The Red Tent by Anita Diamant- This book was an
extra-credit assignment for the Mrs. Metclaf’s 10th grade class (I
was in World Studies at the time; only the best class ever), and I heard a buzz
about it from my teammates on drill team. I always wondered why the cover
looked so foreboding (kinda scary) and why everyone seemed to have read it and
loved it. Loretta lent it Robin who then lent it to me for the month of July
and I loved it! Even though there were a few scenes that were a bit shocking,
it was very well written and a neat in-depth perspective of what life was like
for Jacob and the families of the Old Testament…especially what it was like for
women, who don’t show up often in biblical stories. One of the big insights was
how the author compared the relationship between Leah & Rachel…I would hate
to be in that love triangle! I would recommend this book-definitely not for
young readers, though.
Eragon & Eldest by Christopher Paolini- As
I was still in mourning for the death of my Kindle, I was looking for some new
pages to read once we reached Jo-burg at the beginning of the month.
Thankfully, one of the bookstores was having a sale in the middle of the mall
and I chose to buy this 2-in-1 book that was about $7. I had good things about
it, namely from my dear friend Bailey Jo, and have been meaning to read it for
some years now. I usually have to be in a special mood for sci-fi/fantasy, but
I devoured both of these books in about a week! The author had the first book
published by the time he was 19, and the second by the time he was 21!! I was
thoroughly impressed by his writing skills for such a young man, though he has
been criticized for taking too many ideas from LOTR and Star Wars. Great read,
and great for kids, too.
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent-
Daniela, one of our dear Real-Lifers, bought this book at the mall in Pretoria
and it circulated the team in the matter of days! I was a little hesitant to
read a book that seemed so “cutesy” with the kid on the front and all, but it
was such a cool perspective of what Heaven is, how much Jesus loves us, and the
spiritual journey of a child. It is an extremely quick read, though; I was sad
when it ended.
Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle- also a book
provided by Daniela from the great land of America, this book chronicles the
adventures of an Irish priest that has a heart for the gangs of LA. His
“Homeboys” program has helped many gang members to escape from that hard life,
find jobs, and go on to become upright citizens of the community. He has lots
of funny anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book, mixed in with many sad stories
of death and hate. This book makes me want to be involved with inner-city
missions and I really hope I can visit his center during my 2-day-stay in LA
when I get back to America. Great book.
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken- I borrowed this
book from Raimie, and didn’t quite know what to think about what I’d heard. The
cover boasts of containing many letters from CS Lewis, but I was confused on
what the book was actually about. Sheldon tells stories from his life, how he
met and fell in love with his wife Jean, and their “pagan” adventures
(including tales of sailing, Oxford, a deep sense of wanderlust, and the like).
The book tells of their curiosity of Christ, how Jean suddenly felt the love of
God and Sheldon had to be pursued for many years before knowing the Lord. There
are letters spread intermittently throughout that show the correspondence of
Lewis and Sheldon-how he sought the Oxford professor for advice and insight as
to who this Christ was. I don’t think I have ever read a book that
tells of a couple more in love than S&J-they cared for one another so much
and were the best of friends. Sadly, Jean fell ill and died an untimely death.
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did-you should read it.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander
McCall Smith- I read this in 2003 in our World Studies class and remembered
loving the stories of Ma Ramotswe and how she solved her cases. Carmen let me
borrow it for a few days, and it was so fun to read it “in country” (well, it
happened in Botswana, but she did go to South Africa a few times). I read about
things like visiting the Standard Bank, stopping by the PEP store-things you do
in SA-and felt so special being able to picture everything in my head. If you
haven’t read this series yet, you really should!
There you have it!
