Summer Reading

This summer I had wild dreams of reading a whole bunch of books on my reading list. Sadly, I only got around to two of them. Usually my summer nights are spent catching up on TV shows and movies, and during the school year I get back to reading before bed. I'm not going to "review" the books I read (I'll leave that to the experts); however, I'd like to share my thoughts and what I took away from each book. 

The fiction book that I read was "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd. I've adored all the other books I've read by her and I knew I was going to enjoy this one. I was not disappointed! 

The Booklist summary of the book is: Inspired by the true story of early-nineteenth-century abolitionist and suffragist Sarah Grimké, Kidd paints a moving portrait of two women inextricably linked by the horrors of slavery. Sarah, daughter of a wealthy South Carolina plantation owner, exhibits an independent spirit and strong belief in the equality of all. Thwarted from her dreams of becoming a lawyer, she struggles throughout life to find an outlet for her convictions. Handful, a slave in the Grimké household, displays a sharp intellect and brave, rebellious disposition. She maintains a compliant exterior, while planning for a brighter future. Told in first person, the chapters alternate between the two main characters’ perspectives, as we follow their unlikely friendship (characterized by both respect and resentment) from childhood to middle age. While their pain and struggle cannot be equated, both women strive to be set free—Sarah from the bonds of patriarchy and Southern bigotry, and Handful from the inhuman bonds of slavery. 

There were a few passages in particular that really moved me. The first passage is when Sarah Grimke decides to take a break from caring over her dying father and go swimming in the ocean. 

"She smiled when I emerged from the changing room. She had no cap, and I'd unpinned my hair, which was flaming out in the wind. She said I looked like a mermaid. I took hold of one of the ropes and followed it into the waves, hand over fist, until I came to where the rest of the ladies stood. The water slapped our thighs, tossing us to and fro, a tiny game of Snap the Whip, and then without knowing what I was about to do, I turned loose and strode away from them. I pushed into the seething water, and when I was some distance, I dropped onto my back and floated. It was a shock to feel the water hold me. To lie in the sea while upstairs my father lay dying."

For whatever reason, this passage had me in tears after I read it. Sarah is experiencing a very freeing moment for herself, and I felt like I was rooting her on. Throughout this book Sarah has to "take care" of her parents even though they haven't emotionally taken care of her. I was proud of her for taking a moment for herself, however fleeting it was. 

The next passage that spoke to me was "How does one know the voice is God's? I believed the voice bidding me to go north belonged to him, though perhaps what I really heard that day was my own impulse to freedom. Perhaps it was my own voice. Does it matter?"

And finally, " "...Why would God plant such deep yearnings in us...if they only come to nothing?" It was more of a sigh than a question. I was thinking of Charlotte and her longing to be free, but as the words left my mouth, I knew I was thinking of myself, too. I hadn't really expected Lucretia to respond, but after a moment, she spoke. "God fills us with all sorts of yearnings that go against the grain of the world-but the fact those yearnings often come to nothing, well, I doubt that's God's doing." She cut her eyes at me and smiled. "I think we know that's men's doing." " 

Beautiful. It makes me think of children and how we stifle their creativity. We tell them they can't do certain things or pursue certain dreams because we as adults don't think it's what they should do. I had a long talk with my husband about this topic. We have three children who will one day want to pursue something that maybe we won't necessarily "like." I might not agree with their decision but I will give 100% of my self to them to make sure they are the best at whatever it is they want to do. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was very moving and I was emotionally invested in the main characters. If you have read it let me know what you think! 

The second book that I read this summer was the non-fiction "The Energy Bus" by Jon Gordon. Now I will admit, I did not choose to read this book "for fun." I read it for work. 

The Amazon summary of the book: The Energy Bus, an international bestseller, takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals ten secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment—at work and at home.

Everyone faces challenges. And every person, organization, company, and team has to overcome negativity and adversity to define themselves and create their success. No one goes through life untested and the answer to these tests is positive energy—the kind of positive energy that consists of the vision, trust, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, and spirit that defines great leaders and their dreams.

I understand why they had us read this book before the start to the new school year. It's got a great moral to the story-be more positive in your outlook in life. The ten steps he outlined to living a more positive life are as follows: 

1) You're the driver of your bus
2) Desire, vision, and focus move your bus in the right direction
3) Fuel your ride with positive energy (negative energy is friction)
4) Invite people on your bus and share your vision for the road ahead
5) Don't waste your energy on those who don't get on your bus
6) Post a sign that says no energy vampires allowed on your bus (get rid of the malcontents)
7) Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them for the ride
8) Love your passengers by giving them your time, listening, recognition, service - work to bring out the best in them
9) Drive with purpose
10) Have fun and enjoy the ride

There was one quote in particular that really spoke to me: "Too blessed to be stressed." It made me really take a look at my own life and realize how good I have it. This quote will be my motto for this next school year. 

The one thing I didn't like about this book was the story of George. George is a fictional character who needs to turn his life around because he is too negative. It was a little too cheesy and unbelievable for me. I would have enjoyed it more if Jon Gordon had used a real life example of somebody who went through the ten steps. We will be meeting the author next week and I will be curious to see if anybody asks about that part of the book. 

If you need a little "pick me up" for your work or personal life, check out "The Energy Bus." It's a quick read and really does make you realize that no matter how bad things seem to be, they could always be worse. 

The next two books I have on my reading list are "Looking For Alaska" by John Green (fiction) and "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine Aron (non-fiction). 

How about you-what did you read this summer or have next on your reading list?