Another installment of the serial McCall Smith writes and publishes regualrly in the Scotsman about a circle of individuals either living at, connected with the flats at number 44 Scotland Street. MC-S is as witty as ever with plenty of insights into human nature and the world we live in.
Oh, and I got through the last couple of Harry Potters novels in thos 2 months, too.
August and Autumn to come.
Back in April, I came across the film Mrs. Miniver at my local library and enjoyed watching it again. (Well, most if it. The DVDs from the public library can be pretty scratched up, so I had to skip a chapter or two.) The movie, set in the first years of World War II in England, includes Mr. Miniver setting out as part of the River Patrol and ends up taking part in a massive evacuation effort that brought back the BEF and French Forces retreating from the German offensive.
That particular event piqued my interest and I decided to read up on it. So, I went to the best place to start when you want a book on a subject: the Children's Section of the library. Really, it's great. They have books on everything and can give you a overview that covers all the main points without getting bogged down in details. I first used this technique when ending up with a topic for my first year Canadian History class that I no background knowledge on: found a 20 minute video from the curriculum library (the teacher training resources) on the Rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada (1816-17 if memory serves correctly) and that helped me when I had to jump into the 30 page long scholarly articles and 500 page books on the subject. (Turns out, I had studied the subject in Grade 10 Socials when I came across a short essay on the subject I had written 5 years before while cleaning out my bedroom. Too bad none of it stuck!)
So when wanting information on the Evacuation at Dunkirk, I started here:
It's a great little book that follows a 12 year old girl who dresses as a boy and, motivated by the hope of seeing her older brother serving with the BEF, goes with her father in their family fishing boat to help evacuated the British and French forces. Lovely illustrations.
Since I got an overview with pictures, it was time to pick up the heavier tome and this was on offering at the library:
This book chronicles the movements of British, French and German forces, decisions made and actions taken that lead to the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Forces and many French Forces over a 10 day period at the end of May in 1940.
The evacuation itself was dangerous and the numbers of forces staggering - over 300,00 soldiers - were taken from both the mole at Dunkirk and the beaches nearby. At first, the British didn't expect they'd get nearly so many given the swiftness of the German army at their backs, but for some reasons (speculated by Lord) the German army paused and the result was the rescuing of soldiers who then turned out to be the nucleus of the forces that later returned to France on the offensive.
Lord did a good job of folding together the larger movements of troops with many individual stories that illustrated what the decisions and orders meant for those men who served. I realized at the book's end in the Sources just how many interviews Lord conducted to accumulate the depth and detail to weave together the narrative of this chapter of war history. It's quite impressive.
Personally, I'm not well versed in military rank and terminology so some details passed over my head, but I was still able to fill in the gaps without any problem. What was more troublesome for me was reading about the sheer loss of life that occurred during this time. Lord didn't go into any great detail, but when he records that a boat loaded with 500 men is hit by a member of the Luftwaffe and sinks within a minute, or recounts the tale of a soldier who finds his way back to the beaches after miraculously surviving a German company mowing down his entire captured company and then hiding under their dead bodies, well, it's hard not to notice and I had to work hard not to be overcome and simply become depressed.
I was glad to learn more of this slice of history and was reminded once again how important it is to carry these stories with us, lest we forget.
(For 50 in 365, No. 25)
[I began this last week, but am only just getting to post now. Life has been full since then - a quick weekend trip, which was preceded by a minor crisis at home. Smoke damage sucks. Please return to your regular programming.]
I'm taking a page out of Jess's book blog. Here' goes:
1. What author do you own the most books by?
Madeleine L'Engle, Gordon Korman and J.K. Rowling. And I'm not
counting the entire Anne of Green Gables series which I snagged when
our librarian was turfing a bunch of old copies last year. I like them
well enough, but I'm not over the moon like most folk, it's just
something I feel I ought to have in my library and, c'mon - the have
hard covers and were free!
2. What book do you own the most copies of? The Bible. Versions galore, including in Koine Greek which I can't read but my husband can.
3. What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Faramir
4. What book have you read the most times in your life? Hmmm... Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter, and perhaps some Bruno and Boots books.
5. Favorite book as a ten year old? I Want to Go Home! by
Gordon Korman. Seriously, I would laugh out loud over and over again.
[Salate!] After that, Babysitter's Club like any self-respecting
10-year-old.
6. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year? Twilight, or perhaps the second one, New Moon, was it?
7. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year? What's So Amazing About Grace, followed by The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop.
8. If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be? Jess has the most awesome answer: "People shouldnt' be forced to read." And the English teacher in me says, Yes! Except, well, except for The Little Prince. ;)
9. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read? One: The Kite Runner, but becaue it contains kids and injustice and I read it when I was less than 2 months post partum. If I'd read it when I was 17, it wouldn't have been nearly as gut wrenching. Two: Vanity Fair because after about 200 pages I was thinking Alright Thackery, I get it! Satire. But no, I had to slog through another 300 pages because I had a paper coming my way. Runners Up: Lolita and Jude the Obscure.
10. What are you reading right now? 2006 Best Science Writing, Ed. Atul Gawande.
The manifesto comes down to three phrases: Eat Food. Not so much. Mostly plants.
The rest of the book takes the time to elaborate on these points, taking a look at the content of the North American Western diet, it's health effects (maybe saturated fat ain't so bad after all), the role of industry and government and the habits of Western eaters. Don't let the range of topics deceive you, it's actually a very engaging book that doesn't overwhelm with details but is clear and illustrates its points well.
I especially enjoyed one of his main ideas - that as North Americans we've succumbed to nutritionism, a term (relatively) newly coined that "is an ideology that assumes that it is the scientifically identified nutrients in foods that determine their value in the diet." (Thanks Wikipedia.) By definition, this ignores the social value or even the value of taste when it comes to food. (Sorry, poorly worded sentence.) This wouldn't be too bad if we knew a lot about nutrients, but the truth is that our understanding is pretty limited and it's hard to know for sure exactly how many trace minerals and vitamins work together to make our bodies function as well as they do; you can't replicate diet in a lab. A breif examination of the history of baby formula is a good example of just thinking that if we have nutrient x and vitamin y in sufficent quantities will make a healthy baby. We've come a long way in that department but breast fed babies still have better health outcomes than formula fed babies.
The last chapter includes some "rules of thumb" answering the reader's question of, "Now what?" after being armed with information about the shortcomings of our current diet and dietary habits. For example:
- Don't eat food your (great) grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
- Avoid food products that make health claims.
- Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
- You are what what you eat eats, too.
- Pay more, eat less.
- Do all your eating at a table (desks don't count.)
- Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does.
So if you're interested in what you eat, check out this one.
Cheers.
(For 50 in 365 - #24)
So my standard format has been to recap my books monthly, but it's beginning to be a bit of a drag for me. I've been reading a lot (for me) and recapping 3-8 books a month is becoming cumbersome. And I don't do a proper review anyway, just spout off about my impressions and opinions about it. (hmmm, maybe that is a review? ;)
So I'm thinking a change is in the air, blog about books when I feel like it, not just because the calendar indicates a month's end.
Except for today, because there's all of April still to cover.
Therefore:
As I mentioned last month, I finished the Yada Yada Prayer Group Series. April saw me read the last 3.
But before that, I read a lovely book of poetry that was highlighted in a back issue of BC's Bookworld mag called Duet for Wings and Earth by Barbara Colebrook Peace. I had a hold for it from my public library for months before they finally got it in and then read it in one sitting one evening when we were in Victoria, the hometown of the poet. In fact, this series of poems originally composed in part for her church's celebration of Advent isn't far from my alma mater and I routinly ran by during my workouts. Small world.
The poems examine the incarnation (Christ coming to earth - God becoming man) through the perseptives of different players in the Christmas story: God, Mary, Joseph, the Innkeeper, the Sheep, the Donkey who carried Mary and even one "for Judas not yet born." It was a delightful read. I recommend it. In fact, it's one I want to add to my own collection for future Advent celebrations for my own family.
An excerpt to carry with you:
All things were before me:
my own necessary death
determined my design for sunlight.
And I loved it.
Not with reservation, sadly. The first part is rough; I had to stop, sob and then return to the novel once the purge was done. There were theological points I didn't agree with, but I didn't find them to really be outside the pall of orthodoxy either. Mind you, I didn't think too hard, either. After all, though allegoric, it is fiction, not a systematic theology text. I wouldn't recommend on derive their entire theology from it, but goodness can be gleaned.
Some small examples in my case, for example: I found myself challenged about how I view God, (as in, do I even take time to consider God's character, or just what he might be like in relation to me) and out of the read grew a longing to spend more time with and get to know Jesus again. My awe of the mysery of threeness and oneness of the Trinity was renewed and deepened.
Out of The Shack and in to... Pakistan, but firs to Russia.
I remember feeling cold and shocked when, in 2004, a school was taken over by Chechnyan forces in Beslan, Russia. The result of that seige was the death of children, teachers and other adults. Unlike a lot of tragedy over the world, it took me a long time to shake this one. I believe it had to do with the fact it happened when I was in the middle of obtaining my own teaching certification. While teaching is really a low-risk occupation here in the West, in war-torn places, teachers are targets. Teachers are that powerful.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Moretenson and David Oliver Relin was given to me my by brother for Christmas. (Astute choice, JT. Thanks.) This book chronicles Mortenson's life from a climber to a humanitarian who devotes his life to raising funds for and building schools (and other community centres) in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The story itself is engaging and inspiring to boot. I appreciated the history of the region, especially given the fall out in terms of terrorism and 'counter-terrorism' in the wake of 9/11. I also enjoyed getting to know about real people who live such lives so far removed from my own.
However, what stayed with me when reflecting on thisbook was the importance - the necessity even - of a balanced education the world over. Part of the rise of fundamentalist Islam took place when madrasses, or religious schools, were built where Pakistan's government had failed to provide adequate schools. (No, I'm not blaming, just saying.) In the abscence of public schools, boys were sent to obtain what education was available to them which began feeding fundamentalism in those regions. Mortenson emphasizes the importance of education for girls, as well. Historically, studies have shown that education girls to at least a grade 5 level will not only improve the lives of those girls, but a whole community helping to alleviate poverty and improving health and infant mortality rates.
This book reminded me that schools are important. It reminded me of that cold feeling I got when I considered my colleagues in Beslan who went to school one day to work, didn't make it home. What if, in all sorts of places in the world, kids had adequate schools to attend and opportunities to learn and dream instead of poverty and despair driving them? What if? I'm reminded that teachers and teaching really matter. Teaching can help save lives and improve lives, build relationships and communities. Teachers are that powerful.
[Ahem. Steps off soapbox.]
Sighs. I've got to take a break. Maybe go read a book or something. Later.
{For 50 in 365, #18 - 23]
Yes, I know I'm a bit behind. Again. But I've been doing more reading than posting these days.
March was mostly about the Yada Yada series. I got through numbers 2, 3 and 4. (I've also completed 5-7, though that was in April, but since I'm writing now, no point in talking like I don't know what's coming next.
I liked these books. They weren't over-the-top brilliant, but they were good for me. The novel touched on a whole variety of issues, sometimes fully and sometimes just skimming the surface, and I think what I was drawn to was that some of these topics are ones I've been mulling over lately, myself. I appreicated the way the author pulled in different Christian and Jewish traditions into the books. It's given me some more ideas as I slowly begin to think about and pull together what kind of spiritual traditions for my own kids and family. And, I just found the books to be simply entertaining. The series is all done now; but Neta Jackson has another series to be out this Spring, pulling out some secondary characters from the Yada Yada series.
Revolution in World Missions by K. P. Yohannen is kind of his flagship book that goes through a bit of his story and the beginnings of the organization he founded called Gospel for Asia. Chris had read this book a few years back and we've supported GFA a little so his main idea wasn't new to me, but I appreciated it all the same. I found some minor points that I didn't quite agree with, but overall I found his main message quite compelling. In short: the 'new wave' of Christian missionary activity isn't going to come from Western missionaries going to unreached peoples, but from local missionaries being raised up within. It makes sense on a variety of levels: economically local missionaries only need a fraction of the cost of western missionaries (just think of costs of plane tickets, furloughs and language training alone) and there's far fewer cultural and language barriers to overcome. The way that the Western church can help: prayer and money (100% of which goes directly to where you designate - administrative costs are raised elsewhere). After all, we live incredible wealthy lifestyles compared to much of the world.
GFA's prime vehicle for preaching the life and death of Christ is through their missionary sponsorship program. However, they've also spread out ministries to include children sponsorship, providing clean well water to villages, radio, literature and video resources and ministry that specifically serves Dalits, or the 'untouchable' caste in India.
And one of the cool things about this book - it's free from their website!
Moving on...
I finished up this book while out of town and it made me want to go and visit the many new and used bookstores our province's capital has to offer, but two young'uns made that tough. Ah, well.
The Yellow Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee is part memoir and part history. It was recommended recently by someone in my vox-hood, but I can't recall who right now - there are a lot of you readers out there! The book chronociles the author's experiences as a bookseller and then publishing rep while steering us through the history of bookmaking and book selling. There's some time spent exploring the battle of censorship (from Ulysses to The Satanic Verses to Section 215 of the Patriot Act which permits the Feds to obtain records of what books you buy or borrow without having to tell you that they're doing so), detailing a few of his favourite or unusual bookstores in the world, and speculating at the future of books and electronic technology. If you are a bibliophile, chances are good you'll like this one.
Oh, and I also completed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban.
I've already cruised through a few more books this month, including some poetry - missed that stuff.
As always, any recommendations are welcome.
[Books No. 12-17 for 50 in 365. Looks like I'm on track...]
February was the month of starting series. In theory, this should ensure I have a bunch of books to follow, but I'm beginning to doubt that will the case. See, one actually has to like said series, otherwise, what's the point?
Series #1 - Twilight.
I have a friend who purchased the lot after she watched the film. I decided to give it a go, too. I got through both Twilight, which I found quite engaging, and then New Moon, which I found to be less so. I then finished off the series by reading reviews on amazon and now have very little inclination to read the rest, unless my mild curiosity of what exactly 'imprinting' is grows stronger.
Series #2 - I'm enjoying the Mitford series very much and got through A Light in the Window (#2). I started to feel a little bit exasperated with Father Tim, but I get that that is just simply part of who is and the journey with the characters is part of what I enjoy.
Series #3 - The Yada Yada Prayer Group. Yep, some more Christian fiction. Overall I appreciated this novel for depicting a lot of regular mainstream Christian living - lots of just going about your business, but being challenged to engage more often. There were some aspects I found wanted to roll my eyes at, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel, Well, why not? At any rate, there is enough there that I'm willing to give the second one a go.
Series #4 - Ok, this one is actually not part of a series, or at least, not yet. There was something in the blurb about the author that hinted she would be continuing the premise, but since the novel was just published a couple of months ago, that's not likely for a little bit yet. The Darcys and The Bingleys picks up where our beloved Pride and Prejudice ended and carries into the first couple years of the couples' respective wedded bliss. I found most of the character extensions believable, especially as the author builds up context for their actions and reactions. There is some back story thrown in, too. Some of the subject matter would never have been broached in Austen's day - like Jane's reactions to everyone wanting to provide advice regarding 'relations' on the eve of their wedding, or the advice Bingley seeks from the worldly Darcy on the matter - but Altman manages to bring us modern folk with our sensibilities to the topics rarely broached in decent society during the Regency. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it made me laugh out loud at points. Austen purists may want to tread carefully, but I think if you relax, you'll have fun with it, too.
Stand Alone (the one and only this month): Silent God.
This one is a book club selection - we'll be discussing it tomorrow (if things don't get postponed due to stomach flu at the hosting home!). This was an easy read, though with probing questions to consider along the way, if you felt so inclined. (There was actually a while study guide with it at the book's end.) The first part of the book examines the fact that as opposed to God actually being silent, we're simply too busy or have lives that are too noisy to even notice. He encourages taking steps to cut down on the visual, mental and informational clutter in our lives. Some suggestions include only checking email once a day, taking walks, getting more sleep, exchanging time your already fill with TV or books and spend time in prayer or simply thinking.
He then moves on to discuss times when God actually may be silent (as opposed to our just not hearing him.) I found he treating the subject with great sensitivity and clarity. Considering how often we can misinterpret another person's silence, or the many reasons we ourselves don't say anything, he suggested that we must take care to presume upon God. He was especially clear that we are not to necessarily take God's silence as synonymous with his disapproval.
The strongest impression I got from this book is best exemplified by this passage, which is actually quoted from another text.
What is Wilson's own explanation for why God allowed him and his family to suffer? He said, "It was been 15 years since Laurinda [daughter born with severe birth defects] flickered to life and died. No reason that anyone offered for the death of a child made sense to me then. None makes sense to me now. I don't say that God had not reason for allowing suffering in her life or in mine - I simply have no idea what it might be. And anyone who tells me that he or she does know is a fool. For only a fool would claim to know what God has refused to say."
May we grow more deeply attached to our God, silent or not.
****
On Tap: More Mitford, More Yada Yada, A God book, and... I don't know. Any recommendations?
[Books #6 - 11 for 50 in 365.]
Life marches on.
I have been mentally composing posts for about a month now, some have even made it to paper, but not to post. I find I'm struggling to find time to post these days, though I really want to. See, I'm also thoroughly enjoying doing some crafty things lately: making envelopes, fulfilling wishes on swap-bot, knitting. I have an office/craft space in disarray and with some more to import and make room for (wool! and random crafty things from Urban Source!) so that's draining time from me too. Right now, Peaches is starting to wake up...
So I figured I could do a small one. Here goes.
In December I read the last 3 novels from the Love Comes Softly Series - finally finished. While I routinely label these novels as fluff and find the storytelling and writing rather banal, these books do serve a purpose for me. In them, I can be reminded that there are people who love God and seek to serve him and that, despite the predictability of the plot, is something that I can't be reminded of too often.
However, it does bring me to something else: Any good Christian fiction recommendations out there?
For my book club, we read Mistaken Identity. It's the true story told by two families - one who lost their daughter in a vehicle accident and one whose was in a coma - who realized about one month later that they had mistaken the identity of each girl. It was a quick read, and I did read it quickly. To take too much time meant that I would end up in tears that would prick from time to time. Besides the testimony of God's strength for both the families in the ordeal, I was taken by a particular irony of the situation. The family who had first thought they had lost their daughter knew exactly how to comfort the other family when they did discover the death of their own. Conversely, the family who discovered that their daughter was alive now had to deal with their daughter dealing with brain damage, something the other family had been living with for weeks. Each knew exactly how the other family felt.
I moved from true-life to fiction (which is maybe more real than real life, as a general rule) and read another of Mankell's Wallander books: Firewall. Mankell is a great story teller and, like The Fifth Woman, I was able to engage with the story but also disacoiated myself enough with its tale. I recommend it, if you like crime fiction.
I breezed through another of Satrapi's graphic novels (she wrote Persepolis 1 & 2) called Chicken With Plums. If you like her work, you'll enjoy this one.
My last book of December was, appropriately, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I tend to read it annually. For those who haven't had the pleasure, the story is about the year the Herdmann's, the most unruly family in town, participated in the local church's pageant. Not being familiar with the story, the Herdmann's need to be told the Nativity story and this process causes the story's young narrator to realize the birth of Jesus in a new light: realizing both a bit of the mystery and the ordinaryness of the incarnation. Go read it.
Yes, yes. I know this is a wee bit late, but I've been away from home for 11 of the last 14 days.
1. The Hobbit. Finished this one just at the beginning of the month.
I wanted to re-read it because I really didn't recall much of it but
wanted to brush up before reading about Durin's Folk in the Appendices of Lord of the Rings.
I did enjoy seeing some tie-ins with the LOTR series, like the parallels with both Pippin and Bilbo passing out during battle to the cries of "The Eagles are coming." I'm glad I bought my own copy to have around.
2. The Kite Runner
I've received numerous recommendations for this book from several quarters. However, I have not had the emotional wherewithal to pick it up. I've never had any doubt that it was a fantastically written and powerful story, but I had been told enough to know that the content was heavy and I just haven't felt drawn to the serious stuff lately.
So why did I finally read it? - Book Club. Yep, it was the first selection. So after receiving my copy and putting it off for a couple of weeks, I finally cracked the spine (carefully, though; after all, others will be reading my copy later). And I found out something: My gut was right.
The Kite Runner is a fantastic book. It is well written. It has a powerful story. It takes you into the lives of people in a world we really know little about though we hear much on the evening news. It also takes you into the lives of regular people dealing with all the difficulties of life, just like anyone else in the world. It was emotionally heavy: once I started reading it, I had to plow through, try and put off the tears and just get it done so that I could work through the emotional upheaval and then move on. Since becoming a mother, stories about hurting children have effected me in a way I would have never expected.
Am I glad I read it? Absolutely.
Would I recommend it? Definitely.
Most everyone enjoys some literary fluff once in awhile. I started this one and I almost abandoned it after the first few chapters but persevered. I wish I could say it was worth it, but I'm not so sure it was. Anyway.
4. The Fifth Woman
This book came recommened to me from a friend who knew I liked mystery novels but wasn't too keen on ones where the the detective turns into the prey. This novel is one of many by Henning Mankell, a Swedish author, and follows the work of Kurt Wallander, a detective with the police force. It was a very well written book and I'd recommend it to any mystery fans out there. I currently have Firewall on my shelf and plan on reading that if I think I can do so before I have to return it to the library.
Other Reads:
- Newspapers: Must read up on the candidates for mayor, council and school trustees. Municipal elections tomorrow in this province: Get out and vote. (Again!)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Bits and pieces of my favourite Rowling book just to pass the time.
- Interweb stuff: I finally got around to setting up Google Reader and am enjoying the format for perusing my favourite websites. I think I'll post about interesting stuff there later.
This week our local library system is holding its annual book sale. Love it. All fiction (hardcover and softcover) is only a quarter and non-fiction is a buck. There are also coupons at the local library for one free book a day. (They are continually re-stocking, so it's worth going every day as the selection changes constantly.) So guess where I spent my Gus-free morning?
Here's what I picked up:
Anybody know about this one?
I picked up The Birth House as my contribution to our cheap-o book swap as part of our book club Christmas festivities.
I got these 3 illustrated Bantock books. They are fascinating reads for any interested in that sort of thing. There are actual envelopes pasted inside and you have to pull our the letters to read them. I feel like I missed some of the cryptic-ness when reading these a few years back, but enjoyed the beautiful artwork all the same. Mostly I picked them up for inspiration with collages.
All that for a grand total of $1.50.
Peaches allowed me to move her, sleeping, from the car seat to the wrap with only a few minutes of fussing and then settled down. After my biblio-wanderings, she hardly peeped when I transferred her back to the car seat and, now at home, it moving on a 2 1/2 hour nap. Glorious. I even had time to post! Now I'm going to attempt to make lunch and even eat it before she demands her own.
