I’ve been working my way through a bunch of books right now. I’ve always got several books going at once for different moods and different times of the day. I prefer Christian/inspirational/Bible-based books (and the Bible itself, of course) in the morning and maybe right before bed (depending on how much anxiety I’ve got that day), relaxing ones in the lull between finishing lunch and starting dinner, and heavier books when I feel like I can handle heavier topics (which isn’t often lately, which is why I’ve gravitated towards children’s/young adult books).
[Ugh, I’m so bummed! I was driving home the other day from some stupid random outing, and I saw a “library book sale today” sign on the front of the library. I missed the first, critical day of the area’s best library book sale by ONE HOUR! I was so mad the whole rest of the day. I LOVE library book sales. Bummer! But I did go the next day, when everything was all picked over, and I found a few random art books … and a book called The Gospel According to Tolkien. SCORE! I’ve been totally addicted to Lord of the Rings since lockdown 2020, so I was tickled pink to find this book. Made it okay that I missed the sale the day before. Well, not really, but kinda.]
And as much as I love having several different books going at once, it does make me feel a bit scattered. And of course, it takes longer to get through any one book. And so I always feel a small sense of accomplishment and relief (and a twinge of sadness, if it’s a really good book) when I finish a book, closing its cover for good.
Well, this past week or so, I finished several at once. Yay for me!
The third Anne of Green Gables book (Anne of the Island)
– Every Anne book has been delightful so far!
A great way to spend a few minutes in the afternoon.
Animal Farm by George Orwell – I had such a bad,
panicky reaction to Nineteen Eighty-Four that I wasn’t sure
if I would dare to read Animal Farm too (or any other dystopian book). But this one was much less triggering but
still very insightful into the ways of men - men who want to take over the
world and subjugate the people, who become the very oppressors they started out
fighting against (or just appeared to fight against). Very timely.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – For the second
time. I was reading other books but
itching to start this one again, seeing as how I’ve been addicted to all things
Hobbit lately. Can’t get enough! (Seriously, there must be something wrong with me.)
The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern (😉)
– Absolutely loved it! This is one of
those where both the book and movie – although a bit different - are equally
wonderful and both worth reading and watching over and over again! The ending was a little different than in the
movie, but I loved it nonetheless (“Cough drops” – funny). And you should see the gorgeous hardcover
version I got, with its thick, tinted pages, wonderful fonts, and beautiful
sketchings! (I wish I could draw.) I love the way this author writes, the random
interruptions and bunny trails, the quirky, fun little interjections, etc. He writes how I talk. And it totally amuses me.
Charles Stanley’s Finding Peace: God’s promise of a life
free from regret, anxiety, and fear - because I need all the help I can get
to keep my anxiety down and stay focused on the Lord instead of on my fears.
2 of the 8 Brambly Hedge books, by Jill Barklem – a
children’s series about a community of mice.
Gorgeous art. This is one of my most
recent purchases. A friend of mine loved
these as a child, and so I bought her a set as an adult … because someone who
loves these books this much should have a set of their own. And since I was ordering one for her, I
bought one for me too. Her appreciation
of them rubbed off on me. Delightful
little stories. (And, wouldn't you know it, just a few weeks later I found a set of them at a thrift store for way less. Figures! I never thought I'd ever see these in a store anywhere.)
Awhile back I finished Treasure Island by Robert Louis
Stevenson – meh! But I’m glad I read it
anyway. (Some advice: Never read the prologues
or introductions of a book before reading the book, especially if they are
written by someone other than the author.
Twice now an intro has revealed what happens in the end of the
book. WHY!?! Why ruin it for others? What is wrong with you!?! Why not have a “spoiler alert” notice? Ugh! I
was so angry for days. And I had been
looking forward to starting that book for weeks. But then I stupidly go and read the intro
first, which revealed how it ended, and then I wasn’t sure I even wanted to
read it anymore. Because now that I knew
the end, it wouldn’t be the same. I was
so mad at myself for reading the intro first.
But I did it because I thought maybe there would be some background info
that would help me enjoy or understand the story more. Boy was I wrong!)
A 3-in-1 Max Lucado book (The Great House of God, Just Like Jesus, and When Christ Comes) - I know some Christians critique Lucado harshly for being too “Bible-lite,” and that’s fine. But with all the trauma I’ve had in my life, I really enjoy some “Bible-lite” books sometimes, ones that are less about reaching your mind or shocking your senses and more about comforting your heart, that just help give you some hope. And so I am okay with Lucado. (I’m not going to talk about or worry about his supposed recent “virtue signaling,” where someone told me he apologized for being white or something like that.)
I’m still reading a few books (or recently started them),
but I’m getting through them, slowly:
The Magnificent Obsession by Anne Graham Lotz – While this isn’t as good as my favorite Christian book written by her (Just Give Me Jesus, which I’ve already read twice, I believe), it’s still good. A friend and I are using it as a “book club” book, reading at the same pace so that we can discuss it. And it’s been good for that.
A U2 biography – I started this long ago but got bogged
down in the “blah” side of this book and put it on hold for awhile (I would
have loved a much more personal look into the band, instead of the more
businessy side), but I intend to get back to it soon. Maybe. If I'm bored enough.
Tony Evans’ little devotional book Experience the Power
of God’s Names – I think he is one of the best, most accurate preachers out
there, theologically. And since we
support his ministry (because we left our church a few
years ago after it was taken over by Calvinism, see my blog The Anti-Calvinist Rant), we get lots of free books and sermons-on-CD from him. I’ve been stockpiling them in a cabinet in
the hopes that when the rapture happens (God-willing it will be very, very, VERY soon!), these CD’s will be here for someone to find during the tribulation,
especially since I expect the anti-christ would remove
Christian things from online. Don’t
laugh at my ideas! Time will tell if Bible
prophecy is right or not. (Do you know
where you’re going when Jesus comes back or when you die? Are you ready to find out? See "Starting Your Own Relationship with Jesus".)
Kay Arthur’s book Is It Warfare? Teach Me to Stand - nothing new or earth-shattering,
but good reminders
A book called Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction by Tom Raabe - just a fun one about what
it’s like to be addicted to books
And then finishing all the books I finished opened up my
schedule for some new ones - because apparently the 5 I'm still working through right
now aren't enough. (But seriously, I did need to add some more lighthearted
ones.)
But as I gazed at two bookshelves in my room and two big boxes of books, amounting to a few hundred books, I had no idea where to start, which one to choose. Too many options. Analysis paralysis. Brain shutting down. And so I reached into one of the boxes and grabbed the first book I saw ...
Kenny and the Dragon. A children's book. And within the first page or two, I realized it was a great choice.
We'll see how it goes.
And for a more grown-up book, I also started reading my most recent purchase ($3 at Half Price Books), Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, by Ben H. Winters. And … I am loving it! You know, it’s funny, because I hated the original Austen version. I felt it was boring and too old-fashioned and formulaic. (Not to mention her old English way of speaking was hard to understand at many points. I’d have to read and reread sentences and then read what was before it and read what was after it and then reread the sentences again to try to grasp what she was saying. Books shouldn’t be such hard work, unless it’s for school.) By the time I plodded halfway through the book, I was ready to quit. It felt like it was going nowhere. A great big waste of time. But since I was that far in, I had to just grit my teeth and plow through to the end. And when I was done, all I could think was, That was a waste of hours of my life that I can never get back!
But finding and reading this quirky, reimagined version made it all better. Suddenly, I was glad I read the original, because I could compare and contrast. And I better understand now what was going on. While there are a few gross parts, I am enjoying this quirky version so much more than the original. It’s just so off-the-wall, a little random and a bit twisted. (How I like things!)
Oh, and I'm starting the next Green Gables book too.
Like I said, too many to choose from.
Books, to me, are like potato chips: You can't have just one.
Or like Pokemon: Gotta catch 'em all.
