Angry Conversations With God

I just finished Angry Conversations With God: A Snarky by Authentic Spiritual Memoir by Susan Isaacs. I've decided that it does fit in the biography section of the 9909 challenge, even if it is shelved in the 200's (religion).

Okay, so this is the third time I've blogged about it tonight (this morning? Whatever). Anyway, I probably wouldn't have blogged about it if it wasn't amazing, but it was.

Susan is your typical artsy Southern California native. She wants to be an actor, or a writer. She grew up in SoCal, then at one point moved to New York. She was also raised in the church.

For those of you who don't know what that can do to you, let me tell you. Being raised in the church tends to mean 1 of 3 things. (1) You forever have this cookie cutter image of God where you never mature, (2) you at some point decide God isn't real, and jump off the religion train, or (3) you decide that life is tough, but God is tougher. And you deal with life, and keep God. It's hard, but people do it.

Anyway, Susan had a nice mix of all 3 (so I guess there are 4 choices?), and she turned out okay. Of course, she took God (in her mind) to couple's therapy (for real). Which is weird, but pretty freaking amazing, when you think about it.

And the memoir? Well written, snarky (and you know how I love snarky things), and potent. I was on an emotional rollercoaster all night. I loved it.

If you're curious about religion, have religion, or have ever had religion, you should read this. It's great. 4 snowflakes. Now, excuse me while I go contemplate the state of my soul (sad truth...)

Embrace Me

So, Carter, who is Lola's fiancee, lent Lola the book Embrace Me by Lisa Samson. Lola read it, and then told me that I had to read it, so she left it on my bed yesterday. I'm done with it now, and let me tell you---amazing.

Okay, so the story goes back and forth between a man and a woman. The man (Drew) happens in 2002/2003, and the woman (Valentine) happens in 2008/2009.

Here's your warning--this is a blatantly Christian novel. Big talk about Jesus and praying and redemption and the Church.

That said...

Drew is an ex-pastor who did everything wrong. He was kind of in it for the right reasons, but mostly for the wrong ones. When we meet him, he's left his mega-church and is living at the beach. He's detailing his sins for Father Brian, even though Drew isn't Catholic. It's a sad story of a man who wants power and approval, and will do anything to get it.

Valentine works in a Sideshow. Her face has been burned, and she dresses up in a green costume to become the Lizard Woman. Her best friend is Lella, the legless-armless woman. Val is bitter about her past, and churches in general.

It's the off-season in Val's time, so they're hanging around Mount Oak at the owner's house. A bunch of them who work in the sideshow stay together in the off-season.

Anyway, while Drew is working through his issues, so is Val.

It's amazing. Well written, well twined together, the story line is amazing. While the end gets a little cheesy, it is still poignant and beautiful.

I was a little sad that Gus stuck to his vows, but that's the (usually pushed aside and beaten up) romantic in me.

Oh, and let me just say that, for the record, the sins they deal with are things we all deal with. Wanting more. Greed. Unforgiveness. A likelihood of putting ourselves and our wants before anyone or anything else.

I loved it.

Moon Over Tokyo

When I worked at the bookstore last year (oh my gosh. It's been almost a year now...), we were allowed to read, so long as we read something that was available for purchase in store. Even better, we could get books then return them, so long as they were still in the same condition (and we kept out reciept).

So I started reading a lot of Christian fiction. Hence where I found Charles Martin, Laura Jensen Walker, and Siri Mitchell.

Siri Mitchell wrote Moon Over Tokyo, a story about Allie, a reporter in Tokyo, and her friend Eric from high school. Well, they weren't friends in high school, but learned to be in Tokyo.

It's cute, and fluffy. It conveys a christian message without being overpowering (something I always appreciate in CF). There is really nothing more to it than Allie gaining confidence and falling in love.

But the language! It's great! And the haikus at the beginning of each chapter are great.

I know it seems odd, and sometime I just can't believe that I read Siri's books. But then again, I remember why I love them everytime I read them.

They're just so...wholesome. Which is nice, sometimes.

Anyway.

Wrapped in Rain

Okay, we all know that I love Charles Martin. I think he's amazing. Wrapped in Rain is the book that started it for me.

It's a story about a man who hates his father (for good reason), but has a maid/keeper who keeps him from being insane.

The love of his life (who he didn't realize was her) shows up on the side of the road, and suddenly he has to deal with a lot more than an insanely jealous ex-husband.

He has to deal with his issue, keep his woman safe, protect and love the five year old that comes with his love, take care of his brother who has serious mental issues, and come to terms with his past.

It's amazing. Let me just tell you. Ah-maze-ing.

Be aware, though, blatent Christianity. So if you're not into God, don't be upset that I didn't warn you.

Reconstructing Natalie

I just read Laura Jensen Walker's Reconstructing Natalie, the story of a 27-year old woman with breast cancer.

It's Christian Romance Fiction (usually an ouch of the worst proportions), but this is good. A little over the top at points (Oh my gosh how they get together at the end, and the token black friend), but really good.

Good because you never think about breast cancer. I don't. I'm 22. It's not going to happen to me, at least not yet.

Which is exactly what Natalie thought.

So when her whole life suddenly falls apart, what can she do except do her best to hold it together and then rebuild?

She does both, and admirably. Natalie helps the average person relate. Not that we fully can, because without the deadly disease, nothing ever compares, but Laura and Natalie take you right into the head of a cancer patient.

I picked this up the first time because the author was coming to our store to do a book signing. I'd never done a book signing, so I was really excited when Pippa told me about it.

Then I looked at the schedule. It was the random Saturday that I had off for no apparent reason.

So I went home instead. It was a good weekend, if I remember correctly.

But I read the book anyway. It was good.

Eventually I bought it. And I randomly picked it up the other day. I was really happy I did.

Where The River Ends

There are certain books that I know I'm going to need to clear a couple hours out of my day, sit down, and just read. I can't pick it up and put it down, I can't read for an hour, then have to go to work. It'll drive me crazy, wanting to know what happened.

I have to admit, I've worked that into my schedule for Breaking Dawn. But on Friday, when the copy of Where the River Ends by Charles Martin came in, I knew I couldn't start it right then. After all, I was in the middle of The Killing Dance and had just picked up Faithful. And I had a lot to do and a party to attend. So I couldn't start reading it, not until at least today.

So I did. When I woke up this morning, it's what I read.

It takes place in Georgia and Florida, right along the border, on a river mostly. Doss is an artist, and Abbie is a debutante. Not a couple that you'd ever expect to get together, but they fall in love after he saves her. They spend the first ten years of the marriage happy. She's decorating, he's painting.

Then they find that Abbie has breast cancer, and it all spirals out of control from there. As time goes on, and they fight an unwinnable battle, the despair becomes apparent.

But as a last wish, Abbie wants Doss to take her back down the river, back to where they had their honeymoon. It's a harrowing tale, with stalkers, national news coverage, and they go through 3 boats, finally finishing the journey on a log. But they make it.

It's told with a back-and-forth style, one chapter in the present (the trip down the river), and the next chronicling their lives up to that point.

Martin writes with his usual depth, making me wish that I not only could go to this part of Georgia, but that men like Doss actually existed somewhere.

While I saw some of the same threads working through this novel that I've seen in others (the nickname Band-Aid, for instance, or the dying wife), it was still amazing.

It touches you in a place that is impossible to see, and just as impossible not to feel. It takes a lot to read, going through pages on the history of the river, or some ambiguous church, but the real story, the human story, makes it worthwhile.

Somethings are worth waiting for, and Martin's stories are ones I've always found worthwhile.

It takes about a year to get it out in paperback, so I'm going to have to keep requesting it. Sigh...

Oh. Right.

Chasing Fireflies

Charles Martin, the author of the book Chasing Fireflies is one of those writers I adore. His books are poignant, sad, and redemptive. The characters are real, the deal with real problems and don't always find the easiest solutions.

In Chasing Fireflies a man, Chase, lives with his foster family, but is haunted by two things. The first is who his father is, and why he gave him up. The second is why his Uncle Willee (the man who is the male half of his foster "parents") took the blame for a number of crimes that he never committed.

Chase is a reporter, and when a young mute boy is found by a railroad track, he takes that time to tell the world about what it's like to be an orphan, through Sketch's eyes.

When his best friend / "cousin" comes home from LA, Chase's world unravels as he slowly learns more about Willee then he ever thought he could know.

I love this book. From Tommye to Sketch to Chase, the characters are so believable that I want to move to swamp-land Georgia just to meet them. If anyone is wondering where my Southern obsession comes from, this author's books don't hurt it at all.

The revelations and the pure human emotion that comes through make you laugh, cry, and gasp, but finally leave a smile on your face.

And you really want to see Chase walk into that meeting wearing his jeans, a t-shirt, and flip-flops.