Life and books and such
Wow.
Ever since last Monday’s blog, you have returned day after day, expecting to see something new posted.
But NO. Here a crotch, there a crotch, everywhere a crotch, crotch – day after day after day.
My most sincere apologies for the assault on your eyes for an entire week. Last Monday night brought some sudden news that took me out of town for the rest of the week – I’m sure that I’ll unpack some of that in the coming days.
In the meantime, spring has DONE SPRUNG here in Denver. I returned on Saturday to trees in full bloom and 70 degrees of sunshiny weather. I don’t have to wear a coat anymore, and I am sneezing like the dickens (whatever that means). I would be tempted to get outside and do some more hiking, but I’m home just long enough to repack my bags and fly to Nashville tomorrow night for two weeks. I have a half-marathon to run on Saturday, and will spend some time working from the Nashville office.
Let’s talk about books. After several false starts, I am finally reading “The Poisonwood Bible.” Any recommendations for summer reading? You’d better believe I’ll be reading “Beatrice and Virgil” – I can’t wait.
If you haven’t read these, I suggest:
“Plainsong”
“The History of Love”
“Water for Elephants”
“Peace Like a River“
share:
Read Poisonwood last year and loved it! Took a while to get into it but the second half makes it all worth it!
I read Peace Like A River several years ago and while I couldn’t sit down and tell you the plot, I remember the feeling that I had when I finished the last page. It is still with me, haunting me. What a beautiful book!
I loved “Water for Elephants”! Seriously one of my favorite books.
If you haven’t already, you should read “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan! It is incredible.
“Hustling God” by Craig Barnes is a great read. Very insightfull. I’m not done with it yet, so I can’t give you full commentary. Just know that “Hustle” is the move faster-hustle, not the scam-hustle.
YEAH!!!! I forgot you were coming to Nashville! Yeah! And apparently you are my reading soul sister. Loved Water for Elephants and The History of Love. Have you read Everything is Illuminated or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Foer? DId you know the author of HoL is Foer’s wife? Their writing is similar I think. Anyway, like you, can’t wait till Beatrice and Virgil, just added it to my amazon list. I’ll have to check out Plainsong and Peace Like a River. Can’t wait to see you!
-Haven’t read Plainsong but have read the rest and loved them.
-AND you are coming to Nashville…I expect to see your face at a bare minimum – everywhere that I go.
-AND If you want to run together in the Marathon, Chuck is pacing me for 4 hours. A few other East Nasties that want to do 2 hours are running with us for the first 11 miles. Please join us :)
i highly recommend ‘Shadow of the Wind’, ‘Little Bee’ and ‘The Help’. wonderful stories.
i am also looking forward to Beatrice and Virgil!
I love The Poisonwood Bible and Water for Elephants. Thanks for your other suggestions–I will check them out. As for recommendations for summer reading…I agree with Kim on Shadow of the Wind. I recently read Bel Canto and enjoyed it. I also liked Sweetness in the Belly.
Annie P., here is a link to 18 books coming out this summer. I have been hearing a good amount about #11, The Passage by Justin Cronin.
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20355856_20358746,00.html
I second, third and fourth the above recommendation to read The Help.
If you loved Poisonwood Bible like I did, read Prodigal Summer. Set in TN!
Have you read Time Traveller’s Wife? It’s *fabulous.*
Oh, and the dude who wrote Peace Like a River has a new book- So Brave, Young, and Handsome. I haven’t read it yet, but I want to.
Hmmmm… what else…
OH! Olive Kitteridge is very well-done.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Can we please talk about books more often? I love hearing about delightful word-morsels. Yep, I just made that term up. Booyah.
Not sure if you’ve read these, but my recommendations are:
Redeeming Love or all three of The Mark of the Lion –Francine Rivers. Redeeming Love changed my life (seriously) and The Mark are all wonderful.
I loved Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (I think that’s her name). It’s sad to the point where I cried and funny where I actaully LOLed. Good stuff.
if i have the old mcdonald crotch version in my head for the rest of the week, you’ll definitely be hearing from me.
I love The Poisonwood Bible. So powerful. And I loved Peace Like a River.
I just finished Love Walked In and Belong To Me, both by Marisa de los Santos. Wonderful. And yes, you MUST read The Help.
Happy travels!
Reading Water for Elephants soon!
And best books I’ve read in a while: The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Erlich
and
(Please read this!!!!!!) West With the Night by Beryl Markham
Happy spring to you!
I loved Peace Like a River. It remains high on my list of most beautiful novels I’ve ever read.
Bail on the Poisonwood Bible. Read The Kite Runner instead.
I highly recommend Spirit of the Rainforest: A Yanamamo Shaman’s Story by Mark Andrew Ritchie. It’s pretty brutal and there’s a good chance you’ll get halfway through and wonder why anyone would recommend it. But keep reading. It’s definitely worth it.
LOVED The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It is now on my top five best books ever along with Shadow of the Wind, Peace Like a River, Miracle at St. Anna and Under the Tuscan Sun.