I love to read and have read many less-than-fabulous books just to have something to fill the need, but I have also found some wonderful jewels along the way. Trying to come up with a favorites list from 30 years of reading books makes my head spin, so I thought I would just tell you what I have been reading in the last week or so.
How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill
This is a true year-in-the-life story of a man who loses his high-powered job and subsequently his marriage and who finds himself working at a Starbucks in New York City. He shares his journey of re-evaluating his priorities and his prejudices. While at times I wished he would go a little deeper, it was still a fascinating read.
Dream When You’re Feeling Blue: A Novel by Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth Berg has been one of my favorite authors for several years, one whom you can always count on not to disappoint. This story is about a family in Chicago during WWII, centering on the three young-adult daughters and their relationships with some of the young men who have shipped out. I would highly recommend any of her books for the novel enthusiast.
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
This is actually a science fiction novel and by an author whom I later realized I have read before, but I was led to this book through a recommendation on an autism listserve. (My sci-fi/fantasy collection bit the dust several years ago and I do not even look at what is coming out in those genres anymore – part of my personal journey with the Lord and not to be construed in any way as judgment towards anyone else who enjoys those books.) The novel centers on the question of what is normal – if you were autistic and there was a treatment that would make you “normal” would you take it? Or would you still be you if you weren’t autistic? Suffice it to say that the book is thought-provoking and the story is well-written, and I could not make it through the book without wavering in my opinion several times.
The Cubicle Next Door by Siri L. Mitchell
Although not in the realm of solid Christian fiction like Karen Kingsbury or Angela Hunt, this author is at the top end of the chick-lit spectrum. I found the storyline to be rather engaging, more so than the standard Christian takeoff of a girl meets guy light romance novel. (And lest I sound like a total snob, it is fifty times better than I could do if I tried to even write a short story!)
Embarrassingly enough, this is less than half of what I have read in the last two weeks. Imagine how clean my house could be if I was motivated in that direction! I am looking forward to seeing if people are actually interested in what I am reading; it has been fun to put this together and I would love to hear what other people are reading too. (I hope that’s not bad “blog etiquette” to ask for comments!)
