Reading

Here is my reading update for February.

Recently Finished:

Without a Trace by Colleen Coble - Excellent Christian fiction novel about a woman who lost her husband and son in a plane crash. Great mystery with some romance, too!

Night by Elie Wiesel - I'm almost at a loss for words about this one. One of my most avid reading topics is World War II and the Holocaust in particular. It is not that I "enjoy" reading about the tragedy of others, but, more that I am utterly baffled by these atrocities and I think that by reading I will find some plausible explanation. Needless to say, there is no explanation, but I have met many a survivor and deceseased along the way that has challenged, encouraged and inspired. I can't bring myself to say this is a "great" book. Simply because the subject is so horrible. But, Wiesel is almost poetic in his tragedy and I found myself praying for him, today.

Confessions of a Slacker Mom by Muffy Mead-Ferro - Much lighter reading than my last one! Mead-Ferro owns up to her shortcomings and successes as a parent in this funny and often true account of raising children today. She compares our "safety net/bubble wrapped" parenting style to the "freedom" she experienced growing up, in an era much like us, on a cattle farm. She is hilarious in some of her observations. She encourages parents to "be parents" and to parent by their instinct ("make do with what you have, where common sense and generational wisdom prevail") not the 50 million books/talk shows/Internet out there. (The only book I read during pregnancy and the early childhood rearing days of my kids was What to Expect When You Are Expecting and looking back, I really didn't learn that much. I never read a book on how to feed, potty train, discipline or otherwise raise my kids and if I do say so myself, they've thus far, turned out pretty well. Instead, I relied on what I learned growing up from my wonderful Nannie, Mama Walker and Mom. It took this book to help me realize that they knew what they were doing and that I owe them a big "THANK YOU" for passing it on to me!) I did disagree with her notations that scrapbooking is a waste of time.....she contended that she didn't believe in documenting every minute of her children's lives, but rather living it. Okay, there is some truth to that, but again, instinct, I'm not about to stop being a camera-toting, scrapbooking (or blogging...hehehe) mom.

A Boy No More by Harry Mazer - This third book in this young adult series (I'm back to my WW II thing) finds the main character signing up to join the Marines to validate his life. (His grandfather and father were military.) I love series books and I must say that I am sad to see ths one end.

Currently Reading:

Life is Tough, But God is Faithful - Sheila Walsh- Excellent and inspirational as are ALL of her works.

The Fireman's Wife by Susan Farren - I am into memoirs right now....go figure. I have literally just started this one (while waiting for pictures to upload to the blog) so I haven't read enough to fill you in yet. Watch back for more information.

Next to Read:

Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (who will be in Spartanburg this weekend!!!!)
Replay by Sharon Creech
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo