Topic: books
In general, I am not naturally a list maker but I try try try to be because it makes everything better and simpler. Still, my natural state of whimsy rebels because I crave spontaneity and while I can't have much of that by way of household life, I can have it by way of books. And while I love me a good book list, I tend to just flit from book to book depending on what inspires. Anyway, I am loving my current stack so I've gotta share.
In an effort to try to integrate a little practical/spiritual reading every day (even for just ten minutes), I've got some goodies to share. This morning I found the book Rosa, What's Your Secret? sitting on my microwave and I've honestly not been able to put it down today. Kirby brought it home last night (it was written by the sister of a friend of his) maybe expecting to just add it to the shelf but I AM GOBBLING. It was written in Spanish and translated into English, so you've def got to read it with that in mind. I find that the culture of Spain permeates her beautifully simple and direct advice on managing a large family. Filled with lightheartedness, practicality, and joy... all the things I am after in family life. I am so, so inspired! Already taking mental notes on how I want to incorporate Rosa's wisdom into our family's habits. I think you will be, too. Gah. It's good.
I am also reading through the homilies of St Josemaria in Friends of God. Each homily is so rich that I give myself a few days to get through them. I just finished reading the homily titled "Time is a Treasure" and I could probably use it as mandatory daily-basis reading for the rest if my life, it's so good. Just lookee here...
"There are no bad or inopportune days. All days are good, for serving God. Days become bad only when men spoil them with their lack of faith, their laziness and their indolence, which turns them away from working with God and for God. 'At all times I will bless the Lord.' Time is a treasure that melts away. It escapes from us, slipping through our fingers like water through the mountain rocks. Tomorrow will soon be another yesterday. Our lives are so very short. Yesterday has gone and today is passing by. But what a great deal can be done for the love of God in this short space of time!"
So.... O_O
Ok, ALSO, ALSO Love is Our Mission. I know it's basically so vintage being that it was a preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families but dayummm it's so good. Constant, thoughtful lessons on what it is to be a family. Which, you know, applies. As evidenced below.
OKKK NOW NOVELS
I just finished reading The Nightingale which was totally riveting. I love how it echoed the timeline of All the Light We Cannot See and thanks to the both of them I am now thoroughly enamored with France + WW2. I just grabbed Lilac Girls from the library after a very refined 30 second Google search confirmed it might be right up my current wartime France alley.
But to give myself a little breather from all the crying I am flying through The Royal We which is totally fun and light and perfectly borderline too embarrassing to admit I am reading. There is no concentration camp or incomprehensible human suffering so it's a nice little vacay before I start LG.
Anyway, that's where I am at! Where are you at?? Any suggestions? Tell me it all!
[insert well-styled photo of my books that I don't have] BYE
Love Friends of God, too!! I am also obsessed with Jacques Phillippe. When I met him at a talk I acted so ridiculous. Like I was 14 and he was Justin Timberlake.. anyway I am reading his new book Real Mercy: Mary Forgiveness and Trust. So far it's awesome. I read Tree Grows In Brooklyn I couldn't put it down and I can't put my finger on why exactly but it was really good coming of age story! If you're into WWII, I have some many recs: Boys In A Boat. Remains of the Day, Unbroken. ( and you'll need something light in between those because wow.). A couple of years ago our book club read In the Garden of Beasts. Sorry I'll stop. I just love books
ReplyDeleteYou know what's funny? I had JUST picked up Remains of the Day while I was waiting for my books to come in and now I'm regretting putting it down!
DeleteLilac Girls is good. Will definitely put you through the ringer with a hard concentration camp story line, but it opened my eyes to some history that I wasn't familiar with and did a great job offering multiple perspectives of women in WW2.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's what I heard! I am really interested in Ravensbruck. Hoping for a deeper dive, when my emotional state is ready.
DeleteOk i am def def getting Rosa, what's your secret. I went to school in Spain for a few months and need this book!! Friends of God was my first josemaria book :) Do you have the Conversation with God medititations? Thru are my fav right now.
ReplyDeleteYes, so good!! I think you'll love Rosa. She is from a big OD family in Spain.
DeleteYou know, the best book I read last year was Elizabeth J. Church's "The Atomic Weight of Love". It was the most glorious character study I've read in years.
ReplyDeleteOooh thanks for the rec!
DeleteI loved the Nightengale and The Royal We too! I am just finishing up All the Light We Cannot See and like it but find myself doing a lot of skimming for some reason. If you need another fun and light read I really loved Eligible!
ReplyDeleteI am so far behind on my reading goals for the year but my two favorites so far:
ReplyDeleteJust Mercy - Bryan Stevenson Absolutely amazing and enlightening.
What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty This was just a fun, engrossing read.
On my to-read: A Man Called Ove, Lab Girl, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer biography (Eric Metaxas), and the Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) - plus a few of the titles mentioned here!
"The Summer Before the War," by Helen Simonson, who also wrote "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand." Both excellent, though I slightly preferred "The Summer Before the War." You can take a break from wartime France with wartime England. :-) It's not heavy tragedy, though. Also, "Longbourne" by Jo Baker, and "Meat Eater" by Steven Rinella. That last one is a little random, and maybe not for those who are squeamish about hunting and butchering meat, but he's a great writer and the topic was perfect for me and my husband (who are not squeamish about hunting or butchering, to say the least.)
ReplyDeleteI'm reading "Everyone Brave is Forgiven," right now and love it. It's WW2 in Britain from alternating perspectives of civilians in London and a soldier deployed to the Mediterranean. The author, Chris Cleaves, is a mastereo with dialogue and the British humor and turns of phrases are amazing. So good!
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite recommendations are A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (Anthony Marra) and The Life Intended (Kristen Harmel). I love reading lists of what everyone is reading. I am going to add some of these to my lists!
ReplyDeleteJust bought the Rosa book after reading your post and I'm enjoying it as well! Got the Friends of God in my amazon cart and I'm sure I'll make the plunge soon :) Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDelete(I gave up social media for lent so I'm finding myself actually READING and it's wonderful!!)
DeleteFr. Luke gave me Rosa's book and at first I wanted to boycott it- 18 children?!?! ��- but as soon as I opened it I couldn't put it down and now I won't shut up about it to anyone who will listen. She's an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHi! I saw Rosa speak a couple months ago and also have her book. (I live in Portugal) I am friends with a friend of hers and her husband named Chema Postiga is sick. He has been diagnosed with a serious livre cancer. Please pray for him if you read this. They are asking the intercession of Javier Echevarria.
ReplyDelete*liver. Thanks!
DeleteHe has passed away. https://www.instagram.com/p/BRSkAKDF7h3/?hl=en
DeleteI was borderline embarrassed when I read "The Royal We", but I enjoyed it and read it in like 2 days.
ReplyDeleteI will have to find a copy of "Rosa, What's Your Secret". It sounds fascinating.
Other ideas for books with Ravensbruck as the concentration camp experienced- The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom and And I am afraid of my Dreams by Wanda Poltawska (friend of JPII - I wish more of her writings were in a English.)
ReplyDeleteReading is such a perfect way to give spice to your life! I too flit from book to book but my most recent favs have been Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and also her book My Cousin Rachel. Also totally loved I Capture the Castle and The Painted Veil! Now that's a wide range of variety but some real gems! You've got the suspense, you've got the quirky, you've got the tears! I laughed, I cried... it moved me bob ;)
ReplyDelete