100 Distractions

While I am thoroughly enjoying the book, I find it incredibly distracting! After nearly each place, I jump up and run to the computer to google the location and read more about it... So far, I am incorporating #21 Mercantour National Park in Southern France into a trip we are taking in June, and I am working on convincing my husband that we need to take a trip to #17 South African Game Reserve for Thanksgiving this year. I really would like to visit Zululand where the author of my book #19 Babylon's Ark runs a game reserve. Will keep you posted on the details!

M

32/101

This is probably in the top twenty-five books I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books. I have read a lot of books related to the Holocaust, both fiction and non-fiction. I have visited concentration camps in Poland and Germany. I find it terribly disturbing and incredibly fascinating at the same time. I cannot seem to get enough... I guess this carries over to Africa as well, where I have read many books about the genocides in Rwanda and the Sudan. After this book, I plan on visiting Sachsenhausen, which I didn't realize is fairly close to where we live in Germany, and I will plan another trip to Krakow. I think, after Italy, Poland is my favorite place in Europe, and I would like to go back before we move back to the States.

Back to the book... I fell in love with all of the characters. I cried when they died. I became frustrated when they didn't do what I thought they should. At the end, I felt myself wanting more... This book would definitely make a good movie. They are offering a book club for this book at our library, and I wish I could attend (I will be out of the country during the first two sessions). I would really enjoy discussing this book with others and answered all of the discussion questions found in the back of the book. I really, really liked this book!

Next Up: Another change of pace, I will be reading 100 Places Every Woman Should Go by Stephanie Elizondo Griest. It is kind of long, but looks like should be a quick read since it dedicates 2-3 pages for each of the 100 places suggested. I wonder how many of them I have already visited?!?

31/101

So the story ended up being a lot heavier than I picked up on in the first chapter. I feel like I could really relate to it though... dealing with the illness and death of a parent, loving and losing a cat that was a cherished part of the family, and discovering your parents are people too who made mistakes and weren't the perfect people you thought they were as a child. I like the way she wrote, and I was into the story from the beginning. Once I started, I didn't put it down for two days. I thought it was a pretty good book.

Next Up: The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff. I'm going to start it in the morning. It's 11:30 pm, and we're just getting in and settled from the Easter Vigil Mass. Time for bed. Goodnight and sweet dreams! Easter Blessings!

Next Up

I started this one tonight, and it's the reason I am up so late (it's almost 11 pm). It was so cute, I had to read all the way through the first chapter. After the last two serious, spiritual/philosophical books I read, I needed something different! I am not sure if this one is necessary lighter, because it deals with family issues, fear of loss, etc., but so far, it has been an easy read, and I've really gotten into it... Read what Amazon has to say about it HERE.

30/101

I received this book as part of my training to become a Eucharistic Minister, and I read it this week. I really enjoyed it. It was so easy to read, but so spiritual and relevant. Good book! I'm not sure what is up next... Will update shortly!

Waiting to be Read

Seriously, I don't think I am going to buy another book for the rest of the year. These are just a few from the top of my bookshelf/piled on the floor next to the bookshelf that are waiting to be read:

A Concise History of Italy (Duggan)
Catholic Customs and Traditions (Dues)
Conceived Without Sin (Macfarlane)
Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury)
Great Fortune (Okrent)
House of Gold (MacFarlane)
In the Line of Fire (Musharraf)
Island of Hope, Island of Tears (Brownstone)
Pierced by a Sword (Macfarlane)
Take Command (Perdew)
That was Dachau (Zamecnik)
The Call of Service (Coles)
The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila (St. Teresa)
The Power of a Positive Wife (Ladd)
The Power of a Praying Wife (Omartian)
The Power of a Praying Woman (Omartian)
The Ultimate Volunteer Guidebook (Maxwell)
Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson/Relin)

I think I am going to take $10/month that would have gone toward books and donate them to a good reading/literacy-related nonprofit. Suggestions are welcome. I will make a $100 donation to a worthy book cause and not purchase any more books for the remainder of 2008.

29/101

As noted in my previous post, I did not like this book. I disagreed with much of what Tolle had to say, but in the end, I am glad I read it. It was something different. I tried it, and now it's time to move on...

Next Up: Being Holy Week, I think it is a good time to read a book about the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian Life, so I am reading The Joy of Being a Eucharistic Minister by Mitch Finley.

A New (Twisted) Earth

I started reading with an open mind and am trying to stay that way, but I am having a really hard time... I have concerns about Tolle's beliefs and interpretations of Jesus' words and actions, and I find myself disagreeing with most of the content. On top of that, I feel like I am in an intro Philosophy class with a cooky new age professor. I am going to keep reading because I started the book already and want to hear what else he has to say, but I will do so with caution.

A few other Catholic perspectives:
#1
#2

28/101

Seriously, if it weren't for my husband, I would be on a plane right now to India... or a train to Italy. Really, Italy is like six hours away. I want to be there, NOW! Not really feeling Indonesia, but heck, I'd go anywhere after reading this book. I just want to TRAVEL! Gilbert's experience was incredible, her writing style is so personal and real, and I loved this book! It's seriously the best book I've read in a while... Next Up: A New Earth (another Oprah book club book)

$$$

From msn.com:
5 Money Books to Change Your Life

27/101

Finished reading Ian Mcwan's Atonement tonight, and it was just okay. A friend recommended reading it before watching the movie, so not knowing much about the story, I bought the book and started reading... slowly at first, but things picked up after the first 100 pages or so. Just not my kind of book.




Next up: Eat, Pray Love by Gilbert.

P.S. I'm back home in Germany now.