Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, Scribner, (2005) This is a great memoir that has its inevitable depressing moments as well as corresponding inspiration and uplift. I found it wonderfully paced and the number of sections throughout the story meant I was consistently drawn back to find out what happened next. As much as it isContinue reading “The Glass Castle”
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Why You Act the Way You Do
Tim LaHaye, Why You Act the Way You Do (1987) I can not quite remember where I found this book, I may have found it in a Goodwill and bought it for the title without the understanding of both LaHaye’s background and the subtext to the work. The subject itself is certainly interesting and theContinue reading “Why You Act the Way You Do”
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, (1886) Reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich for class meant it was inevitably selected to fit in a wider discussion. This follows The Gift, The Gilead and Master and Man. As another Tolstoy work it fits in with the messaging of Master and Man and is certainly anotherContinue reading “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”
Rip Van Winkle
Washington Irving, Rip Van Winkle, 1819 With Thanksgiving and a generally busy time this shorter story was slotted in to my list with a class reading of Tolstoy’s Death of Ivan Ilyic for next week. This is a classic short story that I learnt and read growing up so it was nice to revisit it.Continue reading “Rip Van Winkle”
From Gilead, Iowa
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (2004) One long episodic letter from father to son, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson received much critical acclaim. It is full of symbolism and I would not have read it, if it were not for one of my classes at school. It has it moments that I enjoyed and the premise of theContinue reading “From Gilead, Iowa”
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains (2004) Mountains Beyond Mountains considers the story of Dr. Paul Farmer and, what at times appears like a solo mission to provide the best healthcare and support to the poorest communities in Haiti, Peru and Siberia to name a few. Kidder writes from experiences both following Farmer as well asContinue reading “Mountains Beyond Mountains”
Hills Like White Elephants
Ernest Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants Continuing the recent trend of short stories this is another selection from various suggestion lists. For next week I am reading Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains, I have already started but needed slightly longer to read it while having work and school assignments to manage. Hills Like White ElephantsContinue reading “Hills Like White Elephants”
Life in Service is a Gift
Richard Gunderman, We Come to Life with those we Serve, Indiana University Press (2017) What do Victor Frankenstein, Ivan Ilyich, Albert Schweitzer, Rebecca, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, John Wooden, Bill Cook, Ebenezer Scrooge and Vincent van Gogh all have in common? Well in the case of We Come to Life with those we Serve theyContinue reading “Life in Service is a Gift”
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Maria Semple, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, Little, Brown and Company (2012) Compared to The Girl on the Train last week Semple’s work is wonderfully refreshing, inspirational and fun. Both are wonderful examples of their genre and just like The Girl on the Train, this book sold exceptionally well and was translated into a number ofContinue reading “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”
A World run by Women
Naomi Alderman, The Power (2017) The day of the girls has arrived – but where will it end. Naomi Alderman, The Power The Power is a fascinating book as the language of the patriarchy is reversed following the awakening of an electrical power in most women across the globe. It is important to note thatContinue reading “A World run by Women”
The Weekly Book Report 