June was all about reading the books
I had been 'saving for later' earlier in the year, but in July I went to the other extreme...
Linking up with Sheila at the Deliberate Reader.
Linking up with Sheila at the Deliberate Reader.
Travel books galore
I got a lot of travel books, all for
pretty much the same reason: they looked interesting, and reading a
good travel book is a bit like taking a trip yourself.
Christopher Somerville: The golden
step: a walk through the heart of Crete
Somerville is a travel writer, but this
time he went to Crete to travel for pleasure, not for work. (It was
sort of a 50th birthday gift from his wife.) It is
apparent that he knows the country pretty well from previous visits,
but on this walking trip, he also finds places and experiences that
are new to him.
Rob Lilwall: Walking Home from
Mongolia: ten million steps through China, from the Gobi Desert to
the South China Sea
I enjoyed Lilwall's earlier book
(Cycling Home from Siberia). This sounded just as promising. I like
his blend of British humour, funny adventures and heart-searching.
Walking through China is something I am not likely to attempt myself, ever - so I'm glad I can read about someone else taking on the adventure.
Griff Rhys Jones writes about making a
TV series on British rivers.
(I haven't seen the series, but the book makes it sound pretty interesting.)
A mixture of history, geography,
adventures with various means of transportation etc., humour,
personal reminiscences... And a dog named Cadbury. :) (A chocolate Labrador. Of course.)
Not just travel - expatriate experiences
All borrowed from the library.
Why: As with travel books, I find it interesting to learn more about other countries through someone's personal experiences.
Mailis
Hudilainen: Minu Peterburi
Ede
Schank Tamkivi: Minu California
Two books from the same series: Estonian expats write about their experiences in a particular place. These ones are about St Petersburg and California. (I've never been to California, and the last time I was in St Petersburg, it was still called Leningrad...)
A Finnish NGO worker's experiences in
Cambodia, from the 1980's to the present days. I know very little about Cambodia, and hope to learn more from this book.
Other library finds
Susan Cain: Quiet: the power of
introverts in a world that can't stop talking
Why: I'm an introvert, and I was
interested in this book after reading many recommendations. My thoughts on the book here.
Why: This caught my eye in the new
titles list at the library website, probably because I've read some
very positive reviews on it. (Moreover, I was glad to find a poetry
book for the reading challenges - this is "a genre I don't
typically read.")
Kindle purchases
I snapped up a couple of special
offers:
Rachel Friedman: The Good Girl's Guide
to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two
Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure
Why: Sounded intriguing. (See other
travel and expat books...)
Why: I listened to an interview with
Karen Ehman about choosing our words wisely on the Focus on the Family
Daily podcast during our holiday trip. (Talk about good timing...)
I know this is a topic I really need to think about more.
Joni Eareckson Tada: A Place of
Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's
Sovereignty
Why: I'm sure that what Joni Eareckson Tada has to
say on this topic is worth reading.
Oh man. That Keep It Shut book sounds like something I probably ought to read... although I'm not sure that I *want* to. :)
ReplyDeleteFound you via Sheila's link-up!
Thanks for commenting!
DeleteI'm about halfway through Ehman's book, and it's been good so far. She writes what she has learned and is still working on to put into practice as someone who struggles with the "foot-in-the-mouth disorder" herself. I'll try to write more about the book when I've finished it.
I bought Brown Girl Dreaming at a scholastic book fair at school for my daughter and I to read and just haven't gotten to it yet. I am also interested in Keep It Shut. Karen Ehman has lots of wonderful insights that I appreciate.
ReplyDeleteI need to get back to Brown Girl Dreaming - I started it but it got pushed aside in favor of some other books with hard deadlines. :(
ReplyDeleteAnd Walking Home from Mongolia sounds like one I'd love - just my sort of travel book!