Hope Endures: Leaving Mother Teresa, losing faith, and searching for meaning, by Colette Livermore. Reader beware, this book is deeply troubling. An idealistic young Australian joins Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in an attempt to ease the world’s suffering and find some meaning in her own life. The blind faith and obedience demanded of the nuns creates many logistical problems for the organization as well as fostering much unhappiness for everybody involved, including the poor and sick people the nuns are supposed to be helping. On a much deeper level, the young nun finds that her faith cannot be sustained due to the suffering and misery she is confronted with, and ultimately she leaves the Missionaries to find meaning in other ways. Robert
The Extra Mile, by Pam Reed Running has seen a continual upswing in popularity since the 1990s. The interest in the sport has not only been in short distances or even 26.2 mile marathons, but also in ultra running events. Ultrarunning races are those in which competitors run beyond the distance of a marathon, the most common distances being 50 and 100 miles. Pam Reed, author of The Extra Mile, is an accomplished ultrarunner. In her book she shares her own personal history, motivations, successes and failures as related to her sport. Pam also takes the reader through her experience with several races including the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135 mile race across the floor of Death Valley, various 24 and 48 hour runs, and an 80 hour, 300 mile run. For those with a serious interest in running, or for those who prefer to enjoy running as a spectator from the comfort of the couch, this book offers an interesting glimpse into the world of extreme running. Lori
Day after Night, by Anita Diamant. It's October, 1945. What happened to the survivors of the Holocaust? Diamant tells the stories of four women from different backgrounds who emigrate to Palestine. They find themselves thrown together at Atlit, an internment camp outside Haifa. Coping with their memories, uncertain of their fate, they stumble into friendships that help them move toward new lives. The book is based on the true story of the dramatic rescue of over two hundred Jewish prisoners. Nancy
A Masterpiece of Revenge, by J. J. Fiechter, is a compact psychological mystery centered on a lost masterpiece by the 17th century French painter Claude Lorrain. This is an enjoyable read for people who are interested in the history, restoration and forgeries of art. As several artists, paintings and symbols are mentioned throughout the story, it can be helpful to refer to an art reference book to enrich the reading experience. Sarah
CD – The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary. Take a trip down memory lane or become acquainted with these hits from the iconic folk singing group of the 1960s. The CD includes all of their biggest hits including protest songs such as “If I Had a Hammer”, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”. Other songs are just fun, such as “I Dig Rock and Roll Music”, “Weave Me the Sunshine”; and, of course, “Puff, the Magic Dragon”. This is music that has stood the test of time, and the recent death of Mary Travers gives it real poignancy. Susan
CD – The Glass Bead Game. Virtuoso 12-string guitarist James Blackshaw’s finest work to date. Segovia meets George Winston meets Steve Reich meets Bach. Is this music hypnotic or endlessly fascinating? Is it something you’ve heard before or entirely new? Is this ambient music or something that demands rapt attention? Try it out and judge for yourself, it’s simply beautiful. Robert
Hope Endures: Leaving Mother Teresa, losing faith, and searching for meaning, by Colette Livermore. Reader beware, this book is deeply troubling. An idealistic young Australian joins Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in an attempt to ease the world’s suffering and find some meaning in her own life. The blind faith and obedience demanded of the nuns creates many logistical problems for the organization as well as fostering much unhappiness for everybody involved, including the poor and sick people the nuns are supposed to be helping. On a much deeper level, the young nun finds that her faith cannot be sustained due to the suffering and misery she is confronted with, and ultimately she leaves the Missionaries to find meaning in other ways. Robert
The Extra Mile, by Pam Reed Running has seen a continual upswing in popularity since the 1990s. The interest in the sport has not only been in short distances or even 26.2 mile marathons, but also in ultra running events. Ultrarunning races are those in which competitors run beyond the distance of a marathon, the most common distances being 50 and 100 miles. Pam Reed, author of The Extra Mile, is an accomplished ultrarunner. In her book she shares her own personal history, motivations, successes and failures as related to her sport. Pam also takes the reader through her experience with several races including the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135 mile race across the floor of Death Valley, various 24 and 48 hour runs, and an 80 hour, 300 mile run. For those with a serious interest in running, or for those who prefer to enjoy running as a spectator from the comfort of the couch, this book offers an interesting glimpse into the world of extreme running. Lori
Day after Night, by Anita Diamant. It's October, 1945. What happened to the survivors of the Holocaust? Diamant tells the stories of four women from different backgrounds who emigrate to Palestine. They find themselves thrown together at Atlit, an internment camp outside Haifa. Coping with their memories, uncertain of their fate, they stumble into friendships that help them move toward new lives. The book is based on the true story of the dramatic rescue of over two hundred Jewish prisoners. Nancy
A Masterpiece of Revenge, by J. J. Fiechter, is a compact psychological mystery centered on a lost masterpiece by the 17th century French painter Claude Lorrain. This is an enjoyable read for people who are interested in the history, restoration and forgeries of art. As several artists, paintings and symbols are mentioned throughout the story, it can be helpful to refer to an art reference book to enrich the reading experience. Sarah
CD – The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary. Take a trip down memory lane or become acquainted with these hits from the iconic folk singing group of the 1960s. The CD includes all of their biggest hits including protest songs such as “If I Had a Hammer”, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”. Other songs are just fun, such as “I Dig Rock and Roll Music”, “Weave Me the Sunshine”; and, of course, “Puff, the Magic Dragon”. This is music that has stood the test of time, and the recent death of Mary Travers gives it real poignancy. Susan
CD – The Glass Bead Game. Virtuoso 12-string guitarist James Blackshaw’s finest work to date. Segovia meets George Winston meets Steve Reich meets Bach. Is this music hypnotic or endlessly fascinating? Is it something you’ve heard before or entirely new? Is this ambient music or something that demands rapt attention? Try it out and judge for yourself, it’s simply beautiful. Robert