Reading List

In between Babar, Curious George, Nursery Rhymes and other picture books about squirrels and ducks and who knows what else, I've been picking away book by book. Slowly most of the time. I miss the time I had in college and when I was working to waste time reading all the time. It doesn't happen as much these days, but I have made it a small priority, so as not to let my brain get fried by cleaning up poop and singing the ABC's.

Light reading has been the "Peculiar Treasures" series by Robin Jones Gunn (who, if you know me, know that she is one of my favorites). It's chick-lit which might be all I need to say. It's a spin-off series about a girl in college named Katie Weldon and her experiences with life. Like I said, light reading.


I didn't used to like biographies much, but I've started to really enjoy them once in a while. I finished the journals of Lewis and Clark earlier this year (after about three years of being the toilet reader, mind you), so I replaced it with another collection of explorers' diaries (Mammoth Book of Explorers, edited by John Keay). So far, I've read about Georg Wilhelm Stellar, John Dundas Cochrane (who may actually be a relative of mine). He walked from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and made some interesting observations. I've read about several Central and South Asian explorers, Alexander Burns with the Uzbecks, John Wood, Regis-Evariste Huc, and a bunch of others you won't care to know. I'm currently on Sven Hedin at the Source of the Indus. They're good stories with insights abotu culture that you wouldn't expect.


The other biography I've read was entitled "Scars and Stilettos" by Harmony Dust. She was a stripper starting at age 19, and it's the story of how she landed in the sex industry and how she got out. It's a really good read, very descriptive and interesting. Even if you aren't interested in the stripping part, it's a good story about the life of a messed-up girl and how she was redeemed. She now has a ministry to strip clubs in the Los Angeles area called "Treasures". I don't recommend this book to a guy, but to a girl, especially one with baggage from life, I think it would offer a lot of encouragement, and maybe even enlightenment.

I also joined a new club recently. Tonight I finished my first John Grisham novel. My cousin recommended "The Testament", so I bought it at a used bookstore and picked my way through it. Now, I don't know what other Grisham novels are like, but let me just say, I wasn't impressed with the writing. The story was good, and kept me guessing the whole way through. Sometimes it gets a little tedious and long, but it was worth it. Although, Daniel listened to the abridged audio version, and I probably should have gone that route.

Another book recommended by a fellow sci-fi fan friend was "The Invention of Morel" by Adolfo Bioy Casares. Strange book. It was sort of interesting, but there isn't a good way to synopsize it. It's just weird. And I read it because of its association with the show LOST. It's short and reads fast, and it was really interesting. Didn't care for the ending, though.

In the Bible, I've been studying John (hence recent poetry). I've also decided I should read Revelation without the accompaniment of a commentary. Because I've never done that.

I don't have a big list queued up yet, so if anyone has recommendations, I'm happy to explore those options. I think it might be time for another classic.