Book Lover Day is coming! August 9. This is a day to relax and enjoy a book – of course I think that could be every and any day. I sure do like reading and often am pouring my heart into several books at one time. Some I buy but many come from our library. Gotta love the library.
Here are a few quotes from my current pile of books.
Write for your Life – Anne Quindlen.
“I have to write to discover what I am doing.” Flannery O’Connor
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” Anais Nin
“Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” Christian Lange, in his 1921 Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Amazing this was said 100 years ago and is even more true today.
New Seeds of Contemplation – Thomas Merton (an often reread – do you have books you continue to pick up and reread?)
“Contemplation is the highest expression of man’s intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, full aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitude for life, for awareness and for being, It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent and infinitely abundant Source. Contemplation is above all awareness of reality of that Source.”
Life of the Beloved – Henri Nouwen (I am revisiting all of my Nouwen books this year)
“Put simply, life is a God-given opportunity to become who we are, to affirm our own true spiritual nature, claim our truth, appropriate and integrate the reality of our being but most of all to say “YES” to the One who called us Beloved.”
A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone Would Ask Us – Lore Wilbert
Bittersweet – Susan Cain (I have renewed this book several times from the library and thinking I just may need to purchase my own copy. This book is helping me befriend an emotion deep inside me that I have ignored. Very shelf-worthy book)
“I’ve concluded that bittersweetness is not, as we tend to think, just a momentary feeling or event. It’s also a quiet force, a way of being, a storied tradition—as dramatically overlooked as it is brimming with human potential. It’s an authentic and elevating response to the problem of being alive in a deeply flawed yet stubbornly beautiful world. Most of all, bittersweetness shows us how to respond to pain: by acknowledging it, and attempting to turn it into art, the way the musicians do, or healing, or innovation, or anything else that nourishes the soul. If we don’t transform our sorrows and longings, we can end up inflicting them on others via abuse, domination, neglect. But if we realize that all humans know—or will know—loss and suffering, we can turn toward each other.”
“If we could honor sadness a little more, maybe we could see it—rather than enforced smiles and righteous outrage—as the bridge we need to connect with each other. We could remember that no matter how distasteful we might find someone’s opinions, no matter how radiant, or fierce, someone may appear, they have suffered, or they will.”
What book are you reading now?
This is wonderful, Wise Jean :), and I’m so glad that Lisa told us how to connect here. Booklover’s Day. wow. That is EVERY DAY around here. Oddly, I did not like reading as a child, and read laboredly only for assignments. Now I have tsundoku, books are everywhere. I am trying to take better advantage of the library, so I was just able to order Curious Faith there. Yay. Sounds wonderful. I do not limit myself exclusively to Christian books, but I simply wondered if Bittersweet is from a Christian author. Can you tell me? What am I reading now? Still ploughing through Moby Dick, which I actually do love, loved Rembrandt in the Wind by Russ Ramsey, just finished Art + Faith by Makoto Fujimura, rereading Denise J Hughes’s Deeper Waters, loved Michelle DeRusha’s new memoirish book, Seasons of the Soul, and really loved Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly and his book, Deeper. These are just some. I shall be loving my books tomorrow. Thanks for the heads-up, and all you share. ~Lynn Oh, and I really enjoyed The Liturgy of Politics by Kaitlyn Schiess and am going to read Home Behind the Sun by Timothy D. Willard & Jason Locy next.
Everyday for ME too, LOL. Moby Dick? wow I am impressed! great list of book you shared.
I didn’t know it’s almost Book Lover Day but I must recognize it as such! 🙂 You have me quite curious about “A Curious Faith.” I’m looking into that one right now. I found Bittersweet touched something deep in my soul too.
I currently have Kindle Unlimited free for 3 months, so I’ve been reading/skimming through their offerings before it expires. 🙂
Oh yes I knew you would want to be a part of Book Lovers Day. I plan to read a lot today as it is Sunday and too often I don’t give myself permission just to relax and read. Today is the day!
I am reading Longing for God, by Gayle Beebe and Richard Foster. I am really enjoying it. I just love anything written by Richard Foster. I have recently discovered the Christian pathways like lectio Divina and Visio Divina.
I love all the Foster books and lately been enjoying the Renovare podcast. Sounds like you are really growing in the spiritual practices tool.
Wow–such meaty quotes you’ve shared with us, Jean. Thank you! The one from Susan Cain especially speaks to me. ‘Wish I’d had her wise words in years past. / Currently I’m reading The Listening Heart by Judy Gordon Morrow, a collection of 365 devotionals from her own prayer journals of conversations with God–similar to Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling. (Sometimes I read several in one day.) Each day offers affirmation, encouragement, and hope! / Just for fun I’m also reading one of Ann B. Ross’s Miss Julia books. They’re delightful and humorous!
I need some fun books – I take reading way to seriously and sounds like these Miss julia books may do the trick. Thanks
I think you’d enjoy Miss Julia!
Didn’t Susan Cain write those books on being an introvert? I sure can identify with the melancholy she describes here, Jean. I will certainly look into this one.
I’m reading a mystery thriller at the moment. Yes, it’s a “Calgon, take me away” read, but don’t we all need a little escape at times? It’s called “Catch Me” by Lisa Gardener.
Blessings!
Yes this is the same author. She is one reason based on her Quiet book why I picked up this book. So glad you are enjoying a good read!!