Living Unabridged

I love when I come across thoughts like this one:

Nelson prefaced that statement with:

Rereading the same book produced new insights because the reader is a different person.

I know there are similar C.S. Lewis quotes. (And I may have shared those here but I'm too lazy to check.)

So, I started thinking: what are my personal mirror books? You know, the ones I re-read and find more and deeper things about life and self?

My Mirror Books

• The Bible. Of course, the Bible is spiritually discerned, but part of the reason why we re-read the Bible as often as we can (I am NOT a "you MUST read the Bible in a year" person) is because we grow and mature and are able to appreciate different aspects every single time we do.
• Pride and Prejudice. Or any Austen, really. These books are so deep and rich I have to re-read them every few years, even though there are so many other books I haven't read yet.
• The Little House series. My parents read aloud through this series multiple times during my childhood. I started reading them for myself when I was a kid. And I've read aloud the first few to my children. But I can't seem to get any further right now. Why? I think it's because I see them differently now than I did as a child. As a kid you see these books through Laura's young eyes. Everything is an adventure. As an adult, these books just make me feel sad (and sometimes inadequate). Will this change as time passes? I expect so. And we'll probably try to read through them again sometime in the not too distant future.
• Anne of Green Gables. Even as an adult, and even now that I know more about Montgomery's difficult life, I still find her books rich, deeply lovable, and a fascinating look at humanity.

Those are the first four that come to mind. I'm sure I could come up with a few more, but right now I want to know: What are your "mirror books"?

Recently Finished

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I read the Garnett translation, which I know is not the most recent or critically acclaimed translation, but to some extent her work is classic in its own right. This reminded me a bit of Dickens, in that the plot depends on numerous coincidences and nothing is said in short sentences that can be said in long, wordy constructions. The characters are interesting and once I got into it, I read it relatively quickly. (But it was a slog at times, especially at first.)
Heirs and Assigns by Marjorie Eccles. This owes a lot to the Agatha Christie Poirot or Marple stories. Not great, but not terrible. I knew the culprit almost immediately, but I spent most of the book hoping I was wrong because there were other characters that annoyed me and I wished they would be guilty. So, overall, not a great start to a series but I may give the next one a chance (if there is a next one).

Recently Added

Nothing, actually. Unless you count War and Peace. Yes, I'm continuing my "catch up on the Russian classics" with the granddaddy of 'em all. (I haven't started yet...)

I'm also looking forward to the GHC homeschool convention this weekend because my "To-Read" list always grows after some of the speakers and seminars. Plus, I usually end up buying a book (or two or three or...) that I find in the vendor hall.

Current Read Aloud

We're reading The Cricket in Times Square at bedtime and we're almost done. (And I've enjoyed sharing about my trip to New York City when our oldest was a baby. Everyone agrees we need to go again.)

In our morning read aloud we're doing two:
The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum and
Greek Myths by Ann Turnbull and illustrated by Sarah Young. The girls are also reading other versions of Greek Myths for themselves (including a new favorite Brick Greek Myths) so we've had some great discussions on the nature of myths and legends, how the authors change things, and how we might retell the stories ourselves. In other words, the kind of discussions I love.

Current Book to Review

Sadly, none.

Current Kindle Deals

Since March is almost over today is probably one of the last days for ordering Surprised by Oxford for only $0.99.
Have a New You by Friday by Kevin Leman is also $0.99 right now. I've never read this one but he can sometimes be helpful and fun to read.
A Model of Christian Maturity by D.A. Carson is $1.99. I haven't read it, but I'm tempted by the $1.99 price tag.
Three James Herriot classics in one set are $3.99 for Kindle. Each one is fascinating reading and they definitely deserve the "classic" designation.

So, what are you reading now? And what are your "mirror books"?

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