Abide with me: a novel by Elizabeth Strout (2007)

This is a bittersweet novel of a pastor dealing with the death of his wife. His wife was not really "cut out" to be a pastor's wife, and she struggled with that role - and their marriage suffered because they didn't know how to look honestly at their struggles/challenges. And learning to look honestly at others and one's self is what the book captures best. It also conveys well the sense of life being puzzling.

It's a bit of the "academy award" winning, very deep kind of book - and has a significant focus on feelings. I tend to appreciate faster moving books - and ones where there is less sadness in the pages of things gone wrong. There is hope in the book and winsome humour, nonetheless, and I'd definitely recommend it.

The Shamer's Daughter (Shamer Chronicles) by Lene Kaaberbol (2004)

These are delightful children's books about dragons, evil princes, and magical powers. The main character is a high-spirited, stubborn young teenage girl. Her life is a bit confusing as she has been gifted in ways that make her quite dangerous (or a great help) to those in power. Through a series of her own mistakes and willfulness and the actions of others around her (many of them negative or trying to use her), she discovers more who she is - and what her place is.

The series was fairly fast moving and uplifting. The characters had delightful and surprising elements to them, and were complicated and real. I don't think it's the kind of book that one would read twice (at least not as an adult) but I'd definitely recommend it.

The Geography of Bliss: One grump's search for the happiest places in the world by Eric Weiner (2008)

Weiner travels to a variety of places with the hope of finding happiness. In trying to understand happiness, he relates much to his own experience. So he spends quite a bit of time comparing American culture/expectations with the culture/experience of those he visits. As well, as he tends to be someone who is not generally happy - or knows how to be happy, this tendency does affect his search (mostly by his being a bit lost about why others claim happiness).

The book tends to be fairly informative, especially as a means of understanding American culture (this can actually be seen in a librarian's review of the book). Yet, it wasn't the most exciting. It was more of a report on how some people found happiness than a book that provided insight into how to be happy. The chapter on Iceland (which I admit is as far as I got before I needed to return it) was the chapter I liked best. Happiness seemed a bit less illusive in that chapter. Weiner describes the Iceland understanding of happiness as being failure - or at least having the freedom to fail. Perhaps my resonation with this chapter has more to do, however, with my own personal bias that happiness has to do with being able to be fully oneself. And it is in the freedom to fail that people have the freedom to discover who they are - and be fully themselves..

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A natural history of four meals by Michael Pollan (2006)

Although I only got a short ways in the book, it was more than enough to get a good taste of the book. What I read concerned the crazy plant corn, which was taking over the world, or at least becoming a primary ingredient in many of our foods (and not always in a healthy way - like as high fructose corn syrup).

It was whimsical and insightful, while also being thought-provoking. It was an enjoyable read but as it was also thoughtful, it was not something one could quickly read through. Instead, the book needs to be put down after a short time to allow time for the words and thoughts to digest.

I hope to pick it up again some day.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Classic science fiction. It is an epic with all of the right kind of plot twists and events and characters. It is the kind of book that is hard just to fly quickly through - as there are so many layers and details and connections throughout. It is not light reading, nor something that makes you quickly satisfied - instead it is a book that provokes thought and desires re-reading. And the book is slightly bittersweet, even if good is shown to win.

The Pawn by Steven James (2007)

It's a crime thriller/mystery. It's a novel about an FBI agent who specializes in how time and geography help to solve the crimes. The criminal in this book is a serial killer (hence a few gory/messy parts). It is published by a Christian publisher but the book tends toward the philosophy that people will come to know God more by actions than by words (and outright evangelistic sections). The books has great plot twists and the quality of the characters is very high. The multi-layers to the plot and problems are definitely what makes it good. It's worth recommending.