Luggage and Literature

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

July 2017 Reading List

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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 participating in the 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenges, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is my July 2017 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for July 2017. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Of all of Moriarty’s books that I’ve read, this was the least enjoyable while reading it, but the one that I just can’t stop thinking about now that I’ve finished. I think I what contributed to both of those sentiments, is that it is uncomfortable to think that a love of a spouse can be poisoned by such small acts or failures to act, such that divorce seems like the only option. So, I guess what I mean to say is not that I didn’t like this book, because that’s not accurate, but that it made me uncomfortable. And that’s okay, and probably even a good thing from time to time.

Complete Guide to Starting a Used Bookstore: Old Books into Gold by Dale L. Gilbert

I own a building in which my law practice occupies the first floor and the basement. The second floor is vacant and gutted. I’ve considered putting an apartment up there, as well as toyed with the idea of a bookstore. Our town doesn’t have a bookstore, and I think that it would be an awesome addition.  Either option is going to be very expensive, but this was a good education about what it takes to open and run a bookstore, if I opt to go that way.

In the Land of Blue Burqas by Kate McCord

2017 MMD Reading Challenge: a book you chose for the cover

The cover of this book is beautiful. It features two women clothed in burqas and a small child, as well as the mud huts of the rural villages of Afghanistan, framed by aqua and orange pattern. It was the reason that I initially picked the book up off of the shelf. The collected stories of Kate McCord (a protective pseudonym) and her time living and working in Afghanistan, trying to understand their culture and worldview, while her neighbors did the same. It was clear that Islam, and in particular the conservative brand of Islam practiced in Afghanistan is inconsistent with the love and peace preached by Jesus. But it was also made clear that a conversation with stories of Jesus’s life and teachings, which many of these people had never heard before despite believing Jesus to be a prophet, changes hearts and minds. I’m glad that the cover was so beautiful that it prompted me to pick up the book.

Daughter of the Mountains by Louise S. Rankin

2017 MMD Reading Challenge: a Newbery Award winner or Honor book

I picked this book up from our local Friends of the Library book sale, because I noticed the Newbery medal on the cover, and knew that I needed a book to fulfill this category of the reading challenge. It follows a young Tibetan girl on an epic journey to India to find her stolen dog. It was sweet and exciting, a great look at another culture, and totally appropriate for both children and adults alike.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

Have you seen or heard of the video of Randy Pausch’s last lecture at Carnegie Mellon after his terminal cancer diagnosis? The video received a fair amount of media attention a few years ago, and a lot of views on YouTube. This book is essentially a continuation of that story and discussion about what it means to be a good person and achieve your dreams, as well as a summation of what Pausch wanted his children to know about himself. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. I listened on audiobook, and did some ugly crying.

The Sky Below: A True Story of Summits, Space, and Speed by Scott Parazynski

One of the Kindle First books for July, I couldn’t wait to read it. Although simply ‘reading’ is not what you do with this book. The book has photos and GIF clips embedded into the book, so it’s an immersive type of experience to read Scott’s account of growing up all over the world, scuba diving, mountain climbing, and his career as a NASA astronaut. I truly loved this book, and recommend it.

Lamentation of the Marked by March McCarron

The latest in the Marked series, I couldn’t wait to read this one. It picks up immediately after the previous, so it’s necessary to read the series in order starting at the beginning. Now I can’t wait to see what McCarron comes up with for the next entry! I don’t really want to say more about what happens in the book, as it would be full of spoilers if you haven’t read the previous entries. But if you like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, this is probably right up your alley.

Wicked Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler

My bible study has been reading this book, and just finished it. It goes through different stories of women in the bible, and examines their motives for their actions, and what message we can take from the stories. I really liked it, and think that they all did as well. And the book sparked some excellent discussion in our group. I also appreciated that the chapters were reasonably short, so that we had time to read them, and then discuss them in our group setting.

Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

My book club read this book in July. A couple of people had seen the television series and the movie and were Veronica Mars, but the majority of us had never heard of it. Across the board, we enjoyed this book. Most of us want to read the second book in the series; and many want to watch the show and movie now. There was one point in the story where there’s a huge coincidence that I found a little cheesy, but overall the book is a really good detective mystery.

 

Books in Progress:

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (2017 MMD Reading Challenge: a book published before you were born)

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

When God Says Wait by Elizabeth Laing Thompson

Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella Coleman

New Enlarged Anthology of Robert Frost’s Poems by Robert Frost (2017 MMD Reading Challenge: a book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection)

The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person by Judith S. Beck

 

Books I’ve Abandoned:

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

June 2017 Reading List

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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 participating in the 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenges, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is my June 2017 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for May 2017. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

This was our book club’s pick for June, and I really liked it! The story jumps between a modern-day story of a widow of the World Trade Center bombings, and the story of a woman in the 1910s dealing with the lost of a loved one from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire working on Ellis Island. This type of structure makes for a dramatic story; and historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. So all in all, this is a really good book, that I’d recommend. I’ll likely read more by Susan Meissner, as after reading this one, I noticed that I have a couple of her other books in my To Be Read list.

When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine by Monica Wood

A memoir, this is the story of a young girl whose father dies in the 1960s shortly before John F. Kennedy is assassinated. It is the story of a family dealing with their own personal loss, while the Kennedy family is dealing with their personal loss, and the nation is dealing with the loss of the President. It’s an absorbing read.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

I had been looking forward to reading Poehler’s book, as I’ve always thought she was hilarious on Saturday Night Live. It was an interesting look at her background. Her stories were humorous, and the photos were entertaining.

Knowing the Truth About Jesus the Messiah by John Ankerberg and John Weldon

Gathering together various prophecies from the Old Testament and showing how only Jesus fulfills them, I found this book interesting and useful. It wasn’t terribly long, and had short chapters, perfect for listening to using text to speech or for reading while eating breakfast.

Wives of War by Soraya M. Lane

I really liked this book, but then it’s one of my favorite genres, historical fiction set in wartime. The characters (the story follows three Army nurses) were relatable and believable. And the setting during the invasion of Normandy moved the plot along. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Daughters of the Red Light: Coming of Age in Mumbai’s Brothels by Shanoor Seervai

The short but moving account of an Indian woman educated in America, who returns to India to work as a journalist. After an experience working for a nonprofit helping in the brothels, she is dedicated to tell the stories of those who work there, and in particular the children who live there.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

After reading Into Thin Air by Krakauer, I wanted to read more by the same author, and had seen the documentary about it. Ultimately the book is well written, but the subject bugged me. I think that Chris “Alex Supertramp” McCandless was reckless and irresponsible. But he was also unlucky and young. I think every reader needs to learn all of the facts, and make up his or her own mind about him.

Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son by Lois Lowry



The second, third, and fourth books of The Giver Quartet, these books follow different characters in different places. They weren’t very long, no I was able to read all three in less than a week. I found them to be as beautifully written as The Giver, and as engaging. I’d recommend all four of them, as well as pretty much anything else by Lois Lowry.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

I am a fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson, and this book popped up in my Audible recommendations. When I saw that it was narrated by the author, I was sold. And it did not disappoint. It wasn’t over my head, but was quite understandable, while also entertaining.

A Child Called It: One Child’s Courage to Survive by Dave Pelzer

A short book, this is the story of the author’s childhood rampant with the most unimaginable abuse at the hands of his parents. The book is full of difficult subject matter; but I think it is important reading, so that people know that these kinds of things can happen behind closed doors, even now.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Wow, this book is odd. It follows the death of Willie Lincoln, and his time in ‘the Bardo’ after his death. Essentially the Bardo is like purgatory and is full of the ghosts of those who are not yet ready to move on. The ghosts that Willie meets are quite an unusual cast of characters. It’s strange, and a little slow-moving in the center, but I’m glad that I stuck with it to the end. I listened to this one on Audible, and was very impressed with the cast that narrated it, in particular the caliber of the actors recruited.

 

Books in Progress:

The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person by Judith S. Beck

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

When God Says Wait by Elizabeth Laing Thompson

The Stranger by Albert Camus

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

 

Books I’ve Abandoned:

None this month.

What I Read (January 2017)

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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 participating in the 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is What I Read in January 2017, my brief book recommendations and reviews. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

After reading a couple of her books previously, I know that I love her writing. This book was fantastic! I couldn’t stop reading it and finished it in about 2 days. The structure of the book is interesting. The reader gets a glimpse of the present lives of the characters, as well as them reflecting back to the ‘day of the barbecue’ when something terrible happened. You don’t find out until close to the end what that terrible thing is and how the characters come to terms with it.

Authority by Nathan Barry

For my law practice (my day job), I’ve thought about putting together e-books on particular topics that are of interest to our clients and prospective clients. This book was really helpful in trying to learn about self-publishing, as well as how to market and distribute the e-books. I received it as a complementary book for attending a webinar on ConvertKit.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I listened to this one on Audible, usually while driving for work, and have been working on it for a couple of months. It was wonderful! I was surprised repeatedly by turns in the story, which was refreshing after feeling like so many stories are predictable. I would recommend this one, especially on audio book. But be aware that it’s quite a long audio book.

She’s Got Issues: Seriously Good News for Stressed-Out, Secretly Scared Control Freaks Like Us by Nicole Unice

My bible study read this book and finished it in December, but I forgot to add it to What I Read (December 2016), so I’m writing about it here. We all really liked this book. It touches on issues that each of us had, and had ideas for dealing with those issues. The book was easy for us all to talk about as we could relate in different ways to it. And Nicole’s blend of therapist training with the ministry portion made her perspective more authoritative and respectable than what is sometimes found in devotional type of books where the authors have no specific training or education in what they’re writing about.

A Weekend Getaway by Karen Lenfestey

This is a fun, easy read, which I felt like I desperately needed after some of the tough reading I’ve done in the past few months. It’s about a gal who is in her 30s and gave her baby up for adoption in college, and is now coming to terms with it. Her life hasn’t turned out the way she’d hoped, and she’s trying to figure out where she belongs. I enjoyed it, but can’t say it’s a book that has really profound ideas that will stick with me.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book recommended by someone with great taste

I heard about this book in one of Anne Bogel’s (Modern Mrs. Darcy’s) What Should I Read Next podcasts, as well in one of her book recommendation lists. After hearing it described by one of her guests as ‘the book that describes and explains Trump voters’ I almost didn’t listen to it as that seemed very patronizing. But I’ve had good luck before with books I’ve found out about in the podcast so I gave it a shot. Vance’s story is engaging; and the narration is fantastic. The people in his life are complex, and I found my self loving them despite (or because of) their flaws. His descriptions and explanations make perfect sense, and help to understand a culture of poverty that is prevalent in Appalachia, and elsewhere. I really loved this book!

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

My book club read The Paris Wife this month. We all agreed that the story is an interesting one, but the characters are quite disagreeable. The book was a pretty fast read, and really made me interested in learning more about Ernest Hemingway, as well as reading more of Hemingway’s works themselves. After reading the book, I watched a movie on Netflix called Papa about Hemingway’s later life in Cuba.

Submerged: Adventures of America’s Most Elite Underwater Archeology Team by Daniel Lenihan

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book about a topic or subject you already love

On the What Should I Read Next podcast, there was a recent episode where readers suggested books for Anne Bogel to read. One reader suggested this book, which was interesting to me because Mike was reading it at the time and telling me how much he thought that I’d enjoy it. It is a memoir of sorts of Daniel Lenihan who started the underwater archeology unit of the National Parks Service. The descriptions of the dive sites were evocative; and the stories were so fascinating. I mean, this guy dove with scuba rock stars like Sheck Exley, and really knows his stuff. A great read if you’re a scuba diver, but still recommended even if you’re not.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This book is likely going to be one of my favorite books of 2017…I just know it. I really loved it. It follows a white girl in the 60s in the South who is seeking information about her deceased mother. She finds that information in the home of black sisters, who are beekeepers. The description actually sounds quite weird or dull, but I promise that the story is fantastic.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

The best word I can use to describe this book and this topic is…weird. The general idea behind the book (which I had heard good things about) is that we should only keep things in our home that bring us joy. This makes sense, but beyond that, things got a bit strange. The author talks about the objects that she owns having feelings and emotions that we need to consider. Sorry, but they’re not alive. But as a side note, while watching the Gilmore Girls revival, this book was referenced, and I was happy I knew what they were talking about!

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book about books or reading

I picked this one out with a Target gift card that I got for Christmas to read on a weekend where we were expecting an ice storm. It was a perfect read for a cold, icy weekend. The structure of the book is such that it jumps between the 1700s and modern-day, and then links the stories closer together as it goes along. It was a delightful and exciting story. I really enjoyed it.

Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody

As someone who sometimes struggles with making my relationship with God feel like a relationship, rather than whispering into the wind, I can appreciate this book. And it was an easy read that didn’t feel judgmental. If you need a bit of a kick in the pants regarding your prayer life, I’d recommend this one.

The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford

This book follows Agatha Christie and two other women on their train journey to Baghdad, and their journey toward the life that they want. It was engaging and beautiful and realistic, and I really, really liked it. It reminded me quite a lot of Jennifer Robson’s books, so if you’re a fan of hers I’d guess that you will also like this one.

The Syrian Tragedy by Carsten Stormer

2017 MMD Reading for Growth Challenge: a book of any genre that addresses current events

Through IHG I received two free Kindle Singles, and chose this as one of them. I wanted to better understand what is going on with the current conflict in Syria. It was at times hard to read, and at times somewhat politically preachy. But it was informative and interesting

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

I’ve been a fan of Freakonomics for years. I’ve read the previous books, listen to the podcast, and even saw Levitt and Dubner speak in Rapid City, South Dakota at one point. Maybe rising to the level of a super fan? I don’t know. Anyway, the latest installment in Freakonomics literature really focuses on how to think about problems in a way that actually allows for novel solutions, rather than in old and tired ways that haven’t yielded results. I thought it was fantastic.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

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