a good read

This post was spurred by Accidental Poet's last post. Go look - over on the left is a link to her blog. I forgot the html to link to her.

But I have actually been thinking of this for weeks, and her post encouraged me to go ahead and write it down.

Good books:

These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

A fictional diary of a woman in the late 1800's. Apparently based on the author's great-grandmother's life. Too full of a book to capture in a synopsis. Just read it if you like this kind of read.

The Water and the Blood by Nancy E. Turner

Set in the deep south in the 30's and 40's. Full of racial tension and the breaking of established boundaries.

The Messenger of Magnolia Street by River Jordan

Quaint and Supernatural. How can it be both? I don't know. But River Jordan does it and does it well. This book had some symbolism that I admit I didn't quite get. But some of it can't be missed: a man named Nehemiah is called by God to go back to his home town to take part in restoring something that had been destroyed. Not a "Christian" book, but deep spiritual themes. The climax is a bit over the top for me personally, but I still loved the book. The writing is wonderful. I think I will have to read it again to further mine it's meanings.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

A spec fic book about life, death, Heaven and Hell. The choices we make, why we make them and when. If you've ever read Lewis, you know that it is deep and rich. A short book, but packed to the brim. Imaginative and clever as well as inspiring.

The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra

I read this book years ago, but it has engraved vivid images in my mind. A story of love and hatred. Life, death, and redemption. Are we capable of doing the unimaginable? Very eye-opening to a foreign culture and mind-set. And you may even learn something about yourself.

Finding Alice by Melody Carlson

Written from the perspective of the schitzophrenic protagonist. Informative and heart-rending. A great story of struggle and hope.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Ok, this one has some naughty parts, rated R. But only a couple that I remember. The overall story is so beautiful and whimsical. A girl looses her true love to her sister because she is destined to work in the kitchen. But her emotions have a peculiar effect on the food. Just a touch of tall tale about this one. Not any redeeming spiritual lessons that I can remember. I just enjoyed the wonderful writing and imagination of the story.

You can see that most of these books aren't exactly light and easy reading. Hmmm. I never noticed before, but this is the kind of story I enjoy most. Deep, meaningful, thought provoking and full of emotion. If you like that kind of book, you may enjoy some of these I've listed.