March Book List

The odds of finishing another book before tomorrow night are not in my favor. Sooo…

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
I already posted about this here. LOVED IT.

The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty
Evelyn is the daughter of a single mom, growing up in a tiny Kansas town during the 80s. This quiet but well-written novel follows her from fourth grade to high school graduation, as she makes and loses friends, falls in love, wrestles with faith, and breaks out of the cycle of poverty and dysfunction that she’s mired in. In lesser hands, this plot could have been either too soapy or too political, but Moriarty makes it feel natural and authentic. She really knows how to interpret the harshness of life through young eyes. I liked Evelyn, and in the end, felt hopeful for her and the people she loves.

The War of Art: Break Through The Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
A classic motivational book that I recommend for all artistic types. While Pressfield and I have, uh, different worldviews, I gleaned a lot of good insight. I’m definitely keeping this one around to re-read in the future. It also got me thinking about the responsibility to create, which I may post about another time.

 

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis by Lauren Winner
At the outset, Lauren Winner insists that this book is not a memoir. It’s more of a series of reflections, with the Notable Event (in this case, her divorce and the death of her mom) as the catalyst rather than the focus. As she tries to make sense of where she’s found herself, her faith falters, but is ultimately reborn.

I appreciated Lauren’s honesty and (as usual) great thoughts. I think the concept of “the middle” in the life of faith is underaddressed, so I’m glad she had the guts to speak up about it. But honestly, as a divorced person who was the one left, I lost some sympathy for her as the “I just wasn’t happy” leaver. I realize that she didn’t end her marriage lightly and we all make mistakes, but I can only take so much navel-gazing over a situation that she created. So this book, while excellent, is probably my least favorite of her work.

I also re-read Hunger Games and Catching Fire this week (I couldn’t help myself), but it was more of a skim, so I don’t feel like I can count them.

Books for March: 4
2012 year to date: 16