Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Books I need to read when my kids are napping (or grown up)

I love, love, love to read. My favorite feature of a beach vacation I took a couple of years ago was the uninterrupted and seemingly endless hours of reading that I was allowed to do. I finished two books in a week and had started a third. My daughter happily played with her good friend, E, while E's mom and I made like chair ornaments and read. There is nothing so wonderful as being able to read a good book with one's toes submerged in sugary sand and the background noise of crashing waves and squealing seagulls and little children. I especially love to trade books with friends who really read (not just sticky romances or work-related tomes)- and then talk about what we thought! I used to read a lot on airplanes when I traveled for my job. Now it seems like the only pleasure reading I do that does not include Dr. Suess or a Disney princess is on vacation. But it's something to look forward to! Below are some of the books I have in my Palm Pilot - ((sigh)) one day, another sandy beach.

Give It Up!: My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less (Paperback) by Mary Carlomagno
For a year, the author gives up something different each month: alcohol, shopping, newspapers, cell phones, dining out, television, taxis, coffee, chocolate and — for good measure — cursing, elevators and multi-tasking. Living a simple life is very appealing to me.

1000 Places to See Before you Die, Schultz. Hey, everyone needs a goal.

The Dwelling Place (sequel to The Swan House) The Swan House is one of my faves because it's set in my town, it has real southern charm and the characters are deep.

A History of God, Karen Armstrong. I'm fascinated by world religions right now. I'm in a yearlong Bible study in which I will read 75% of the bible by the end of the study. It has been so exciting to see history and my faith intersect, and I wonder about the beliefs of others and how they came about. Now I think the author is an atheist, so I'll be taking the whole thing with a grain of salt.

Mere Christianity, CS Lewis. This is supposed to be another amazing book about faith.

A Brief History of Israel. I can't get enough of learning about this region. The result of 9/11.

Your Money or Your Life. I'm not great at it yet, but I'm always into learning more about separating these two things!

Honeymoon with my Brother. This is a story about a guy who got dumped at the altar and decided to go ahead and take his honeymoon trip. It turns into a great story about adventure, travel and overcoming the bad stuff that happens to us. Saw him on Oprah - great guy.

The Known World, Edward Jones. I can't remember now what this is about...but I noted that it won the Pulitzer Prize.

Winning the Whining Wars, Whitman. I have two girls. Enough said?

1776, David McCullough. I don't usually go for history but when I saw this guy interviewed, I was enthralled with this story of early American history. It's huge. Gotta find the right time and place to tackle it.

The books I read on my S. C. beach vacation: The Swan House, The Mermaid Chair
The book I read during Christmas vacation this year: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - this is a GREAT book about a guy who decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. The author is Funny (with a capital F), and he includes amazing information about nature, history and the AT regions.

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