Books Reese Read in 2011:

• Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream by David Platt
• God's Generals
• God's Generals: The Reformers
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  

I'm Glad I Listened to Kris Allen's Album Until I Liked It...

...'Cause, just being honest, that's about my biggest accomplishment these days. That and breaking a record that I'm sure exists for plays of Ellie Goulding's song Starry Eyed.

Oh, and mopping my kitchen floor on my hands and knees today. That's a good one for the list. Makes me appear very dedicated.

As for reading, I'm halfway through The Appeal, as well as halfway through So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore, and a couple pages into Schindler's List. I want to take a day and just read myself silly, but an endless list of chores faces me daily, and besides that, I fall asleep as soon as I stop moving. That's why I putter around my kitchen most of the day and can't tell you much that I've done. I just have to keep moving.

But God continues to move on my heart with Isaiah 58, expounding to me on what true worship is really about. I believe in corporate worship services, but sometimes I gauge their success on how encouraged and fulfilled I feel at the end. Isn't that often the case? Recently a dear friend was honest and said "I just couldn't get into it" about a particular worship service. I've been there literally hundreds of times. As if it was about me.

Take a look- AGAIN!- with me:

² For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.

³ 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?

⁶ "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Corporate worship- singing, clapping, raising our hands, dancing, shouting to The Lord, or however you express your love and dependence on Him- is right and good and appropriate, but is it the only way we worship? How about making our lives a study in living worship, fitting service to a King who bent and washed His disciples' feet, who left all His glory to die a violent death on a tree so that we might be saved? He spent himself on me, is it too much for me to answer His call to spend myself on the hungry, to provide for the wanderer, to clothe the naked?

I'm still asking God exactly how this looks when worked into my life. I know two things for certain: the basis of these acts of worship are based on LOVE (for God and others), and it requires that I am not the first thing on my own mind. I am asking God daily for a surpassing love for those He loves, in all situations, no matter how uncomfortable it may be to me, and that this Love for others comes before thoughts of myself. I want to see the reality of having a priceless treasure in this jar of clay.

And, lastly, I need to share this with you all: I HAVE BEEN HEALED! My neck is 100% healthy and hasn't given me trouble since February. I haven't taken any medication, I can read without pain, prop myself up on my elbows while laying on my tummy, and I have begun jogging again for the first time in years. When some youth leaders and youth prayed for me in February, God healed me. It felt like a deep and private secret between me and my Father for weeks, but He made it clear when I should make it public. I give all the praise and glory to Him who heals! Praise God!

Cheers!

Books I Read in 2009

My reading list for 2009:

• The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
• Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
• The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
• The Bible: Acts
• The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
• Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
• The Bible: John
• The Hours by Michael Cunnngham
• Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
• The Bible: Luke
• Hostage To War: A True Story by Tatjana Wassiljewa
• Not For Sale by David Batstone
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan (yes, again!)
• The Bible: Mark
• The Bible: Matthew
• Compelled By Love by Heidi Baker
• Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan
• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
• My Life In Orange by Tim Guest
• The Vagrants by Yiyun Li
• The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
• A Painted House by John Grisham
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• Peony in Love by Lisa See
• The Runaway Jury by John Grisham
• Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
• The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
• Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn
• Cane River by Lalita Tademy

Only 31 books, 19 short of my 50 book goal. Oh, well. Still better than NO book read this year, right?!

A Day Off

I made beef stew today. It's so easy: brown the beef with onion, dump it in the slow cooker with carrots, celery, potatoes, a can of tomatoes and seasoning and forget about it until dinner time. Today this mindless dinner was necessary because I was taking the day off.

The day started with a visit to a local coffee shop with my Dear Tim. It was just us, which meant it was peaceful and rare. We sat in the glassed-in part of the shop and looked out on the field that was inhabited by wildlife such as geese and wild rabbits. We talked about anything and nothing and shared sips of tea and coffee and bites of scone and cake. It was the perfect beginning to the day.

A quick trip home to feed the troops, and I was off to base. Tim agreed to take Ian to school in the afternoon and pick both him and Zach up after school. It's a ridiculous schedule for us: Zach to school in the morning, Ian to school in the afternoon and both picked up after 3:15. That makes for 3 trips a day to the school for me, with no more than 3 hours, 50 minutes between trips. At least we live close by. Still, it's begun to wear on me. So today it was Tim's day. I took off to base and he did the ferrying between home and school.

I did a little shopping, sipped a coffee leisurely at the base coffee shop while I skimmed through a newspaper, then browsed the book store for an hour. I managed to buy a bottle of cinnamon syrup for coffee and hot chocolate at home, which I've been trying to do for about a year (they were always out!). I got some baby hair clips for my baby-fine hair and splurged on one of my favorite guilty pleasures: French onion dip with baked Lay's.

Then a trip back home where dinner was bubbling and waiting to be scooped into bowls. Does it get any easier than that?

And tonight I'm starting my new book, The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett. I'm giddy with excitement. I finally finished up Extreme Measures last night, and let me tell you, it was a hard read for me. It felt shallow even though the topic was heavy. I think it was a man's book, with no offense meant to our male counterparts. It was about torture and brawny, testosterone-charged secret operatives and how they go about their business. I found it very, very boring, unlike the lives of the real CIA "spooks" who do the tough stuff every day with little acknowledgment. God bless 'em.

Heather's Best of '08

I also was wondering how I was going to pick my best read of 08. As I type this, I still can't figure it out.



I am terrible at picking books out. I am not a literary or grammar person. I just like a good story and don't even care how well it's written as long as I am entertained. I always go for the same type of book. If left on my own I will get a Christian Romance based prior to the 1900s. The other books that I love are anything based in Ireland or Scotland. I want a book that is going to leave me very happy.



I love it when Reese hands me a book, because I would NEVER pick it unless she told me too. Some of my favorite books are because she just happened to hand them to me. This year Reese recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Saving Grace by Denise Hunter, The Happy Room by Catherine Palmer and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I loved each of these books but A Thousand Splendid Suns was a very difficult emotional read.



I also did something a little bit different this year and read books about lives of real people. I Am Proud of You was a wonderful story about Mr. Rogers and his influence on one persons' life. Steve and Me was written by Terri Irwin and told about life with The Crocodile Hunter. The Last Lecture was a good read by Randy Pautsch, he died in 08 of cancer. Missing Identity is a must read! There is too much to say about that book and I can't break it down in one sentence. Those families were put through fire and now because of their faithfulness have amazing testimonies of God's goodness even in terrible circumstances.



I can tell you one thing, there was only one book out of my 29 that I didn't like and that was Happiness Sold Separately. I truly did not get the point.



I am rambling now because I can't pick which one was my favorite. I learned the most from The Shack and it truly changed by life, but I don't know that it was my favorite. I also broke my "No Oprah Books" rule and read Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Those were both extremely long, but great books (although they did have some sex and violence so if that bothers you, don't read them.)



I wish I could pick the book I finished this week - Safely Home by Randy Alcorn because that would be my favorite!

Okay, so I'm looking over my list and I have decided that Sabrina by Lori Wick is my favorite of '08.

In general I know that when I read a Lori Wick book I will be happy at the end. People in her books tend to have good lives where good things happen and everything is good. In this book she touches on the subject of prostitution and everything is not good. I loved the forgiveness and redemption in this book.

So there you have it. It wasn't my most exciting read of '08 but because none of them stand out as an ultimate favorite, I am picking an old standby author.

The Best (and Worst) From Reese's 2008 Reading

Choosing one "best" book of 40 read proved to be an extremely difficult task. As Kayren pointed out, I do try to read a broad assortment of books which means that I may have enjoyed some books equally but for completely different reasons. For example, I found Clarence Thomas' memoir My Grandfather's Son to be enlightening, as it gave me a glimpse both into what an African-American faces when he/she chooses to stand with a conservative political agenda, as well as a front seat view of what was involved in Justice Thomas' confirmation as a Supreme Court justice. It's hard to compare that with The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones, a book I found to be interesting as it discussed ancient Chinese customs and cuisine, choosing to see the romantic interests of the main character as a side story- one I wasn't very interested in, to be honest. See what I mean? How can I compare Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Ann Coulter to Bag of Bones by Stephen King?!

I've done my best.

When I'm choosing a book to read(if it hasn't been recommended by a friend), I must admit that the title draws me first. If it's a cheesy title I probably won't even pick it up. (In fact, the one I'm reading now has a terribly cheesy title, in my opinion. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I'm reading a book called Extreme Measures!) Next, cover artwork. It's not essential, but if it catches my eye I'm more likely to open the cover and read the spiel in there. I usually read the back cover as well, skimming for anything that hints of offensiveness or boredom. Then if I'm still iffy on it, I'll read the first paragraph. If I'm still not sure, I won't bother.

Fourteen of the books on my list are on the subjects of the Middle East, Asia, Africa and immigrants in America or are set during WWII. I'm interested in Asia in the past, Afghanistan and the Middle East in more recent history and currently, Africa as it is currently, and all settings for WWII. I haven't read any strictly historical books on the second World War, but I do have some waiting in line.

Some books come recommended, such as Safely Home, which was recommended by Lora, if I remember correctly. I read amazing reviews of Khaled Hosseini's books, as well as of Stephen King's books. I loved the former and hated the latter. Clearly, recommendations may or may not help.

But what gets me most isn't a good story, it's excellent writing. The most awesome writers can weave magic out of the mundane and typical. They don't need brilliant stories or specific genres to propel them to noteriety, they do it with the sheer beauty of their words. They have the gift of magic.

And so here are my choices for best book of the year, from my own reading list:

Honorable mentions:

Safely Home













Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds












First Place (tie):

Bel Canto













A Thousand Splendid Suns













Worst Books of 2008:

Dishonorable mentions:

The Lovely Bones













Bag of Bones













(Note to self: don't read anything with "Bones" in the title.)

First Place:


Change of Heart













I realize the 3 books on my "worst list" are either very popular books or by popular authors. I've chosen them mostly for their offensiveness factor, as well as elements of the ridiculous. If I'd chosen them by boredom rating, The Alchemist would have made the list, as well as The Prayer Chest. Both were glorified snoozefests.

If I'd been able to choose one from this year, the only one I've read would have made it. I LOVED Cane River by Lalita Tademy. As a rule, I don't read Oprah books, but I'm glad I bent that rule in this case. A very interesting story based in fact from Louisiana, starting before the end of slavery and working up through three generations until 1936. A great novel.

Cheers!

Heather's Official 2008 Reading List

Since Reese posted her list, and I have finished my current book, I thought I should post my official 2008 list. I didn't get as many as Reese, and I didn't even have a goal. I'm just excited that I read 29 books. I completely quit reading when the fire happened or I would have read more. I'm not sure how many books I'll read for 09 but hopefully more than 29!

1. Bygones by Kim Vogal Sawyer
2. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
3. The Christmas Jar by Jason F. Wright
4. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
5. My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogal Sawyer
6. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
7. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
8. Jessie by Lori Wick
9. Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston
10. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
11. A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist
12. Around the Next Corner by Elizabeth Wren
13. Every Fixed Star by Jane Kirkpatrick
14. A Name of Her Own by Jane Kirkpatrick
15. 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult
16. Saving Grace by Denise Hunter
17. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
18. The Happy Room by Catherine Palmer
19. The Vineyard by Barbara Delinsky
20. Mistaken Identity by The Van Ryns & The Ceraks
21. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
22. The Shack by William Young
23. My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
24. Second Chance by Jane Green
25. World Without End by Ken Follett
26. Sabrina by Lori Wick
27. I'm Proud of You by Tim Madigan
28. Steve and Me by Terri Irwin
29. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
    
    I'm not quite sure how I will pick my favorite...that should be fun!

Reese's Official 2008 Reading List

1. Digging To America by Anne Tyler
2. From The Bible: John, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Collosians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude
3. Rebecca's Tale by Sally Beauman
4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
6. Mr Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston
7. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
8. The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
9. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
10. Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman
11. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
12. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
13. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
14. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
15. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
16. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
17. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
18. The Prayer Chest by August Gold & Joel Fotinos
19. Saddam's Secrets by Georges Sada
20. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
21. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
22. Angela & Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt
23. It's Not About Me by Max Lucado
24. I, Richard by Elizabeth George
25. The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
27. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (audio book)
28. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
29. Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Ann Coulter
30. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
31. Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
32. The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
33. Red Letters: Living A Faith That Bleeds by Tom Davis
34. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
35. Sense and Sensuality: Jesus Talks to Oscar Wilde on the Pursuit of Pleasure by Ravi Zacharias
36. Bankruptcy by David Limbaugh
37. Ribbon of Years by Robin Lee Hatcher
38. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
39. Bag of Bones by Stephen King
40. My Grandfather's Son; A Memoir by Clarence Thomas (audio book)

My goal was 50, which I reached if I count each book of the Bible separately. I had planned to count the entire New Testament as one book, so it feels like cheating to count any of it at all!

On to 2009's list...

(BTW, yes, I'm back home now! More on that after I've completed the things irking me most over the past few days: needing to update the blog's reading lists, and the need to pluck my eyebrows. Somethings just need to be done pronto!)

(Oh, and also: I think I'm going to choose my "book of the year" from my reading list, and hope Heather will too. It might be a challenge to pick just one, but don't you think the choice would be a nice clue into a person's mind?!)

Illness, My Tim, and Reading Total for 2008

I thought I'd do something really off the wall this morning and post here on the blog! I've been lolling about in no-man's land, having finally reached the end of the energy I'd stored for use in Tim's absence. Just as I was sputtering to the end of my drive to continue, at least one of the viruses going around here overtook me and I spent the better part of last week sick to my stomach. Even today I'm a little queasy, but so much better than, say, Thanksgiving Day, on which I couldn't get out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time.

In the midst of the worst sick-day of last week, my Tim came home! I'd spent nearly four months imagining and planning the day he would be home: the kids and I in a neat little row at the bus stop, my hair done and makeup applied, possibly even a couple of pounds lighter than when I had seen him last. We would go home to a nice meal in his honor and end the day with a whole lot of special Tim-and-Reese-locked-behind-closed-doors time. The reality wasn't so perfect: after spending the night sick, I was dehydrated, dirty, exhausted and completely undone. Our friend R agreed to pick Tim up from base. I stumbled down the stairs to collapse on the couch next to Tim. I chatted lethargically, then crawled back up to my bed.

I am so relieved that he's home. What a wonderful Thanksgiving gift, even if I wasn't enjoying it at the moment. He's already relieved my burdens, helping with the kids, running to the store for me, agreeing to pick a few things up on the way home. It' always an adjustment having him back; I've been used to doing things my way with no need to compromise, and so has he. But the benefits of being together outweigh the benefits of being apart.

I've just finished Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, which was a beautifully written novel. Beautifully written novels tend to ruin me for reading for a time. In one sense, it restores my faith in superb authors- those who go beyond simply telling a story to weaving magic with words- but since I know the authors who have the ability to move me are few, I can't bring myself to pick up another book till every last glint of magic has left my senses. It's like eating a gloriously prepared meal at a 4 star restaurant, then following it up with a can of Vienna sausages from the 7 Eleven. So I'm left at having read 37 books this year rather than the 50 I was shooting for. I'm not complaining. It's more than I've read in a year before (except maybe when I was in middle school). I'll just start over on January 1st and try again.

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving weekend. I may follow Kayren's lead and start a countdown to Christmas. I'm feeling the holiday spirit come on strong!!!

Cheers!

UPDATE: Either the magic wore off sooner than I had anticipated or I just don't know what to do without a book to reach for when I get a free minute throughout the day: I've picked up another book!

I Love Barnes and Noble

Last night we took a trip into Baltimore's Inner Harbor. I've been there a couple of times before and always think it's so beautiful: the water, the ships, the shops, the lights, the music (a live musician on the guitar this time) and Barnes and Noble. Gotta love Barnes and Noble.

I don't get to go into real bookstores very often. While Tim and the kids raided Starbucks I wandered around and looked at books. I thought I would get just one, to save money and room in my already-tight luggage space, but by the time I had walked around for 5 minutes I had 4 books in my arms. Not that four books was all I saw that I wanted, but that was an example of me being conservative. Tim gave me the look, so I wandered around and out them back. All but one.

I love Barnes and Noble. I could live at Barnes and Noble... maybe like that one gal who lived at Wal-Mart. Think anyone would catch me? I could eat muffins and scones and drink caramel chai every night when the lights when out. Sounds great!

Cheers!

The Ministry of Helping the Less (Materially) Fortunate

Since reading Red Letters by Tom Davis and this post, also by Tom, I've been thinking about ways to sacrifice my own comforts and give to the less fortunate. If I worked outside my home it would be easier... I'd simply write a check and/or save for a mission trip. I'd gladly give each month to support a missionary or an orphaned child. Not having much money hampers things a bit. Of course, there's Tim's paycheck and we've never practiced a your/mine routine with the bank accounts- it's all ours. But, that being said, we have to be on the same page. He isn't opposed to helping the needy, but it isn't forefront in his mind, not unlike most Western Christians.

I sell things on eBay now and then, so I listed some books I've meant to sell and stated that all the profits will be given to The Children's HopeChest via 5 for 50. The trouble is that books don't sell very well on eBay unless they are in high demand and when they do sell they go for cheap. So far, with two-and-a-half days left, I don't have even a watcher much less a bidder. (sigh.) I will probably relist them if they don't sell and add a few more books to it. They are older Trixie Belden books and the lots usually go pretty well. I have a load of extras from my buying spree last year. I've managed to collect a whole set and am selling the extras. Eventually, I'll get those all sold and list some other stuff as well.

I've emailed asking if Saint's Coffee can be sent to APO's. If so, I'll try it. What a great way to help out, huh?! Buy coffee, feed an orphan.

How do you help the less fortunate, the orphans, the widows? I'd like to hear so I can get some ideas.

I need to add that the idea that these people are "less fortunate" is to ignore how God sees us. Look at the Sermon on the Mount and see what Jesus said about those who are weak and poor and humble by worldly standards. How much better off most of would be if our spiritual eyes weren't clouded by our possessions. To give out of our own wealth does little to hurt us physically but helps us spiritually when we lighten our worldly load.

Book Review: The Lovely Bones

I considered reading this book for years before I finally had the courage to pick it up. I'm not keen on death-by-rape-and-murder books. There's too much of it the world as it is without spending any of my free time and money on make-believe versions of it. When I was last in Oregon I found an inexpensive copy of The Lovely Bones at St Vincent de Paul, and a lady standing nearby assured me that the violence and graphic nature of the crimes leading to the narrator's death were treated carefully and with respect. So I bought it, and finally got around to reading it last week.

I have to agree that with the possibility of extensive and candid coverage of the rape and murder of a 14 year-old girl, the author treated the matter with delicacy. It's still an unpleasant subject, no matter how it's written about, but I appreciate that the horrors of it weren't exploited.

I found it interesting and enlightening to see how the murdered girl's family dealt with her death- from her father and mother, to her sister who was just a year younger, and to her 4 year-old brother. The book covered about a decade of their lives, including the initial shock and horror, to the playing out of their grief in rather destructive ways, and the eventual healing that came to them all.

From a Christian perspective, the author's idea of the heaven that Susie (the victim and narrator) lived in is laughable. Her heaven is a more self-centered and indulgent form of earth- no sign of a God of any sort other than herself, with whatever Susie wishing for badly enough appearing. She spends much of her time watching her family and wishing she was back with them. After many years she is allowed a short time back on earth in someone else's body; she chooses to use that time to fornicate with a former boyfriend. Then she's swooped back to heaven. Not very realistic or impressive, in my judgment.

If you haven't already read this book, it might be worth a loan from the library or a cheap copy picked up from a secondhand store, but keep in mind that the spiritual depictions are ridiculous. If you can distance yourself from Susie's after-death experiences, the other story lines are an interesting scan of the horrors murder reeks on a family and the healing that eventually comes to them.

~Reese

Shelfari

I'm all gaga about this site I ran across last night while surfing blogs: Shelfari. You may have noticed my bookshelf in the sidebar. I chose to show books I plan to read, though I could have chosen books I have read, want to read, or am reading. I love it because not only can I keep track of all my books, but also books I plan to read but don't have (I often forget and draw a blank when I get to the library), and I can get recommendations for books.

Feel free to browse my Shelfari profile. If you have one of your own and want a new friend, let me know!

Cheers!

~Reese

De-Lurking Week!

OK, all you regular visitors to Crazyville! Heather and I are declaring it Crazyville De-Lurking Week! If you are a lurker who visits us regularly but we don't yet know you... Leave us a comment and introduce yourself! If you are a regular commenter-- practically a resident of Crazyville yourself-- you can comment too. We'd love to hear from you!

What was that? What's in it for you? Well, let's see:

• You get the joy of being known, even as we are known (rather a biblical way of putting it, don't ya think?!)!
• The chance to win a free book!

That's right, every week in April we will be giving away a free book. It might not be a new release, it likely won't be signed by the author, it won't be one either one of us have authored, and it might even be a secondhand store gem, but it will be a good book AND it will be free! WOOHOO! Can't beat free things.

This week I've chosen one of my favorite devotionals as the Crazyville Free Book of the Week: The Frazzled Female by Cindi Wood. Anyone who comments, lurkers or old friends, will be eligible to win the book.

Feel free to send friends, family, and readers of your own blogs over for their chance to win as well!

PS. This is NOT an April Fool's Day joke!


On a personal note THANK GOD that March is over! It's been my least favorite month for as long as I can remember. I'm so glad it's April-- the first full month of spring this year! I love it!

~Reese

Bag of Bones

I had never read a Stephen King novel, despite having heard numerous times that King is the most amazing storyteller of our time. So when I came across Bag of Bones at The Goodwill in Gresham, Oregon for $3.99 I decided to find out for myself.

Right off the bat, yes, he is a very good storyteller. This novel was perfectly timed, all the way to the climax when the reader is able to put all the pieces together and suddenly see the big picture. All the tiny glimpses of plot, that often I hadn't realized were actually crucial chunks of information, finally made sense.

But as a Christian reader, well, it's not a book I can recommend. King's imagery is often crass, the book is riddled with profanity and there is a very strong sexual theme throughout. There are ghost and ghouls and psychic abilities that come to the main character as the book progresses. In the end, there are two scenes involving the drowning of kids that I skipped over, and the brutal gang rape and murder of a woman (several pages I also skipped). It's all central to the plot- the murders and the rape- and it works to make sense of the whole book, but it is detailed and disturbing.

And with that I complete my foray into Stephen King novels. One was more than enough for me.

What To Read Next???

So, how do you decide what to read next? Right now I probably have 15 books waiting to be read..talk about overwhelming!

Reese and I went to a goodwill in Portland while she was here and I bought 4 or 5 books there, then my mom just gave me a book, I even got one in a free giveaway and I bought a few more and friends have given me alot. I need a full weekend where I do nothing but devote myself to reading, for the entire weekend. Too bad that is unrealistic.

Here are a few on my nightstand: World Without End (1,000 pages!) by Ken Follet (sequel to Pillars of the Earth), Sabrina by Lori Wick, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult and many, many more!

Maybe I will put the names in a hat and go from there :) (Oh, and Reese gave me a Barnes & Noble gift certificate for Christmas..so, there is soon to be more choices)

Posted by Heather