Summer Reading

I wrote this at the end of the summer and never posted it. Thought I would hit post so I can remember what I read. I just can't wait until I can get back to reading after nursing school is over in less than 9 weeks....

Summer reading list

1. Wuthering Heights - much more dark and depressing than I thought it would be - but great to read some good British Lit.

2. Gilead - really an amazing book. The book rambles on and is hard to get into for the first 100 pages but is so worth the perserverence. It is written from the perspective of a 80-something year old man in Iowa. I needed that perspective - the wisdom, the longevity, the slow pace in the midst of my whirlwind.

3. Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest- one of the best sellers and the first in the trilogy of stories by a Swedish author. The story was captivating and the underlying theme of the treatment of women in the society was interesting. Certainly won't be a book for everyone but I enjoyed it.

4. Pillars of the Earth - epic story of a stone mason's family in the early 1100's and the relationships and entanglements of that family with the local monastery and Earl of the region. I was surprised I enjoyed reading about how cathedrals were built...and the family story was good.

5. The Help - good summer read. The book is set in Mississippi in the 60's and written from the perspective of the Help. Good read - especially in the sticky heat of summer when I could almost hear the screen doors slamming on the wooden porch and taste the chalky dust from the roads in my mouth while I read beneath the cool of my ceiling fan.

6. Harry Potter Books 1-7 - I haven't really had the chance to read these until now but I can totally see why they are so popular and why everyone has told me to read them. Rowling really created an amazing world with stories that draw you into the magical world of wizards. And I also see why there is some caution in letting your kids read them. But I'm so glad I had the chance to read them--- of course from my perspective I don't identify with the kids in the story as much as I do Mrs. Weasley, the mom of the large red-headed family who knits sweaters for everyone at Christmas!

7. Love and Respect - it had a good point and good reminder of the truth of the Bible of Ephesians 3:22. The book read something like a info-mercial for the book (numerous letters from those who read it and wrote to the author) and I skimmed some parts because of the repitition but worth the read though not a literary masterpiece.