Zelda

I am reading Zelda Fitzgerald's biography. I have never known much about her, but she is from Montgomery and that is hubby's hometown, so I decided to learn about her. I am only half way though the book and she is already diagnosed with all sorts of mental disorders and has proven to be brilliant, though also insane, selfish, vane and a drunk. One day, I want to have an interesting bio written about my life as a writer... Please, God, don't let it be quite as interesting as Zelda's.

Same Kind of Different As Me

I picked up Same Kind of Different as Me by Denver Moore and Ron Hall, because we are discussing it for book group in March. March 2nd actually, so I am cutting my reading close. Not too close, I guess. I read it more quickly than I expected to. It wasn't just that it is a relatively short book, but also the writing is very easy to read. The two men tell their story, trading back and forth on who is doing the telling. It is very much like sitting down to talk with the two of them. Ok, maybe not quite as awesome as it would be to sit down and talk with them in person.

I am not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it was way better than whatever I thought the story would be about. Both authors are very honest, even when it does not paint them in the best light. Honesty is refreshing in Christians. I didn't even realize Christianity was a part of the story for a bit, but it certainly is. More importantly, God in all His daily-present reality is a part of the story.

I knew fairly quickly that someone had to die in this book. I had a feeling I knew who, and my heart seized up. But, I kept going, and I am glad I did. I thought a lot about losing Natalie and a lot about a woman who died just after we moved here, Renee. I thought of the faith of both of these women and the woman in the story. All three are real women who loved God and left earlier than any of us would have chosen for them (or for ourselves, for that matter). I have thought, since my friend Pat was killed at 19, that death is a sort of ministry. God uses our passing as well as our living... sometimes better.

Lots of deep thoughts and heavy convictions.

Heather

Home to Holly Springs

I finished reading Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon on January 31st. If you know me, you know I did not enjoy Mitford enough to move past the first book in the series. I certainly didn't plan to try Holly Springs, but it was the first selection of the year for the book group I joined at church. I am really excited about the group and the rest of the year's books, so I gave in and read this one.

I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't boring. I learned a lot about an actual Mississippi town called Holly Springs. The town is very near me, and I heard many familiar places and events mentioned. I always enjoy an author that takes the time to learn and write about a real place. I may even take a day trip to Holly Springs soon, because I love the feeling of being inside a book.

Towards the end, the story started to drag, and some loose ends got tied up so sweetly that it could have been annoying, if it weren't about a priest. God sometimes does tie ends up sweetly. Not always, but sometimes.

Heather