An interesting short novel. I suppose that being in Montana has something to do with the story (a family tragedy as remembered through the mind of a 12-year old) but it seems secondary at best. It’s more about coming of age and learning about some of the ragged edges of the world in a harsh way, no matter where you might happen to grow up. I hope it wasn’t just trying to cash in on Montana chic.

I grabbed this as a book-on-tape at the library on a whim, knowing that I should read a P.G. Wodehause sometime. It’s something like tasting some Godiva chocolate after being used to Hershey’s; even if you’re not an afficienado of chocolate, you can tell that you’ve got something special on your hands.

My sister told me that this needed to be the next book that I read, and that it was one of the best books she had ever read. Quite a demand and statement from someone who has read as widely as my sister. Yet now that I’m in to and hooked, I see her point. It’s been a while since I’ve had such pure enjoyment from reading – Barbara Kingsolver’s books usually do it, as did “Peace Like A River”. This is another one that I don’t want to end.

An autobiography with a strong thread of his “conversion” to Christianity, the writing is so beautiful in some places I regretted having it as a book-on-tape, since I wanted to re-read and savor the parts. His conversion is really a long process of internal growth, and it’s the inner and outer journeys that he chronicles so well.

This appears to be lots of clippings of his writings pasted together. I’m just starting it, so I’m not sure how it will work.

A beautiful book of reflections on a style of life that few of us know about. She looks at the Benedictine vows that are taken and the structure of life on a monestary, and reflects on how that shapes the way you look at and interact with the world. Unfortunately, it’s harder to extract spiritual lessons for my own life right now that’s so filled with the craziness of young children, work and family. Sure, living the Liturgy of the Hours is probably very moving, but that’s on another planet for me right now.

Feels like fast food after I’ve been eating good home cooking: simple and easy to take in, but it’s not going to help you grow. Plus, it reads like it’s meant to be made into a movie full of glamorous movie stars.

This is a book-on-tape, and I’m not sure who did the translation, but it’s masterful.

I’ve wanted to read this for years, and the combination of the forced pseudo-vacation of our summer transition between houses, finding a copy of it on the bookshelf where we’re housesitting, and the need for something more filling while plowing through “The DaVinci Code” made this the right moment to dive in.

I almost gave up on this because it wasn’t clear where a story about an obsessive compulsive person was going. I’m glad I stayed with it, because the story finally developed, and was done very well.