Books on Tap - Christianity, Brit-lit, and dogs

One of the question I'm most often asked is, "What are you reading?" Or its closely related cousin: "What book(s) do you recommend?" It's one of my favorite questions to answer; I love helping someone find a really great book to read (just as much as I love them returning the favor!). In an effort to keep you up-to-date on the books frequently making their way into our apartment, I came up with this.

Books on Tap will become a semi-regular feature here at Something New, Something Different to let you into my often challenging but always rewarding literary world. I'll do another one as soon as I have read enough books to actually warrant another blog post. The next one should actually come fairly quickly since I'll be spending 8 hours on an airplane in the near future, and that facilitates a lot of reading.

So pour yourself a cup of tea, put the dog on your lap, and snuggle up - here comes the inaugural Books on Tap. May you find your next page-turner, and get thee to a library.

peace, love, and literature,
E

A Million Little Ways, by Emily P. Freeman. I had ordered Freeman's newest book, Simply Tuesday, for my brother and sister-in-law to bring to me today (!!), but I was intrigued by Freeman's work and downloaded this in the meantime. It's an incredible look at the "art" we all have to offer to the world - the art created by the Artist Himself, and His reflection in each of us. It's a wonderful read no matter your calling, but as a writer this spoke to me deeply. It was a timely read. I realized how much I had been running away from writing because of my fear of failure and not being able to "make it" in the often cutthroat literary world. Freeman's gentle truth and honest prose will help you uncover the ways Christ's light can shine out of you through your talents.

Emma, by Jane Austen. This was my treat to myself at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris. Those Penguin cloth hardbacks really make me happy. Plus, after visiting London I was in an Austen-ish mood. It was a good choice. It was a little bit slow in the beginning but once you got into it, it rollicked right along. Seeing poor Emma get herself into all kinds of mischief is quite amusing, and at the end, well - you'll find yourself rooting for her. For the final 50 pages I was flipping as fast as I could to find out what happened. Plus, the movie Clueless is loosely based on this story, and I just couldn't help myself from picturing Cher and Tai and Josh, which made it that much more enjoyable. In my opinion, this is one of Austen's best novels, right up there with Pride and Prejudice. If you're into classic Brit-lit, this is a must-read.

Ralph's Party, by Lisa Jewell. My treat to myself from the used-books bin at Shakespeare & Co. It falls safely into the category of Brit chick lit, having been recommended to me by the nice automated software at Goodreads since I love Bridget Jones' Diary. Although a bit graphic at times about sex and drugs (it took place in 1996), it's actually extremely well-written, and I could both identify with and care about the characters. The writing wasn't so simplistic that I felt like I was losing brain cells as I read it, but it was easy enough that I read the entire book in a day. This would be a great beach or bathtub read. For anyone who enjoys fiction of the Jane Green or Marian Keyes variety, this is a great addition that you likely haven't heard of yet.

Fulfilled, by Danise Jurado. This was a whim purchase because a friend of a friend knew the author and was promoting it on Facebook. The e-book was only $0.99 on Amazon on launch day, so I had no excuse. This is a great, straightforward approach to living the life God promised. Bible verses are liberally written into the chapters, allowing you to get straight into God's word without a lot of extra work looking things up. This was really encouraging, and it was the impetus I needed to start re-evaluating my relationship with God. Jurado's prose is a bit simplistic at times, but you get used to it as you go on. I "loaned" the e-book to my mom, and she really enjoyed it as well. A good read if you're looking for somewhere to start exploring your Christianity more deeply.

A Dog's Life, by Peter Mayle. B picked this book out at Mr. K's used bookstore, and since he rarely reads, I was willing to oblige him by using my trade credit to buy it for him. He didn't really like it - but I loved it. Mayle's writing is always very dry and witty, my favorite kind (like in Gilmore Girls). But unlike his other books, this one is written from the point of view of his dog, Boy. Boy's tales of being homeless, being rescued, sitting under the table during dinner parties, and being blamed for knocking up the neighbor's poodle are delivered with Mayle's signature humor, and I frequently burst out laughing. If you've ever rescued and/or truly loved a dog, you'll love this funny, touching book. I just wish I could have had Luna for company while reading it.