What I recently read, am reading now, plan on reading soon...

Here is a list of books I have read since January 2012 about which that I did not blog. I either let too much time pass to where I couldn’t remember enough to write about it, I finished it at a point where I just had no time to blog, or I could not (in good consciousness) recommend it. Also, this is a very busy time both personally and professionally, so here is a mere list of books I have read. I may blog about them yet, but as for now, this will have to do. If you wish to know more about a book in particular, let me know and I will fill you in.

Books read since January 2012 (but not blogged about)

The Stand by Stephen King

Magnolia Wednesdays by Wendy Wax
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
                by Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller
Momumental:  Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family by Jennifer Grant
Glaciers by Alexis Smith
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Books on the “To Read” shelf (or currently being read)

Swamplandia! By Karen Russell

Signature Sins by Michael Mangis
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke

“Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son’s First Son” by Anne Lamott with Sam Lamott

I first heard of Anne Lamott when the mother of one of my college roommates, Julie, gave me “Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year” after Noa was born. She told me to read it during those 2am feedings when you need to laugh. Being a new mom, I wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that; but, boy, does that one become clear very, very quickly.

Since then, I have read most of Lamott’s books (I return to “Bird by Bird” when I toy with the idea of just biting the bullet and becoming a real writer) and this latest book is just new to the shelves. In “Operating Instructions,” Lamott detailed her pregnancy with Sam – she is unmarried, not together with the father, over 40 and just getting herself together, and now she is responsible for another person. Gulp. Now, in “Some Assembly Required,” her not-yet-20-year-old son is expecting a child with his “is she is or isn’t she?” girlfriend. Lamott details the pregnancy through the first year and tells of falling in love with her grandson Jax, watching her son in his new role as dad and supporting her grandson’s mother.

I do not agree with Lamott on everything (politics, some theology, etc.), but that is not why I read her and it doesn’t prevent me from reading her. She was truly the first Christian I read who admitted to being broken. She flat out said that she was a mess and only the grace of God made her worthy. And that she was going to continue being a mess because, well, she is also a sinner. It was a revelation to me. Before then, most Christians I knew and Christian authors I read spent a lot of energy “having it altogether.” Reading Lamott, you get the feeling that she would find that just exhausting and more work than actually just being yourself. And it is more work – it is taking a giant spoonful of pride every morning when you are already full. As Lamott says: “Life is an obstacle course, and when you’re adding you own impediments (thinking they are helping), you really crazy it up. You make it harder to even just cross the room. You should not bring more items and hurdles to the obstacle course” (p161). That is why I appreciate Lamott. She knows her “signature sins” (as writer and teacher – and my neighbor – Michael Mangis calls them) and knows she could struggle with them for a long time. She owns them, hates them and realizes it is not within her power to conquer them – it is dependent on a grace-infused life.

Lamott’s son Sam has inherited his mother’s ease of words – his descriptions of his son, how he is coping with the near-breakdown moments with a new baby added to an already full life, and his own struggles mirror his mom’s honesty and turn of phrase. When talking about his son, he says: “I feel desperate of him – maybe that’s not correct grammatically, but I feel desperate of him” (p71). Not sure how much we will see of Sam Lamott in writing in years to come, but he has a gift and if he can do for young men what his mom did for young women, Christians will rejoice and be glad to see they have a wounded, broken brother in Christ whom they can relate and admire.

I encourage you to find Anne Lamott’s books and especially this new one as it feels like the continuation of a journey she has invited us on with her.

“Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch” by Sally Bedell Smith

Let me just start with all the reasons to read this book: 1) There is no more powerful woman in the world right now; 2) She has been on the throne and ruled over 16 sovereign states and multiple territories for 60 years; 3) She became queen at the age of 25; 4) She kept a marriage intact, gave birth to and raised four kids, cared for her widowed mother and nutty sister – oh, and ran a country; and 5) as an American, I find this whole monarchy thing fascinating.

At over 670 pages, this is no small book, but it reads very fast and well. Because the reader has seen the queen and known of her life, this book will not seem so foreign – we remember Diana’s death and the recent marriage of William and Katherine. The movies “The Queen” and “The King’s Speech” are familiar to us. She has just always seemed to have been there. And, really, she has.  Her life has been dedicated to her people and that in itself is an amazing thing. She comes from a long line of reluctant monarchs – in fact, it seems that many of the well-known kings and queens with great impact where not supposed to be in their position (or at least not ascend as early): King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II.

I have great appreciation and admiration for her and I found the book informative, enlightening and very interesting. The author does not let the queen off the hook for some of her actions (putting her duty above her children) and responses (inaction after Diana’s death), but you can tell the author is a fan and often gives her the benefit of the doubt. It is not merely a salacious tell-all, filled with rumors and unsavory details – the author had approved insider information and relies well on her facts. The queen didn’t “cooperate” but many close to her were interviewed and provided help. Who knows – this book could be a scandal in London and I have no idea.

I do recommend it and do not let the size of the book deter you – it is worth-while and it is not dense or dry that you would need to commit an enormous time to reading it. Cheerio, pip pip and all that.