What I've Been Reading
3 Mar
It’s time for an update regarding what I’ve been reading. If nothing else, it’s a great way for me to record the books that have impacted me over the course of the last few months.
This was February’s selection for my book club, and it has served to prove why this club is awesome. Each month, we take turns hosting and selecting the title. I’ve been introduced to some books I would never have chosen for myself, including this one. And yet, I am SO glad I read it. It’s the true story of two completely different men (one is homeless, living on the streets of Texas, and the other is a wealthy art dealer also living in Texas), and the woman who brings them together. I don’t want to say too much more, so as not to ruin it for anyone who might read it. But, I can say with absolute certainty that this story moved me. I loved it.
In January, I traveled to Texas for a conference. I picked up this book for some “fluff” to read on the plane. You know the type: sappy, you-know-the-ending-before-it-happens, romantic type of book. The kind that doesn’t make you think too much, but just entertains. That’s the type of book I was looking for, and for the most part it fit. But it also pleasantly surprised me. If you haven’t heard, this is Nicholas Sparks’ latest novel-gone-big screen. Last month we saw Dear John hit theaters everywhere, and The Last Song will follow this spring, featuring the talents of Miley Cyrus. In fact, that’s why I picked it up. With tween girls in the house, I was expecting them to want to see this movie and figured it’d be good to read the book first.
The main character, Ronnie (played by Miley in the movie), is forced to spend the summer she turns 18 with her estranged father in North Carolina. She’d rather be back in NYC, living with her mom, and hanging out at clubs with her friends. But something happens in NC – she falls in love. Obviously that’s not the surprising part. It’s how Sparks develops the relationship between Ronnie and her dad that I really enjoyed. I look forward to seeing how this translates to the big screen.
This is March’s book club pick, and yet another example of a book I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own (but am glad to have read). The story is a fictionalized account of the “pregnancy pact” made famous by some girls in New England a few years back. Barbara Delinsky is known for writing about topics that make people talk, and this is no exception. I can’t wait for our book club meeting, because I’m sure there will be a lot of discussion about this title.
The story centers primarily around a high school principal whose 17-year-old daughter becomes pregnant, after entering into a pact with three of her friends. The twist? These kids all come from what most people would describe as good homes. They are honor students expecting scholarships at Ivy League schools. But when the story breaks, everyone starts asking, “whose to blame here?” The book touches on controversial topics like stay-at-home vs. working moms, and asks important questions about whether a parent should be held accountable when a child makes a bad decision.
OK. Now that we’ve covered a little romance and drama, let’s talk about something completely different. I love Ted Dekker. He’s written some of my favorite suspense thrillers. In that sense, Tea with Hezbollah is no different. However, this one isn’t a story from the depths of Dekker’s imagination, but rather the real-life tale of his trip through the Middle East on a mission to ask “is it really possible to love one’s enemies?”.
Dekker is a master storyteller, and turns taxi rides and trips to Starbucks into a fascinating and (sometimes) terrifying journey. I found myself driven to maps of the Middle East, as I traced Dekker’s path and sought to understand it all. I normally don’t read books that require 20 pages of definitions in the back, but I seriously enjoyed this and learned a ton along the way.
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