...lots of books. I am way behind!
Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, by Kathryn Joyce.
This was scary. The Christian Patriarchy movement, where women must obey their husbands without question and happily bear as many children as God blesses them with is chronicled. I wish the author would've gone more in depth of the women's every day lives, but she focused on leaders of the movement and their philosophy. The movement is just twisted and champions the breeding of children to increase their political prowess.
The Year of Living Biblically, by A. J. Jacobs.
This is the second time I've read this book, and I really want a copy for myself so I can read it again. It's hysterical. The author goes an entire year following the Bible as closely as possible. He meets with a wide variety of religious personalities, from Hasidic Jews to a snake handling Tennessean. He had a great deal of respect for everyone he dealt with, and he really drove the
point home that it's impossible to NOT pick and choose what you honor from the Bible. Fun fact: The author's wife got mad that he wouldn't sit on seats she had sat on when she was on her period because they were "unclean."
The Well and the Mine, by Gin Phillips.
A very ethereal Southern novel, very Kaye Gibbons-esque. The setting is a poor mining town and the book is mostly a character sketch. It was a great light read.
City of Thieves, David Benioff.
This was so good! I've read lots of WWII novels, and this was an entirely new perspective. The book is about a Russian Jew (I think he was Jewish? But I'm positive that he was Russian) escapes from a besieged Russian city alongside a Russian deserter to steal eggs for a Russian general's daughter's wedding. They are stuck in enemy territory full of starving people and have to get the eggs and make their way back. They strike up quite a friendship, and you see a side of WWII that you don't see all that often.
The Stand, by Stephen King.
BEST STEPHEN KING NOVEL EVER. Yes, this book does indeed warrant all caps. I am a big Stephen King fan, and this was the best one. You should read it. If you're going to read it, stop reading this now, spoilers ahead!
It's all about a flu that sweeps the planet and kills off 99.8% of the population. This is a fatty book and will take you a while to read. I was reading this book during the wedding and brought it along with me in case of downtime...HAHAHAHAHA. Anyway the superior (so superior its sometimes tedious) character development that is typical of Stephen King sets up a large variety of characters. The book culminates in a massive battle between good and evil with the vindictive God of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures and not the forgiving God of the New Testament. It rules. I read it, then turned around and read it again. So good.
World War Z, by Max Brooks.
This was super funny. If you liked The Zombie Survival Guide Manual, then you'll like this.
The Lives of Pearl S. Buck, by Irvin Block.
I love Pearl S. Buck, and this was a biography about her. I loved hearing about her early life in China and about the writing process for books.
Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain.
Loved it. This was another 2nd reading. I got this book for pennies at a thrift store. It has some coffee damage, but who doesn't like to enjoy a good cup of coffee while they read a book? Bourdain details the gritty behind the scenes life of professional kitchens. Lots of profanity and real life stories of restaurants made me feel like I was waitressing again!
Dragon Seed, by Pearl S. Buck.
I landed this pretty copy at an antique store for $3. This wasn't my favorite Buck book (that would be Imperial Woman), but it was still good. It was all about WWII in China. Holy crap do women get the short end of the stick in wartime.
Blooms of Darkness, by Ahron Appelfeld.
Not so great, I wouldn't recommend it. This was about a Jewish boy who hides with a Russian prostitute during WWII. It was very ehhh. The plot was really weak and there was no connection to the characters.
Mockingjay, by Suzanna Collins.
This was the last in the Hunger Games trilogy. While I wasn't crazy good about the ending, I was glad that the author didn't tack some happily-ever-after ending on. The characters had been through so much, it just wouldn't have been honest. The trilogy was wonderful, you should read it if you haven't! Be sure you block aside some serious time, you won't be able to put them down.
Joy Comes in the Morning, by Suzanna Collins.
SO GOOD. This book is all about a female reform Rabbi who works a lot with hospital patients. I loved the descriptions of the Jewish prayers when waking up and before eating, I really want to look them up. This book was great, I highly recommend it.
A Desert in Bohemia, by Jill Paton Walsh.
This was all about Communist Russia from the end of WWII until the present day. One family was followed throughout the years, and the loss of their property was chronicled. It was OK, but I wouldn't read it again.
I feel like I've been on a book binge and need a vacation from reading! The last 5 or so books I picked up I couldn't get into, so I'm on a bit of a hiatus. I'm working on quilts, which I can't wait to show you!
What are you reading right now?
I just found The Year of Living Biblically while browsing in Barnes and Noble. I've restricted myself from buying anymore books until I've finished all the ones I bought last year. So it's definitely on my reading list and I'm so glad you said it was good!
ReplyDeleteomg! when did you have time to read all these books?
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I'm always looking for new book recommendations. Thanks for posting, I'll have to add these to my "to read" list (it's getting SO long!). :)
ReplyDeleteWow I don't know how you fit all this reading in.
ReplyDeleteI finished reading "The Meaning of Wife," by Anne Kingston, "The Commitment," by Dan Savage, "Eat, Pray, Love," by Elizabeth Gilbert (don't hold that one against me; I resisted the bandwagon jump until now, but I wanted to read her next book ("Committed") and I never read part II without reading part I first! It explored marriage in a way that is very real to her, and when she thought that she'd never marry again. Anyway, it was enjoyable and worth the read. "The Commitment" was fairly decent as well . . . and it's Dan Savage, so you know it's going to be, at the very least, interesting. Back to fiction though, I'm rereading "The Great Gatsby" and am also just getting into "Strumpet City," which was a gift from my mother-in-law. Glad to finally have a chance to read again!!
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