Book Review - How The Light Get's In by Louise Penny

Finally, this long awaited book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series has arrived and been devoured!

I don't know if this is the last in the series (she left it somewhat open ended) but so much of the long and wonderful story was culminated in this volume.  While I can't imagine where she'd go from here, I've come to discover that Penny's imagination far exceeds my own.

I am always reading three books at a time and as it happens, some poor author has to have his work placed side by side with this and when compared with Louise Penny's work it seems a wonder that his got published at all.  Conspicuously absent are depth, theme, purpose, strong character development and credibility.  I only say this because, read alone, the other book is really quite acceptable, even exciting to read.  You see, I don't want to tear the other author down at all, I just want to elevate Louise's work to the pedestal it so richly deserves!

The story, lives, and circumstances of this volume were prepared and alluded to from the beginning of the series which seems utterly amazing to me.  She's obviously known where it all was going from the very beginning.  How ambitious, when considering the struggle she experienced to get the first volume even published.  How, disappointing, had she failed.  I don't generally like series.  I don't enjoy feeling entrapped into committing to more books in order to find out how it all turns out.  No so with this series.  Each book has been a gem in it's own right and the entire thread has been more than compelling!

The title of this volume is based on a verse from Leonard Cohen's Anthem:

Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There's a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in.

I loved the concept when Louise introduced it to me years ago in a previous volume.  I love it even more now.  Back then I thought is wonderful advice for those, who like me are paralyzed by perfectionism.  Now, I think it more deeply expresses the critical need for weakness in our heroes, flaws in our plans, flies in our ointment and chinks in our armor.  The beauty of this and any story lies in the fact that life is happening to us, imperfect human beings, who were intended to have a completely mortal experience.  What would be so great about any of our stories if there was nothing to transcend?  Clearly perfection is not all it's cracked up to be. Transcendence, Penny's teaches in such subtle ways, comes from humility, more than capability, love more than ambition, honesty more than objective and loyalty more than security.  If you think she's wrong, let her persuade you herself.

...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.                                            Alma 37:6

Book Review - The Eye of Moloch by Glenn Beck

Most of us distrust Washington.  This book of fiction gives a lot of insight into exactly why.  Beck calls it Faction, or Fiction based on facts, and he backs up many of them.  Like The Overton Window, the first in this series, The Eye of Moloch depicts a fairly credible scenario which would explain much of the idiocy we see on the surface of how this country is managed.

Most of us realize that many of the public figures we see are just puppets.  In these novels we begin to get a glimpse of the puppeteers, their motivations, methods and objectives.  It isn't a pretty sight.

Still it makes for great suspense and terrific thrills as we follow Noah Gardner as he gets swept up in a conspiracy of monumental proportions.

Clearly Beck has his libertarian motivations for telling the story.  He wants to educate.  And clearly, I feel educated.  Even so, the book is worth reading if for nothing other than pure entertainment, for it is definitely that too.

****

Book Review - What It Is by Lynda Barry

This is the strangest, weirdest, coolest, most inspirational book I've read in quite some time.  

I heard an interview with Lynda Barry on NPR and her comments intrigued me so much that I ordered the book based on no other recommendation.  I had no idea how hugely therapeutic it would be for me.

I thought it would tweak my writing skill, which it verily did; what I didn't expect was how it would persuade me to quit judging myself and allow my creativity to flow freely without criticism.  She did this by very candidly exposing her own demons, making fun of them and putting them into perspective, to all of which I freely related.  

My first impression of the book, was reticence at best.  I couldn't believe she'd managed to get it published based on a cursory look.  Before long I was captivated!  To actually read it I found myself turning the book sideways and upside down so as not to miss a single thing.  Sweetie thought it all looked so silly. In doing so I had to abandon so many of my own hangups and I guess that was the whole idea.

As we grow older in our society we give up on so much of what blesses our childhood with delight, joy and creativity.  Ms Barry has changed all that.  Not only am I writing more and more freely, I am also drawing, dancing and singing!  She let me believe again, that I am an artist, dancer, singer, story teller.  I am beginning again to be who I really am in a most childlike way.  How amusing!

Book Review - Being Enough by Chieko N. Okazaki

I thought Lighten Up! was an outstanding book, and it certainly did win me over to the wonderful philosophy and counsel of Chieko Okazaki, but this one really blew me away.

Growing up and even now, living in a culture that seems to be never satisfied, this book practically opened the prison doors for me.  I filled it with so many Book Darts that I could hardly hold it up to read!

Because of all the highlighted treats its going to be tough to select a few to share with you  but here goes:

So the way to have the most possible time is to live each moment as fully as we can, being completely present.

It doesn't matter that we come to sacrament meeting every week as imperfect people who have done wrong things for which we are seeking forgiveness.  We don't have to be perfect to stretch out our mortal and unclean hands for the small piece of bread and the tiny cup of water.  We only need to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  We only need to be honest with God about what we have done wrong and sincere in our desire to repent and do better.  The sacrament ins't for perfect people; it's for imperfect people trying to move in the direction of perfection.  It's for us! 

As long as we're human, we will make mistakes.  Count on it.  Get used to it.  And get over it. 

If you have been hesitating about doing anything, because you can't do everything to fix the situation, now is the time to act.  You're not called to fix things or save him or her.  You're called to listen, to pray for this person, and to be with him or her.  Sometimes that's all we can do.  Most of the time, if you've noticed, that's what the Savior does for us.

Well, hopefully this little taste has whet your appetite because a marvelous feast of heart felt, honest, compassionate hope is in store for you if you'll take the time to read it.  I even have a couple of extra copies if you'd like to borrow one!

Sister Okazaki has helped me get past my feeling of inadequacy by teaching me to start evaluating myself in terms of what I've been given, instead of measuring it by what I lack.  Widow who offered her mite, lacked a husband and money, but Jesus measured her by her generosity, faith and humble determination and found her to be abundantly worthy.  We are enough, just as we are, with no more than what we've got.

Best Kept Little Secret in Utah!

I have driven to Manti and Ephraim dozens of times over the years and not even noticed the sign to Spring City.  Then recently a passenger on my bus told me about the place.  I was so intrigued that Cheya, Kristi and I stopped there a couple of weeks ago while meandering home from Las Vegas.

Spring City is between Mt. Pleasant and Ephraim and just a mile off the main highway.  What we found astonished us!  Here is a tiny little town that time simply forgot.  Nothing seems to have changed in 100 years.  The houses, the church, the way of life, all simple, quiet and entirely distant from our modern world.  There is some of this in Manti, Ephraim, Mt. Pleasant, Fairview and the other Sanpete towns, but each of them is mixed with so much more of the modern.  No false fronts in Spring City!

Here are a few examples:

A number of retirees have purchased and restored the old homes and fixed up the gardens and opened some of the shops.  Others have shops in a granary, chicken coup or barn out back.  Folksy crafts are sold here and there.  A sign on one shops says, "We open when we get here and close when we leave."  Another shop was open, but unattended.  Customers are on the honor system to put the sale on a receipt, calculate the tax and simple leave the money.  We found a large check in the receipt book.  There's a cute art gallery and a handmade Windsor Chair Shop. Unbelievably wonderful hand crafted chairs! 

Nobody seems intent on making a living out of these little shops, they're more of a hobby and things often seem to be sold to make room to create something else.

I loved it so much I went back a week later and spent another hour walking around mainstreet.

Here are a few more treats:

Next time you're in Central Utah, don't miss this one of a kind, utterly non-commercial, quiet little treasure.  I'd hesitate to even mention it for fear crowds would ruin everything.  But then, nobody read Live and Learn anyways.  And if you're headed my way, I wouldn't mind if you picked up a pint of two of bottled peaches from the shop pictured last.