Christmas Reading

I always think that I'll get to this blog after I finish a books, but I often forget to log in and tell you about the fantastic things I am reading!

There's always the delight of realizing that school is out and you can read anything you want. Anything at all - book upon book sitting on your shelf, as tantalizing as your favorite treat, full of untold wonder and mystery.

Okay, maybe it's not quite that good, but my ability to read really great books that aren't for class (as opposed to the really great books I read for school) multiplies tenfold over the five weeks between the fall and spring semesters.

Though the choices are at times overwhelming, but my first choice was obvious - for the past four years I have returned to Charles Dicken's classic "A Christmas Carol". What a fantastic story! I really enjoy being able to go back to this beautiful story. It struck me how there's an interesting parallel between the way James talks about coming to life and true religion and the way Scrooge also comes to life. Think about it.

On Christmas Day, I also read for the first time the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. I had heard my friend Amanda J. mention his little book "The Alchemist" and though I had tried reading it last break (and sadly, put it down after four pages), this time I was hooked. I was delighted to find a lot of themes that I had encountered in a class I took this fall, all about calling and purpose. While I have to say that there is some mysticism and spirituality that I don't endorse, there is a great deal of wisdom and thoughtfulness. A delightful translation and worth reading.

I appreciated that this novel was not only insightful but beautiful. You could almost feel the desert heat (and that's something of a triumph for December in Missouri!) the rich smells and the evening breeze. The boy is not necessarily a round and defined character, but I think that part of the charm of that is that you, the reader, can step into the boy's shoes and travel with him to the pyramids to find his treasure.

More to come on other Christmas break reading.