Monday, July 02, 2012

What I've Been Reading

Hello everyone! We had a quick trip up to the Twin Cities this weekend to spend time with DH's family. His brother's family from Texas is there visiting their family, so we made time to have the sibs gather at his sister's home. What a treat! Of course, I got home feeling like I had not had enough time with my dear SIL, Ann. Ah well....we'll just have to go back again, right?

I've been doing quite a bit of reading this summer. (It helps that it's much too hot for me to spend time outdoors doing things like letterboxing or geocaching!)

I am loving my Nook Color! Especially since I discovered how easy it is to borrow books on it from the library. I don't even have to leave the house. (That's a WIN/WIN on these days with the heat index over 100*F!)

Some of what I've read I've done for book club. Others have just been of my own choosing. I read "The Things We Do For Love" by Kristen Hannah. Then I checked out "The Bone Collector" by Jeffery Deaver from the library on my Nook. That was a very dramatic, and slightly gory read! (I believe they made it into a movie. Perhaps I'll have to see about getting it to compare to the book.) If there are any sequels to this novel, I would definitely read them!

Another book I read was "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly. I admit I was disappointed by this one. It was VERY predictable and turned out exactly as I thought it would from the beginning.

The book I just finished over the weekend is "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey" by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.



I saw Dr. Taylor speak on a TED talk and knew I wanted to read the book which would expand what I heard there. WOW! What an amazing story! At age 37, she had rare AVM type stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. She remained aware of what was happening to her throughout the stroke and shares the experience. Her right hemisphere helped her to experience a spiritual connection to the universe which many people, myself included, might envy. The end of her book talks about getting back to that place of connection following her amazing recovery from the stroke. She talks about ways that each of us, without having a stroke, can engage that part of our brains that is open to the larger picture/greater good.

I found this book very inspiring. I think I will even make it my choice for my other book club which meets again in the fall!

2 comments:

McVal said...

Well YOU'RE a well-read woman! I haven't read anything outside of a nutritional chart for months and then only skimmed. A new book comes out this summer by Tana French and I'm waiting with baited breath... I love her stuff.

kshotz said...

I do love to read . . . but truth be told, it's kind of expected that the reading teachers actually read some stuff! LOL!