It's spring break this week, and I had great dreams of gentle, quiet leisure time, with our noses in books and not an ounce of bickering of the siblings or destroying of my house.
But then I woke up.
It was a nice dream while it lasted, and the truth is that I could really use a week with my nose in a book. My to-be-read list is bulging, and I have grounded myself from even clicking over to Amazon until I have whittled down the stack that currently sits next to my bed:
I don't know how they all got there; I can only guess that they are multiplying while I sleep.
(If you're curious and can't make out the titles in the picture, the books are Walking On Water, The Last Sin Eater, The Pixar Touch, Rain On Me, A Sane Woman's Guide To Raising a Large Family, The Irrational Season (Hubs noticed that one and asked, "Is it about you?" Cheeky.) Divine Commodity, The Summer Of the Great-Grandmother, A Circle Of Quiet, Bird By Bird, The Complete Stories Of Flannery O'Connor, and Fields Of the Fatherless.)
I am seriously counting on there being books in Heaven someday.
(And, though I may be sorry I asked because this pile will inevitably grow, I still want to know--what are you reading?)
On my nightstand currently are
The New Dare to Dicipline--Dobson
Heaven at Home--Plowman
Sheet Music--Leman
The Diet Cure--Ross
Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends--Mally
Having a Mary Spirit--Weaver
and I am trying to find a copy of the Excelent Wife--Peace--to add to the pile.
I too am sure that in heaven I will all the uninterupted reading time I can handle. Also uninterupted time to knit and to sew and to scrapbook...
Hoping you find some quiet time this week.
Posted by: Lisa F | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 03:54 PM
I am hoping to get through books 2 and 3 of the mark of the Lion series by Rivers this month. I am also finishing Simply Christian and Surprised by hope by NT Wright. They can only be taken in small chunks and chewed well. We are having "read ins" for 45 minutes each afternoon while Liam is sleeping. In fact I am supposed to be reading now. Do blogs count??? Happy reading!
Posted by: Tiffany | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:07 PM
Ouch - your stack looks like mine! And a wizened librarian once told me - for every book you read there are hundreds you CAN'T - so choose wisely!! I love your variety though! Maybe I'll get a few of those too, just to add to the pile!
Posted by: Leah | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:11 PM
Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs
The Associate by Grisham
Portrait of A Marriage and Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck
Posted by: Christina Z | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:25 PM
Walking on Water is AMAZING. I love Madeleine L'Engle and I have read this book several times.
Posted by: allysha | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:31 PM
Each L'Engle book will make you hungry to read the next and the next and the next. I love that woman like she is family and still grieve her loss.
But Bird by Bird also holds a very special place in my heart. The woman is so achingly out there with who she is, she's an inspiration.
On my table: Liars and Saints, several parenting books (Ames & Ilg for 3 and 5, Siblings Without Rivalry, How to Behave So Your Children Will Too), The Overachievers, Under the Banner of Heaven.
Oh, good luck with that list. And you will love every one of the L'Engles. Really.
Posted by: MemeGRL | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:44 PM
A Circle of Quiet
Are there step-by-step instructions in that??? I might need to get that one...
Posted by: MM | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:46 PM
you're on a L'Engle kick, huh?
I recently finished The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Clairborne. Very inspiring and got me fired up. Now I'm reading CauseWired by Tom Watson.
Fiction-wise, just got done with Mary E. DeMuth's Daisy Chain. She's a wonderful storyteller.
Posted by: Monica @ Paper Bridges | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 04:54 PM
Oh yayy!! A book post! LOVED Walking on Water! Shaw and L'Engle are such a spectacular writing duo! I just finished their "Friends for the Journey" - it made me cry. If you don't already have it, get their WinterSong for Advent...great read for quiet time and I'm terrible at quiet time!
In my pile right now...lot's of stuff on worship as I take on a new leadership role at my church...
Luci Shaw's "Breath for the Bones:Art, Imagination and Spirit: A Reflection on Creativity and Faith",
Mark Labberton's "The Dangeraous Act of Wirship: Living God's Call to Justice"
Bob Kauflin's "Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God"
Harold Best's "Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts"
Francis Chan's "Crazy Love"
Bruce Ware's "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" Relationships, Roles and Relevance"
and for some escapist fiction Sarah Addison Allen's "The Sugar Queen". I read "Garden Spells" recently and LOVED it.
Thanks for posting your pile...I've been meaning to add "Bird by Bird" to my list and I keep forgetting about it and then I forget the title...all I remember is that it's something about birds! So that will be added to my Amazon list NOW along with NT Wright's "Following Jesus".
I hope there's lot's of time to read in heaven...that's what my idea of heaven is! Well, that and all the praising and worshipping! ;)
Posted by: Christine | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Love Bird by Bird. :>)
I just finished The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell, Christian Chick Lit at its best
Next on my list is The Secret Life of Bees. It was given to me several YEARS ago! Time to get to it.
Posted by: Melanie | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:07 PM
Walking on Water and The Last Sin Eater are two of my top 5 books EVER. And Bird by Bird. Get it girl. Love you.
Posted by: AnnieBlogs | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:20 PM
Katrina at Callapidder Days is hosting the Spring Reading Thing this Friday. I'll be sharing my TBR list then.
The Last Sin Eater is a great book.
Posted by: Barbara H. | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:25 PM
After reading others insightful books that they plan on reading, I am a little ashamed to say that I have been sucked into the Twilight series. I am currently on New Moon. But hey, it's been a long time since I had even read a book before I picked up these! I've gotta start somewhere! I'd also like to read The Shack.
Posted by: Sandra | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:42 PM
I need something new to read. Just curious- did you ever read the Twilight books or am I the ONLY Mom that has never read them?
I am currently reading Brennan Manning's Abba's Child and it's made for great discussion in my heart!
Steph
Posted by: Adventures In Babywearing | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:44 PM
Love the book discussion!
I'm currently reading "Skinny Bitch" ... (sorry for the language)... I don't particularly like it. :)
Next up is The Mission of God by Wright
and...
The Last Sin Eater!
Posted by: Kacie | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:48 PM
sorry - forgot my URL : http://kaciesmixedmedia.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Kacie | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:49 PM
I love Madeleine L'Engle! Have you read "Two-Part Invention"? One of her absolute best and in my top 5 books EVER.
I'm reading adoption books (we're adopting from Ethiopia!), "Gift from the Sea", "Same Kind of Different as Me" and "Family Driven Faith."
Posted by: kate Z | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:57 PM
I'm into James Rollins these days - he's a Michael Crichton type writer (and I did shed tears when Michael Crichton died recently).
I love, love, love Francine Rivers! I hope you like The Last Sin Eater like I did!
Posted by: Damsel | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:57 PM
I'm only reading homeschool catalogs currently but wanted to say that Fields of the Fatherless is fantastic. I have had the pleasure to hear Tom Davis several times in person and his stories will change your perspective forever.
Posted by: Allison | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 05:58 PM
I just finished "Three Cups of Tea" about Greg Mortenson's work in Pakistan. It was fantastic. He's my new hero.
The rest of my non-fiction list consists of "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist and "Same Kind of Different as Me."
For fiction, I don't keep a list. I just go the library and get what looks good, and read the books my 8th grade students can't stop talking about.(Hot right now: Twilight series, Dan Shan's Cirque de Freak series, some Gregor books, and anything by Mike Lupica)
Posted by: Britney | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 06:07 PM
The Shack. I loved it and savored every chapter. This book blessed me by illustrating the specialness and uniqueness of each of the facets of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit all the while intertwining the three into one. It blessed me so much by demonstrating so concretely our Father's amazing and unconditional love for all of us.
Also, Growing God's Kids by Paula Smith-Culp. Available only on Lulu.com It's full of wonderful wisdom and based on Proverbs.
Having A Mary Spirit
The Every Man Series
Boundaries For Teens
The Last Lecture
Shannon, I am so blessed by you sharing your heart from the most tender and intimate of your life experiences to the incredible godly wisdom you so often glean from even life's most ordinary things.
You are an extraordinary and gifted writer. I look forward to reading your blog every day.
Posted by: peggy | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 06:25 PM
I've wanted to read "Fields of the Fatherless" for a while. I don't think my library has it, though.
What you need to do is stop sleeping. That's what works for me.
Posted by: Stretch Mark Mama | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 06:38 PM
The Last Sin Eater is wonderful.
Right now I'm reading The Reign of Grace by Scotty Smith. It's very timely that the Lord put this book in my lap at this point in time in my life.
Happy reading!
Posted by: Dorci | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 06:44 PM
Love, love, love Anne Lamott. She is painfully authentic and transparent - and an incredible writer. I've been reading her "Thoughts on Faith" books (Plan B, Grace Eventually). Really good. She inspires my own writing style, and Bird by Bird motivated me to get off my butt, momentarily forget the laundry and WRITE!
I have had Walking on Water on my bedside table for at least a year and still haven't finished it - not because it's not exquisite, but because I can only bite off small pieces during each sitting in order to absorb and digest! Incredible book.
Happy Reading!
Posted by: Jennifer | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 07:14 PM
I also HIGHLY recommend The Shack. I was just raving about it today... SOOOOO good.
I'm reading Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel and contemplating rereading Hinds Feet on High Places. Again. :)
Posted by: Rachel | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 07:16 PM
I'm currently reading John Adams by David McCullough. The Last Sin Eater is great, as are O'Connor's short stories.
Posted by: Heather | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 07:17 PM
I have a stack much like yours next to my bed. :) And that "Irrational Season" title sparked my interest, so I clicked through to check it out, and now I have another one to add to my wishlist at PaperbackSwap- thanks!
At the moment I'm reading both "The Maker's Diet" and "The Priest, The Nun, and Their Son", a true story about a priest and nun who left their orders to marry. Both are good enough to hold my interest, but neither one is keeping me up at night.
Posted by: Amy | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 07:53 PM
Currently, I'm reading two books...Talk of the Town by Liz Hastings, and Every Now & Then by Karen Kingsbury. I'm getting ready to join the Spring Reading Thing at Calipiddar Days so I can get through a stack that I have to read!
Posted by: Jen | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 08:04 PM
I have a huge pile to read as well - so huge that I don't even remember what's there. :) I just wanted to say that I have read Bird by Bird and loved it! (well, besides the swearing) It is packed with great writing tips but more importantly, it's hilarious.
Posted by: Amy F. | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 08:31 PM
Amen to the stack! I just stopped by the Christian book store on my way back from the airport. Big Mistake!!
I did read a good book on the flight, though--My Hands Came Away Red. It started out a little slow, but got much much better.
Posted by: Kristin | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 08:42 PM
I'd be reading Bird by Bird, but I can't find my copy. ;) LOL
Posted by: Melanie Nelson | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 08:56 PM
It would take me more than a year to read all of that. I'm trying for one book a month. Currently reading WICKED, the life and times of the Wicked Witch of Oz. It is going slowly.
Posted by: kisatrtle | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 09:18 PM
The Last Sin Eater is one of my favorite Francine Rivers books. REALLY good.
Posted by: Stacy | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 09:37 PM
Biblical Church by Beresford Job;
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell; God:As He Long for You to See Him by Chip Ingram;Getting Throug The Tough Stuff by Chuck Swindoll; Sinner by Ted Dekker; Adam by Ted Dekker and I found a copy of Are We Living in the End Times by LaHaye and Jenkins - plus three magazines all promising quick weight loss and recipes for chocolate cakes - hmmmm
I'm a huge Ted Dekker fan. His books are ones I actually read more than once -
BTW - Read the Shack and understanding it is fiction - really liked it - it is not theology but an interesting visual of the trinity (IMHO)
Posted by: Linda Sue | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 09:39 PM
Crazy Love (nonfiction) by Francis Chan. AWESOME, AWESOME book. Totally thrilled that I'm reading it.
Love Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy (fiction) as well. Start with Black, then Red, then White. They must be read in order.
Posted by: Heather | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 09:48 PM
booksfree.com
Seriously, it is like Netflix for books. Changed my reading life. The stacks are intimidating (and expensive) but get books in the mail is like a little present every few weeks AND a good motivator to read them....
Posted by: Jessica | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 10:13 PM
I'm currently reading Little Women and Outlander. Somehow I read Little Men when I was young, but never did read Little Women. This is my 4th attempt to read Outlander (by Diana Gabaldon) and I think I'm finally going to finish it. I have a whole shelf of books that I want to read, yet I keep buying more. It's a sickness, but not one I want to recover from.
Posted by: Rhonda | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Just finished Angela Hunt's "The Face." I liked it!
Now I am finishing up the HArry Potter series, as my husband has begged me to read it for two years now. I am enjoying it. My housework is suffering...a bit...um...well, a lot. :0)
Enjoy your Spring Break, Shannon!
Posted by: Holly @ Crownlaiddown | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 10:20 PM
I didn't know that anyone else in the world read L'Engle! I read all her books in High School - LOVED them.
I also suggest Dekker, but I highly recommend some of his early ones, ESPECIALLY Blessed Child, a Man Called Blessed, and Blink of an Eye. AMAZING.
Posted by: Rachel @ Grasping for Objectivity in my Subjective Life | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 10:20 PM
You poor dear. I am reading "Writing Down the Bones" by natalie goldberg and also "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks. Kids and I are listening to "Gideon the Cutpurse" in the car (really good).
Posted by: MooBeeMa | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 10:42 PM
I've read three from your to-read list: Flannery O'Connor(a favorite author); Bird by Bird (like her older stuff and writing related, can't stand her newest book); and recently reread Walking on Water. All good choices.
Right now I'm reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Enjoying it.
Posted by: Jenn Calling Home | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 11:09 PM
I have been so terrible about reading the last few years, so right now I'm just working on one at a time - nice and slow!
Right now I'm reading Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald - Fantastic!
Posted by: Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 11:45 PM
My bathtub list contains
Holy Habits--Wilson
The Holy Wild--Buchanan
Things Unseen--Buchanan
The Rest of God--Buchanan (See a pattern here?)
Then I have two or three Series by Lori Wick for my fun stuff, and the list grows by the day. It doesn't help that I work in a used book store.
Posted by: maudie-mae | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:22 AM
I just read Geeks, by Jon Katz. It was so good. I really like it, and I'm usually not a nonfiction reader.
Ann
Posted by: Dear Librarian | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:27 AM
I am working on a Bible study on the Book of Ephesians so I am knee deep in commentaries on the subject. And it is rich. Oh, so rich. WHen you get a moment, read Ephesians 1:3-14. Oh my heart!
Although I read you often, I always think of you on Wed. morning because of WFMW! Your post on jury duty is compelling. I will put a link to it on my Sat. Site Seeing Post. It is excellent. I hope you get a week to read uninterrupted....well, at least I hope you get a moment to yourself! Blessings.
Posted by: Jean Stockdale | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 05:10 AM
I have to laugh! The one thing that I can not control is my book pile. I take the kids to the library & I get amnesia that I have 3 books at home still to read. So you guess it, I come home with 3/4, okay may 6 books to read. I get to them all, however the stack just seems to rotate and never dwindles.
Posted by: momof3girls | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 06:28 AM
I am just now getting around to reading The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I would have gotten to it sooner, but the stack of books by my bed is about 10 times the size of yours...
Posted by: karen | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 08:10 AM
I'm reading God Marriage & Family (author's name escapes me right now), as well as How to Act Right When Life Goes Wrong by Leslie Vernick. I'd love to read more - I LOVE to read - I dont know how all of you find the time!!
Posted by: SherrieB | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 08:16 AM
Downpour by James McDonald---because I need a soaking rain from God.
Have a New Kid by Friday---because we have attitudes we need to work on!
Posted by: Karen | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 09:18 AM
May I add a few faves too (you'll have a lot of time to read in heaven):
The Time -Traveler's Wife (not only did I love it but it MUST be good -- the author just got $5 million for her next novel)
Thank You For Smoking (funniest book ever)
Slammerkin (makes you glad you're not a 13 year old girl in 1600s London.)
A Thousand Splendid Sons (makes you glad you're not living under the Taliban, but sorry anyone else is).
And if you're looking for yet another book in a month or so, that's when mine comes out (Free-Range Kids). But I'll understand if you have some reading to do (for several years) before you get around to it! Love to hear about people reading books AT ALL! -- Lenore "Free-Range" Skenazy
Posted by: Lenore Skenazy | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 09:34 AM
Just so you know, "The Last Sin Eater" is a great book! I read it out-loud to my husband before bed because I wanted him to enjoy it with me.
Right now I'm reading:
Feminine Appeal - Carolyn Mahaney
Where Do I Go? - Neta Jackson (the first book after her Yada Yada series)
Happy reading!!
Posted by: Jessica | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 09:36 AM
I'm on the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia. How have I never read them before now?
Posted by: Jenn | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:13 AM
I don't comment too often, but when the subject is books... well, I can't resist. :)
I just finished "Dandelion Fire" by N.D. Wilson, the second in a series of extremely well-written juvenile fiction books (I'm trying to be a "gatekeeper" of quality material for my kiddos). It was fabulous. On a personal note, I'm in the middle of a C.S. Lewis marathon right now, having recently completed "Till We Have Faces" (saw that one on your favorites list, and I agree!!) and currently knee-deep in "The Weight of Glory". Once that one -- and "Pilgrim's Regress", also by Lewis -- is done, I'm probably going back to my colonial biographies, the next being "Alexander Hamilton." If you're into those at all, I have to highly recommend "John Adams" by David McCullough. Wow.
Posted by: Nikki | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Love your suggestion of books. As if I don't have enough by my bed as it is. Going to check them out, though. Nothing so relaxing as curling up with a good book.
Posted by: Thena | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Ahhh,books---my favorite topic!
Right now I'm reading something easy breezy: The Associate by John Grisham
I promise you will love The Sin Eater!
Posted by: mary bailey | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I'm also reading lots of L'Engle. I've been reading her Meet the Austins series, which is delightful, especially in conjunction with the Crosswicks Journals. I'm sort of stuck on the Irrational Season, but I'm determined to finish. I'm going to look at a bunch of her stuff throughout the year at 5 Minutes for Books (http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/845/madeleine-lengle/)
And The Pixar Touch is on sale at audible this week, so it's in my cart as I decide whether or not to get it (it's 4.95!).
Posted by: Jennifer, Snapshot | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Just found your blog today and I'm taking notes : ) My nightstand looks like yours. My mom was a librarian so I grew up with piles of books and my girls have piles too. I'm pretty sure it's genetic.
On my nightstand-
Blood River-A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart by Tim Butcher (tale of a British journalist who recreated Stanley's famed trip down the Congo)
The Suspicians of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale (true tale of an 1860 murder in an elegant British home)
Praying Through the Deeper Issues of Marriage by Stormie Omartian
The Shack by William P. Young
Fingerprints of God by Jennifer Rothschild
I'm an American who has been living in the UK for the past 6 years. Saw your link in another post to the T-Mobile advert posted on youtube...we love it. Have a great day!
Posted by: Joyce | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Oh, yes, lots and lots of books will be in Heaven! (At least, that's how I imagine it!)
Let's see...I'm currently reading Every Now & Then by Karen Kingsbury, and looking forward to starting In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. I just finished Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson and Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth. I'm also in the middle of Billy: The Untold Story of a Young Billy Graham and the Test of Faith that Almost Changed Everything by William Paul McKay and Ken Abraham.
I'm pretty sure there are a few others on my bedside table, but those are the main ones!
Posted by: Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:37 AM
For "serious" reading, I'm going through Robert L. Hubbard's commentary on Ruth (excellent), and JI Packer's Knowing God (and asking myself how I managed to get to the ripe old age of 27 without reading it before now). For fun fiction, I'm re-reading Terry Brooks' High Druid of Shannara: Jarka Ruus (excellent for fantasy lovers). The other book on my pile is A Lifelong Passion, which is a collection of letters, memoir excerpts, and diary entries detailing the lives of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia. I can only read that in small doses, though, because I know how the story ends, and it's so tragic!
Posted by: Louise | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:39 AM
I just finished So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger. It is not as good as Peace Like a River, but is still a very enjoyable read. It is a western, but set in time when the idea of the West was changing. Definitely worth reading.
I also recently read Beautiful Boy by David Sheff. It is his story of his son's addiction to meth, among other things. Heart-wrenching, but ultimately hopeful too. Reminds me to cover my children in prayer.
Posted by: nicole | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:44 AM
I'm reading another L'Engle Book, Two-Part Invention, which is excellent.
Also:
Bono, In Conversation With Michka Assayas
Confessions, St. Augustine
Actually, that's it right now, which is unusual for me, but I'm been busy and those three books pretty much cover the spectrum of what I'm in the mood to read right now.
Posted by: marci | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:53 AM
In my purse right now are Bird by Bird and The Middle Place. Good stuff
Take care,
Julie
Posted by: tales from the eurovan | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 12:32 PM
I've read a lot of those--all the L'Engle ones, for a start, and they're all fantastic. I just finished "The Quiet American" and I really liked it. I've nearly finished "The Crazed" and I'm glad I read it but I'm not raving about it. Have you read "Sweetness in the Belly?" I really liked that one. Different, deals with some unusual issues.
Posted by: edj | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 01:03 PM
~hee~
I clicked on the picture of the books to get a peek on the titles before I realized you linked to the titles! ~grin~
What animates wallflowers more than a discussion of books? (New Friends! Ideas! Words!)
I'm just finishing up Walking on Water; such a writer, L'Engle. And I'll check out Divine Commodities (Zondervan!)... and you have Holley's "Rain" on deck -- I'm looking forward to that read. It's been too long since I've read Bird by Bird -- I'd very much like reading your thoughts.... I've had Flannery O'Connor on my list to read for much too long. Time to begin. You inspire!
From here... well, just the top of the stack ~weak smile~
Grace-based Parenting: Kimmel
Culture Making: Crouch
Communion with The Triune God: Owen
Parenting is your Highest Calling: Fields
Faith and Culture Devotional: Kullberg
Daisy Chain: DeMuth
Honey and Salt: Bernard of Clairvaux
I bought an antique knitting basket for beside the tub so books would stop sliding off the edge of the tub only to become waterlogged. ~weak smile~
Booklists between friends is sharing a bit of souls and cerebrum -- I so gathered up titles here.
Thank you, friends!
All's grace,
Ann
Posted by: Ann Voskamp @ Holy Experience | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 01:11 PM
How cool that you're reading The Divine Commodity too!
Posted by: Pam | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:06 PM
I just finished the Flannery O'Connor book... I had to read selections from it in a class I took in college and wanted to read the rest... 8 years later I finally got around to it! Then I started a book about the Civil War. Very interesting. Very "just the facts, ma'm". Lots of geographical and military detail. Guys would love it. As a chick, I need a littler more about how people were feeeeeeling than how far they marched, but informative none the less...
Posted by: Kate | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:11 PM
Oh dear. I'm reading Grace-Based Parenting by Kimmel; Simple Church by Raineir and Geiger; The Shepherd Leader by Yperen; The Excellent Wife by Peace; Bruchko by Olson; and am hoping to start The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis soon as well as a non-thinking fiction book! I love fiction the best but find myself needing to read more non-fiction right now! Oh, and another (benefit of having a strong-willed three year old middle child) is You Can't Make Me (but I can be Persuaded) by Tobias.
Posted by: Jana | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:13 PM
I'm reading Twilight as well as Michelle Obama's biography. Very interesting!
Posted by: BlapherMJ | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:42 PM
Francine Rivers is my favorite and Sin Eater is great. (The movie isn't too bad either.)
Posted by: Kristin | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:44 PM
I rarely allow myself the luxury to read...because everytime I do...I sorta forget I have a husband and children and a house and laundry...and I just get absorbed in the book. HOWEVER, last night I picked up a couple of Karen Kingsbury books from the library and I'm taking the time to read them because my asthma is acting up and I need to rest. Can someone come over and do my dishes, please? (Also, there's laundry upstairs to be folded.) (You'll see it in the first bedroom to your left.)
Posted by: Laura@HeavenlyHomeamakers | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 03:24 PM
Madeline L'Engle's Crosswicks Journals [Irrational Season, Great-Grandmother etc] are among my all-time favorites and are even in one of my own Listmania! lists of favorites! Currently, though, I'm reading "Troublesome Young Men"--a history book about Churchill coming to power at the start of WWII.
Posted by: Lisa | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 03:26 PM
I just finished The Next Thing On My List. Its about a girl who accidentily kills a person she just met in a car accident. In the deceased womans purse, she finds a list of things to do before her 25th birthday. And the girl decides to take on the list. It was very good.
I also just read My Best Friends Girl. A dying woman asks her best friend to adopt her daughter even though she betrayed her best friend years before. The best friend agrees with no idea what she is getting herself into. Plus the best friend is black and the daughter is white. Some racial issues are discussed.
Posted by: Gypsie | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 04:13 PM
Oh Shannon, please read the Madeleine L'Engle! She is so very wonderful and you will gain so much. I look forward to meeting her in heaven and wish that I could have known her on earth.
Posted by: Kit | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 06:38 PM
Wow your stack looks so inviting!
Posted by: Jessica | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:35 PM
Yeah, my pile is absolutely crazy. I won't let myself go to the bookstore either until I get it down a bit. Reading right now? "Day with a Perfect Stranger" by David Gregory, "Clutter Free Christianity" by Robert Jeffress and "Called Out of Darkness" by Ann Rice.
This was fun finding out what everyone is reading
Posted by: Susanne | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:47 PM
I'm reading the Divine Commodity as well. It's definitely worth your time; very redemptive in its critique of the mess that is the marketing of the modern American church.
I'm also reading Thomas Rick's Fiasco, about the war in Iraq. He's someone who knows and cares about our armed forces, and his outrage at the poor planning of the invasion and failure to provide adequate body armor, etc. comes through in the narrative. It'll just make you mad.
Posted by: Laura @ Texas in Africa | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:55 PM
L'Engle is my favorite author (my daughter's name is Madeleine for a reason!)! Books I'm reading right now include Burn Out, by Marcia Muller, plus a ton of children's books: Dinothesaurus, by Douglas Florian; Steady Hands, by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer; Bella & Bean, by Rebecca Kai Dotlich.
Oh, and Ballistics, Billy Collins' latest.
Posted by: laurasalas | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 06:18 AM
I'm currently reading Before Green Gables, and next on my list is Who Gets the Drumstick? After that, some Dave Ramsey.
Posted by: Christina Martin | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 08:59 AM
All by Katherine Paterson:
The Invisible Child
The Gates of Excellence
The Spying Heart
By A.W. Tozer:
Faith Beyond Reason
By Richard Peck:
Love and Death at the Mall
Posted by: Monica | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 11:02 AM
The Last Sin Eater was GREAT! But I can't remember the last time I had time for a fiction read.
Currently some really good books I'm reading:
The Excellent Wife
Shepherding a Child's Heart
Sacred Marriage
:) I'm still wondering...when is Mom's Spring Break?!
Posted by: Cathy | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM
This post reminded me that I have been meaning to write and thank you for your recommendation of The House at Riverton. It was AMAZING. The story was both beautiful and haunting, and the way she told it was some of the most impressive writing I've ever seen. It was the kind of book that when you get to the end, you can't resist going back and re-reading the last 50 pages just to absorb all the brilliant detail!
Next on my list is Having A Mary Heart In A Martha World by Joanna Weaver.
Thanks again for the recommendation!
Posted by: Beth | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 02:47 PM
i just finished "A Circle of Quiet." Now i want to read some classics: i started "The House of Seven Gables" today, and have also picked up "Walden." i need to get "Rhett Butler's People" back from my friend. i'm ready for a fun read!
Posted by: little i | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 07:10 PM
i'm trying to stay away from amazon right now! i recently read a mighty heart by marianne pearl, revolutionary road, and the reader. didn't like revolutionary road too much, really liked the other two. right now i'm reading helter skelter because i found it on the book swap shelf in the teachers' lounge. i'm 29 but i like reading anything about the late 60's. i also started the appeal by john grisham at the airport this weekend. next up is same kind of different as me.
Posted by: rachel | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 09:56 PM
I am currently reading The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg. Great book, just getting into it. I'm also reading Little Heathens (can't remember author and not moving from chair to look). I'm listening to Roma, as well as Twilight.
Posted by: Jen | Friday, March 20, 2009 at 02:05 PM
I forgot to add that I have read the last sin eater. Great great book. I really enjoyed it.
Posted by: Jen | Friday, March 20, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Just finished Same Kind of Different as Me. Just check on it. It was an AMAZING true story about a homeless man and a snobby art-dealer and how their lives have come together. AMAZING, Godly, incredible!
Posted by: Amy @ MomsToolbox | Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 02:42 PM
The Divine Commodity is also on my TBR pile. I'm pretty sure my TBR pile would knock yours out of the water, though. :)
Posted by: Amy @ My Friend Amy | Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 06:57 PM
Oh, you have no idea how happy it makes my heart to see Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water included! I love, love, LOVE that book and have for nearly 20 years now. I read it as a young adult and don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it changed my life – certainly, it improved it and made me a better person. I do hope you enjoy it!
And if you do, her other works are equally excellent. I will mention only one, Two-Part Invention, which is the story of her marriage.
As for me, I read and re-read the Twilight series, and now I'm re-reading the last two Harry Potter books. I'd forgotten how captivating they are, even after the first re-read.
Posted by: Cathy @ Chief Family Officer | Monday, March 23, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Shannon,
Circle of Quiet is one of my top favorite books, which is saying a lot, because I am always reading or re-reading something. She is very quotable. Enjoy your reading!
Posted by: Jenny in Ca | Friday, March 27, 2009 at 07:17 PM