2014 Boookshelf (Part 3)

Now that we're well-established into 2015, I thought I'd finally get around to finishing up the books I read last year. What else am I going to do during the commercial breaks of TLC's "Untold Stories of the ER"? (Have you seen this show? There's some crazy things that happen in ERs!) Here goes:

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce

I read this at Lisa's recommendation. It's about a middle-age man in England who, for a number of reasons, takes a walking pilgrimage from one end of the country to the other. The book delves into his reasons for taking the pilgrimage, his relationship with his wife, and issues from his past. Although there is a piece of the plot that I was able to easily guess early on in the book, but that didn't diminish the story for me. I really liked how the relationship between Harold and his wife changed over the course of the story. All in all, a good book.

The Hole in our Holiness, by Kevin DeYoung
I don't think I've read anything by DeYoung that I haven't liked, and this is another great book. This book is about what it means to live in light of our understanding that we are both justified and sanctified. I like this quote from the book:

Direction matters more than position. Your future progress speaks louder than your present placement. So cheer up: if you aren't as holy as you want to be now, God may still be pleased with you because you are heading in the right direction. And be warned: if you aren't as holy as you used to be, God probably isn't impressed with yesterday's triumphs when for the last few months you've done nothing but give up. 

Beyond the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, by Katherine Boo

Katherine Boo had been a journalist before she wrote this book, working in and reporting from places like the slum she depicts in this book. The story is based on real people in a real slum in Mumbai, and it follows the stories of several people who live in that slum (she changes specifics on names/places). Boo's first-hand experience, definitely lends credibility to what would otherwise seem almost too-sad-to-be-true life situations. The families she writes about are all trying, in some way, to make a better life for themselves. Some success and some don't. It was a heartbreaking, but good book.

Until We All Come Home: A Harrowing Journey, a Mother's Courage, a Race to Freedom, by Kim DeBlecourt

I read this book because my aunt recommended it to me. Through a neat turn-of-events, she was able to meet this family. The story is about one family's efforts - and eventual success - to adopt a boy from Ukraine. It's a wonderful story of a mother's love and commitment to her son! 

First They Killed My Father and Lucky Child, by Loung Ung

My sister recommended these books to me. Both of the books are written by a woman who was a child during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. The first book "First They Killed My Father", is the story about the horrors that befell her, her family, and the entire country of Cambodia, when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge came to power in the mid 1970s. She vividly describes the unspeakable horrors and tragedy of forced labor,  rape, starvation, and murder committed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. The second book chronicles what happens when Ung is able to come to the U.S. with her older brother and sister-in-law, while the rest of her surviving siblings remain behind in Cambodia. She compares her life growing up in America, with that of her sister, who remains in Cambodia. The second book delves more into the effects the horror had on her psyche. and how it impacted her ability to adjust to an American life. Gradually though, she does find healing and is able to travel back to Cambodia to be reunited with her siblings. After all the tragedy the family experienced, the book does end on a note of hope. Both books are good, but hard, reads. 

Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles, by Kathy Keller

This is a short book written by Kathy Keller, Tim Keller's wife. I picked up this book because I have the honor of being nominated as a deaconess at my church, and Keller's church is the same denomination as mine (PCA), and I felt the need to better understand why I believe what I believe about the role of women in the church. This book helped to confirm some things I already knew I believed, and gave me more things to consider that I'd not thought about before. 

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick

This book was recommended to me by someone from my church. This was an "Oh-my-goodness-I-can't-believe-it" book. It's the story of a whaling ship from Nantucket, which is rammed by a giant sperm whale and sunk. The crew of the ship survive, but are stranded at sea for almost 3 months. The story is about how (some) of the crew survive. Interestingly, the story of the whale ship "Essex" inspired Herman Melville to write "Moby Dick". I learned a lot about the whaling business from this book (which was fascinating) and I just heard that it's being made into a movie later this year, which I look forward to seeing.

The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom

I saw that my friend Lisa was reading this book for her book club, and because I wish I could be in that book club with her, I decided to read it too. The story is set on a plantation during the time when slavery was wide-spread. A young white girl comes to the plantation - she and her family had been indentured servants from Ireland, and the parents died on the boat trip over, which meant the girl was sent into indentured servanthood when she landed in the States. She was raised by a a slave on the plantation. The story follows her story, as well as the story of a slave named Belle; Belle's mother had been a slave on the plantation, and Belle's father was the plantation owner. I felt like the story had a lot of potential, but ended up being "eh". For a number of reasons - whether it was the writing, the characters, or some un-resolved plot lines, it just kind of fell flat. 

Longbourn, by Jo Baker

Anyone who's read "Pride and Prejudice", will know that Longbourn is the name of the Bennett home. this book follows the story of the servants at Longbourn, and how their lives intersect with the Bennetts. Think "Downton Abbey", only just about the parts about the servants. For the most part, I really liked this book. There were some minor plot lines that she wrote in that I felt were a little unnecessary, but overall it was a fun read.