The Attic

I got really into crafting this month. I have a few different projects going on. Hopefully I’ll finish them soon. Between spending most of my free time working on craft projects, and preparing for my Child Sponsorship presentation, I had a lot less time for reading. However, I was able to read a few good books!

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

This is the third book in the Inheritance Cycle. I reread Eragon and Eldest in previous months, and read this book in an attempt to finally get to the last book in the cycle which Nathan had given me for Christmas. I had read Brisingr once before, and I was amazed how much I had forgotten about the book. I was very glad to reread it. (See more below)

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Finally! I made it to the end of the series. I was actually sad when I got to the end of the book. It was a very good set of four books. The scale of this fantasy series is very large, and the author doesn’t touch on everything possible. He definitely sets himself up for other series set in the same world. Although the series is technically “Young Adult,” I feel that it is a good enough read for adults too. There are exciting battles, moral/ethical dilemmas explored, good character development….I can’t decide if I liked the ending or not. I can’t really say anything without revealing important details for potential readers. I guess I’ll say…in some respects, the ending was “too happy,” but looked at in a different light, it was “too sad.” If that isn’t confusing enough for you, I don’t know what else I can say. I definitely recommend the series, though, and I’ll almost definitely read it many more times in my life time. I’m excited to share it with my son when he is old enough.

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

I borrowed this book from my father-in-law when we visited in March 2011. I hadn’t read it yet, and we are returning to Indiana to visit at the end of May so I decided I had better read it…plus it was the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, so it was good timing. The book is a sort of minute by minute account of the last hours on the Titanic. I had never known that there was a ship so close…only a few miles away…that could have helped. The Titanic’s sinking is just a sad example of humankind’s hubris, miscalculation, and selfishness. Very awful indeed. A good read.

Sojourners Magazine – April 2012

Another excellent Sojourners issue. This one was focused on “banking for the rest of us” and how we can avoid the problems caused by big banks and their big profits. The highlight for me, though, was an article entitled The Innocence List. It highlighted the injustice caused by the death penalty, and interviewed members of the “Innocence List,” a list of people in the U.S. who had been sentenced to death with no physical evidence, and later were found to be innocent. One man served on death row for 18 years before being freed in 2002! These are stories that need to be heard by everyone.

I read quite a bit in March. I read a lot of variety. I’m just in a stage of my life where I feel like there are way too many good books to read, and not enough time to read them all. Oh well…first world problems…right? Here is what I read:

Holocaust Poetry compiled by Hilda Schiff

This book is a collection of poems written by holocaust survivors or about the holocaust. Some of the poems were very short, and a few a bit longer. The poems are organized into sections such as those about death, those about God, etc. Some of the poems were very moving, and others were almost too hard to read. I feel that poetry can be healing, and I’m glad that these poems were published in this way.

Mistborn  by Brandon Sanderson

My husband and I started a new tradition that we each get to choose the first book the other reads in March each year. For me he chose Mistborn. I had never read any Sanderson before this, but my husband loves his books. I have to say I was impressed. It was a fresh perspective on the fantasy genre for me. No elves or dwarves, but fantasy all the same. The book is the first in a trilogy so I look forward to reading the others someday soon.

Images of America: Shipwrecks of Coos County by H.S. Contino

This was just a for fun read I picked up off the library shelf. It was interesting to look at pictures of the New Carissa wreck. I vaguely remember that happening, but it doesn’t seem like the ship was around for so many years in my memory.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

I’ve read every one of Picoult’s books except for Sing You Home. I started that one and just couldn’t read it due to my own miscarriage experience. I just had to quit…maybe I’ll come back to it some day when the wounds on my heart are more fully healed. Lone Wolf is Picoult’s newest novel. It’s definitely not among my favorites, but it was still a very good read. Two siblings must decide whether to keep their father alive on life support, or to pull the plug. It was classic Picoult: lots of suspense, character development, and a tough issue.

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Can you believe I had never read this book before? I knew some of the Pooh stories, but I was pleased to finally read all of the tales. I was surprised to find that Eeyore is a much different character than he appears in the Disney version of the stories. His comments are a bit bitter at times. He’s more than just a sad, pessimistic donkey.

Awakening the Heart by Georgia Heard

I had to read this book for the continuing education poetry class I took during the winter. I finally finished the class (and the book) in March. The main idea of the author is that every person is a poet. Poetry is all around us, and is a way for us to express the feelings of our heart. So many teachers focus only on the form of poetry, and kids craft poems at school that are empty…then they grow up disliking poetry. The book teaches techniques for teachers to “awaken the heart” of their students so that this does not happen. I recommend the book and I hope I get to try out some of the techniques and centers some day.

Sojourners Magazine, March 2012

There was an interesting article on immigration in this issue. There was an interview of some immigrants who work on a dairy farm in the U.S, and how they are treated unfairly even though they are working hard, doing work that is important, and doing work no one else wanted to do. One farm owner admitted that he had gone into town and asked unemployed U.S. citizens to work for him, and they refused because the work was too difficult…so he hired immigrants. I find it difficult to understand why a country of immigrants is so closed-minded about immigration today…but that is for another post.

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

Oh, what a wonderful book! Definitely one of my favorites in this genre. Some might think Manning’s view points a bit radical, but I think his view of the gospel is a good one. It is both a huge relief and a bit unsettling to think that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. It is by the grace of God, and the sacrifice of His son that we are forgiven.

War Horse  by Michael Morpurgo

Here is another children’s book I’ve been wanting to read. I saw it on the New York Times best seller list, and thought I’d better read it so that I am prepared whenever I get back into the teaching field. The book is written from the perspective of a horse that gets sold into the army during World War I. A fun and interesting read.

A Lucky Child  by Thomas Buergenthal

This book is a memoir. The author survived Auschwitz and other concentration camp experiences as a child. It is remarkable that he survived as only a ten year old, as most children were killed immediately upon arrival at the camps. The memoir is a tale of loss and horror. I cannot imagine if my child had to go through these experiences. The book is odd in that it is mostly devoid of emotion. The author claims that it is just how he dealt with it over the years, and I do not blame him for it. We need as many voices crying out their stories as possible. This book deserves to be read.