Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

What I Read (Guadeloupe)

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When I travel, I always find time to get a bit of reading time in. Car trips, flights, and relaxing by a pool or on a beach afford ample time to read fantastic books. Here is What I Read while traveling to Guadeloupe. I hope you too will enjoy these three great books.

Books Finished:

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

Did you know that the Manhattan Project was staffed in large part by women? I didn’t; but this book showed what jobs a few of them women did, and what they’re lives were like. A fascinating look at World War II on the home front. 

The Passion of Marie Romanov by Laura Rose

A fictionalized account of the life of one of the Romanov children, this book was a quick and engaging read. It appeared that the author had done a considerable amount of research into the subject matter before writing the novel, book is an accurate depiction into what her life was like. 

The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland by Rebekah Crane

I truly loved this book. It made me laugh and cry, and on an airplane at that! It follows the stories of several teenagers who are sent to a camp in Michigan for those with mental health or emotional problems. But there are compelling reasons behind the teens’ actions. And the characters e that you want to root for.  I recommend giving this book a chance, even though (or because) the plot is unique and quirky.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

What I Read (October 2016)

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Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. And this year I’m doing things just a little bit differently than in the past. Since I decided to participate in the 2016 PopSugar Challenge, I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill (although it looks like I’ve skipped reading the challenge entirely this month…oops!). If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is What I Read in October 2016, my brief book reviews and recommendations.

Books Finished:

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

2016 PopSugar Challenge: a book about a culture you’re unfamiliar with

This novel takes place in Chile and California during the Gold Rush in the 19th Century. The main character is Eliza, a young orphan girl raised as part of a genteel family in Chile. The descriptions of the characters are rich, but the first half of the book felt a bit slow to me. The second half had more going on, as well as new characters introduced into the story line, which made it feel fresher to me. Overall, I liked the novel, but wouldn’t count it among my favorites.

The Long View by Elizabeth Jane Howard

To be honest, I didn’t really like this book. I’ve read a couple of others by Elizabeth Jane Howard, and loved how she took a realistic peek inside the different character’s minds. But this book felt really depressing. The book works itself backwards in time, I think in an effort to explain how the people got to be who and what they are, which is sad and kind of terrible people. But I didn’t really understand that until about 3/4 through the book. There were glimpses of the beauty of her other books, but overall I didn’t love it.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

2016 PopSugar Challenge: a satirical book

Satire is the use of humor to expose folly of vice for the purpose of bettering the situation. I think this book fits that category, because when you really think about death, we often have silly or unrealistic views of what it looks like. This book is informative and funny, which is unexpected for a book about cremation, the funeral business, autopsies, medical dissections, and scientific cadaver donations.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

2016 PopSugar Challenge: a book that’s becoming a movie this year

Oh my goodness! This is a page turner from start to finish. With an unreliable (and largely unlikable) narrator, it’s difficult to know what’s accurate and what is not. But that just serves to make the story even more engaging.

Further Still: A Collection of Poetry and Vignettes by Beth Moore

With so many heavy hitting books this month, I wanted something light, and easy to read. This one fit the bill, as it is made up of short stories, poems, and Moore’s musings. I appreciates it very much as a contrast to my other choices this month.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

My friend Brenda and I decided to start a book club, and picked this for our first meeting. I really enjoyed the book, and found it to be a quick read. But although I definitely felt glad for Cheryl’s redemption, it didn’t change the fact that I disagree very strongly with many of her decisions and life choices. And it was difficult for me to set my feelings aside, which meant that I felt disconnected from her as the protagonist. In particular, as a Christian, I couldn’t help but feeling that if she had only been willing to let God into her heart, that her life wouldn’t have felt so overwhelming and depressing to her. There was a line that she used, about having ‘a hole in her heart’, that particularly struck me. Perhaps it’s because my bible study is working through a book called She’s Got Issues where that author uses the term ‘a God-shaped hole in her heart,’ and I couldn’t help but see the parallels.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2016 PopSugar Challenge: a book from the library

Having seen the movie before reading the book, to some extent I knew what to expect from the story line. But that in no way dismisses the emotional impact that it had on me. After finishing the book last night, I simply sat and thought about it for a while, which is atypical for me. If you decide to tackle it, be prepared for it to be emotionally tough sledding, but an otherwise relatively quick read.

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by Mark Levin

The subtitle for this book is A Communist Manifesto, and that is an apt description. Spoiler alert: if you’re not conservative, you’ll probably hate this book. Levin makes some great points, and has support for them, about how our nation has and is changing because people view the government as better able to meet our needs and make decisions than we are ourselves. I’ve been working my way through this one for several months, and finally finished it. This is not a quick read, as Levin’s points need some time to digest.

Mentoring Matters: What Every Mentor Needs to Know by Tom Osborne

2016 PopSugar Challenge: a book written by a celebrity

Tom Osborne is the former head coach of the Nebraska Cornhusker football team, for those who aren’t from Nebraska. He also served in Congress and run for Governor of Nebraska as well. This book is about his experiences as both a mentor and a mentee. It also discusses the TeamMates mentoring program which Tom and Nancy created. I serve as a mentor and on the Board for our local chapter of TeamMates, so this book was interesting.

The Black Violin by Maxence Fermine

I picked this book up at the public library’s book sale. It never hurts to add a book to my collection about music and musical instruments. This one is short, but that doesn’t take away from the power of the story. I found the story and characters thoroughly engaging.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

What I Read (September 2016)

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Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. And this year I’m doing things just a little bit differently than in the past. Since I decided to participate in the 2016 PopSugar Reading Challenge, I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill (although it looks like I’ve skipped reading the challenge entirely this month…oops!). If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is What I Read in September 2016, my brief book reviews and recommendations.

Books Finished:

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

2016 PopSugar Challenge: A book you haven’t read since high school (but I don’t really like re-reading, so I changed this category to A book you should have read in high school)


For some reason I’ve struggled with what to write about this book. So I’m just going to jump right into it. The obvious stuff is that it’s a dystopian fictional novel. Books have been banned; people are hooked on drugs and meaningless television. People lack empathy; but fireman Montag finds his from meeting a teenage girl who is like none other. His life unravels as he struggles to find meaning in life and from the very books that he’s tasked with burning. In the same way that 1984 has always been one of my favorite books, this one ranks right up there.

The Truth About The Sky by Katherine Grubb


A novel, this story engages some of the misconceptions about Christians and rural America. It does so in the context of two grown children of a small town preacher, as each character faces his or her own struggles. The Christian message isn’t hidden, but the plot was captivating, and the characters mostly believable.

Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence


I picked this book from Modern Mrs. Darcy‘s list of most frequently banned books (although in going back to it to link to in this post, I realized how many of those books I’ve read, and that Fahrenheit 451 is also on the list). It was slow to get into, but once I did, it was easy to keep reading because I wanted to find out what was weird and nonsensical things the characters were going to do next. Although it’s a slower moving book, without big exciting occurrences, it was still interesting. I can’t really understand why it would be banned though, as there wasn’t anything overtly sexual or graphic, but I suppose the passage of time and changing standards probably accounts for that.

Sell Everything by Kaylin Watchorn


This little booklet is simply a listing of a number of different resources available to sell property. I checked out one that is all musical instruments, sheet music, and accessories, that I didn’t even know existed. It seemed pretty comprehensive, although a short little book. But it’s not going to be terribly helpful or informative if you’re not looking for ways to declutter.

The Cello Suites: In Search of a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin


A gal that plays in the Hastings Symphony with me gave me this book as she had two copies and I play the cello, so she thought I’d enjoy it. She was right; I thought it was fantastic. It follows the structure of the Bach Cello Suites, and each movement is essentially a chapter about one of three topics: Johann Sebastian Bach, Pablo Casals, or the author’s journey writing the book. I learned quite a lot and thought it was engaging, but then as a cellist I may be a bit partial.

Live Uncaged by Mary DeMuth


This book was a freebie, and I likely wouldn’t have paid for the content, as it reads much more like the series of blog posts that it is derived from. I would have preferred it being a bit more cohesive. But that being said, I think the topic–moving forward from the problems of our past–is a good one. And no matter the format, we can always use the reminder.

After Disasters by Viet Dinh


This novel charts the course of various aid workers in the aftermath of major earthquakes in India. Their stories are separate in the beginning, but then overlap and intertwine as the story moves along. Fair warning in case it would bother you, the novel is rather graphic and involves homosexual relationships in particular. I would have preferred it being a little cleaner, as I don’t think the graphic material added to the story.

The Scent of Lilacs by Ann Gabhart


Ooh! I really liked this book! The main character is a girl who lives with her preacher father and her great-aunt. Her mother and older sister left when she was young. Life and the people in her world are not quite as they initially seem. This book was so good that I very likely will read the second book, although it works as a standalone work as well. 

Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes


I listened to this book on Audible. It’s narrated by the author himself, which I liked. But I had heard his voice before starting on the book, as Stephen Dubner interviewed him on an episode of the Freakonomics podcast. As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I’m a little bit obsessed lately with Tom Petty, his music, and his fascinating story. Even if you’re not quite so obsessed, the book is well-researched, well-written, and engaging. This is up there with my favorite reads lately.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

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