To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, the page count, and a grading scale (5 thumbs up - Highly Recommend, 4 thumbs up - Enjoyed, 3 thumbs up - Good, but not as satisfying as I'd hoped, 2 thumbs up - Meh, and 1 thumb down - Regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the first quarter of 2020 (for my full review, click on title):
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict - A fictional feminist account of the influence Albert Einstein's wife may have had in leading him to the theory of relativity. - 304 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍
The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck - Tenley Roth has a deadline for a follow-up to her acclaimed debut, but cannot write until she sits at an antique desk in her mother's home, a desk that once belonged to Birdie Shehorn, another writer. The two stories intertwine and present a view of the Gilded Age. - 352 pages, 👍👍-1/2
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - Jumping to the time before Peter Pan, the authors create a believable world and story for how Peter and the Lost Boys ended up in Neverland. - 480 pages (I listened in audio form to Jim Dale's narration, 7 CDs, 9 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - "A richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go." (back cover blurb) - 352 pages (I listened in audio form to Tom Hanks' narration, 8 CDs, 10 hours), 👍👍👍
Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good by Jan Karon - Another Mitford series novel, following Father Tim and his delightful wife as they return to Mitford after an extended sabbatical in Ireland and are swept into the chaos of many other characters' lives. - 510 pages, 👍👍-1/2
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - Inspired by true events, this tale of women working behind enemy lines to send radio transmissions to London affirmed female bravery but fell slightly flat. - 385 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 12 hours), 👍👍👍
I once acknowledged that I'm the queen of "what if?" I look back and pose the question; I look forward and pose the question. My family knows all too well my expert ability to play a scenario out to the worst possible end. My brain automatically kicks into overdrive exploring all the details that could go wrong. Indeed, last week, when I woke from an afternoon nap to discover my 15-year-old had gone to hang out at the house of his best friend (whose mother is a NURSE in a HOSPITAL during a PANDEMIC) I flipped!
Of course, the damage was already done, so I allowed him to stay there, but I sent him several reprimanding texts. He tried to assure me that the nurses are tested every time they enter and leave the hospital (like I believe that - I mean, I know several friends who believe they have the virus but cannot get tested - those tests are too rare to be using them at a revolving door of the hospital without indications to justify their use). I reminded him "Worry is my SUPERPOWER!" It's what I do best!
So what's a person to do when worry threatens to submerge you in its tsunami? Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Here are a few of my current praises (from the tremendous to the trivial):
My parents have settled into the gorgeous assisted living facility that graciously allows them to share an apartment despite my mother's greater level of assistance due to her dementia. Anyone who has faced care for a demented parent will recognize what a blessing this is because most often the Alzheimer patient is housed in a lock-down wing and the able-bodied spouse is forced to reside apart in another wing of the facility.
Since my father is still recovering from his broken arm, and my mother from dual troubles of kidney stone damage and bleeding issues associated with her "watermelon stomach," they both have doctor appointments they feel are absolutely necessary. This week, when my dad went to leave for his arm doctor appointment, they were met at the door and told that if they left, upon their return they would have to go straight into their apartment and undergo a 14-day quarantine. My mother had two appointments scheduled (one for kidney follow-up and one for the blood issues) the following day. My father deemed all these appointments "essential" and walked out the door.
He (who chooses to see God's hand in every detail far more than I am able) felt it would work out fine - they would spend the night at their house (still have the guest bed there), attend my mother's appointments, return and fulfill their quarantine period with just enough time to spare before her next appointments scheduled a little over two weeks from now. Instead of flexing my faith muscles, I took to the internet (always a bad idea). I read articles about assisted living patients who, after being sent to the hospital for various ailments non-COVID related, are being denied re-entry into their facilities. I imagined them riding out this storm, alone in their home without their clothes, meds, computers - everything now housed in their facility apartment.
⇰ I am PRAISING God that my dad's plan worked. After attending her appointments, they were allowed back in (something that has to fill assisted living facilities with great trepidation in the current climate). Although my mother is really struggling with the confinement and is digressing daily into belief that she needs to return to her childhood home because her parents are wondering where she is, they are both in a care facility and that fills me with intense gratitude and relief.
⇰ I am PRAISING God that my husband, executor and director of his family's farm operation, works from home (Indiana is locked-down in a stay-at-home order).
⇰ I am PRAISING God that my oldest son, Bryce (who just moved and took up a new position in Houston, Texas) has been told to work from home, and apart from going to see his girlfriend, is probably staying in place.
⇰ I am PRAISING God that my wayward son's attitude has improved. My husband resumed their nightly devotions together. He allows me to hug him - ha! (I'm getting in all the hugs I can, in case I ever reach a point where such hugs are out of the question - I think that is what I struggle with most - the stories of COVID patients dying alone.) He occasionally leaves to walk with friends, but is mostly holed up in our house, helping with chores we come up with to keep him busy.
⇰ I am PRAISING God for an opportunity that I discovered shortly before all this chaos kicked in. Even though this non-profit organization that pairs troubled youth with farms/ranches was in a distant northern suburb of Indianapolis, I took a gamble and called. In what could only be a "God thing," I learned that a facility in our rural hamlet had just requested placement. We are still in paperwork stages, but he has been approved for an internship working on a local ranch. I am hopeful that he may still be allowed to begin this and praying fervently that it will positively reach him and meet his needs.
⇰ I am PRAISING God for increased opportunities to enjoy the blessings of music. I loved the videos of Italians sharing their talents from balconies. I spend a portion of each day listening to hymn sing-alongs and musical meditations. I have several friends who offer up soothing piano playlists. My friend Deb shared this excellent video of a tenor horn player (hey, it's not often you see someone who plays my British instrument) playing the appropriate song "Be Ye Glad" ("In these days of confused situations, In this night of a restless remorse ... Comes a song bringing joy to the sad ... So be like lights on the rim of the water, Giving hope in a storm sea of night, Be a refuge amidst the slaughter ... There is no disease or no struggle, That can pull you from God, be ye glad!"):
⇰ I am PRAISING God for more time in Bible-reading and prayer. What a great opportunity to submerge into the promises of God and to lift every little detail to His throne! I have called a few individuals asking for prayer requests so I can pray with more precision. I may be a small cog, but I can play my part.
⇰ I am PRAISING God for his protection and provision. We are in-place and doing our part to flatten the curve.
⇰ I am PRAISING God for a season of sloppy schedules. The boys stay up late playing on-line with their friends and sleep until 11 or noon. Of course, this is a matter of perspective. My husband certainly wouldn't praise in this way. He is a detail-oriented, schedule and list-driven individual. Being a loosey-goosey schedule-averse person, I revel in the freedom to let down expectations. I am confident that once the spring break period is over and e-learning requirements become mandatory, the boys will accomplish what is required and do the work ... but for now, I appreciate not having to hound them or stress about strict schedules.
⇰ Finally, a truly frivolous praise - I am PRAISING God for an unexpected answer to a ridiculous prayer. I am in the process of growing out my gray hair. I haven't applied any color since June of 2019. Of course, I'm at that awkward stage of two-toned hair (pepper gray two-inch roots with lengths of brassy blonde) - HA - now I don't have to be seen in this condition. Nothing like a stay-at-home order to dwindle my interactions out and about in the world to non-existent. Of course, I will still see others in the limited on-line interactions for church and Bible study, but at least they're not seeing me up close and personal in my period of altered-appearance - HA!
So what praises are helping you to ride out this storm? What musical offering is blessing the socks off of you? What funny fare lightens your long hours with levity?
If my book club hadn't selected this title for the February meeting, I might have put it off further. I saw my sister carrying the book, its cover compelling me. When I discovered our library had the audio version, I leapt at the chance to listen (hoping to finish in time for the February meeting, but falling short - no worries though since they cancelled that meeting because of poor expected attendance). I had begun another audio book prior to my trip to Florida, but switched to this new title.
Pam Jenoff did a good job of presenting yet. another. war. story. The Lost Girls of Paris is based on actual activities of female radio operators sent to France. The role of women in wartime is always interesting and worth considering, so I listened with rapt attention. Still, I ended the book feeling average interest. While the hook - a woman finding a suitcase full of photographs of the female entourage - enticed, the story lacked something. The romantic plot-lines felt hollow. The details failed to convince. I would give the book three stars.
Almost as soon as I finished writing my review for Bill Bryson's materialistic presentation of the wonder that is the human body, I picked up this little book on Albert Einstein, another work that contemplates the conflicts that sometimes arise between science and religion. I was eager for a different (possibly fairer) presentation of Albert Einstein than the one Marie Benedict painted in her book, The Other Einstein, reviewed here. Written from a feminist perspective, Benedict's book left the reader loathing Einstein and lauding his superior wife. I just couldn't swallow her view of the situation as fact rather than a priori assumption.
Alister McGrath, professor of science and religion at Oxford University, provides an accessible and interesting outline of Einstein's genius and his contributions to scientific theory. A Theory of Everything (That Matters): A Brief Guide to Einstein, Relativity & His Surprising Thoughts on God is a quick read. Although I wouldn't say I have a tremendous grasp on scientific things, I read the book in one sitting and understood most of what I read. I appreciated that, while McGrath acknowledges Einstein was not a Christian, he believes we have something important to gain in reflecting on Einstein's thoughts and words. McGrath's premise is that Einstein was always seeking the "big picture" and wanting to integrate what he understood about the world around him with what remained a mystery.
I agreed with Einstein's parable of the lion: "Nature shows us only the tail ... but I do not doubt that the lion belongs to it even though he cannot at once reveal himself." As McGrath explains, "what we observe of the universe is a manifestation of a far greater unseen reality that lies beyond our capacities to grasp and hold." Einstein held a "firm belief in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience." I appreciated McGrath's metaphor (attributed to Sir Thomas Browne) for the roles of science and Christianity - he likened it to two books, nature and the Bible, both pointing to God as the author - "creation discloses the Creator." So, despite Einstein's failure to believe in a "personal God," we can still enter into dialogue with Einstein's thoughts to enhance beliefs that are consistent with such a God. I liked this author's dissection of Einstein's life far better than Marie Benedict's.
I wish I had my husband's memory skills. He remembers everything; I remember little. I can't recall how I first encountered this stirring worship song, but I have been playing it repeatedly (mostly while waiting to pick up my boys from school or work). I love so many things about it: the call and response aspect, the repeated refrain of two words, the lyrical, engaging quality of the music, the subject of God's majesty, wisdom, and honor. I love the expression of His ability to break through the barriers we experience in this fallen world and redeem that which is broken. It is truly my favorite song, of the moment.
We sang this together in worship at our annual Bible camp last summer. I wish I could have been there for this Sing Conference to join with the throngs. Although there are several covers for this song (Chris Tomlin, Shane & Shane, and Andrew Peterson's own music video), this is my favorite version. I love the timbre of Peterson's voice and the magnitude of the masses. Oh, how we need this reminder in the midst of our dark and broken world, where shadows are, indeed, deepening daily. He is the light to not only shatter the darkness, but carry us through that darkness. (The only thing I don't like about this You Tube video, is the miniscule moment when a man breaks the atmosphere of the spirit of worship to kiss-cam.):
Kudos to Andrew Peterson for such excellent songwriting! If you'd like to see the lyrics or more about what prompted the writing of this song, read this New Release Today article.
If you've never read Bill Bryson, you must remedy that! He is a delightful and funny writer. His breadth of knowledge on various subjects is astounding. I first discovered his books when a CBLI speaker mentioned his book, I'm a Stranger Here Myself (about being an American returning to live in the States after years spent living in England). Then, I chuckled my way through A Walk in the Woods, while waiting for Bryce to compete in YuGiOh tournaments back when we lived in Illinois, laughing out loud by myself in the car. This new book, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, is in the same vein as his entertaining book, At Home (reviewed here).
The back cover declares, "Bill Bryson, bestselling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, takes us on a head-to-toe tour of the marvel that is the human body. As addictive as it is comprehensive, this is Bryson at his very best, a must-read owner's manual for everyone." However, I don't believe this book is for "everyone." In my humble opinion, if you wish to read outstanding books about the phenomenal nature of the body, I would recommend Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey's books, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, and In His Image. The biggest hang-up for me with this book was that Bryson presents all of this knowledge from a perspective I cannot embrace (evolution and random design). How can anyone digest all this intricate information about the body and maintain that we evolved from chimps to stand upright now and that it was all a meaningless venture that happened out of thin air? Blinded eyes admit the grand design but refuse to acknowledge the grand designer.
However, although I could not embrace Bryson's world-view or his lens, I enjoyed learning so many facts about the body. I attempted to share some unusual discoveries with my sons: cacosmia is a disorder of the sense of smell where, for the afflicted individual, everything smells like feces. Or how about this tidbit: "you can remove two-thirds of a liver and it will grow back to its original size in just a few weeks.... We don't know how a liver knows to grow back to just the right size and then stop growing, but it is lucky for some of us that it does." Or how about the power of flatus "tragically demonstrated in Nancy, France, in 1978 when surgeons stuck an electrically heated wire up the rectum of a sixty-nine-year-old man to cauterize a polyp and caused an explosion that literally tore the patient apart." I wriggled with discomfort reading about Samuel Pepys and his 1658 lithotomy - yikes, couldn't even read that one to the boys because it was beyond the scope!
I still highly recommend Bill Bryson as an entertaining and knowledgeable writer. Everyone should experience his wry wit and his extensive compendium of facts. How I would love to meet the man! Although, I dare say, I'd be greatly tempted to share the gospel with him in the hope he might catch a glimpse of the Creator behind the amazing creation.
One of the great joys of blogging is meeting fellow travelers along the road who share similar loves and lives. I have several blogging friends with all sons and several who share my joint passions of books and boys. I cannot remember precisely how I met Maria Novajosky (known in comments as Bia). Perhaps it was through Rachel Balducci's mommy blog Testosterhome (for her excellent video on mothering boys, click here - I especially benefited from the 7:10 minute point, where she talks about asking God to show you the positive side of the strong challenging characteristics in your sons). Or perhaps it was through another mommy blog I used to follow regularly (this mom had 10 kids, lived on a beautiful mountain, and wrote fascinating posts, yet I haven't visited it in years). Maybe she saw one of my comments on another blog (back in the day, I used to stay up until 2 a.m. reading and responding to blog posts). But we connected easily because she has three sons, contemplates spiritual subjects, and is a writer. Visit Maria's blog, La Dolce Vita: The Sweet Life With Three Sons, for bits of poetry (infinitely better than mine), dashes of son love, contemplations on faith, and musings on Southern hospitality.
When I discovered Maria had published a book, I was both green and greedy. I wanted it, but was trying to cut back on book-spending. Thus, I waited until Christmas and put it on my list for my husband (not always a sure bet). Thankfully, it was under the tree and even made my list of top gifts of the season.
An Ocean, An Airplane, and Two Countries Full of Kisses is a love letter to family and faith, to tradition and travel. In the book, we meet Maria's dear Nonna, who embodies faith, food, Italy, letter writing, and love. What a rich heritage Maria has! What a blessed life she's lived! And the reader gets to pull up a chair, pour a glass of wine, open a jar of Nutella, and get to know her more intimately. I would love to join one of her tours of Italy (she takes groups of women and shares her beloved Nonna's mother country) or even sit on her back porch in Georgia and pass hours talking about God's marvelous blessings.
Every time I pass this local restaurant sign, I think of Maria and her love of Italy and Nutella:
