This Reader's Vice

I have this sickness. I love to read and I count myself as somewhat adventurous in my book selection. Every time I go to my bookshelves to pick up a new read, however, I grab the same book over and over. The book I choose changes with seasons. For a while, I was loyal to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; then I read only Murder on the Orient Express. I had a poetry phase that brought me back to Billy Collin's Nine Horses time and time again. Currently, I cannot part with A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. This book is so lovely. It is made up of all of these small vignettes and recipes, so beautifully written. The best parts, in my opinion, are when she writes about Paris. I have never been to Paris but have always wanted to go. A few years ago, my dear friend and I went on this whirlwind trip to Italy, to visit her brother and sister-in-law. We had an incredible time eating gelato and walking the streets of Venice and Florence. Anytime I think of that trip or read A Homemade Life, I deeply desire to travel abroad again- Paris this time. Or maybe Spain. Or Greece.
Until then, I'll just read the stories from a fellow traveler about the streets of Paris that I someday hope to stroll.

Fall Reading List

I have a stack of need-to-read books that sit on my nightstand giving me the stink eye each night when I get into bed. The plight of the English teacher is the constant battle between the books I have to read because I am about to start teaching them against the books I really want to read but don't have the time. The other plight of the English teacher- constantly being asked what good books I've read lately that I could recommend. Today I give you what I am currently itching to read and hopefully will soon be able to confidently recommend.

1. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
This book has been on my shelf for months. Often I pass by it while reaching for another read, but my eye catches its yellow cover and I have a brief moment of contemplation. Well, pass by no longer, Olive Kitteridge is first on the list! Not only did this book win the Pulitzer Prize, but the plot centers around a retired schoolteacher. Done and done.

2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
I realize that I am about 3 years behind when this book was a very big deal, but better late than never right? This bestseller is about a boy with autism who investigates the death of a neighborhood dog. Intriguing!

3. Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott
I love any novel by Agatha Christie. When my friend, Christina, lent me this book by Mary Westmacott, a penname of Agatha Christie, I nearly fainted from excitement. So what if this book is far from a mystery and the back description reads really depressing? I'm sure if Agatha has anything to do with it, I'll be a fan.

That's it, readers (all nine of you)! Stay tuned for book reviews...

Book Review- Bittersweet

Bad Diner Book Club's read for the month of July, chosen by the lovely Kristen Meredith, is Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist which I read mainly outside on our deck, over several cups of Intelligentsia's Breakfast Blend. Bittersweet is a collection of essays that chronicle Shauna's thoughts on marriage, her miscarriage, her husband's rough dealings with the church and her love of food. Each chapter was a small vignette with little to connect her essays together. While I loved the chapters on food and friendship, I struggled to get through this book, often finding the stories a bit slow.
I appreciated the honesty that was represented in the writing. I think her voice is likable. I want to be Shauna's  friend and eat risotto at one of her many dinner parties. I enjoyed her musings on motherhood. As a young mama, I can relate to that desire for other mothers to marvel at your multi-tasking skills and the polite nature of your child. There was a wonderful chapter on a trip she took to visit a few of her girlfriends in California. They drank lattes, talked about books and babies, took walks and sat outside by the beach with each of their respective newborns...sounds like a dream to me.
Other memories though left me feeling confused and detached. A large portion of the book was devoted to her family's relocation to Chicago after being badly burned by a church in Grand Rapids. My husband works at a very large church in the Chicago suburbs, and I could relate to her many statements about always running into people from the congregation and feeling as if your reactions to situations are on display. But, I felt like the chapters dedicated to this time in her life were a bit thin- perhaps because she spent no time on the events leading up to the run-in with the church or the event itself, but rather focused solely on her grieving. I had a hard time joining her in her grief.
I'm anxious to hear what the other bookies think about this read when we meet for book club later this month. For me, I give Bittersweet a solid B.

Book Review- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Adding this book to my summer reading list really was a no-brainer. I have a dear friend who recommended the novel to me- a good recommendation should not be overlooked. I'm so glad I took her advice. I found "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" captivating and charming.
The story is made up entirely of letters written mainly by writer Juliet Ashton to her publisher/friend Sydney, best friend Sophie, members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and various others. The structure was inventive and never dull. Juliet's letters were so witty and enjoyable to read. A headstrong, passionate main character made this novel an easy one to emerse myself within and find a character in which to relate.
Another element of this book is the stories told about World War II and the German Occupation of the Channel Island of Guernsey. Many of the stories were heartbreaking- families choosing to send their children to  London for several years so they could escape the hardship of living under German rule, female concentration camp prisoners beaten for having a menstrual cycle, citizens eating rotten potatoes to survive. I felt like Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows created such heroic and brave characters, determined to remain and flourish in spite of the devastation around them. I found myself mourning for these characters and the truth their stories represent.
There is also a hint of romance thrown in for romantics like me.
I absolutely loved this book.

Summer Reading List Update

First additions to the summer reading list have been decided:

A Thousand Acres- Jane Smiley

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Almond Picker
AND

The Autobiography of Mark Twain

The sad tale Frankenstein's monster

My seniors just finished reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a frontrunner of the horror genre and a sad commentary on the lack of redemption found in the acceptance of others. This is not the first time that I've taught this book but for some reason as I would prepare for each days lessons I found myself haunted by this tale. In the story, Victor Frankenstein's ambition leads him to create a monster using various body parts of cadavers. Horrified by the sight of his creation, Frankenstein abandons the monster, leaving him to fend for himself in a society that favored appearances and good manners. Of course, the monster is rejected and ill-treated by anyone who comes into contact with him. The whole book follows the monster's quest for revenge on Frankenstein only to be left disappointed in the end. No redemption. No hope whatsoever.

I tell my students often that to truly gain anything from a book, you must wrestle with the message of the story for a while and mull over its validity. In Frankenstein, one of the many messages is that humans are a product of their surroundings; each of us is born innocent and good but can be corrupted by those around us. This philosophy is very contradicting to the world view of a Christian and therefore is GREAT material to stimulate conversation in class.

Not to bash your whole theory, Mary Shelley, but according to the Bible there is none righteous- no not one. Born a sinner, if not by the grace of God, I would live an evil, misguided, lost life, resembling nothing good whatsoever. There is nothing good in me apart from God. Watching my students get so fired up about this truth was a joyous experience. These seniors are theologians already. They know the Word and they use it as a double-edged sword.

This morning I was reading Psalm 124 that summed up this thought so much more eloquently than I could ever:

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—

let Israel now say—

 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side

when people rose up against us,

 then they would have swallowed us up alive,

when their anger was kindled against us;

 then the flood would have swept us away,

the torrent would have gone cover us;

 then over us would have gone

the raging waters.

 Blessed be the Lord,

who has not given us

as prey to their teeth!

 We have escaped like a bird

from the snare of the fowlers;

the snare is broken,

and we have escaped!

 Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Beautiful. Had it not been for the Lord...there's my story completely.