Back in the Saddle

I've been MIA for a bit...end of school...library inventory...traveling to Dallas...summer job...Relay for Life...getting ready to leave tomorrow for Utah....but I'm finally back in the saddle, figuratively speaking, in my reading.

And I'm about to climb back in the saddle, literally, when we head off to Utah. Utah presented a challenge to me. I always find some books set in the place we're going to take along with me for my trip. Utah was tough. I finally found a Louis L'Amour western and a Magic Tree House western (in Spanish). I'm bringing along Roughing It to release there, but I've already read it. And I found a children's nonfiction book (copyright 1963) about Utah.

And that's it.

Surely there are other Utah books?!

In the last few weeks, I have finally finished Home by Marilynne Robinson, a Magic Tree House book in Spanish), Nick Hornby's Shakespeare Wrote for Money, and three books about yoga and meditation.

I had checked out Home when it first came out but turned it quickly back in, thinking it was too much like Gilead. The reviews for Home continued to pour in and all of them were good. So I went back to it. And loved it. Robinson knows the Prodigal Son.

Shakespeare Wrote for Money is a collection of Hornby's last columns for the Believer magazine. I'm glad he's given up on these. I must say I liked his earlier columns, but the novelty so vital to the appeal of his approach has dimmed with each column.

I've been playing around with yoga and Christian meditation in recent days. The three books I read all sent me off to try out some new poses, new thoughts. Worthwhile, I think.

So I'm off to Utah tomorrow. Hope I can find some charming bookstores there. I'm pretty sure I will be coming home with some beautiful rocks, some trilobites, and some great pictures...but I'm a bit worried about finding some books. Wish me luck.