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Best Books
Club: What Are You Reading?
by
Marilyn Green Faulkner
We're heading
into the Holidays, and I know you are wondering what to get Aunt
Mildred this year. How about a book? She's got enough bubble bath,
and you know she'd love to cuddle up with the cat and a good book,
but which one? I asked the members of the Best Books Club to tell
me what they have been reading of late, and got some great tips
on books you and your loved ones will enjoy. Here are some of their
recommendations:
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I will tell
you of a book I read recently that I found very moving: East
of the Mountains by David Guterson author of Snow Falling
On Cedars. A quote from the Chicago Tribune on
the back of the novel reads; "East of the Mountains is
not about the courage it takes to die, but the courage it takes
to live, and Guterson depicts this moral and spiritual struggle
with a clear-eyed intensity and intelligence that gives this novel
its essential authority."
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I enjoyed Girl
with a Pearl Earring. After that I read Girl in Hyacinth
Blue, which I thought was okay, but not as good as Pearl
Earring. I enjoyed Tracy Chevalier's writing style, and thought
her plot was interesting and had some interesting historical facts.
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I have been
with a book club for several years. Of their reading list, I can
honestly say I haven't disliked anything. Obviously some I liked
better than others, but many of the books I never would have chosen
on my own. I have enjoyed being reintroduced to the classics. Many
of them I haven't read since high school some twenty plus years
ago. At that time it was assigned reading, this time around I find
that given a little life experience and different perspective, I
enjoy them very much. Listed below are some of my favorite reads.
Pride &
Prejudice Jane Austen
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
The Woman
in White Wilkie Collins
Rebecca
Daphne DuMaurier
To Kill
A Mockingbird Harper Lee
The Scarlet
Pimpernel Baroness Orczy
The Killer
Angels Michael Shaara
A Tree Grows
In Brooklyn Betty Smith
Follow the
River Alexander Thom
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I just finished
Senior Kon-Tiki: A Biography of Thor Heyerdahl. It
was an informative book about an incredible person.
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This is a good
idea. I would like to share ideas of good books. I am especially
interested in books on tape because I am always on the run. I am
running out of good ones at our library so I just grab one off the
shelf and the least several have been very disappointing. During
the month of July I reread Gone With The Wind (because,
as I said before, I am running out of books) I was pleasantly surprised
to find how much I enjoyed the history part of the book, especially
with the significant of July 4th. Then I saw a book, The Founding
Brothers and read it for the same reason ---- No good books
to read. Oh, was I surprised. I loved the history of it as well.
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My daughter
has me reading the Harry Potter collection. I am on the
second book now. They are quite interesting.
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I am reading
through Lund's The Work and the Glory series and also reading
Roberts' The Missouri Persecutions. Currently I am reading
Gerald Lund's The Kingdom and the Crown vol. 2 "Come Unto Me".
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about these characters and they
have given me insight into some of my own life's struggles.
The next book
on my agenda is the next volume of the Prelude to Glory
series. I have appreciated learning more of the beginning of our
great nation and the struggles our forefathers overcame. I have
learned to appreciate these wonderful people who felt the promptings
of the Holy Spirit and KNEW in their hearts that there was a higher
purpose in fighting the British. Especially since September 11th
I have pondered on our Constition and our motto "In God We Trust".
I truly hope that America will turn her heart back to our Father
and follow His ways. I really do love America and I'm thankful to
gain a closer view into thelives of those wonderful people. I never
did appreciate U.S. history in school but now I can't get enough
of it. Thank you for asking what I'm reading!
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You asked what
I am reading? Well I don't know if you include non-fiction, but
I like to read this too, maybe because I can put it down easier,
when I need to. Before Sept. 11th I finished a book that I had stowed
on my shelf for 20 years, wanting to read. It was excellent and
pertinent now as people are turning to a deeper understanding of
others. It is by a renowned religious scholar and is titled, The
World's Religions although the text I read is an earlier edition
titled, The Religions of Man. Although it is a paperback,
it was being used as a textbook for a class I could not fit in at
BYU. What makes the book heartwarming is that it is written by a
man who obviously has a deep love and respect for understanding
what is at the heart of humankind, ultimately giving them their
motivation for living. I had an enjoyable voyage, learning a great
deal from this book. It especially gave me a frame of reference
for my own Christianity, having been raised in the church, as only
the basics of Christianity were touched on (as I'm sure must be
the case with the other major religions) and I could really see
how very unique we are. I found bits of my beliefs in each chapter,
and it was good to find out how very much all people have in common.
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I just finished
reading Cane River that was earlier featured on Oprah's
Book of the month club. Cane River is a location in southern Louisiana
and the book is an historical account of a family spanning several
generations from slavery to freedom. It provided insight into their
desire to maintain family ties, genealogy records, and survival
in the face of racism.
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Being a Relief
Society pres. I am always looking for inspiring self-help books.
I just finished Pain Is Inevitable, Misery Is Optional, so Stick
a Geranium in your Hat & Be Happy. I know this has been
around for a while -- in fact I started it about a year ago &
never got past the first few pages.
But, it really
held my attention this time around. Several women in our ward are
facing some of the challenges she faced, and her humor, coupled
with her faith, is a very refreshing look at adversity. I recommend
it highly - the author's name is Barbara Johnson. Also, I've just
finished Sweet Is the Work by Mary Ellen Smoot and rereading
Quiet Moments by Pat Holland. Both very inspiring books, especially
Pat Holland's.
It's become
kind of my enhanced scriptures.
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My present
book is, The Life of Helen Keller. I find this to be an
incredible book. Knowing what she accomplished as a blind and deaf
woman is amazing. It beats what most of us can do with good eyes
and ears. When I finish this book I am going to send it to my daughter
who is an Interpreter for the Deaf. I was surprised to hear that
she has never read it. I think she, too, will be surprised to find
what Helen accomplished under such great handicaps.
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I just this
minute finished reading a book by General Paul Tibbits, titled The
Return of the Enola Gay. I had the opportunity to meet him
again after many years and to acquire several copies for friends.
If his name escapes you, recall that he was the pilot of the "Enola
Gay." He covers the subject more than adequately of whether we should
have dropped the bomb. I am indebted to him like no man since Joseph
Smith, because he did, without a doubt, saved my nineteen-year-old
life.... The orders were "cut" for the invasion of Japan when I
graduated from flying school a few weeks later. A conservative estimate
by Winston Churchill had it that we would have lost more than one
million men and the British a quarter of that. The Japanese, even
more than we lost. Then too, the nightly fire bombing raids were
costing the Japanese up to a hundred thousand lives a night in the
firestorms that resulted. Not only is he a hero of mine but he is
one of the characters in the book and the academy award picture,
"Twelve O' Clock High."
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I have been
reading a wonderful book called, Made in America: An Informal
History of the English language in the United States by Bill
Bryson. It describes how English has evolved in this country because
of so many things and places and conditions that were unique to
our nation. It is very interesting, informative and funny. Bryson
has written several books, all of them good, especially The
Lost Continent and I'm a Stranger Here Myself, and
I would recommend them highly.
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Marilyn's note:
I loved A Walk in the Woods, by this author as well.
Final note:
My delightful cousin Kieth Merrill, film editor for Meridian, likes
to give me a hard time about all the long, stuffy books we read.
Here is his response to "What are you reading?" Let me just note
that my husband Craig agrees with Kieth on this recommendation,
and the men on your list who like some action will love this one:
Dear Marilyn,
Does SHOCK WAVE by Clive Cussler count?
Well, Clive
Cussler may not be Shakespeare, but his novels are well researched
and full of excitement, so go for it! Write and tell me what you
are reading - we'll share favorites from our readers each month.
Many of you continue to request the list of books for the next several
months - any or all of these would make great gifts for any reader.
I've added a few alternate suggestions that would make fine gifts.
Happy Holidays
- MGF
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Best
Books Club Reading List: December 2001 - June 2002
December: The
Human Comedy, William Saroyan
The Christmas
Books, Charles Dickens
January: O
Pioneer, Willa Cather
(also Death
Comes for the Archbishop and My Antonia by this author)
February: Possession,
A.S. Byatt
March: Cranford,
Elizabeth Gaskell
(also The
Life of Charlotte Bronte by this author)
April: Angle
of Repose, Wallace Stegner
(also Mormon
Country by this author)
May: The
Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
(also The
Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy)
June: The
Once and Future King, T.H.White
(also The
Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart)
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© 2001 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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