The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I love this book so much!
I read it several years ago, and I'm not sure why I didn't record it here. Recently, my friend Lyn asked me if I had read it, because she liked it so well. I was happy to have the chance to read it again, and I enjoyed every page. So well-written, so delightful in spirit, and wonderful, real, and courageous characters. I think there was a resurgence in interest in this book because Netflix made a movie based on it. The movie is vapid and uninspiring. I especially disliked the character playing Juliet. So disappointing!

This is one of those rare books that treats a heavy and tragic time with a light hand, sensitivity, and good, intelligent humor. I wish there were more books like this. It also does a wonderful job describing a time and place in history that I knew very little about...namely, the German occupation of Guernsey and the ensuing challenges. I think I'll keep it around and read it again when I want to enjoy a witty and deep read...

Big Magic - Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I enjoyed this book so much that I have read it multiple times. Here's why...I don't usually think of myself as creative. But i do have some artistic impulses. Usually, when I think of creative, I think immediately of Leonard and Eli. They are creative in ways that continually astound me--sometimes artistically and sometimes in their approach to a problem. Anyway, in thinking about this, I've come to realize that I am creative, too, just in different ways. And this book encouraged me to expand my definition and my practice of my creativity. She says, PUT IT OUT THERE and I'm trying to do that more. For example, I've been making some cards and embellishing the poetry with little pen and ink drawings. I like to draw and color with colored pencils. i enjoy it, and although my results look a little primitive, I'm generally happy with the results. I have bought a book that I hope will help me... We SHALL SEE! At any rate, I have now passed this book on to Melissa. She lives creatively, for sure! And I ordered a copy for Teal, for her birthday. I hope I hear from one or both of them about how they like it. I found it a delightful read and very encouraging. I like the idea of finding a deep passion vs. being a hummingbird. It's okay to be a hummingbird and explore lots of different avenues...staying long enough to learn if it's rewarding or not. That is more likely than finding a deep passion...at least it seems to be, for me. 

The Holy Secret by James L. Ferrell

Kathy in Bismarck gave me a beautifully inscribed copy of this book after I asked her if I could borrow hers. I heard her talk about it one evening and she was so positive about it, I wanted to read it. She mentioned having read it multiple times, so I thought it was one I needed to read, even though I suspected I had already read it at some point in my past. I was so enthused about C. Terry Warner, and the Arbinger institute that he founded, that I read a lot of their books probably 8 or 10 years ago. Ferrell is president of Arbinger, and I had read one of his earlier books for sure, The Peacegiver. They build on Warner's ideas, but are more allegorical. They don't resonate particularly well for me, and I'm not sure why. Warner is much more understandable to me and just makes sense. Ferrell tells stories, and they all seem pretty contrived. But his point isn't the story, it's the message.

As in other books of his, this one is a story. This particular one is about two men talking and learning together. I think in order to get more out of it, I need to read it again with my scriptures and try to trace the thinking in the examples. I did get a lot out of it, and am still thinking about his assertion that we need to learn to LOVE what is holy and that often, we do not. In particular, he believes we need to learn to love three things that will increase our holiness: the scriptures, the temple, and the sabbath.

A quote that stopped me in my tracks is this one, in the preface:

"If we do not enjoy holiness here, we will not have the opportunity to experience it there."

Another thought I liked is that we need to apply the cleansing agent of holiness. It reminds me of applying the atonement or of seeking and finding grace. All of these create a similar impulse and result, I think.

In his section on loving the holy scriptures, Ferrell's example of from the Book of Mormon is particularly fascinating and accurate. He explicates why Nephi continually mentions that his family dwelt in a TENT. And then explores all the implications of this and it really opens up the story more. It's a great example of how increased understanding really does enlighten the meaning and potential application. It helps me slow down when I read the scriptures and to ask more questions. The answers come easily in this book, and not so easy when I'm on my own! It's a worthy pursuit, however, and I have been trying more, especially during my scripture study opportunities in the quiet baptistry of the temple.

I definitely need to explore more the examples of holiness through temple worship and sabbath day observance. And I will!

The Pastures of Beyond by Dayton O. Hyde

I picked this paperback out of one of the "Little Library" boxes down the street in Bismarck. It has a wonderful painting of a cowboy on a bucking bronc on the cover, so I immediately thought I should pick it up for my dad. I'm glad I did!

This is the true story of a 13-year old from Michigan who goes out to Oregon to help his uncle run a ranch. It captures a rich time in history, beginning in the 1930s, when being an itinerant cowboy was a profession. He describes ranch life, cowboys, and rodeo life with admiration, humor, and clarity. The "yarns" told by both cowboys and Indians are funny and illustrate the humor of an era long gone.

It's not GREAT writing, but it's enjoyable. I could relate to the struggle of riding horses, the culture of the Indians, and the love of outdoors. At the end of the book, he describes how he founded the Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota. This was fascinating to me, since I've been out there. No one was around, but I know that country a little.

This will go in the mail to WHK. And it will give us something new to talk about on our Sunday night calls.