Thursday, November 17, 2011

RWR

As always, I ended up with more books from the library than I could read in the allotted time.

Returned without reading:
The Women
Bel Canto
The Candle in the Darkness
Fire by Night

Currently reading:
The Forgotten God

Still sitting on my shelf (or actually on my window seat):
Counterfeit Gods
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
The Lies We Told
The Three Weissmanns of Westport
Grace-Based Parenting
The Reason for God

At Long Last

I read "The Catcher in the Rye". Last week, we had a couple of rainy days and it seemed like the perfect weather to sit down a read this particular book. It was good, but I probably need to talk to an English teacher to really understand what the significance of the book is and why it's been so enduring. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it.

Others that I've finished:
A Trick of the Light - Louise Penney's latest in her Inspector Gamache series. I think her books just keep getting better and better. If you like cozy mysteries, check her out.
The Good & Beautiful Life - the second of James Bryan Smith's three books. So good. I would like to read this in a group at some point.
Lost in Shangri-La - This is November's book club book.

#20

You know how I said that if I had realized there were 19 books on my Fall into Reading list I would have added another. Well, my small group had a reading assignment, so I'm making that #20.

Kisses from Katie is the story of Katie Davis, a young woman from Tennessee who moved to Uganda and is living an amazing story there. A friend's husband described her as a modern day Mother Teresa. I think he's right. And the thing is, she's just obeying God and He is really the one doing amazing things through her. She is in the process of adopting thirteen girls and impacts hundreds more through the non-profit she has started.

The book tells the story of how she got there and why she's stayed. The way she lives is challenging to say the least. The exciting thing, though, is that we all have the opportunity to impact lives like she is. The co-author wrote this at the beginning of the book:
"...I've noticed something about people who want to make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters...They don't do anything to call attention to themselves, they simply pay attention to the everyday needs of others, even if it's only one person." Wow. You and I can do that too.