Liturgy of the Ordinary

Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

Read October 2021 - Books With Friends

I loved this book and look forward to re-reading it again in the future.  It is gentle and beautiful, but also filled with many important points.  The author points out how the everyday moments of our days can and should help us become more aware of God's presence... that there is sacred in the ordinary and ordinary in the sacred.  She uses everyday occurrences such as making the bed, brushing your teeth, eating leftovers, calling a friend, and drinking tea to bring home the idea that all of these things, and more, can become spiritual practices... there is holiness in every day. 

Quotes from the book...

There is no task too small or too routine to reflect God's glory and worth.  

How I spend this ordinary day in Christ is how I will spend my Christian life.

The kind of spiritual life and disciplines needed to sustain the Christian life are quiet, repetitive, and ordinary.  I often want to skip the boring, daily stuff and get to the thrill of an edgy faith.  But it's in the dailiness of the Christian faith - the making of the bed, the doing the dishes, the praying for our enemies, the reading the Bible, the quiet, the small - that God's transformation takes root and grows.  

The Library Book

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Read October 2021 - Well Read Book Club

This was an interesting book, albeit a bit slow in places.  Some in the book club thought it was a bit boring but I found it utterly charming.  I loved the history of all the libraries, librarians, and random tidbits of book information thrown in.  Of course, I come from a family who would stop at libraries while traveling.  :)  The author weaves all these historical tidbits in alongside a mystery surrounding the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public Library.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a love of books - you will learn a lot and might even create a new list of libraries you might like to visit in the process.  :) 

Why a library fire feels like 'an attack on humanity' - PBS Newshour

The Truth According to Us

The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
Read October 2021 - Zoom Reading Circle

This was our second novel under the theme of 'Southern Fiction' and while it was quite enjoyable, it also had a male character who caused so much pain and sorrow... that recurring theme in this book and also Call Your Daughter Home made for a heavy month of reading in some ways.  However, this book also had strong female characters that you just couldn't help but root for.  The premise of the story is the arrival of a houseguest, Layla Beck, into the home of 12 year old Willa Romeyn and her family.  Layla is the spoiled daughter of a US Senator who has come to the small West Virginia mill town of Macedonia as part of the New Deal Federal Writer's Project to record the history of the town.  Her arrival, and quest for a story, stirs up many secrets in the Romeyn family and the community of Macedonia.  The author, Annie Barrows, was also co-author with her aunt of the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which I loved!  

Quotes from the book...

Why, I can be more ladylike than anyone, as long as I can keep myself from saying the first thing that pops into my mind. 

To be clever in a town like Macedonia is something of a social hazard.

I've learned that history is the autobiography of the historian, that ignoring the past is the act of a fool, and that loyalty does not mean falling into line, but stepping out of it for the people you love. 

It was forgiveness, but it sounded like good-bye, too. 

The Truth About 1938 - from Annie Barrows website

http://anniebarrows.com/grown-up-books/the-truth-according-to-us/the-truth-about-1938/

This book definitely made me want to know more about the WPA and Federal Writer's Project. 

Soul of a People: Writing America's Story

In case you are interested, here is a link to The American Guide Series by the WPA Federal Writer's Project.  You can search alphabetically for all cities and states. 

https://libguides.rowan.edu/c.php?g=248106

I also found this New York Times opinion article fascinating - making the case for a new WPA Federal Writer's Project today.  

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/opinion/federal-writers-project.html

Call Your Daughter Home

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera

Read October 2021 - Zoom Reading Circle

This has been called an unforgettable story of motherhood and I would not argue with that assessment.  The book is about three women whose lives become entwined in a small southern community as they struggle to keep their families together and fight against injustices - of all kinds.  The 'voices' of these women do stand out.  In fact, those in our book club who listened to the audiobook highly recommended that version for that very reason.  I enjoyed the book but found myself so frustrated by it at times, too.  I kept wanting Annie to wake up and realize what a beast her husband was.  And Gertrude made me crazy.  I loved Oretta, though.  Note that this is an extremely heavy book... 

Quotes from the book...

Worry is something I've never understood.  What good does it do except drain possibility from the day?

Children are such a wave, the birthing and caring and rearing.  When you're in the throes it all seems interminable.  Then, whoosh, it's over.  I don't know why I was surprised when the children grew up, but I was.  I thought, in their youth, it would last forever.  Now I see it was my own youth, not theirs that was speaking.  The past is now and now and now.  

Call Your Daughter Home Has Deep Roots in Real Life - NPR article

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/14/732395024/call-your-daughter-home-has-deep-roots-in-real-life

Deb Spera- Call Your Daughter Home