"Rainy Days and Mondays"

Do you have the spirit of adventure? Do you long to have new experiences?  We certainly had adventures this summer in England and Scotland. Do you like to visit unfamiliar places and try unusual foods? Do you like to challenge yourself to tests of physical strength and endurance? I would definitely say that I am an adventurous person. Sometimes I'm would even call myself a "restless spirit." I get easily bored with the mundane aspects of life, but the wheels are always spinning as I think of new things to do and to try. I like the words of George Mallory. He said "For the stone from the top for geologists, the knowledge of the limits of endurance for the doctors, but above all the spirit of adventure to keep alive the soul of man." I hope you're having an adventure this week. It doesn't have to be something big. Just do something that you've never done before. Or do a familiar task in a new way. Do something more fun, more fulfilling, more imaginative than what you did yesterday. There is always something to reach for.

Last time I wrote about the book Unbroken about the WWII survivor. That is one of the most incredible and inspiring stories that I've ever read. Don't be too disappointed when the movie comes out in December - book lovers know that the book is always better.

I've been listing books from my card catalog. This is a list of books that I've read since 1984. The next five titles are:

Something for the Pain by Paul Austin, M.D. (local author here in Durham, NC)
The Idea of Revelation in Recent Thought by John Baillie
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

Recently I was asked to list the ten best books that I've read without giving it much thought. So, for my unscientific list, I'd like to list the following as my top ten:

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (she sent me a form letter but it had her signature!)
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
How My Mom Raised 10 Kids in 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan
Little Heathens by Mildred Kalish (she replied to my email!)
Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel (also from Durham, NC!)
East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Granted, these books vary in genre. A book's primary purpose might be to make you laugh, to inspire you, to provide you with words that are beautiful, or to give information. I should make at least two lists, fiction and nonfiction, because the two genres often vary in purpose. For simple enjoyment and inspiration, I highly recommend the following biographies:  How My Mom..., Little Heathens, and A Girl Named Zippy. My top three fictional works are The Poisonwood Bible, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Edgar Sawtelle. But there are many books still to be written (hooray!) and many more to be read, so my favorites could change in the future.

Last time I stated that I would tell you about a book that I read a couple of years ago, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. This novel is about twin brothers, Marion and Shiva Stone. They were born to a nun,  Sister Mary Joseph Praise, in Ethiopia. I consider this a great novel because it weaves the story of this family from the birth of the boys to their adulthood when they finally solve the mystery of their paternity. The reader grows to know and greatly admire the missionary medical staff at the Missing Hospital of Addis Adaba, Ethiopia. Each character is carefully developed by Verghese in such a way that we feel that we know them or would like to know them. But the great mystery everyone wants to solve is, How did such a godly nun become pregnant? Who was the father? And who was to take care of these boys and to protect them during great political upheaval in Ethiopia?
 I consider this to be a great novel, the type that you don't want to put down, because many of the characters are very admirable and often mysterious. But the main reason that I consider it to be a great novel is that it discusses the important themes of relationships, love, self-sacrifice, and pride. Read it and let me know what you think.

It's still raining here in Durham, NC on this September Monday, so why not get out your book? Don't forget to let me know what your top ten books are, but don't think too much...just write down ten titles that you really enjoyed. And do something that you've never done before!

Hasta luego...Melissa