WHAT I'M READING V. 55

1. Florida by Lauren Groff

I loved Lauren Groff's "Fates and Furies" - she somehow has this ability to connote with the words she uses so what she doesn't say is just as important as what she does say. There is a sparseness and exactness to her writing, which is a pleasure to experience and immediately inspires me to try again at writing.  This one was a collection of short stories, which I listened to on audiobook, regretfully. I think this is one of those that would have been better served read from the book with my own eyes and pacing. I really liked the collection and the writing too, just as much, but it feels as though I missed a lot. I'm going to pick this one up again in book form to re-read.

2. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett 

This was a delightful read. It's short, and I wish I could remember who recommended it to me so that I can talk to them about it. It's about a queen who all of a sudden gets very interested in reading, and everything that happens as a result. It's funny and endearing and I recommend it to anyone who needs a little boost in their week. I read this one when I was having a particularly tiring week, while sipping a glass of rose on the sun porch, and it did the trick.

3. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

I was excited about this one, with the expectation of philosophical waxings about gathering and its meanings and implications. It does some of that, but it's more of a practical how to; starting with her own experiences, groups that she has worked with, and ways to make gatherings better.  It remained interesting to me throughout because as someone who thinks a lot about gatherings, it was refreshing to know that there were other people who are very intentional about such things.  I think it is a great conversation starter for businesses, organizations and individuals to take a step back at how they gather - if at all, and if not, why not - and assess ways they can make it more effective and meaningful.

4. Paul, a Biography by N.T. Wright

This one was a tome of a book - not necessarily because of it's length, although it is a longer one at about 500 pages - but because there was so much deep and rich content.  Wright goes through a thorough and detailed analysis of Paul's life, starting wit how he must have been raised, his influences, his passions.  He paints a vivid picture of Paul's background and then walks through Paul's conversion and journey throughout Asia Minor to visit churches. It gives such a rich picture of that time period between 5 AD to 65 AD and helped me understand more deeply how his work was impacted who he was, and in what ways that impacted and grew the early Christian Church.