What I've been reading

The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare A fun quick read. It had been quite some time since I had delved into juvenile literature, and Elizabeth George Speare is a safe bet. The Bronze Bow transports back to the time of Christ. It is an interesting view of the Roman occupation of Jerusalem, the unrest of the people, and their desire for a temporal savior. It broadened my view of a couple of things: the exhausting throngs of people that were constantly about the Savior, and the flame that fueled the Jews' cry to crucify Him. For all that, Jesus isn't a main character by any means. The story revolves more around everyday life of the Jews, the Romans, and a bandit group that is meant to save them all. It wasn't deeply poignant or can't-put-it-down engrossing, but I enjoyed the read.

The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell I liked this one just as well as I enjoyed his other book, Blink. I didn't agree with all of the conclusions he argued at the book's close. But I really enjoyed the center chunk. He spent a lot of time discussing children television programming, which in turn, was discussion about the way children learn. I have a new found appreciation for the unusual longevity of Gracie's attention span.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman These Three Remain, Pamela Aidan I started this series back last Spring when Cori and I went to Paris. I flew through the first novel, chugged around the second, and then (a year later when I finally got started on it) I couldn't put the third novel down. What I like about the conclusion of this P&P treatment is that Darcy changes. It seems that other interpretations of him are that he is quiet, shy, and misunderstood. Introversion is the biggest offense thrown his way. In this novel, he takes Elizabeth's rejection and uses it to change his life. He is sure to make Bingley his equal, rather than his protege. He straightforwardly confronts his Aunt, Lady Catherine, and makes friends with his cousin. He humbly admits to every wrong and works to right them. He feels happiness from his change which only causes his love for Elizabeth to grow. I also loved how Aidan foiled the improprietous ridiculousness of Elizabeth's mother with the lofty ridiculousness of Lady Catherine. She is truly over the top in this novel. A word of warning: the second novel truly takes a liberated detour from Austen-land. I practically skimmed the whole thing and made it through to the third novel without missing much. It does explore Georgianna's character more but the storyline...missable.

Life of Pi, Yann Martel I just finished this over the weekend and still have it on the brain. I really enjoyed it. The first 80 pages or so lay a foundation for an amazing tale of survival and faith. I'm not about to spill any beans, but there is a bit of a twist at the end. What I loved about the Martel's storytelling is that when the novel is through, it doesn't matter what is fact or what is fiction. The message of the novel stands independently. I hear that M. Night Shyamalan has picked up rights to make this a movie. I couldn't understand why until I hit the last chapter. Truthfully, from what I heard about this book prior to reading it, I was expecting a Gary Paulsen-esque tale of survival at sea (Did you ever have to read his stuff? Hatchet? Yikes.). How happy I was to be wrong. This book comes with my stamp of recommendation.