Books, books, books!

So I have to say... I was blown away by the Farmington Library! It is nice, big and updated. 

And check out this wall in the kid's section! It's actually a hidden door that the employees use. So cute.

The weird thing about it though, is you can't renew books! Whaaaa??!! They told me that instead, you just turn in the receipt with your overdue books and they'll reimburse you up to $5 of late fees. I think that's just about the strangest thing I've ever heard of.

They also don't have any regular movies to check out. In Buffalo, you could check out current TV series and movie DVD's. It was like Blockbuster was back! Not so here. All they have is old fashioned, Reading Rainbow books on video and weird documentaries. 

I won't be too upset though. The day I finally got my library card I was so happy, it felt like my birthday!! :)

This is the last book I read in the Buffalo book club. I had read it once before, but it had been years and years. I know I don't need to talk this book up... we all know it's a classic and an amazing story. It was interesting to reread and remember that most of the story doesn't take place in a concentration camp. I loved reading about the underground work her family did and how valiant they were to the cause, even to the end. Her father could have been released, but he told the guards up front, he wouldn't turn away any Jews that knocked on his door. I was amazed at her sister, Betsie's, pure heart. I don't know that I've ever met anyone so Christlike. It's hard to not feel weighed down or depressed after reading the horrors that accompanied that time, but the actions of Corrie and her family make it equally inspiring. It's necessary to learn about the good that prevailed amongst so much evil. This will always be one of my favorite books.

I had heard SO MUCH about The Kite Runner. I actually started reading it about three years ago, then some friends in book club freaked me out about it and I stopped. I had just had Collin and they told me boys were raped in the book and I felt nauseous. I have a hard time reading that sort of thing. However, I was picturing a true story about mass genocide and violence on children. It's actually a fictional story and the incident involves one boy... and again, it's not true. Now, I know that sort of thing really does happen, but for some reason it helps me when I'm reading to remind myself, "This didn't really happen!" 

OK, I digress. 

It's a story about a boy growing up in Afghanistan and illustrates class oppression, cultural traditions and moral digressions. While it's not a true story, the author is from Afghanistan and it was interesting to get a feel for the country and learn some history of it's political and ethnic warfare. 

It is disturbing and hard to read in parts, but not overwhelming so. It's very well written and not easy to put down!

Well, after finishing The Kite Runner, I just had to read the author's other novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. This is also fictional, but delves more into the female aspect of living in Afghanistan. It chronicles two women's lives and how they end up intertwining in an unexpected way. Again, although it's a fictional story, the time, historical events and cultural roles are very true to life. It made me SO GRATEFUL to live in America! I can't even imagine being so discriminated against just because of my gender. When the Taliban was introduced into the story, I was nearly in disbelief for how women were treated. They couldn't leave their house without a male escort, couldn't work, were expected to do exactly as their husband wished, or be beaten. Not only did they not have rights, they were treated more like animals than humans. I think this one was more interesting to me than Kite Runner. Certainly makes you count your blessings!

Hmmmm, The Kitchen House. So I actually picked this to read for our Farmington book club. I can't say I really liked it very much. (I picked it before I read it.) It's a complicated story about a girl who immigrates from Ireland, but her parents die on the ship on the way, so she is taken to the Captain's plantation and becomes a servant in the kitchen house. The author moved to Virginia and learned about a hill called Negro Hill and basically says she had a vision of a horrible event that took place there. She wrote the book around that event. So it does make me wonder how true it possibly could be. I think my main complaint was that I didn't like how it was written. It's hard for me to explain, but the only comparison I can make is that it's like what bad acting would be to a movie. I kept feeling like I was reading a cheesy script for a sappy Lifetime family movie. The details were burdensome and it wasn't until almost 3/4 of the way that I was actually pulled into the story and wanted to keep reading. It did remind me of a book I really liked in high school, called Cane River. Excellent book! If you want to learn more about life on a plantation and the day to day happenings of the slaves and servants, read that one instead!

This book seemed to be pretty controversial, so naturally I was intrigued. It's told from the perspective of a 5 year old boy, whose mother was kidnapped, raped and held in captivity for about 6 years. He was born in "Room", where she is held. It's a shed in the kidnapper's backyard. Think Jaycee Dugard.

I know right there, most people would be turned off, but it really isn't that disturbing to read. I mean, yes, it's not pleasant material, but it's from the boy's perspective, so it's very "innocent". It was like reading a book of Collin's thoughts on his world. It was a challenge to get used to the writing though.

I don't know if I'd personally recommend it, just because it was pretty slow. I found myself bored, or wanting it to be over. And by the end, I didn't really feel like it had any real life application. It's sort of interesting, but the situation itself is such an anomaly, I didn't see how I gained any perspective on the world. But that's just me always needing a {reason} behind a book.

I happen to know the author to this book, and that's how I was introduced to it. 

It's about a woman, Grace, who loves her husband and family, but finds herself attracted to a single man that is a family friend. After years of interaction, it culminates into an emotional affair of sorts, but that threatens to become more. Most of the book is dedicated to her struggle of whether or not to cheat on her husband. I won't give away the ending, but it really teaches some good lessons. When talking to the author about it, she said she was motivated to write it after it seemed infidelity was becoming so prevalent among her family and friends. She felt like she had to say something about it. Since the book is so consumed with thoughts and feelings, it was rather thick to get through, for me. It's just a very slow moving story. But like I said, I think it teaches a really powerful message. No matter what your circumstance, you are never powerless.   

I saved the best for last!!!! This was an incredibly good book. It's small and super short, so it's a fast read, but one I feel like I should reread every year. Besides the scriptures and How To Win Friends and Influence People, I've never thought that about a book! It's divided into 5 chapters about what we should know about men. Sounds simple enough, right?! I can't say all of it was brand new information, but some of it was! The author is Christian and I like how she incorporated Christian values with the principles she was teaching. The purpose behind it all is for us to understand our husbands better and therefore love and support them the way they need to be. Do yourself, your husband and your marriage a favor and go read this book!!!