The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (Audio version): 5 of 5 STARS. I listened to this over the summer and forgot to include it in my last book reviews. I'm not sure why because it was very memorable and I really loved it. My only beef is that it is marketed as a children's book and I'm not so sure I would want my nine-year-old to read/listen to it yet. It's a Holocaust story of a boy living next to a concentration camp. I won't say any more than that so as not to give the story away. Highly recommend.
Sophie's Choice by William Styron: 3.5 of 5 STARS. This was on my TBR list for this year. William Styron is truly a gifted writer. His command of the English language is amazing. I feel like my vocabulary has been streeeeeeeeched while reading this book. It took me a while to get through it, though. Two stories, really. One of Sophie's past in a concentration camp and one of her life as an immigrant to the U.S. My biggest problem with the book was that it was very (to me) sexually graphic. There was a lot I didn't need to know (or visualize) about the narrator. I want to watch the movie soon.
Five Quarters of the Orange: A Novel by Joanne Harris: 5 of 5 STARS. As someone who would love to write a novel or even a short story, after reading this book I thought, "Why bother? There's no way I could write something this good!" Really. It was a wonderful story, wonderfully written. I read it in about four days which for me is super quick. It's a mother-daughter story set in WW2 occupied France. It's also a modern-day story of the daughter coming to terms with her now-deceased mother and her personal contribution to a family and community tragedy. So, so good. Very highly recommend. I'll lend you my copy! Read it. (Especially if you have 'mother' issues.)
The Shack by William P. Young: 2 of 5 STARS. This was a book club selection for September. We had ratings from 1 to 4.5 stars. You can imagine it was a good discussion! It wasn't very well written and the story was, I thought, juvenile in a lot of respects. It did make me think though, and I loved his short scene of a Heavenly celebration. I would recommend reading it only because everyone else is and you should be able to discuss it with your friends and co-workers. Don't buy it. You can have my copy!
Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahoney: 4 of 5 STARS. I bought this book because I was told there was a significant section on the 'theology of sleep.' There was, but the whole book was really good. I used it as a morning devotional. There are 12 chapters and they are just the right length and packed with very thought-provoking material to mull over the rest of the day. I plan to go through this again. Highly recommend! You can borrow mine, but you have to give it back.
From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler and Janet Burroway: 5 of 5 STARS. If you want to write, read this! Very encouraging. I think I need to read it ten more times to get everything out of it that I should. Great examples. It's actually transcripts of ROB's creative writing classes at Florida State University. He's just a Pulitzer Prize winner...probably could learn a thing or two from him!
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief by Francis S. Collins: 5 of 5 STARS. This is my book club's selection for October. This was really a great book. Mr. Collins is a sincere Christian, past leader of the Human Genome Project, and a theistic evolutionist. I've not read a lot about this particular viewpoint, and I think he writes with clarity and compassion. Gave me a lot to think about. Highly recommend to those interested in staying on top of the Creation/Evolution debate.
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