Happy Sunday! Last new year, I made a resolution to read one book a month. I’ve always loved reading, and my favorite college classes as an English major were literature seminars. I truly enjoyed sitting around a long table with fellow students and discussing books. Symbolism was always one of my favorite things to look for and chat about. I had fallen off the wagon with life being so busy, and had not read many books and felt a void. The commitment I made last year led to this blogger book club, and I am so grateful! It keeps me reading, and even more so gets me reading books I may not have otherwise read. I am looking forward to keeping this going in the new year.
Since I took a couple weeks off I am a little late in sharing my review of the December blogger book club book which was selected by Kirby, Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart
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I am not usually one to pick up a memoir, though I’ve enjoyed so many I’ve read (like The Glass Castle By Jeanette Walls and It’s Always Something by Gilda Radner). And this book took a couple of chapters in to grab me, but it did. Giles Owita is an immigrant from Africa, a peaceful humble gardener who is so much more than meets the eye. Carol Wall is a cancer survivor with a yard in need of serious love. The two form an unlikely friendship that runs deeper than most, and they have the kinds that we can all strive for…. where we help our friends selflessly because we truly love them and want to see them happy and healthy. This story was heartwarming although bittersweet, truthful and open and raw at times. I truly enjoyed it, and loved learning more and more about Giles Owita, who was a fascinating man!
For January it was Carmel’s turn to choose and she selected A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. I’m excited to read this as it sounds very different from anything I’ve read lately!
Also I wanted to mention that I just finished All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel
by Anthony Doerr. This was an intense novel of a few individual WWII stories woven together… beautifully written and tragic, as any WWII book would be, I suppose. It’s reminded me that I need to reread Night by Elie Wiesel.
Anyhow, be sure to check out all of the book clubber’s posts! I will link to them as soon as they are up!