Sunday, April 25, 2010

Books

I have been doing a lot of reading lately - and want to recommend some books and share some of my guilty pleasures


First - I am doing a sermon series on this book by Bruce Wilkinson - You Were Born for This. It is really simple reading and profound truths about how God uses us to bring love into this world. if we are open. Highly recommend.

second for school we are reading (slowly) Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, And Other Wonders of the Universe by Judy Cannata. I cannot overstate what a wonderful book this is - to contemplate the mystery and majesty and wonder of creation and our God.

I am reading (listening to) a wonderful profound book on Tape - Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. This is about Dao Gracias a former medical student from Burundi and his amazing journey that led him through the genocide of Burundi and Rwanda to New York City where he lived in the streets and somehow through the kindness of strangers found his way to Columbis University,met Paul Farmer and a life of healing. It is a powerful book and I am almost finished listening to it.

In our book group we read The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee - a book of fiction set in 1942 about Will Truesdale, an Englishman newly arrived in Hong Kong, falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their love affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese, with terrible consequences for both of them, and for members of their fragile community who will betray each other in the darkest days of the war.

Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong and is hired by the wealthy Chen family as their daughter’s piano teacher. A provincial English newlywed, Claire is seduced by the colony’s heady social life. She soon begins an affair, only to discover that her lover’s enigmatic demeanor hides a devastating past. It is a real page turner and I could not put it down and we had lots to discuss with it.

Last night I went to the library and picked up Mika Brezhinski's book All Things at Once and read it in one night. It is her story of her life as a career woman and a mother. Obviously hard to put down.

And in addition I read in 2 days Dominick Dunne's last book Too Much Money which was a Roman a Clef. It is certainly a guilty pleasure about the rich and famous and I will miss reading more of his books.

Finally I read the most recent Harry Boesch book Nine Dragons which I couldn't put down once I got going on it. It is very personal as he goes to Hong Kong to rescue his daughter. Love Harry.

So, that's a few of my favorite books. I have a bio about Warren Beatty to dip in and out of right now and always books for school.

Love to read - happy to be at it in a big way lately.

4 comments:

ELYSSA said...

I read Strength in What Remains--that was powerful! I am reading Game Change and I can't put it down.

margot connor said...

I read that in 2 days too - also just finished Renegade - by Richard Wolffe about Obama. Not as good as Game Change - but good

Me said...

Too funny--I have been reading like a fiend lately, too. But nothing like what you are reading. Just finished Tom Cruise's Unauthorized Bio...what a control freak. And I just started American Wife (about laura bush) and it's GREAT so far.

Marnie said...

Mom - did you read Random Family yet? I'm in the middle of a book Aud mentioned on her blog... Beautiful Boy. I can do one at a time these days!