Saturday, May 01, 2010

Books read in April

One can get a glimpse of the busy outdoor life this past month by the lack of books finished.  :)

Nonfiction
Loving God With All Your Mind by Elizabeth George (Re-read)
(I get so much from all of her books but this is a favorite.)

With Love, Edith by Edith Schaeffer (Re-read)
As mentioned before, I have read through this book many times and continue to draw a lot from it.  It is actually still out on my coffee table as I haven't quite finished re-reading it.

Crockett's Victory Garden by James Crockett 
Crockett was the original host of the Victory Garden on PBS.  This was my father-in-law's copy and it along with its' sequel continue to have a lot to offer gardeners all these years later.  I read the section on spring planting.

Long Journey Home; A Guide to Your Search for the Meaning of Life by Os Guinness
I was only able to read a few chapters of this before the end of April so I'll add it to my May books.

Fiction
Farther Afield by Miss Read
Only one fiction book this month and a small one at that!  I came across a rather large selection of paperback Miss Read books at the library's used book room for $1.00 each.  I ended up bringing home only two of them (money being rather tight with all going to the garden right now).

As I read this one, I found I had read it before but it was a very long time ago... one of those instances where I recognized what came next but could not predict it!  This was one of my favorite Miss Read books and a very good one to read if you haven't read any of the others (for this could stand alone).

I realized after reading a number of the Miss Read books that most really should be read in order of their writing to understand all the places and players.  This book and her Christmas books are exceptions.  I finished Farther Afield after working in the garden and finishing some housework yesterday.  Miss Read writes in such a way that one feels they are living in an English village.

My May selection of books will be more hodge podge than the past months.  I will finish the Os Guinness book, plan to read some essays from a Wendell Barry, may decide to read a couple of the light fiction books I have set aside for warmer weather reading (when one's brain doesn't always care for anything deep), and keep my options open for other reading material which may cross my path in the next month.

8 comments:

Mrs.B said...

Sounds like some wonderful reading.

I have always been blessed my Elizabeth George!

~~~In HIS Keeping,
Mrs.B~~~

Terra said...

Enjoy your books and reading. I bought and read the first Miss Read book, I think it is Thrush Green (?). Eventually I would like to read more of hers.

Cheryl (Copper's Wife) said...

Considering the amount of garden work you've been doing, I think you read an amazing number of books for the month. I always love your reviews, Brenda. Thanks!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I need to check out Miss Read!

carla said...

Nice that we were both reading Miss Read books in April. I'll be posting mine this week. The last one I read was Village Centenary. I used up the last of an Amazon gift certificate buying Miss Read books. Some of them were only $.01+shipping, but yours was a much better buy for $1.00 apiece. The only time I've ever seen used ones for sale in a shop was at a charity shop in Windsor, England, so I buy used on Amazon.

aleahy said...

I love Miss Read books! They just make me happy!

Anonymous said...

I don't know which version of Loving God With all Your Mind you have but I had the first one. When I bought one for a friend I found she had updated it and added more to the book. I don't know if she ever changed any of her other books.I do so love her writing. One book I picked up used was The Virtuous Woman, shattering the superwoman myth by Vicki Courtney. I am going to check and see if she wrote any more books. This one was a winner! Very good writing. I thought I would read it and quickly pass it on...but after reading it I know I will want to reread this one many times! Perhaps the library has a copy. Sarah

Angela said...

I, too, read Farther Afield in April. I have read several Miss Read's and I think this is the funniest! Love that British sense of humor! Angela