The Help

A must, must read. Kathryn Stockett's first novel blew me away. Dealing with race relations in Mississippi in the 1960s, she touched something deep in my heart--my own ideas of what it must have looked like to live in a still-segregated society (not that long ago!) and how wrong I was. It's a book about overcoming these barriers, about friendship, and ultimately, about realizing how much alike we all are. Summing it up best are the author's favorite words: "We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I thought."

I absolutely loved it. I would give copies to all my friends if I could.

Anyone else read it?

new cookbook

Because I love Trader Joe's and cooking (most of the time), I had to purchase this cookbook at the rec of my friend Casey. Just a few that are already catching my eye:

*Maui Beef on Coconut Rice with Macadamia Nuts and Basil
*Flat Tire Flammade
*Bourbon Balsamic Beef
*One-Pot Pesto Pasta, Potatoes, and Green Beans (with goat cheese)
*Sassy Peach Sweet Potatoes
*Silky, Sinful Chocolate Tart
*Almond-Agave Baby Cakes

An Insightful, MUST-Read

This book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, was my most recent pick for our book club. It turned out to be one of the best reads we have ever had in our group, with everyone woman finishing it and being touched in some way by the story. In fact, 3 of the 9 who showed up last Saturday for our brunch and discussion could personally relate to aspects of the memoir, a highly unlikely coincidence given the unusual events in the author's life. Walls grew up in a family with parents who were eccentric, nomadic travelers, moving the family from home to home throughout the US whenever they ran out of money or work (which was often) or the father felt the feds or Mafia were finally catching up with him (they were never chasing him in the first place). Along with her 3 siblings, Walls learns what it means to be an adult at a very young age and learns how to be extremely resourceful when there were very few luxuries, things we all take for granted such as beds to sleep in, things to do and play with, food to eat, etc. Unbelievable as the events in this memoir are (I found myself involuntarily commenting aloud at various times), Walls does not use her work as a platform for self-pity or rage against her parents. She never comes across as depressed or critical of them. This book is a magnificent read that will make most of us see our families in a new light and appreciate a story that will stay with us for years to come.

Home again, home again

We arrived back safely from our CA romp on Friday night. For those of you who didn't know, we took a 3-day, cross-country road trip and drove Aron's truck back to Dallas. We took I-10 and stayed the first night in Tucson, AZ. We slept in, got up the next morning and were on our way after we getting our Starbucks fix and Del Taco breakfast burritos to boot. Day 2 was the longest day, by far, as we traveled through Las Cruces, NM (where I learned that my grandpa's mom's family was from), into El Paso, and finally ending up in Midland, TX for the night. We rolled in about 1:30 AM and crashed. After sleeping in again, we were off after picking up Starbucks (of course). The drive was really quite beautiful and although I grew up touring alot of the United States by car on childhood family vacations, it is just now I am realizing that a significant amount of the US is empty. What wide-open spaces we have! A highlight of our road trip was me reading the book A Million Little Pieces by James Frey to Aron. This helped keep him awake (as he refused to let me drive even once, telling me this was my vacation--what a sweetheart!) and gave us new depth and insight into the life of those people who struggle with addictions. If you can get past the heavy language and often times, heavy imagery, in the book, we highly recommend this read--you'll never look at an addict the same way again.

Happy 2006!

Frequently Avoided Questions

Evangelicalism as we know it may be in its final death throws... In Frequently Avoided Questions Chuck Smith Jr. and Matt Whitlock propose this may not be a bad thing. Our generation no longer searches for pat answers, they're tired of the guilt, tired of black and white, they're tired of the finger pointing and judgment. Conversely, they're yearning for authentic spiritual transformation, thirsting for someone to listen, for someone to journey with. Are postmodern 'new-school' Christians willing to compromise the truth? No, yet they are much more comfortable with not having all the answers; they've come to expect a degree of tension in life. Far from giving us the answers FAQ attempts to teach us how to ask the right questions. I highly recommend this read. (Thanks Steve for passing it on!)
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