5 Books On My Radar

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I recently agreed to start a book club with a couple of girls at work and some friends. Our first assignment was to read The Girl on the Train. I bought it during the first weekend it was truly warm in Charlotte and spent the next two afternoons wrapped up in a love knot (I can't say it's a triangle) murder mystery. I couldn't put it down! It was the first book I have finished in months and has me hungry for more. I tend to do that - binge read for a while and then not finish a book for months - but I'm making it a goal during this year to read at least one book a month. Book club will keep me on track, and hopefully I can fit a few more in between!

It's that time of year anyways; there's nothing better than a good book by the pool or on the beach, so here are the titles on deck.

The Paris Wife

A young Miss Hadley Richardson, with high spirits and lovely auburn hair, meets a handsome aspiring writer named Ernest Hemingway. They marry and make their way to Paris, living in a squalid apartment and spending time in cafe society with fellow expatriates Gertrude Stein, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and Sylvia Beach. Though the post-World War I years offer a great deal of creative freedom for these idle Americans, self-indulgence is the code of the day. Will Hadley choose to step aside as literary success-and another woman-come to take their place in Ernest's life?

This book has been sitting on my bedside table for a while, and although I've heard very good things, I've had a hard time getting into it. Not because it's not interesting, but because I've been distracted or busy and it does take some introduction to get to the good part. I'm determined to start over and read through the whole thing though, because it's apparently that good.

The Goldfinch

Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art. As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

I heard a lot about this book when it first came out a year or so ago, and had forgotten about it until a recent conversation. It's a long one, but I think it will be worth the time. I'm always intrigued by stories of complex situations that cause reflection and self-realization, and I'm sure this one won't disappoint. Stay tuned.

Wild

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State--and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than "an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise." But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. nbsp; Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Again with the journey of healing and self-realization. I won't lie, I hadn't heard of this book until Reese Witherspoon and the box office movie, but it doesn't matter how I found it, right? I'm usually into reading the book before I see the film (so that it doesn't ruin the true plot for me), so I'll probably until it's in RedBox to view this one.

The Harry Potter series

If you didn't already know, I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd. I love the whole concept and think the intricacies of the plot from book one to book seven are creatively brilliant in the way all the details weave together. The idea is strong enough to entertain adults and fun enough that kids can take it and run with it. I won't lie, I had robes and a potions kit as a kid.

I've seen all the movies numerous times, but believe it or not, I stopped reading after book four. I've always told myself I'm going to re-read the books and continue to finish the entire series, but I think it seems like such a long and daunting task that I just haven't started yet. I won't give it up, though. The series is on the list.

Greater

In Greater, Pastor Steven Furtick draws on the biblical story of Elisha to empower you to: * Take a God-given dream from idea to reality * Stretch your limited resources and abilities in ways you never thought possible * Replace the images of yourself that keep you feeling stuck in the past * Make a significant impact with your life starting today, rather than making endless plans for tomorrow that you never get around to. If you're tired of being ordinary, it's time to dream bigger. If you're feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, it's time to start smaller. It's time to ignite God's Greater vision for your life.

Mitch and I started going to Elevation Church in December and really enjoy hearing Pastor Stephen Furtick and others speak on faith and growing in Christ. I think Greater will be a positive extension of these teachings and discussions and a fantastic encouragement to strengthen the tie between faith and being your best self.

All of these titles are available at our public library, so I believe I'll be making a trip there this week to pick up a library card. I really just don't have the funds to be buying all the books this year, and to be honest I love owning a library card anyways. I remember the days (am I aging myself?) when I lived at home - I loved visiting the library just to wander through all the books. Some things never change.