I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and wish the author would publish something new.
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and wish the author would publish something new.
"Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart is also." Jesus
Untamed-great read.
I am Nujood: 10y Old and Divorced. Also great read and very educational on culture
Ties That Tether: 50p in. Decent fiction so far
I finished Hand to Mouth wondering what the author's real story was--the one that laid out why two able-bodied young married adults, at least one of whom was literate and capable of writing a book, with at least a few semesters of college, were reduced to working the bleakest of low-wage dead end jobs. That was never explained. So I cleansed my palate with Molly Fitz and her talking animals (including Pringle the raccoon), and added sone pathos with The Best American True Crime Writing 2005.
One of my big reader friends mentioned on FB that one time, as part of a book club, she read Women Who Run With the Wolves by Carilla Pinkola Estes. Looked interesting, so I picked it up on Kindle.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
I struggle with fiction but just finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and look forward to her new book, The Four Winds.
I've mostly been doing DVDs this month. Some good books I read or re-read last fall:
The Pumpkin War by Cathleen Young (fiction)
A 12yo boy and girl always compete against each other in their town's annual pumpkinboat race and the girl always wins, but last year the boy won by cheating so now the girl is out for revenge. Good multi-layered story about friendship, competition, holding a grudge, and various other things. Intended for tweenagers, but the characters, situations, and interweaving subplots are realistic, interesting, and complex enough to satisfy readers of any age. 3.86 stars on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sh...he-pumpkin-war
George by Alex Gino (fiction? semi-autobiographical? The author uses the pronoun "they" when referring to themself in the "about the author" section, so draw your own conclusion.)
George is in 4th grade and has known for years that he's really a girl, but he's always been afraid to tell anyone that. This year his class is going to stage the play Charlotte's Web and George wants more than anything to play the part of Charlotte. You know where this is going... It's a funny, touching, intriguing, and totally realistic story about a young trans-boy/girl struggling to be who they truly are without being hated or beaten up for it and hoping their friends and family will understand. I love George and his best friend (a girl who reminds me of the girl who lived next door when I was that age -- a nice girl, but a bit mischievous.) Everything about this book rings true. It neither sugar coats nor sensationalizes this controversial subject. I highly recommend this book for anyone curious about the subject. And, yes, it's ok to leave it laying around where your teen/preteen kids will see it. I didn't see anything in it that was worse than a mild PG13.
For more about why it was banned read: https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-spotlight-george/
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life --AND-- Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness both by Jon Kabat-Zinn. (meditation and mindfulness)
I consider these companion books. Coming to Our Senses is longer and denser. Wherever You Go is shorter, an easier read for people new to the subject, and a fitting introduction to the subjects discussed in Coming to Our Senses.
Another (large) book by Zinn is Full Catastrophe Living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. I haven't read that book because it is intended specifically for people with chronic pain and its focus is on quickly teaching people who are suffering the specific meditation and mindfulness methods that will decrease their suffering.
Last edited by GeorgeParker; 1-31-21 at 12:30pm.
GP: I'll definitely add George to my list. Gardnr had recommended This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel, which also deals with the transgender child subject, and I thought it was a wonderful read.
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