I've always known there was a Great Depression, that it all started in 1929, and that things were hard. But I didn't know what that really meant. A Secret Gift, by journalist Ted Gup, brought things into focus for me. When I was about halfway into the book, a friend emailed me that the bank where her husband had been employed for years was being taken over by the Feds that evening. That email highlighted one of the similarities between those times and these we live in.
Just before Christmas in 1933, the newspaper in Canton, Ohio ran an ad. A Mr. B. Virdot had set aside some money to be distributed among families in need. They just needed to write and ask. He had $750 to give, and he intended to give $10 to 75 families. The outpouring of need that he found in the mailbox led him to give $5 to 150 families instead. $5 was equivalent to about $100 now.
Mr. B. Virdot was actually a man named Sam Stone, who happened to be Ted Gup's grandfather. Ted found a pack of letters among other family papers in an old suitcase. He spent some time hunting down the life records of the families who received money from his grandfather, and talking with whichever descendants he could find. Each letter is heartbreaking in its own unique way, but the stories are a mix of heartbreak and hope. Some families endured and went on to enjoy better days; other families crumbled completely.
As the mother of three school age children, it's hard to imagine that a 7-year-old would be sent out each day, taking several buses to get out of town, where he would use the shotgun he'd toted along to kill whatever wildlife he could find to feed his family. Other young children worked all day on farms, then went out to deliver newpapers. It's amazing what they were asked to do. Childhood ended very early.
Other families could not go on any longer. Orphanages swelled with the influx of children who were dropped off by their parents, in the hopes that the children would be warm and fed at the orphanage.
But the small gift that these families received from Sam Stone brought a light into the darkness and brought hope to some of the benefactors. The book also recounts other ways that neighbor helped neighbor. Doctors practiced medicine with little hope of being repaid. Dairies sent the milk orders out, regardless of outstanding bills. Even the man hired to guard the coal cars at the train station knocked a few pieces off so that the children waiting to grab whatever bits were left behind would have something to take home.
It's hard not to think about another theme I've been hearing lately, the uptick in narcissism and entitlement among American youth today. It is a problem of riches, I think. And far be it from me to be too condescending about the narcissism of others, as I blog away my every thought about the books I read!
Bill McKibben's book Eaarth, which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, emphasized the need to grow close communities and deep relationships to maneuver through the changes that will come as our fossil fuels are depleted and climate change affects society. Regardless of what you think of those possibilities, close community is something that benefits everyone. And when Hard Times come, as they do at different times and different places around the world, it is our compassion and love for each other that God can use to comfort and to heal.
An interesting subtext to the book is Gup's investigation into his own grandfather, Sam Stone. Sam never disclosed the circumstances of his youth, and Gup decided it was time he and his family knew more. He learned about his grandfather's childhood as a Jew in Romania, and how this may have impacted the way he lived his life in America, for better and for worse.
A Secret Gift was not a quick read for me. Each person or family story was brief, and just as I got to know one, it was time to move on to another. That slows me down as I read. But I feel that I've learned a lot about history, about the different ways people survive and thrive, and about the need for love to make that thriving possible.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Dog Days: "The Art of Racing in the Rain"
This month the Fab 5 Book Club nosed their way through The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. Told from the perspective of Enzo, the loving dog of master Denny, the story moves through Enzo's life with Denny. From meeting Eve, Denny's future wife, the birth of their child, Eve's illness, and the horrible aftermath of the illness, Enzo gives his point of view, rich with wisdom gleaned from watching the Speed Channel, Weather Channel, and National Geographic Channel while Denny was away at work all day.
We all found the book appealing, not because the storyline is so great, but because we loved Enzo and the way he looked at the world. His loving and forgiving nature, his envy of short tongues and opposable thumbs, and his utter devotion to Denny. Even Nancy cried, and she is NOT a dog person.
Enzo says that he is like a person trapped in an isolation booth--he can't communicate anything he knows. And he knows so much. He knows the pain and pleasure of his family, he knows when illness has moved in, and he knows what mistakes they are all making. Enzo even has a spiritual side--he expects to be reincarnated, and he also recognizes the darkness that is in everyone, through his experience with an evil stuffed zebra.
Our dinner, heart-attack-on-a-plate in varying forms from Pietro's restaurant, even had a book connection--there are Italian racers in the book. Denny is a Formula One driver, and the book gives some detailed explanations about different aspects of racing. I had to wonder. So many books are written for a female audience, because women buy more fiction than men. (I've heard that's true, but have no data to back it up, so you'll just have to drink that Kool-Aid.) This book is about a man, a race car driver, and his beloved dog. So is this a men's book that women like to read? Or is it a women's book masquerading as a men's book? I suppose some less cynical people would think it could just be gender neutral. Marketing doesn't usually work that way. Any men out there who have read this one?
As usual, we drifted away from the book fairly quickly, making plans for a possible trip to Cincinnati where some of our members used to live. Apparently the city is rife with good restaurants, so it sounds like we will eat the entire time. Except for when we drive past Procter & Gamble. Not sure why, but this seems to be a major attraction. All I know about it is that half the people in Cincinnati seem to be paid to test one drug or another. The big question is: Do we all share one room with 2 double beds, get 2 rooms with 2 double beds, or get 1 room for 2 of us to share, and a separate room each for the other two? Cheapness is vying with a desire to sleep here. What would you recommend?
We would recommend this book. It's worth reading, and it's a quick one if you need a weekend take-along. The writing quality is patchy, definitely at it's best when recounting Enzo's ruminations about life and people. I personally enjoyed his theory that people keep dogs from evolving through breeding, and the penance we pay for this evil is that we have to turn a plastic bag inside out over our hands and pick up their fresh, er, leavings as they walked. Enzo's the best dog ever.
We all found the book appealing, not because the storyline is so great, but because we loved Enzo and the way he looked at the world. His loving and forgiving nature, his envy of short tongues and opposable thumbs, and his utter devotion to Denny. Even Nancy cried, and she is NOT a dog person.
Enzo says that he is like a person trapped in an isolation booth--he can't communicate anything he knows. And he knows so much. He knows the pain and pleasure of his family, he knows when illness has moved in, and he knows what mistakes they are all making. Enzo even has a spiritual side--he expects to be reincarnated, and he also recognizes the darkness that is in everyone, through his experience with an evil stuffed zebra.
Our dinner, heart-attack-on-a-plate in varying forms from Pietro's restaurant, even had a book connection--there are Italian racers in the book. Denny is a Formula One driver, and the book gives some detailed explanations about different aspects of racing. I had to wonder. So many books are written for a female audience, because women buy more fiction than men. (I've heard that's true, but have no data to back it up, so you'll just have to drink that Kool-Aid.) This book is about a man, a race car driver, and his beloved dog. So is this a men's book that women like to read? Or is it a women's book masquerading as a men's book? I suppose some less cynical people would think it could just be gender neutral. Marketing doesn't usually work that way. Any men out there who have read this one?
As usual, we drifted away from the book fairly quickly, making plans for a possible trip to Cincinnati where some of our members used to live. Apparently the city is rife with good restaurants, so it sounds like we will eat the entire time. Except for when we drive past Procter & Gamble. Not sure why, but this seems to be a major attraction. All I know about it is that half the people in Cincinnati seem to be paid to test one drug or another. The big question is: Do we all share one room with 2 double beds, get 2 rooms with 2 double beds, or get 1 room for 2 of us to share, and a separate room each for the other two? Cheapness is vying with a desire to sleep here. What would you recommend?
We would recommend this book. It's worth reading, and it's a quick one if you need a weekend take-along. The writing quality is patchy, definitely at it's best when recounting Enzo's ruminations about life and people. I personally enjoyed his theory that people keep dogs from evolving through breeding, and the penance we pay for this evil is that we have to turn a plastic bag inside out over our hands and pick up their fresh, er, leavings as they walked. Enzo's the best dog ever.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Brave New Eaarth, or, Global Warning
Well, it was a big night at the Neland Women's Book Club Tonight. I mean world changing--literally. We met to sort through Bill McKibben's book, Eaarth. Why the strange title? Because McKibben's point of view is that the world is a different place, so it should have a new name. It's a planet that reminds us of one we used to know, but it's not the same. He says we'd better come to terms with it as it is, instead of as we wish it to be.
The world is a different place due to climate change (please hold back your groans here). We've heard the naysayers who deny it is happening; we've heard the doomsday prophets who talk about cataclysmic change ahead. McKibben says the cataclysmic change is already happening, and while we haven't yet felt the full effect, we'd better get ready.
Everyone should read this book. I don't often think that is actually true of a book, but if everyone read this book, it would bring us to some common point of discussion, even if people disagree with it. However, everyone will not read this book. It is not a happy book. It describes the changes that have occurred and will continue to progress in our earth, and it is depressing. The majority of the book, in fact, lays out his description of what the earth is now, and what that says for the future.
The last portion of the book is what we can do to adapt to our new home. It is hopeful, but it describes a different kind of life than we have come to expect for ourselves. Instead of global, bigger, and faster, life will need to be sturdier, smaller, slower.
The call to build community, to deepen relationships and interactions, should resonate with a church group. After all, that's what we should be doing anyway! But we are part of a culture that speeds up, multitasks and travels, and it takes a conscious decision to think communally.
As we talked about the book, we talked about what we can do right now. What we can do that goes beyond the usual green suggestions of using real mugs instead of paper cups, building a compost pile. We can reduce, reuse, recycle (in that order). We can buy less. We can use less. We can do more for ourselves. We all agreed that simple living is attractive, and when we are put in a situation temporarily (camping, living overseas) we find it refreshing, but it doesn't take long to get sucked right back into the current of consumerism.
Annetta said one of her friends from the Netherlands told her "the reason Americans can't save money is because everything costs 88 cents." It's easy to justify buying something that costs you "almost nothing."
Mary, our fearless leader, told us that in January, the new Congress disbanded the committee that met on climate change issues. Perhaps, we think, this will need to be a civilian-driven issue rather than legislation.
In the meantime, what does it mean for a church? What can our community do to help? We can help educate people on caring for a garden or making homes energy efficient. We can share our resources to help slow consumerism. We can take active steps to conserve and to preserve. And we can expect to be frustrated, because change is hard.
Mary wondered if, when it comes to global warming and climate change, denial of its existence or depression in the face of its effects are just part of the grieving process, a grief at the loss of the world we thought we knew and controlled. The fact is that when things get harder, food becomes more scarce or more expensive, we will do what we have to do. Unfortunately, developing countries will (and already do) experience this much more fully than we can understand. Change will be forced upon us at some point. It might be good to give some thought to it in advance.
One of the ironies for me, with this book, was that I listened to a good portion of it while driving my kids to their various activities or on my errands. I listened to the effects that my carbon emissions are having on the earth as I blithely made my way back and forth across the city in my big blue minivan.
God created a beautiful place for us. Sometimes it seems that we humans have spent all of our waking moments dreaming up ways to defile it, whether it be relationally, societally, or environmentally. Thank the Lord that our comfort, in life and in death, is that we belong to him.
We all say we love our children, would give our lives for them. Would we give up our gasoline for them? Would we give up that really cute, really cheap sweater? Only time will tell. We may not have a choice, in the end.
The world is a different place due to climate change (please hold back your groans here). We've heard the naysayers who deny it is happening; we've heard the doomsday prophets who talk about cataclysmic change ahead. McKibben says the cataclysmic change is already happening, and while we haven't yet felt the full effect, we'd better get ready.
Everyone should read this book. I don't often think that is actually true of a book, but if everyone read this book, it would bring us to some common point of discussion, even if people disagree with it. However, everyone will not read this book. It is not a happy book. It describes the changes that have occurred and will continue to progress in our earth, and it is depressing. The majority of the book, in fact, lays out his description of what the earth is now, and what that says for the future.
The last portion of the book is what we can do to adapt to our new home. It is hopeful, but it describes a different kind of life than we have come to expect for ourselves. Instead of global, bigger, and faster, life will need to be sturdier, smaller, slower.
The call to build community, to deepen relationships and interactions, should resonate with a church group. After all, that's what we should be doing anyway! But we are part of a culture that speeds up, multitasks and travels, and it takes a conscious decision to think communally.
As we talked about the book, we talked about what we can do right now. What we can do that goes beyond the usual green suggestions of using real mugs instead of paper cups, building a compost pile. We can reduce, reuse, recycle (in that order). We can buy less. We can use less. We can do more for ourselves. We all agreed that simple living is attractive, and when we are put in a situation temporarily (camping, living overseas) we find it refreshing, but it doesn't take long to get sucked right back into the current of consumerism.
Annetta said one of her friends from the Netherlands told her "the reason Americans can't save money is because everything costs 88 cents." It's easy to justify buying something that costs you "almost nothing."
Mary, our fearless leader, told us that in January, the new Congress disbanded the committee that met on climate change issues. Perhaps, we think, this will need to be a civilian-driven issue rather than legislation.
In the meantime, what does it mean for a church? What can our community do to help? We can help educate people on caring for a garden or making homes energy efficient. We can share our resources to help slow consumerism. We can take active steps to conserve and to preserve. And we can expect to be frustrated, because change is hard.
Mary wondered if, when it comes to global warming and climate change, denial of its existence or depression in the face of its effects are just part of the grieving process, a grief at the loss of the world we thought we knew and controlled. The fact is that when things get harder, food becomes more scarce or more expensive, we will do what we have to do. Unfortunately, developing countries will (and already do) experience this much more fully than we can understand. Change will be forced upon us at some point. It might be good to give some thought to it in advance.
One of the ironies for me, with this book, was that I listened to a good portion of it while driving my kids to their various activities or on my errands. I listened to the effects that my carbon emissions are having on the earth as I blithely made my way back and forth across the city in my big blue minivan.
God created a beautiful place for us. Sometimes it seems that we humans have spent all of our waking moments dreaming up ways to defile it, whether it be relationally, societally, or environmentally. Thank the Lord that our comfort, in life and in death, is that we belong to him.
We all say we love our children, would give our lives for them. Would we give up our gasoline for them? Would we give up that really cute, really cheap sweater? Only time will tell. We may not have a choice, in the end.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
One Giant Leap for My Kind
Not long ago, I said firmly that I would not be using an e-reader. "I'll never use one of those; I can't imagine trying to read from a screen all the time."
I'm not an early adapter (So much so that I'm not even sure if it's really early adapter or early adopter. And these things matter to me.). Today I tried to get across the state using only a GPS, and I ended up adding an extra 40 minutes to my trip. Give me a big, unwieldy atlas any day.
Plus, as regards an e-reader, I love real books. I love the feel of them, especially hardcovers. A lovely dust jacket is so inviting, the feel of heavy paper is satisfying, and even the smell of the ink is heavenly. Plus I like to turn it on end and check how far I've gotten. And my home feels complete only with full (or possibly over-full) bookshelves. Nope, an e-reader is not for me.
Then, last summer, I got on a flight with a bag stuffed with the 8-10 books I thought I might possibly need over 8 days time (ha!). The handles were ripping out, as were my shoulder and my spinal column. I settled in the seat on the plane, then bent over double to dig through the bag between my feet for the book I wanted at that moment. The woman next to me had her purse as a carry-on, and she effortlessly pulled out an enlarged cell phone-like object and started reading. She had loaded all the books she wanted for her trip.
Well, that got me thinking. At the last minute, I added a reader to my Christmas wish list. And on Christmas day I got a Nook. After spending a couple of hours going back and forth to the Barnes and Noble website, complete with a call to customer service (yes, on Christmas day), I finally got a) my account open, b) my gift card registered, and c) my customer rewards card number entered. And I could finally purchase my first ebook. Which was The Art of Racing in the Rain, but I'll write about that book on another day.
And now I have read my first ebook. So what can I say about it? It will be handy to carry multiple titles when traveling. The Nook is not backlit, so it's easy on the eyes, but still requires a booklight if I want to read in the dark. The booklight is easier to clip onto the cover of the Nook than to maneuver around pages, but it does make a glare on the screen. It's much quieter to turn pages on the Nook than with a real book. (I will continue to refer to print books as "real" books, and you'll just have to put up with it.) The one real bonus to me is that I feel like I'm reading faster because each screenful is half a page, so I'm clicking through the pages like mad. And I can search for something I want to re-read just by typing in a couple of remembered words.
On the minus side, I really missed the cover. Yes, I can view the cover on my Nook, but it's not pretty. I know that seems shallow, but there's a reason they make dust jackets so attractive. Real books don't need to be charged every so often. I can barely remember to charge my cell phone. And after spending a good part of each day working on my computer, it's just not as restful to look at yet another screen. One of the selling points was that the library system has a collection that can be downloaded. However, that is the KDL system, not the Grand Rapids library system, and I don't have the correct address. Grrr. I'll spare you my rant on that subject.
But still, I liked it. I will continue to buy real books, no doubt. A book that matters to me needs to be held and studied and loaned out and recommended. And if at all possible, signed by the author. How would Mary Karr autograph my Nook, right? Also, I feel like a traitor to the bookstores that I love. I avoid purchasing books at Barnes and Noble because I prefer to support local stores. I expect to use the Nook for books that I don't expect a lot from, that I won't want to pull off the shelf and push into someone else's hands. Or possibly for really thick books (think Vanity Fair or Anna Karenina) that are not so easy to schlepp around. I can't imagine browsing for a good novel on my computer--I like to stop in at the Literary Life bookstore or Pooh's Corner or Schuler's and finger all the books on the shelves. So, I make the leap, but halfheartedly.
But I will never use a GPS again. No way.
I'm not an early adapter (So much so that I'm not even sure if it's really early adapter or early adopter. And these things matter to me.). Today I tried to get across the state using only a GPS, and I ended up adding an extra 40 minutes to my trip. Give me a big, unwieldy atlas any day.
Plus, as regards an e-reader, I love real books. I love the feel of them, especially hardcovers. A lovely dust jacket is so inviting, the feel of heavy paper is satisfying, and even the smell of the ink is heavenly. Plus I like to turn it on end and check how far I've gotten. And my home feels complete only with full (or possibly over-full) bookshelves. Nope, an e-reader is not for me.
Then, last summer, I got on a flight with a bag stuffed with the 8-10 books I thought I might possibly need over 8 days time (ha!). The handles were ripping out, as were my shoulder and my spinal column. I settled in the seat on the plane, then bent over double to dig through the bag between my feet for the book I wanted at that moment. The woman next to me had her purse as a carry-on, and she effortlessly pulled out an enlarged cell phone-like object and started reading. She had loaded all the books she wanted for her trip.
Well, that got me thinking. At the last minute, I added a reader to my Christmas wish list. And on Christmas day I got a Nook. After spending a couple of hours going back and forth to the Barnes and Noble website, complete with a call to customer service (yes, on Christmas day), I finally got a) my account open, b) my gift card registered, and c) my customer rewards card number entered. And I could finally purchase my first ebook. Which was The Art of Racing in the Rain, but I'll write about that book on another day.
And now I have read my first ebook. So what can I say about it? It will be handy to carry multiple titles when traveling. The Nook is not backlit, so it's easy on the eyes, but still requires a booklight if I want to read in the dark. The booklight is easier to clip onto the cover of the Nook than to maneuver around pages, but it does make a glare on the screen. It's much quieter to turn pages on the Nook than with a real book. (I will continue to refer to print books as "real" books, and you'll just have to put up with it.) The one real bonus to me is that I feel like I'm reading faster because each screenful is half a page, so I'm clicking through the pages like mad. And I can search for something I want to re-read just by typing in a couple of remembered words.
On the minus side, I really missed the cover. Yes, I can view the cover on my Nook, but it's not pretty. I know that seems shallow, but there's a reason they make dust jackets so attractive. Real books don't need to be charged every so often. I can barely remember to charge my cell phone. And after spending a good part of each day working on my computer, it's just not as restful to look at yet another screen. One of the selling points was that the library system has a collection that can be downloaded. However, that is the KDL system, not the Grand Rapids library system, and I don't have the correct address. Grrr. I'll spare you my rant on that subject.
But still, I liked it. I will continue to buy real books, no doubt. A book that matters to me needs to be held and studied and loaned out and recommended. And if at all possible, signed by the author. How would Mary Karr autograph my Nook, right? Also, I feel like a traitor to the bookstores that I love. I avoid purchasing books at Barnes and Noble because I prefer to support local stores. I expect to use the Nook for books that I don't expect a lot from, that I won't want to pull off the shelf and push into someone else's hands. Or possibly for really thick books (think Vanity Fair or Anna Karenina) that are not so easy to schlepp around. I can't imagine browsing for a good novel on my computer--I like to stop in at the Literary Life bookstore or Pooh's Corner or Schuler's and finger all the books on the shelves. So, I make the leap, but halfheartedly.
But I will never use a GPS again. No way.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Favorites of 2010: Books, Movies and Music
While my kids look forward breathlessly to a year that includes the final installment of the Harry Potter movies, and I look forward to the new film adaptation of Jane Eyre that I just saw a trailer for, there were some great things to remember from the year past too. Here are some of the things I really liked this year--let me know what I've missed!
Books for Adults:
Lit by Mary Karr: Memoir of trading alcohol for God, with no sugar coating.
The Cellist of Sarajevo (didn't come out this year, but still) by Steven Galloway: gorgeously written novel of life under seige.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson: Fun romp through the English countryside with a crusty old Englishman.
In the Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim: Lovenheim spends some time getting to know his neighbors, by sleeping over.
When Metallica Came to Church by John Van Sloten: Pastor Van Sloten gives a new perspective on God's way of revealing himself.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Okay, so I read this in 2009, but it bears repeating. Great book. Looking forward to the movie.
Books for Young Adults:
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr: Honest, lovely fiction of a pastor's kid questioning her own belief.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (only after reading the first two in the trilogy): A futuristic novel giving a very real picture of the effects of war.
Eli the Good by Silas House: Coming-of-age novel set in bicentennial America. Not quite sure if it's for adults or young people, but I enjoyed it!
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine: A girl with Asperger's comes to terms with grief.
Matched by Ally Condie: Add up The Hunger Games plus The Giver plus Twilight, take out the werewolves, most of the lust and most of the poor writing, and you still have a good story.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (again, an oldie, but still): Fabulous autobiographical fiction of a 14 year old boy caught between his tribe and his off-the-reservation school.
Movies for Adults:
The King's Speech: Wonderful treatment of a would-be king struggling with a speech impediment and his unorthodox therapist. Plus the bonus of seeing Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) and Elizabeth Bennett (Jennifer Ehle) sharing the screen again (see the 90s version of Pride and Prejudice.) Geoffrey Rush also fantastic.
Winter's Bone: The story is dark and gritty, but young Jennifer Lawrence deserves an Oscar for her performance as a teenager trying to save her family from the mistakes of her meth-cooking father in the Ozarks.
Inception: Hard to describe, but this creative and innovative movie is mindbending. Worth watching if only for the incredible sequences of architectural design and alteration.
The Social Network: Well-acted and well-timed, the Facebook movie comments on our culture and our connections (or lack thereof). Beware the party scenes.
Get Low: Robert Duvall is a hermit wanting to throw his own funeral while he's still alive. He's looking for a monumental confessional. Wonderful little movie, great music, and Bill Murray in another great supporting role. Might not be one of the best of the year, but I really liked it. And watch how they use light in the scenes. Lovely.
Honorable Mention: Please Give, for trying to address something important (our attitudes towards using people, charity, guilt, etc), even if it couldn't quite do it.
Still want to see: Waiting for Superman, the documentary about the state of public education in our country. I need to see it, know it will matter greatly, but haven't gotten to it yet.
Movies for the Younger Set:
Toy Story 3: Woody. Buzz. Pixar. Another home run.
How to Train Your Dragon: Fun and full of heart. Not for the youngest.
Ramona and Beezus: Sweet, fun, well-made kids' movie that got very little credit.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Loved this!
Tangled: Fun interpretation of Rapunzel.
Music (no real description here, you'll just have to listen online for yourselves)
Downtown Church by Patti Griffin
Women and Country by Jakob Dylan
In Feast or Fallow by Sandra McCracken
This Broken Moment by Jessica Smucker and the Sleeping World
Album I know I'll like but haven't gotten yet: Arcade Fire's The Suburbs
Happy New Year!
Books for Adults:
Lit by Mary Karr: Memoir of trading alcohol for God, with no sugar coating.
The Cellist of Sarajevo (didn't come out this year, but still) by Steven Galloway: gorgeously written novel of life under seige.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson: Fun romp through the English countryside with a crusty old Englishman.
In the Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim: Lovenheim spends some time getting to know his neighbors, by sleeping over.
When Metallica Came to Church by John Van Sloten: Pastor Van Sloten gives a new perspective on God's way of revealing himself.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Okay, so I read this in 2009, but it bears repeating. Great book. Looking forward to the movie.
Books for Young Adults:
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr: Honest, lovely fiction of a pastor's kid questioning her own belief.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (only after reading the first two in the trilogy): A futuristic novel giving a very real picture of the effects of war.
Eli the Good by Silas House: Coming-of-age novel set in bicentennial America. Not quite sure if it's for adults or young people, but I enjoyed it!
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine: A girl with Asperger's comes to terms with grief.
Matched by Ally Condie: Add up The Hunger Games plus The Giver plus Twilight, take out the werewolves, most of the lust and most of the poor writing, and you still have a good story.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (again, an oldie, but still): Fabulous autobiographical fiction of a 14 year old boy caught between his tribe and his off-the-reservation school.
Movies for Adults:
The King's Speech: Wonderful treatment of a would-be king struggling with a speech impediment and his unorthodox therapist. Plus the bonus of seeing Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) and Elizabeth Bennett (Jennifer Ehle) sharing the screen again (see the 90s version of Pride and Prejudice.) Geoffrey Rush also fantastic.
Winter's Bone: The story is dark and gritty, but young Jennifer Lawrence deserves an Oscar for her performance as a teenager trying to save her family from the mistakes of her meth-cooking father in the Ozarks.
Inception: Hard to describe, but this creative and innovative movie is mindbending. Worth watching if only for the incredible sequences of architectural design and alteration.
The Social Network: Well-acted and well-timed, the Facebook movie comments on our culture and our connections (or lack thereof). Beware the party scenes.
Get Low: Robert Duvall is a hermit wanting to throw his own funeral while he's still alive. He's looking for a monumental confessional. Wonderful little movie, great music, and Bill Murray in another great supporting role. Might not be one of the best of the year, but I really liked it. And watch how they use light in the scenes. Lovely.
Honorable Mention: Please Give, for trying to address something important (our attitudes towards using people, charity, guilt, etc), even if it couldn't quite do it.
Still want to see: Waiting for Superman, the documentary about the state of public education in our country. I need to see it, know it will matter greatly, but haven't gotten to it yet.
Movies for the Younger Set:
Toy Story 3: Woody. Buzz. Pixar. Another home run.
How to Train Your Dragon: Fun and full of heart. Not for the youngest.
Ramona and Beezus: Sweet, fun, well-made kids' movie that got very little credit.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Loved this!
Tangled: Fun interpretation of Rapunzel.
Music (no real description here, you'll just have to listen online for yourselves)
Downtown Church by Patti Griffin
Women and Country by Jakob Dylan
In Feast or Fallow by Sandra McCracken
This Broken Moment by Jessica Smucker and the Sleeping World
Album I know I'll like but haven't gotten yet: Arcade Fire's The Suburbs
Happy New Year!
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