2.17.2013

"The Keeper of Lost Causes" Jussi Alder-Olsen

"She'd been lying on the floor thinking about books.  That was something she often did in order not to think about the life she might have had if only she'd made different choices.  When she thought about books, she could move into a whole different world.  Just remembering the feeling of the dry surface and inexplicable roughness of the paper could ignite a blaze of yearning inside of her.  The scent of evaporated cellulose and printer's ink.  Thousands of time now she'd sent her thoughts into her imaginary library and selected the only book in the world that she knew she could recall without embellishing it.  It was not the one she wanted to remember, not even the one that had made the greatest impression on her.  But it was the only book that had remained completely intact in her tortured memory because of the liberating bursts of laughter she associated with it."

2.16.2013

"Does This Church Make Me Look Fat?" Rhoda Janzen

"People always ask where God is in the midst of suffering.  To me it's a strange question.  When you go blind, when a neighbor kills your son, when you come down with a spanking case of cancer, God is in exactly the same place where he always is.  He's where you put him.  The thing about liberum arbitrium, free will, is that God respects our right to choose.  Do we want to connect with him, or do we want to live a life without him?  We get to pick.  If in the midst of suffering, we call on God to sustain us, then that's where God will be.  If, on the other hand, we choose to weather life's storms without seeking God's presence, we can do that."

"Seven Houses in France" Bernardo Atxaga

"Yes, the Lord moves in mysterious ways.  He gives us vigor and then punishes us for having it,' he said, as if still pondering the matter.  A mischievous smile appeared on his face.  'However, I think in our case, there is a solution, and I'll tell you what that is, Chrystome.  The solution lies in...pollutio.  Continue along that path."

-A strange quote, but one that builds upon the root of this Spanish story, translated by Margaret Jull Costa.

2.04.2013

"The Underground Church" Robin Meyers

Made it about half-way through.  In my opinion, too many references to other people's ideas and not enough of his own.  Felt like reading an undergrad term paper-- believing in a partially formulated idea and not able to express it fully.

"At the Jim Bridge" Ron Carlson




"The Shadow Girls" Henning Mankell

"Perhaps I should be more concerned about these girls and what they have told me.  But isn't what they have told me also something that is as much about me?"

Mr. Mankell is currently one of my favorite authors, however I didn't really like this book.  I almost put it down, but was hoping to discover something that ended up not being there.