Read
If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende- I don't remember where I first heard of this book, but I'm glad I read it. It's a simply enough read. Heather writes the obituaries for her small town newspaper in Alaska, she's active in the community, and with such a tiny population, everyone pretty much knows everyone in town. Each little chapter usually details the death of someone in the town, her meeting the family, and some other story that ties in some way or another.
I saw some reviews on Goodreads who said that they thought the author was bragging about how superior she was for living in a hard place in the middle of no where and boasting about how they live far from hospitals and many modern conveniences. (When her son's appendix ruptured they drove all the way to Whitehorse in a snowstorm to have it removed, because the ferry wasn't coming that day, and the weather was too bad to fly.) But to me, it was more about what's nice about small town living, and how even if people disagree with each other, they still try to help each other. It wasn't bragging as much as proving to people that living in a small town in Alaska isn't as horrible as you'd probably imagine. The scenery sounds beautiful, and after reading about the locals, it sounds like it'd be a fun place to see.
Be forewarned though, the last chapter is the only one that made me cry. It's a real tearjerker. And a section in the last paragraph really resonated with me,
" I have wished that, after every single obituary, I'd known the person better, that I'd asked them one more question while they were living, said thank you one more time, smiled another hello in the grocery store, or invited them over for dinner."It made me want to spend more time being nice, trying to lighten others burdens, even those I don't know, and especially those I do.
A Godward Life by John Piper- This was a devotional I had found at the thrift shop. I finished it at 11:30 p.m. on December 31. It was 120 readings and a lot of it made me think. I like books that make you look at things in new ways.
Acquired
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde- I love Jasper Fforde, so when I found this one on bookmooch, I had to mooch it. He writes these awesome fantasies that are always similar to our world but twisted in all the right ways.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett, The Temptress by Paul Spicer, and The Secret Place by Tana French- All three of these came from my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa: The Bookkeeper's Apprentice. We have similar tastes so I'm intrigued to read The Temptress and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. The Secret Place was on my wishlist, and I love Tana French so I'm sure it's going to be great.
365 Moments of Peace for a Woman's Heart is a devotional I got as a Christmas gift from one of my friends. I plan to use it for 2016.
In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore is from the thrift store, and sounds like it will be a good read. I am all about living life intentionally, relishing the small moments, and living simple.
Also from the thrift store: The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards and Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well by Nancy Atherton. Neither one is something I would probably normally pick up, but they both sounded interesting and like a nice change of pace. What can I say, those people that write the descriptions of the back of paperbacks probably love me. I can totally be swayed into buying something if I like what they say.
If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteI really did like it. I made me a little more appreciative of living in a small town. And Heather's writing makes you feel like you can just picture the town and the people.
Delete