The Last Battle

This is the final installation of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. For me it was probably my least favorite. Almost all of the rest was good reading, good stories, good action, good imagination, but I felt, sadly, that this one turned into more of a dogmatic preachy book and less of a good story. I was sad. I was hoping he could hang on to the wonderful imagination and storytelling skills most of the other books have, but I just didn't feel like he did. I feel a little let down, actually, like he dropped the ball of the story on his way to writing out his religious beliefs.

Then again, many people love this whole series and probably love this book too. I enjoyed specific books in the series much more than others, and this was one I didn't particularly enjoy. Too bad.

Ishmael

This book, by Daniel Quinn, is one of those that I think everyone should be required to read. It's about a man who meets a gorilla, and the gorilla becomes the teacher, along the way showing the man all the ways that humankind have gotten it wrong, and how simple it can really be. It's just a fantastic example of that kind of writing which is educational or informative without ever losing sight of the fact that it's a work of fiction and has a story to tell.

That being said, of course there are several points that I have BIG problems with. But the main thrust of the story, that practically all humankind today is entirely too self-centered and wasteful and will ultimately end itself if it doesn't change? That's something I think we need to hear. I think this book is a wonderful thought-provoker. READ IT! And then let's talk.

Oh, and by the way? If you read this right before Christmas, it's even more disturbing. Talk about consumerism. Holy cow.

Eat, Pray, Love: one woman's search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia

Doesn't that title just grab you and suck you in?

I started hearing accolades of this book, by Elizabeth Gilbert, when it first came out about two years ago, and of course I knew I had to read it. Thanks to GoodReads, I managed to remember to request it at the library. And I absolutely inhaled it. It was touching, it was beautiful, it was spiritual, it was galvanizing, it was one of my favorite pieces of writing from this year.

My only criticism is that it's hard not to feel jealous of her exotic life and how everything turned out so amazingly for her for this book. But even that's not real, because of course my life is turning out perfectly for me as well. This is just exactly what I needed to read right now. Combined with that book I just finished about Zen parenting (Everyday Blessings), it helped me remember to take each moment at a time in a literal sense, and to let go of all my fears and anxiety. AND it was fun to read and made me want to befriend the author. Wow, just wow. Amazing.