Sunday, June 26, 2016

Summer = Reading


It's summer and for me summer means reading. And have I ever been doing some reading this summer?!

I was happy to discover the writing of Frank Waters this summer while we were traveling in New Mexico. His novel, People of the Valley, is a beautifully written story of a powerful Native American woman and her fight with the government to stop a dam from coming into the valley in which her people live. I'd never heard of Waters until this summer, but now I want to read the novel for which he is most famous, The Man Who Killed the Deer. In that odd, serendipitous way life works, a friend I was talking to when I got home told me she thinks she may have that novel on her bookshelf. She said she'd bring it for me this week if she does.

Two more wonderful 1001 Children's Books You Must Read finished, Where the Lilies Bloom and I Am David, and both were spectacular. A new StoryCorps compilation, Callings, this one centering on stories about jobs people loved, is out and like all the StoryCorps books I've read, this one will have you laughing and crying. I continued my reading of deeply spiritual books with The Naked Now, Henry Nouwen, and Meditations on the Parables of Jesus; I feel sure I will reread these. A book of Natalie Goldberg essays. A new children's book, Hour of the Bees, which, surprisingly, might be classified as magic realism, and which I immediately recommended to my friend who chooses Battle of the Books for New Mexico. A couple of memoirs, one of which, Call the Midwife, completely wowed me. And the funny and surprising The Invoice, about a man who receives an invoice for all the happy experiences of his life.

What's next for me? I'm getting books together for Paris in July, of course. Tamara at Thyme for Tea has the sign up post here for this month long event. It's the seventh year for Paris in July, and I hope you will join in, too.


What I Finished Lately
covertitleauthorreview
I Am David
Imagine what you might be like if you had spent your entire childhood in a concentration camp. That is the main character of our story, David. And the ...more


The Great Spring: Writing, Zen, and This Zigzag Life
Natalie Goldberg has always been this wonderful mishmash of an all-too-human person with a saint. And she uses this wonderful combination of self to e ...more


The Invoice
A man lives a simple life. He finds an invoice in his mail. It’s for all the happinesses he has experienced in his life. And it’s for a huge amount of ...more


Henri Nouwen: Writings Selected with an Introduction
(Side note: Don’t let the chapter called “an introduction” fool you. It’s sixty solid pages of introduction about Henri Nouwen, and it puts all of wha ...more


The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See
I’ve had this book recommended to me for years, and when I got a gift card for Mother’s Day, I finally plunged in and bought it. So glad I did.

The aut
 ...more


Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End
This was a book club read and I must admit I didn’t go eagerly into reading it, as I’m not one who tends to read books that have been made into tv sho ...more


Only in Naples: Lessons in Food and Famiglia from My Italian Mother-in-Law
How does anticipation effect one’s ultimate rating of a book? I expected little from my last book, and I ended up having it wow me. I had very high ho ...more


Death Comes for the Archbishop
Who knew I’d be traveling in a book the same places I was traveling in real life when I picked up Death Comes for the Archbishop? It was the perfect b ...more

Hour of the Bees
Carolina is forced to spend her summer with her family helping ready her grandfather’s home for sale. Carol hasn’t had much contact with her dad’s fat ...more


Mountain Dialogues
Frank Waters examines his world of northern New Mexico through a look at its water, air, mountains, spirits, and air. He looks with Indian eyes at his ...more


People Of The Valley
I learned about Frank Waters while I was visiting New Mexico. I stayed at the Frank Waters room at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, and I was curi ...more


Callings: A Celebration of Lives of Purpose and Passion
I've read several of the StoryCorps books and I've been taken with them all. This collection of stories centers on people who love their work. Given t ...more


Where the Lilies Bloom
What a story!

Mary Call is thrust into the position of provider for the three siblings after her father sickens and dies. She and her brother covertly
 ...more


Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia
If you are headed to Russia, you couldn't have a better guide than Anne Garrels; Garrels knows the stories in Russia and she can tell them better than ...more


Meditations on the Parables of Jesus
Thomas Keating takes a close look at the parables of Jesus and what a rich experience this is.

This is the kind of book I could read over and over.





What have you been reading lately? Can you share any recommendations? 


           


What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.

18 comments:

  1. I'm hoping to read at least one book for Paris in July this year... not sure which one, but the possibilities are so much fun to consider!

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    1. It is fun to collect titles for the event. I like to have a few children's books, some adult, films, and even an audiobook.

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  2. You have some interesting titles, and I love books about people fighting against the government on some issue. It reminds me of the 70s...lol, and some causes our neighborhood got involved in.

    I started watching Call the Midwives, but couldn't get into it. Maybe the book would be better.

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    1. I just requested the tv series from the library. Hope I like it as much.

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  3. Some interesting books on your list. I just finished The Invoice, which I'll be reviewing this week, and really enjoyed it.

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    1. I liked The Invoice a lot. I just went on and on about it at my book club today.

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  4. Paris in July sounds nice. Being there wouldn't be bad either lol. I like the look of several of these- Only in Naples, Death Comes to the Archbishop, and Meditations on the Parables of Jesus as well. People of the Valley too as I imagine it's both heartbreaking and inspirational.

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  5. You read a lot of books! I hope that you have fun with Paris in July! Have a good week. :)

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  6. I've read a couple of Paris-themed books but I really didn't enjoy them from memory!

    You've done a stack of reading lately and it sounds like you're a summer-reader so it's perfect.

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  7. Wow, you've done so much reading! Paris in July sounds fun. Enjoy!

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  8. What a great variety of books. I read Where the Lilies Bloom years ago and should check out that list of 1001 books (if only to see how many I've already read.) Come see what I read last week. Happy reading!

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  9. I watched the first couple episodes of "Call the Midwife" and then just kinda fizzled out, so maybe I should try the book version. The book is always better, right? ;) I haven't heard of this Paris in July event but I'm intrigued! I'll have to check it out.

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    1. You make the second person who wasn't wild about the tv series. Darn.

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  10. I love reading in the summer. You have a great list.

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  11. Your list is so interesting and diverse. I love Goldberg and Nouwen. Happy Reading!

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  12. Looks like a great list! Call the Midwife sounds good, and I think the Invoice could be interesting. It's a cool premise!
    Ohhh, it is almost July! Paris in July should be good, I hope you have fun figuring out your books!

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