Monday, January 1, 2018

The Bible Has More Books Than I Read in 2017

Even though I’m a slow, careful reader of what might be considered “heavy” books, much to my disappointment, embarrassment, and chagrin, I read only four books in the year just ended:
  1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain: From the first page, the author was talking directly to me, and thanks to her wisdom, I try not to beat myself up for needing space and time to decompress, for despising video conference calls that force my brain to function in ways that it was not designed to work, and – now that I’m finally writing about the book – for not marking the many passages that resonated so powerfully with me.

  2. Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Somehow this book slipped through the cracks until I finally caught up with it in 2017. Pure escapism to a simpler time and a true joy to read, the book's brief review on my page on goodreads.com says: “Now I understand why fans want to visit Prince Edward Island. Count me in!”

  3. The Beautiful Possible, by Amy Gottlieb: Having learned from Amy Gottlieb, one of my instructors at “Beyond Walls,” the Kenyon Institute’s spiritual writing seminar, I was eager to read the personally inscribed copy of this book – and it did not disappoint. Her richly detailed characters came vividly to life and the intricate weavings of the tale have stayed with me in the months since I turned the last page.

  4. The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddhartha Mukherjee: At more than 600 densely, but incredibly well-written pages, this book, more than the others, accounts for this list’s brevity. A detailed, attention-grabbing exploration of every possible facet of genetics, Mukherjee seamlessly blends his own family’s personal narrative with the history of the gene and genetics. At the heart of the volume, are the richly drawn profiles of the scientists and researchers whose hypotheses, persistence, and discoveries brought the field to life – and whose work continues to shape this critically important field today.
I’ve just signed up to participate in goodreads.com’s 2018 Reading Challenge and, given my dismal number for 2017, have set a modest goal of six books for the year. I’m nearly halfway through the first, The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish, which I started over Thanksgiving weekend. Stay tuned for updates and happy reading to one and all.