BOOKS I FINISHED - JUNE 2023

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, written and illustrated by Allie Brosh

I discovered Brosh way back in 2010 when she wrote a funny post inspired by people who write "alot" instead of "a lot". A couple years later she wrote a post about depression that was relatable and funny, both in text and illustrations. I appreciate people who can be funny while sharing about their struggle with mental health, especially since I've struggled with depression for a long time. I chose this book for the "makes you laugh out loud" category of a reading challenge I'm doing this year. Heads up that there's a fair amount of language in the book, as I know that's a deal-breaker for some people.

p. 101 (the quote I wrote down from her 2012 depression post, which is also in this book) But trying to use willpower to overcome the apathetic sort of sadness that accompanies depression is like a person with no arms trying to punch themselves until their hands grow back. A fundamental component of the plan is missing and it isn't going to work.

p. 229, Imagine a grizzly bear. Now imagine that by some accident of nature, the bear sprouts wings and learns how to use a flamethrower. That would be a really unfair thing to have happen. Bears are already powerful enough without those things. 

Similarly, children are already annoying enough without access to a toy that will record and repeat any sound in the entire world. 

p. 277, When something feels unfair, there's an implication that an equal and opposite fair thing could have happened instead.

But my rules don't account for that. I just make them up and expect them to be followed without considering how that is supposed to work. 

p. 281, I don't like when I can't control what reality is doing. Which is unfortunate because reality works independently of the things I want, and I have only a limited number of ways to influence it, none of which are guaranteed to work. 

p. 334, The fact that I think about doing nice things feels almost like actually doing them. I get to feel all the good feelings without any of the inconvenience. It's disgusting how proud of myself I am for things I've never done. 

My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business, written by Dick Van Dyke

Van Dyke is a man whose talent and humility is loved by millions. In this book he shares how he came to be in show business, glimpses behind the scenes of various performances on stage and screen, his commitment to only performing in roles he'd feel comfortable having his kids watch with him, and the ups and downs of his personal life. I chose this book for the "celebrity memoir" category of a reading challenge I'm doing this year.

p. 217, In my early fifties, I was going through a phase where few things felt right and I was trying to figure out those that did. It was not uncommon. In your twenties, you pursue your dreams. By your late thirties and early forties, you hit a certain stride. Then you hit your fifties, you get your first annoying thoughts of mortality, you begin more serious questioning of not just the meaning of your life but of what's working, what's not working, and what you still want, and all of a sudden you don't know which way is up. You thought you knew but don't. You  just want to get to where life feels okay again.

Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham, written by Billy Graham

Graham recounts several decades of life and ministry - childhood and teen years, attending different Bible schools as a young adult, personal relationships with multiple presidents, descriptions of crusades all around the world, his family, and lessons he's learned along the way. I strongly dislike name-dropping, so I appreciate the humility with which he describes his many encounters with various dignitaries and celebrities. He also speaks respectfully about the various individuals and cultures he's interacted with, regardless of whether he shared their political stance, religious beliefs, and so on.

This book was the June part of a year-long gift from a friend, one book to unwrap and read each month. I chose this book for the "with over 600 pages" category of a reading challenge I'm doing this year. I'd previously used Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All for that category back in March, but now I'm switching that one to the "book with a six word title" category. 

p. 47, He did not dictate how to think and what to do; rather, he opened my thinking to consider the perfect trustworthiness of God, and to rest in that.

p. 57, Ordination did not elevate me to superiority over my fellow Christians who sat in the pews and listened, even if I stood in a high pulpit. On the contrary, it specially designated me to be their servant, their shepherd, for Christ's sake. It was meant to nurture me in humility, not pride. 

p. 108 (quoting his wife, Ruth) "I think sometimes it is easier to drive ourselves to actual death than it is to take ourselves firmly in hand and make ourselves do the wise thing," she wrote from home. "Without sounding funny, it is better to rest awhile above the earth than to rest forever beneath it."

p. 168, "This has been an age in which we have humanized God and deified man, and we have worshiped at the throne of science."

p. 204, Peace between nations depends on goodwill between individuals.

p. 204, The only hope for finding common ground among Christians of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints was to focus on the Word of God, the ultimate authority for our faith.

p. 527, "The greatest need in the world," I said, "is the transformation of human nature. We need a new heart that will not have lust and greed and hate in it. We need a heart filled with love and peace and joy, and that is why Jesus came into the world." 

The Madness of Crowds, written by Louise Penny

A controversial professor. An attempted murder at one event and a successful one at another. A tangled web of personal and professional connections, both past and present. I chose this book for the "chosen solely by its cover" category of a reading challenge I'm doing this year. It's the 17th in an 18 book series, but can be read on its own. 

p. 63, "There are," said the Chief, unbothered and undeterred by what what he'd just heard, "four sentences that lead to wisdom. Do with them as you will."

< snip >

"'I'm sorry.' 'I was wrong.' ' I don't know.'" As he listed them, Chief Inspector Gamache raised a finger until his palm was open. "I need help."

p. 134, The trick wasn't necessarily having less fear, it was finding more courage.

p. 191, If you want an idea to flourish, the best fertilizer is the body of a a martyr. 

p. 205, "It's about what happens when gullibility and fear meet greed and power."

"Nothing good? said Armand, with a small smile. 

p. 255, Through his infant son, Jean-Guy discovered that libraries hold treasures. Not just the written word, but things that couldn't be seen. Like le Petit Prince said, in the book Jean-Guy had first read as he'd read it to Honore.

What is essential is invisible to the eye.

Knowledge, ideas, thoughts. Imagination. All invisible. All lived in libraries. 

The Tuscan Child, written by Rhys Bowen

A woman in her mid-twenties is in the midst of personal trauma and major life changes when she discovers that her recently deceased dad had a secret love and life that she knew nothing about. Told in alternating time periods, this is the story of a British pilot in WWII who parachutes out of his plane before it crashes in Tuscany and his daughter who's trying to answer questions about him a few decades later. I chose this book for the "set in a country you want to visit" category of a reading challenge I'm doing this year.

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THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for cultural passes from libraries that allow people to visit places without paying the required admission fee. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Devon fixed some squeaky doors. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the roses growing in our yard. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for conversations with people I've never met, whether on a walk, at church, or out and about. What's something you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the mix of cool and hot days this time of year. What's something that you're thankful for?

BOOKS I FINISHED - MAY 2023

The Goldfish Boy, written by Lisa Thompson

A boy whose OCD has led him to stay isolated in his bedroom, missing school and avoiding all physical contact with people while suffering pain from hands damaged by excessive washing, ends up being the ideal person to figure out where the two year old who went missing from the neighbor's yard might be. I chose this book for the "book with the letter Y somewhere in the title" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year.

The Knowledge of the Holy, written by A.W. Tozer

Tozer points the reader to attributes of God through both their descriptions and by how those attributes impact the life of one who believes God. Chapter topics include attributes such as God's self-sufficiency, wisdom, justice, and mercy. I chose this book for the "e-book" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year, but I read this pdf version with different page numbering (and lots of typos, in case that will distract you). 

ETA: I originally chose this book for the "book on theology" category of a reading challenge I'm doing this year, but I read When God Came Near, written by Max Lucado, in August, and decided to use it instead. Now this book is being used for my "e-book" category as that's the format I read it in.

p. 4, A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse.

p. 20, "What possible meaning can the self-existence of God have for me and others like me in a world such as this and in times such as these?

To this I reply that, because we are the handiwork of God, it follows that all our problems and their solutions are theological. Some knowledge of what kind of God it is that operates the universe is indispensable to a sound philosophy of life and a sane outlook on the world scene.

p. 28, ... an attempt was made to slay a truth to keep it quiet lest it appear as a material witness against an error.

p. 37, In this world, where men forget us, change their attitude toward us as their private interests dictate, and revise their opinions of us for the slightest cause, is it not a source of wondrous strength to know that the God with whom we have to do changes not? That His attitude toward us now is the same as it was in eternity past and will be in eternity to come?

p. 43, We rest in what God is. I believe that this alone is true faith. Any faith that must be supported by the evidence of the senses is not real faith.

p. 47, Science observes how the power of God operates, discovers a regular pattern somewhere and fixes it as "law". The uniformity of God's activities in His creation enables the scientist to predict the course of natural phenomena. The trustworthiness of God's behavior in His world is the foundation of all scientific truth.

p. 61, No attribute of God is in conflict with another. God's compassion flows out of his goodness, and goodness without justice is not goodness. 

p. 66, The spring of Christian morality is the love of Christ, not the law of Moses.

p. 69, Yet if we would know God and for other's sake tell what we know, we must try to speak of His love. All Christians have tried, but none has ever done it very well. I can no more do justice to that awesome and wonder-filled theme than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. So, as I stretch my heart toward the high, shilling love of God, someone who has not before known about it maybe encouraged to look up and have hope.

p. 76, A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so. 

The Necklace, written by Cheryl Jarvis

This book was the May part of a year-long gift from a friend, one book to unwrap and read each month. I'd actually read it before, a random pull from the library shelves more than a decade ago. I recommended it to my book-giving friend last year, then she gave it to me. I remember liking the book, but couldn't recall any of the details and enjoyed reading it again. I also chose this book for the "book that inspires you" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year. What I said about it back in 2012 is still accurate, so I'll copy it. 

It's the true story of thirteen women who joined together to buy and share a diamond necklace that was worth $37,000. I love the novelty of the idea, the variety of reasons the women joined the group, how their project brought them closer, how they worked through the conflicts it created, and the ways they've used the necklace to bless other people in a variety of ways.

Please note the page numbers are from a large print edition. 

p. 171, Generosity isn't just about giving money; it's giving of yourself, your time, your words.

p. 224, In the past, Priscilla had always thought that the smarter and more successful you were, the more you didn't need other people, the more you could do it all yourself. Priscilla had never asked anyone for anything. Now she was starting to think differently. Maybe the smarter you were, the sooner you recognized you were in trouble and asked for help.

Philomena, written by Martin Sixsmith

I saw the corresponding movie about Michael Hess and Philomena Lee in 2015, but didn't know that the time that a book had come first. Here's what I said back then.

This movie is about the true story of a woman who became pregnant while young and unmarried, was sent to a convent by her parents during her pregnancy, and eventually had her son placed for adoption without her consent. She then spent fifty years looking for him, eventually finding answers to her questions with the help of a journalist. It's not really a "happily ever after" kind of movie, but I liked it because I think it's important for all of us to remember that we never know someone's whole story. We don't know what they've experienced, all their hurts and losses, the courage and forgiveness they've chosen or anger and bitterness they've clung to, the kinds of people who matter to them ... so we need to be kind.

Heads up for those it will matter to if they read the book, there were several parts that I skipped over because there was more information about his sexuality than I needed to know in order to appreciate the story. I chose this book for the "book that's been made into a movie" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year.

Sarah's Key, written by Tatiana De Rosnay and translated from French

This novel is about a French girl and her parents who are arrested by the local police during the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in 1942, an actual event I didn't know about until reading this story. Thinking they'd be back soon, she locks her younger brother in a deep cabinet to keep him safe. It's also about a woman who's assigned to write a magazine article about the horrific event, discovers a personal tie to the French girl from 60 years earlier, and becomes determined to find out all she can about her. I chose this book for the "foreign book translated into English" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year.

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last Hermit, written by Michael Finkel

This is the fascinating true story of Christopher Knight, a man who somewhat spontaneously walked into the woods at twenty years old and lived in isolation there for twenty-seven years. He'd spoken one word to a person in nearly three decades and hadn't had any physical contact with anyone. Then one night he got caught stealing food from a camp and his whole world changed. I chose this book for the "book from the 2017 Good Reads Choice Awards" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year.

p. 109, He was never once bored. He wasn't sure, he said, that he even understood the concept of boredom. It applied only to people who felt they had to be doing something all the time, which from what he'd observed was most people. 

p. 109, The weak do not survive, and neither do the strong. Life is a constant, merciless fight that everyone loses. 

p. 136, After ten days in solitary confinement, many prisoners display clear signs of mental harm, and one study showed that about a third will eventually develop active psychosis. There are at least eighty thousand such inmates in America. The United Nations has determined that holding a person in isolation for more than fifteen days is cruel and inhuman punishment. 

p. 166, "And what about a text message? Isn't that just using a telephone as a telegraph? We're going backwards."

No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits, written by Jordan Romero with Linda LeBlanc

Jordan decided at nine years old that he wanted to climb the highest mountains on each continent. With the help and support of family, friends, his community, and sponsors, he was able to reach that goal at fifteen years old. I chose this book for the "book already in your bookshelf" category of a book challenge I'm doing this year.

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