I hadn't planned on two book posts back-to-back, but oh well.
I briefly mentioned over half the books I read in December (two novels by Stuart Woods, two by Maggie Sefton, and one by Marie Bostwick) in my last post, so I will not repeat myself as there really is not much more to say. I enjoyed them to varying degrees, but I remain unconvinced that I will read more Sefton. I won't seek them out, but if I come across one in a pinch, I might yet read another.
I saw Oh Ye Jigs and Juleps at our local second-hand book store, McKay's and picked it up for Mom's stocking. We had a copy when I was a girl, I recall that we both enjoyed it, so it seemed like a nice little trip down memory lane. I reread it before passing it on and still found it charming.
The Lost City of Z had been on my stack for years and I finally read it. It was well written but for me at least, it wasn't worth the wait. The book was filled with hubris and ego and terrible things happening to people in the jungle. Mostly it just didn't capture my imagination, although there were thought-provoking moments where my mind would be sent wandering tangential paths, wondering about all the harm we do and the good things we don't see simply because we never quite escape our cultural programming. Of course Divided: Living in an Age of Walls, also sent my mind wandering down similar paths. This book contained lots of information and facts, and brought situations I was aware of to life in a new way for me, but it felt like a lot of information without a lot of depth. I will probably read the authors other books though.
Somewhere in the middle of the month I picked up and read Mark Sisson's Primal Endurance. This is the book started my thoughts about breathing and health, and led me to a few other books and doing some research into medical books and journals. I don't yet know where this path is taking me, but I am thankful for the insights that have pushed me forward, regardless of where I end up.
I started the month with Louise Penny's newest Gamache mystery, Kingdom of the Blind. I love Penny's novels and this one was no different. I always sink deeply into the story and am carried forward by the way she combines community with moments of insight, beauty, and just plain old fashioned fun, along with a serious investigation. I copied a quote from the novel here, an idea that resonates deeply with my own understanding and experience, and which, not surprisingly, has resurfaced in my thoughts as I held this book in my hand before writing this post. Or perhaps it resurfaced as I reflected on a conversation earlier this week, where some words I spoke, out of habit, not out of thought, were words that were more relevant to the person I was not the person I am now, words related to an idea that will always be in my longhouse, but which can, and should, be allowed to slip away to the corners, not held close to my heart.
