I like Mindy Kaling. She just makes me laugh out loud and I will always love her for her many contributions to The Office. I liked this one, though I think I liked her first book even better. (I mentioned that one here.) It's lightweight and fun, though whenever I finish a Mindy Kaling book, I find myself sighing, "I hope you find the right guy soon, Mindy. He's out there for you. Don't give up." It's the mom in me, I guess, or the Mrs. Bennett? Deep down, I think Mindy is sort of an old-fashioned girl in a new fashioned world, and I want her to enjoy the old-fashioned charm of marriage-for-a-lifetime.
This one is actually an audio course that pulls from Brown's books and her whole body of work. I've been listening to it when I walk the dog, therefore, if you were to observe my dog-walking lately you'd see me smiling, nodding knowingly, laughing out loud, knitting my brow in concern, or biting my lip as I ponder a cogent point. Before my conversion, when I was still lost, but fighting my way into an authentic life, I considered going back to school to become a psychologist. Brown's work covers many of the things that continue to fascinate and resonate with me: vulnerability, shame, empathy, gratitude, wholehearted living and striving for authenticity. In summary: I really look forward to my morning walks with Brene these days.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Just started this one.
It's the book I pick up when I have a few minutes here and there, so I'm not very far into it yet. I am, however, intrigued, about those missing ten years....
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller, Jr.
It's been on my to-read list for about 30 years and I'm finally getting around to it. I'm 1/3 of the way in and though it's rich in insight, the ending of Part One was a huge punch in the gut.
"The whole thing's a punch in the gut," said my friend, Jack, when I saw him yesterday. (He was the one who first recommended it to me some 30 years ago.) A punch worth enduring, though, I gather.
I will forge on, and keep you posted.
8 comments:
I really liked What Alice Forgot for a sort of "movie" reading experience. Finished Canticle...can't wait to talk about it!
Oooh, I know just what you mean by a "movie" reading experience. (Actually, I think I just saw that it is being made into a movie.) Looking forward to discussing Canticle with you!
Oh, I LOVE Canticle. I have to be very much in the right frame of mind to read it, because it is not exactly uplifting (and even less so when you find out what trajectory the author's life took after the book.. so sad). But I love it nonetheless. Have you gotten to "bless me Father, I ate a lizard?" - my favorite line in the whole book... A word of advice though. When you finish the book, you're going to wish for a sequel. You might then discover that there is one, of sorts. Take my word for it - don't bother reading it.
I read Canticle in high school and loved it with the passion of a thousand suns. I reread it recently and am planning on adding it to my kids' literature studies this year. :-)
Abby, I had the same reaction to Canticle! Knowing how is life ended really colored the book for me and made it more difficult to read, especially given the nature of the last part of the third section of the book. I won't give spoilers, since Karen has not finished, yet.
Karen, Alice would make a great movie!
Yes, I know about the end of Walter Miller's life, and just from conversations with Jack, know that it's not exactly uplifting, to say the least. Still, worth reading, and worth the discussion. Abby, yes, I'm past that line. A good one. :)
I also like, also about Brother Francis:
"This line of questioning was puzzling to Brother Francis. In his own mind, there was no neat straight line separating the Natural from the Supernatural order, but rather, an intermediate twilight zone."
Thanks for posting the books you're reading. I read "A Canticle..." 2 years ago and am still pondering the meaning of it all. I'll look forward to your thoughts at the end.
I'll be back as soon as I've finished it, Sonja!
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