Book Reviews: Spring, 2009

I bought this book after my friend Sharon had sent me another one by this author, a book that I enjoyed so much that I wanted to read more by him. I took it on our little spring vacation, thinking perhaps that a book about the sea would be appropriate shipboard reading.

Alas, the ship's library held lighter fare and instead of this book, I polished off two or three from there -- none of which I remember to share with you! I started Sea of Glory on our last day at sea and am about halfway finished. I put it aside to read something else, and I will return and finish it. It is about the great U.S. Exploring Expedition of the 1800s, and is a terrific character study of the captain of the ship. I'm giving it a "B."



Olive is the book club's pick for May and, readers, I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed reading it. Each chapter is self contained, and yet they all hold together into a comprehensible whole, a full picture of Olive as seen by many other people.

We've all known someone like Olive and loved her in spite of her failings. Heck, people have felt that way about us!

It is a library book, and I have passed it along to Joe. He's unlikely to finish it before it is due, and I really don't mind that I'm going to have to buy a copy. I'll want to lend it to Sherry, to Amy, and prolly some others. There is good reason that Olive won the Pulitzer. A+.



Resistant to anything Oprah endorses, I never gave this book a second look. Until someone at school began sharing his insights with me. I'm halfway through reading it, need a little break, and will definitely resume.

It is probably too long. The first several chapters are excellent.

The main thrust of the book is recognizing our ego and our true self and differentiating between the two. It is about not thinking better of ourselves than other people. Another point has to do with being gentle with those we encounter for they are carrying around a burden of life-experience pain.

It is an excellent book. I'd give it an A- or a B+ at this point.


My recent houseguest Sharon gave me this book as a gift. It's a wonderful book of practical spirituality and I'm loving reading one chapter per night.

Some months ago I read Brown's Leaving Church and liked it very much. So I was delighted with Sharon's thoughtfulness, as I suspected she had a great deal more to say.

This is another one I'll share with Joe and with others when I'm finished. An "A" book, fershure.