Book Reviews!

Sam is reading Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book". This book recently won the The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature, and Sam cannot put it down. I had to surgically remove it from him last night, (OOOOONE MOOOOORE PAAAGE!) and this morning he read it while eating, brushing his teeth, dressing, walking to the car and on the way to sailing camp. Lord knows what he's doing at camp, probably hiding in a tree. I said "Gosh, I didn't know UFOs landed here at this time of year!" and he said "Mmmmm-hmmmm?"


"The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant. I had read this some years back, and loved it, and couldn't remember what happened. Re-reading it was like seeing an old friend and catching up. I kept saying "Oh, YES! Now I remember!" I love this book. Dinah, a daughter of Jacob's from the Old Testament, tells the story of her life as a girl, mother, midwife and crone. I laughed, I bawled.


"The Lovely Bones", by Alice Sebold. Teen is murdered by sicko, and then the book becomes something beautiful. She watches life go on on earth without her, in a hopeful and humorous story.


"The Yoga Teacher" by Alexandra Gray. If you liked "Eat, Pray, Love" then you'll like this. I did. "Grace" quits her job as a pharmaceutical rep, and finds herself.


"Wind, Sand And Stars" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This is "The Little Prince" for grown-ups. His imagery is so beautiful. I also read "Southern Mail" and "Night Flight". Saint-Exupery describes the early days of flight, the African desert, and a host of characters so well that you think you might bump into them at the airport.


"Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something moulded. These prison walls that this age of trade has built up around us, we can break down. We can still run free, call to our comrades, and marvel to hear once more, in response to our call, the pathetic chant of the human voice." - Antoine Saint-Exupery: Wind, Sand And Stars.




Comments

Unknown said…
"These prison walls that this age of trade has built up around us, we can break down. We can still run free, call to our comrades, and marvel to hear once more, in response to our call, the pathetic chant of the human voice."

The trick is to learn the above while young, when it can still be viewed as an adventure, rather than when old, when it is viewed over the shoulder, as a regret.
I LOVED the Red Tent when I read it years ago.
I will have to look for the Yoga Teacher. Sounds like something I would like, as well.
Lovely Bones was great too, but I read it before I had kids. I'm not sure I could read it now.
Sounds like we have similar book reading tastes !
HalfAsstic.com said…
Oh, this is good to see! I need something new to read and I feel like I have a list to chose from!
Oh, and have your read The Shack yet? Really good. Starts out terribly sad and just gets better and better and better.
So are you SURE Sam likes the book? ;-)
Nan Sheppard said…
HalfAsstic, my friend Diana recommended "The Shack", but it looked heavy and I wanted holiday reading! I dunno, I will read it soon.

Lou, You're doing a pretty good job of not being a regretful old man. Admit it!

Life As I Know It, (ahhhh, kelly? I can't remember your first name but I'm SURE I know it. I embarrass myself all the time with names. It's so sad.) Sounds like YOU should write a book review, too, now that I need something to read!
Anonymous said…
I LOVE "Wind Sand and Stars" and no one else will ever read it :) My kids DESPISE "Le Petit Prince" and I can't figure out why.
Theresa said…
Yay! New books to look for when I go to The Land Where English Is Spoken and Published:)
I didn't appreciate "The little Prince" until I was a grown man.
St. Expury spoke to the child in me.