What I've been reading #7

Reading is such a great opportunity to understand things that would be incomprehensible as well as to live lives different than our own.  Sometimes the lives we read about had great pain and hurt but often that leads to great victory and growth.  Reading allows us to learn from others that we would never meet, maybe don't even want to meet, but yet they have things to teach us.  It also helps us imagine things that never crossed our mind, and to consider possibilities well being our experience.  I am a lover of reading, can you tell? 

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

My Mom called me one day and wanted to purchase this book.  That story may be good for another day.  She wanted this book on the Kindle so she could read it and she wanted it right away and thought I would enjoy reading it as well.  I was in the middle of something else but eventually decided to give it a try.  I was a little reluctant initially to read it because it dealt with things that are similar to my work and I wasn't sure that I wanted to delve into that during my "down" time.  The book does give some detail of the abuses that she endured at the hands of her kidnappers.  The detail is close to minimal, and although a bit disturbing it is much outweighed by the joy of her being found and the remarkable progress she has made in her personal life in understanding, accepting and moving well beyond her abuse.  In that regard it is reminiscent of Elizabeth Smart who has had such a remarkable recovery from her ordeal which is similar to Jaycee Dugard's ordeal.  Overall I would recommend the book to see a great healing and recovery.  In order to see the magnitude of that it is necessary to know some of the details (which are greatly minimized here in the book) of the abuse.  It is a life empowering and encouraging book.  If she could respond so positively to such amazingly harmful circumstances then certainly I can move forward from my hurts and disappointments as well.  Maybe you will be encouraged as well. 

Edge of Apocalypse by Tim LaHaye & Craig Parshall

This is a very enjoyable action pack and Christian based book on an idea of what might be the build up to the end of the world.  The bad guys in the book are a corrupted US government and the good guys are a group of Patriot Christians who currently do or have worked in the government.  It actually reminded me a fair amount two books written by OSC called Empire and Hidden Empire which I enjoyed.  The action is pretty good, the ideas that have connections into what is going on politically in our country right now is okay.  The story is enjoyable the only thing it lacks is the character development is not as good as it could be.  Unfortunately when it is compared to OSC that is where just about any other author will be weak.  I recommend it if you like an action filled, faith based, idea of what will be happening at the 'end times'. 

The Year My Son and I Were Born: A story of Down Syndrome, Motherhood and Self-discovery by Kathryn Lynard Soper

 

This book by a young mother is EXCELLENT.  I would recommend it for any parent that has or thought they might have a special needs child.  She tells the story of giving birth to a Down Syndrome son and her metamorphosis from one who has always stayed away from and been uncomfortable with people who needed help to learning how to love her son and realize what a unique spirit he has brought into their home.  I was one who thought that we might have a child like this. I don't know why but had thought that way for years, even before I was married.  That did not happen for us.  This book is such a beautiful job of explaining how difficult it was to accept, then to enjoy and finally to love what this child brought into her and her families life.  The author is LDS but that isn't what the book is built on nor how it was advertised.  It was just a coincidence that I happen to buy this book.  She refers briefly to a couple things that any LDS person will recognize but if you were not LDS the main punch of the story would be as meaningful to you as to anyone who wants to understand families with a special needs child.  Highly recommended!

I am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy by Pittacus Lore

This is a short book that came out recently to give some background on one of the main characters of his first book I am Number Four.  You might recall I reviewed it here a while back.  The writing of that book was okay but the story was one that young folks would like nowadays where everyone wants to have a super power.  In my day we simply called them 'talents'.  It does a fair job of giving some background on number six and does a good job of getting folks ready for the new full length book of his that just came out.  Haleigh, my youngest, has been waiting for both of these to come out and she recommended them so I read this one and may get around to the other at some time in the future.  I can't really recommend it, certainly it doesn't stand on its own, but if you like the story then you will want to read this.  I enjoyed the movie that came out of the first book a bit more than the book, and I expect that the next movie will roll out sometime soon.  If you are not enamored with the story, just wait for the movie. 

Without the Internet and electricity for periods of time in the last couple weeks, I think I have read a bit more than usual in a short period of time.  I'm already well into the next two books as well.  When yous trip away all our modern time consumers then there is plenty of time for the basics.  Reading!  You gotta love it!