late book report: march reads

Book talk it is! Get ready for booksy talkings, right here, get your book talk, cheap! 

Seriously, y'all. I could talk books for days. Today,I had to go to the library to print out a registration form so I could foist my child on strangers for his care (I know, I know, we just don't have room for our printer on our desk and seriously, I don't print very much stuff). Anyway, I had to leave the library quickly (to take Thomas for his first!Mother's Morning Out! but that's another post) and I hated to leave without looking, but there was no time. It's like one huge dessert cart for my soul, the library is, and I am *thisclose* to going back because well, I didn't get a chance to LOOK. 

As if I don't have a bedside table FULL of books that need to be read. Or perhaps some that are read and just not transistioned to full time life in a bookshelf.  Ahem. 

Also, for your viewing pleasure, some serious monkey-jumping-on-the-bed-silliness. 

(As you can see, he survived total strangers caring for him for a whole two hours! Will wonders never cease?)

(Wow, and guess who got the dishwasher unloaded before 5 p.m.? A miracle, surely?) 

But yeah, so where we were! Books! Lovely books! 

Here's what I read in March: 

In The Company of The Courtesan - Sarah Dunnant

Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese

These High, Green Hills - Jan Karon

The Giant's House - Elizabeth McCracken

Out to Canaan - Jan Karon

A New Song - Jan Karon

Escape - Carolyn Jessop

In This Mountain - Jan Karon

Let's get all the Jan Karon books out of the way first, shall we? What can I say about the Mitford series? It's compulsively readable; you have to know what happens to this town full of people. Sometimes I felt like it was a wee bit too dragged out, and my favorite one in this batch is A New Song, where Father Tim and Cynthia go to a island community on an interim basis. 

In the Company of the Courtesan was truly good - I loved that it was told from the viewpoint of her little person business partner. I think I might even like it better than The Birth of Venus, but I can't be completely sure. I loved all the details about Venice, and how totally dangerous such a place was at that time in history.  Not to mention, it's fascinating to learn how a courtesan operated. 

Cutting for Stone - I can't praise this novel enough. You should read it, you really, really should. I will say that in the beginning, I almost gave up on it - there was a lot of graphic medical stuff right up front and I'm not a huge fan of detailed surgery scenes. For a plot that seems somewhat convuluted on the book jacket- twin sons of a nun and surgeon, revolution, etc. - it was so much more than I expected. As much I as love reading things that take place in India, I love Africa stories as well. This is a rewarding read; a true family saga. Deep and rich and I want a copy on my bookshelf, for sure. 

Yeah, go read it. 

The Giant's House - This was one book I kept picking up and putting back down, so that may account for my lukewarm feelings toward it. It's a well written book, of course, and I was excited to read more of McCracken's work after liking her short story collection so much. I don't know; I guess I couldn't understand falling in love with a boy giant, but the way this very insular librarian cares for him is a different sort of love story. You wonder, is this appropriate?  You know things can't end well; there's a strong melancholic thread through the whole thing. 

Escape - Wow. What a read. I am inordinately fascinated by the whole culture of the FLDS, and no, I haven't watched Big Love (yet). This is the story of a plural wife, Carolyn Jessop, and she tells the whole ugly truth. Carolyn was the wife of a powerful man within the FLDS and ended up leaving, taking her children with her and winning custody of them. (One of her daughters ends up returning to the community and I saw her interviewed on Oprah, not long ago.) Her struggle is mind boggling. It's just such a strange way of life (imagine having your religious leader's words piped into your school) and at times reading this, I got really angry. Angry that there are men who yearn to control women so absolutely and justify it in the name of religion, angry at the child abuse and neglect that happens when there are piles of children in one house, like notches on a belt, angry at the wasteland of these women's lives. It's not about having many wives, that doesn't bother me, oddly - their whole existence is justified by their husband's standing in the community and what they believe in the afterlife - it's very far from Christian, I can tell you that. It's spiritual slavery. It made me deeply grateful that I wasn't born into such a culture, and my heart goes out to the men and women who have descended into this perverted cult, who truly believe they're doing what's right and what's of God. Those are strong words, but true. I honestly believe that many of these people are brainwashed. As you can tell, I feel strongly about this topic, and if you want to read something that will make you think, read this book. 

More book talk, coming soon. 

Thomas says: What are YOU reading? Because my mother obviously doesn't have enough to read. 

Comments

[lizardek]

I LOVE that octopus shirt!

[Kristin T. (@kt_writes)]

I am SO happy to have your reading list. Also, I'm smiling just from your contagious joy for reading that bubbles over in this post. That kind of book-related joy has always been an important part of my life, but it has faded some. (I blame the amount of time it takes to keep up with my blog.) Anyway, I'm hoping to catch it again this summer with some good reading. Thanks!

[Megsie]

My book club read "Under the Banner of Heaven" which also deals with FLDs, as well as an historical look of the Mormon Church. I must say, before I read the book, I had no opinion on polygamy, but afterward, I had strong feelings like the ones that you mentioned.

I am between novels right now, but am still trying to get through Barbara Colorosa's "The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander." Really good information, but does not keep me awake, and it is on my bedside table.

[Sam]

Megsie, I've read "Under The Banner Of Heaven" - I think that's the book that really introduced people to the world of the FLDS. I really want to go back and re-read it, now that I've read two books from former plural wives.

Kristen, you run a fabulous blog. Book joy is such a funny thing - I just love the world of books!

[violetismycolor]

I actually LOVED The Giant's House. It spoke to me, for some reason. And...Wow, you read a lot!

[Bethany]

I love these posts you do... "Dessert cart for my soul" is an incredibly appropriate phrase! I may or may not be crying, though, at the utter lack of English-language libraries here. I'll have to check out Escape when I get a chance; the few seasons of "Big Love" I've watched have thoroughly snarled my mind, and I can't help being fascinated by that lifestyle.

[el-e-e]

Book Report! Excellent! All of these are now on my list. Well, Escape has BEEN on my list; I too have a weird fascination-relationship with the FLDS (and mainstream LDS for that matter). But those other books sound positively TANTILIZING.

I am slogging through the first few pages of Edgar Sawtelle at the moment - waiting for my typical Chapter Two Pickup. Book Club is fast approaching!!

[julie]

I love to read Jan Karon's books. I just FEEL GOOD when I do and the stories/characters are so fun.

[Sam]

I love that everyone has Escape on their to-read list. For the record, I picked up my copy in the grocery store. Have I mentioned my love for Kroger? Sometimes they have really good sales and you can get a great book for pretty cheap. I'm all like, pasta, tuna fish...BOOKS!

el-e-e, I really enjoyed Edgar Sawtelle. Give it time, you will get hooked and not be able to put it down!

[lindsey]

am thinking i need to relinquish my moniker. you are putting me to shame. we listened to "under the banner of heaven" on audible on our way to mississippi and back to new york. am a huge fan of "big love" and this book was very eye-opening. currently have "monsters of templeton" and "the 19th wife" on reserve at the library, while reading "a confederacy of dunces." i love that it's set in new orleans! happy summer reading. and i love that last picture of thomas with the accusatory point and look.

xo