August Reads

Paradiso by Dante Alegheri - Finished the Divine Comedy wrapping up with this little nugget.  I must say, I am not smart enough for poetry yet because if it wasn't for Peter Leithart's book, Ascent to Love, that I mentioned last month, I would not have understood much of this one either.  But with the Leithart book, it was amazing.  Dante's literary journey from Hell to Heaven is so full of profound images - again with the help of Leithart, I still find myself thinking about them  and how he wrapped within them so much meaning.  7

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie  - As much as I love mystery, I had not yet ventured into the world of mystery's queen, Miss Christie.  I guess I always pictured reading her stories as a sort of mental game of Clue (it was the butler in the study with the knife...)  But Miss Christie proved me wrong.  Just when I thought I had it figured out, she would throw me a bone that totally undid my previous guess.  And then at the end, well, she out did herself - never saw it coming.  Well, actually, I did at one point, but didn't think she would actually go through with it!  But she did.  First rate mystery - she's not the queen for nothing!  9

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton -  This is my Chapters book club read  - the replacement for Lolita (gag) - and quite a good replacement it is.  Another venture down Mystery Lane, which I love, this novel combines a mystery to be discovered through flashbacks told by a 99 year old woman.  I loved hearing the story from this woman's heart and mind -I felt like I knew her and was walking along the pathways of her life as she remembered it before "the event" and afterward.  I didn't want this story to end, except I wanted to know the ending.  Alas,  I can't have it both ways.  I know.  8

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne - Can't say too much because I think I am going to try and talk my book club ladies into reading this next month.  But what I can do is give some key words that will help increase the interest and intrigue to read it.  Young boy, Nazi Germany, another young boy, a fence, friendship and naivety, writing that reminds me a little bit of A.A. Milne's style in the Pooh stories.  There.
I will also say that I saw the movie before I read the book and I wish I had not.  Not because the book was so much better than the movie -they were both really good - but the movie was one of two movies I have ever seen that left me speechless - and because I had already experienced such a dramatic feeling with the end of the story in the movie, it felt a little un-dramatic when I came to the end of the book.  And I don't think it would have, had I not seen the movie first.  So that's my recommendation - read the book, then see the movie. 9

To Be Told by Dan Allender  - The heading on the back says, "God wants to reveal himself through your story."  I have believed that for a long time - for 15 years actually, when I first heard that my Mom's group at our church in Pensacola was doing a new thing- sharing their stories based on specific topics given, such as stories of work, stories of hope, etc.  I was no longer there, having moved on to Jackson for John's seminary education, but I loved the idea and carried it with me for 15 years, finally to implement it here in Calgary with my ladies here.  So it was my joy to find that Dan Allender, probably the most influential author in my life and ministry, had written a book about tapping into our stories and letting God's redeeming hand go to work on us as we make sense of our stories in the light of His greater story given in the Bible.  This has been especially on my mind in the last several years, when much of my story has included difficult and frankly, quite unwanted story lines.  So it was an even greater joy to find that the leader of our Mom's group, Elizabeth, had been invited to write a chapter in Allender's book as well.  This is a great read - and potentially life-changing.  I will be writing more about living out one's story and seeking to make sense of it in light of God's greater, bigger story.  But for now, I recommend getting started with this -and meeting my friend, Elizabeth in Chapter 9.  You can also find out more at Elizabeth's website Living Story Grace .  9