Do you ever feel like there are just too many books and so little time? Online newsletters abound, books on numerous topics and a large variety of podcasts and videos continue to flood our email, news feeds and social media.  The pandemic has gifted us with this plethora of reading materials and hopefully some extra time to read!  In the past few months I’ve read four or five various books, parts of others  and there are several more on my shelf waiting to be read.  I prefer to get most of my books from the library, as it definitely cuts down on my book expenditures and it also promotes using and visiting the library.  However, I have also found that the library waits for no one.  When your 14 days to rent the book are over it needs to be returned as there’s a full list of avid readers waiting for their next adventure.  I suggest you plan carefully when using the library so you don’t end up with 4 books ready to be picked up at one time.  Unless you’re a speed reader!!

I thought I read a variety of books until I joined a book club and had an eye-opening journey into a whole variety of topics of which I hadn’t even cracked open the cover.  I’ve discovered topics I will probably not read again, new topics that I really did like and will continue to pursue and I’ve also enjoyed some autobiographies, which I certainly didn’t think I’d like. Given my latest book reading adventures, I thought I’d offer you a few of the books I’ve found inspiring in the past and maybe you’d like to read them also. Maybe you’ll find something in these suggestions that’s a bit out of your comfort zone and surprise yourself.

My favorite book of the past couple years has been, “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.” By Atul Gawande.  This is a very captivating story that may keep you reading straight through to the end.  The book is a wonderfully written expose of aging, death, and the medical profession.  It provides a meaningful roadmap through the ageing process and describes how rather than focusing on dying, we should be living right up to the end with dignity and joy.  The author is a surgeon and a staff writer for the The New Yorker and a professor at Harvard Medical School.

My new next favorite is, “The Choice: Escaping the Past and Embracing the Possible”, written by Dr. Edith Eva Eger.  If anyone had told me I’d like a book based on history and also a memoir I would have said, never, as I don’t typically read either and this is both all in one book.   Not only did I enjoy this book, I am sure it will be one that I will reread again.  This is a very moving story of Edith Eger and her story of being a Holocaust survivor.    The Choice reads like a novel, rather than a historical account of her experiences with the Nazis camps.  For me it was a book filled with hope in spite of utter despair and sadness all around her.  I found her story to be a real inspiration including the fact that she was 84 when it was written and has  recently written another follow-up book titled, The Gift, at age 94.  She is a psychologist who shares with us how to forgive ourselves and others so we can move forward with our lives.  This is truly an amazing book.

I have also enjoyed, “Simply Surrender”, by Therese of Lisieux.  If you’re looking for a way to just take in bits and pieces of a saints life, this book works beautifully.  It’s broken down into 30 days with readings for each day.  Each of these little stories are a great way to start your day as they are short and also provide some insightful reflection.  It’s always interesting to read that many of the struggles of the saints are not much different than our own. There are a series of these little books by different saints, so you’ll have many from which to choose and may find one that speaks to you.

My last suggestion for this month is “The Four Winds: A novel by Kristin Hannah.  Since I’m not a native Texan and did not study Texas history, this was a real eye-opener story for me to read about the Great Dust Bowl and the people who lived through this period in history.  There were times while reading the story that I could feel the dust in my eyes and easily imagine shoveling  3 inches of dust out of the house each night. My husband and I have driven through Dalhart, TX many times in the past years as we traveled to Colorado to visit my brother.  I now recognize as we traverse that area how it could easily be the backdrop for a great dust storm.   This is another heartfelt story of resiliency and hope among the people who lived through that period of history.  Kristin has a talent for keeping you engaged while she weaves her tales of people living through hard times.  She has numerous other books you might also enjoy, so give her a read.

Now that I’ve got all my trees stored away until next year, I’m in search of another great read.  I’m working to keep that study leg of my faith tripod ( prayer, study and action) sturdy.  If you have suggestions you’d like to share with me, just reply in the comment section.   I’d love to hear from you!!

Happy Reading! Marj