The Whole World Over by Julia Glass

This is the story of Greenie who lives with her therapist husband, Alan, and young son, George, in New York City. She owns a bakery and is recruited by the governor of New Mexico to become his personal chef. Dissatisfied with the stagnant state of her marriage, Greenie moves out to New Mexico with her son. The book goes back and forth between Alan and Greenie, plus a handful of other quirky characters, who all end up being kind of connected.

I was quite captured by this book. Mostly for the writing. I did enjoy some of the characters too. However, I can tell how much I like a book by whether or not I want to keep it or pass it on for someone else to read. This is not a book that I need to have in my personal library. So there you have it. It's a nice read, but not a book that I foresee myself re-reading again.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

By the way, thanks for all of your condolences about Mimi. I miss her and am adjusting to life without her. It's amazing how empty the house feels without that little cat walking around.

Not much to say about Northanger Abbey. I read it because I have not yet read all of Jane Austen's books. Northanger Abbey was pleasant enough, but without the complexity and richness of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. There are those lines though that make me appreciate how accurately Austen describes emotions.

Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert A. Emmons

A book written about how gratitude can positively affect our health and attitude. This falls under the umbrella of "positive psychology" which focuses on how we can promote health (as opposed to focusing on treating disorders). The author, a professor at UC Davis, goes through scientific research on gratitude along with various philosophical, literary, and religious views on the topic as well. An inspiring book to read for the new year. The last chapter includes ten suggestions on how to move towards cultivating a more grateful attitude.

Answering God: The Psalms As Tools For Prayer by Eugene Peterson

"Whoever has begun to pray the Psalter seriously and regularly will soon give a vacation to other little devotional prayers and say: 'Ah, there is not the juice, the strength, the passion, the fire, which I find in the Psalter.'"
-Martin Luther


Several years ago, a friend of mine encouraged me to consider memorizing chapters of Psalms and using them during prayer. This discipline has probably been one of the most influential in my prayer life since then.

Memorizing Psalms connects me with generations of Christians who have prayed the same prayers and with the psalmists who originally wrote down their pleas and praises to God. Repeating these prayers directs me to the truth of who God is and who He has been and who He will be forever. Sure, I still list my complaints and anxieties, but once I start praying the Psalms, I am reminded of who I am praying to and who is listening to me. I am then free to respond and rest in God.

This book is a guide for using the Psalms in prayer. It is rich and deep and very helpful. Some quotes:

"But the Psalms were not prayed by people trying to understand themselves. They are not the record of people searching for the meaning of life. They were prayed by people who understood that God had everything to do with them. God, not their feelings, was the center. God, not their souls, was the issue. God, not the meaning of life, was critical. Feelings, souls, and meaning were not excluded - they are very much in evidence - but they are not the reason for the prayers. Human experiences might provoke the prayers, but they do not condition them as prayers" (Peterson, 14).

"All prayer, pursued far enough, becomes praise. Any prayer, no matter how desperate its origin, no matter how angry and fearful the experiences it traverses, ends up in praise. It does not always get there quickly or easily - the trip can take a lifetime - but the end is always praise" (Peterson, 122).

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

This book chronicles the story of Greg Mortenson who, after a failed K2 climbing attempt, promises to build a school in the rural village that nursed him back to health. He ends up building dozens of schools in villages across Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is now the director of the Central Asia Institute, a non-profit organization that is committed to building schools in these areas.

This story is inspiring in that it shows how much good one person with lots of determination and direction can accomplish. For me personally, however, reading about all of the time, travel, and obstacles made me a bit tired. But that's probably because I'm still, to some degree, still recovering from living overseas.

It's neat to read about how his projects came together, especially in terms of the funding. However, the writing in this book is sometimes tedious and I skimmed some parts.

An email from the author of Kimchi & Calamari

I enjoyed reading Kimchi & Calamari so much yesterday that I wrote the author, Rose Kent, an email via her website (http://www.rosekent.com/) and she wrote back today! Below is her email to me. (In the form, it asked for my favorite food and I wrote: "Lemonade and Cheez-its, but not together!")

Hello Elaine,

Your email made my day. Thanks so much for writing and sharing a little about yourself. I wrote KIMCHI & CALAMARI because I truly believe there are so many "sandwiches" walking around. Some are ethnic, some are due to interests, different friend groups, etc. Iwanted kids to see a character wrestling with this but who wasn't a "problem" in and of himself.

How terrific that you check out children's books! I'm biased but I think there are many out there that speak to all people.

Thanks again for writing Elaine, and best to you in Sunnyvale. I will add your email address to my list, if you like, and let you know when my next book comes out. And feel free to recommend KIMCHI & CALAMARI to any kids who might be interested. As a new author, that's really the best way books get read.

Warmly,
Rose Kent

ps Lemonade and Cheez-Its rock. (Together might not be bad either!)

Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent

I picked up this book while I was walking through the Children's Section of the library. It was on the New Book shelf.

It's about Joseph Calderaro who is adopted from Korea. His family is Italian-American. In May of his 8th grade year, Joseph is given a writing assignment in which he has to trace his ancestry. This is a tough assignment for Joseph because he doesn't know who he is. Joseph makes up a story, turns it in, and wins a contest. He feels horrible, admits the truth, and is given a second chance. This causes him to search for some real truth about himself. He doesn't come up with any definite answers, but he does experience more peace with who he is: "I knew this version wouldn't win a contest, but this time it was the God Honest Truth from a former Cub Scout: how it felt to be Joseph Calderaro - Korean on the outside, Italian on the inside, and sometimes the other way around...It was my story."

The book label says it's for ages 8-12, but really, anyone would enjoy this book. It is honest and real with some neat characters and good values and lessons.