The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

I just finished reading "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything" by James Martin, SJ. It's a delightfully readable explanation of Jesuit life lived according the to Rule of St. Ignatius. It explains those things that most of us who don't live a formal religious life don't quite understand, like celibacy, chastity, obedience, acceptance, suffering, vocation. Using Ignatius' own writings and the stories of Jesuit saints from the Order's founding in 1540, Fr. Martin explains the 'Rules' with a light hand and humorous anecdotes. While the subject matter may be heavy, the reading is not. Fr. Martin then goes on to explain how each Rule can be applied in simple ways to the lives of lay men and women. He shares some of the most imaginative and creative ways the Jesuits use to deepen and enrich their faith, and the skills they develop that enable them to live in community in the modern world. I've tried a few of his suggestions and can tell you that they are not only do-able, but that they work! I give this book a big 'thumbs up' for being both entertaining and practical...not necessarily traits you would award a book about religion!

More Stephanie Plum

You're going to laugh. Today I went to the library to return "Twelve Sharp" and check out the next book in the Stephanie Plum series, "Lean Mean Thirteen." I knew they had it; I saw it on the shelf my last visit. Zut alors! It wasn't there. I pulled every Janet Evanovich book from the shelf. I checked both before and after her section, thinking maybe someone had stuck it back in the wrong place. Nothing, zero, zilch... no #13! How unlucky is that? I walked away incapable of choosing "Fearless Fourteen" which was there. Muttering "I just can't read them out of order," I continued to browse. After wandering up and down the aisles and talking hard to myself, I returned and plucked "Fearless Fourteen" from its place. "Each book stands alone," I reasoned with myself. "You can read #13 next time around." With a sigh, my defeated, neurotic read-'em-in-order self checked out. As I walked thru the hallway to the library's exit, I glanced at the books for sale. If the library finds itself with duplicates of books (they receive donated books all the time), they put them on sale, cheap, to raise money for the library. Right there, front and center, was #13, a bargain at a buck for the hardcover copy. I stopped; I pondered. Should I just buy it? NO! that's absolutely neurotic. So, Lucie and I continued our town chores...getting gas for the mower, picking up a dozen farm-fresh eggs at the feed store, and mailing bills at the post office. All the while, #13 was calling my name. Finally unable to resist, I drove back to the library and bought the sucker! As I paid the librarian, I confessed my neuroses. "I just can't seem to read them out of order," I moaned. She commiserated with me..."Me neither," she laughed, "number thirteen must be checked out."

"And by the way," she added as I opened the door to leave, "we have her latest, #16 on the 'new books' shelf"

"No way," I shot back,"you can't tempt me. I've got three more to read before I'm there!"

Yes, I am neurotic!

The Kitchen House

I don't often read newly published books. It takes me awhile to get interested; I usually want to read a couple of reviews or get a personal recommendation from someone especially if it's fiction. I spied "The Kitchen House" by Kathleen Grissom at my local library, though, and since this little library has a pretty limited selection (seems like it's mostly romance novels and popular fiction that you can buy at Wal-Mart), I decided to give it a try. It's set on a small Virginia plantation circa 1790-1810. The story revolves around Lavinia, a white servant girl given to a black slave, Belle, to raise. Lavinia comes to love Belle, Mama, Papa, and Uncle Jacob as her family; it's not until she marries the Master's son that she realizes that she must reject her black family in order to exist in the white world. The book jacket describes the story as 'tragic,' and indeed, as I shed tears before I finished the fourth chapter, I knew this description was correct. The story contains love and hate, drug and alcohol addiction, sexual abuse, rape, violence and cruelty that leave the reader gasping. It could all read like a bad melodrama, but the author's skillful use of language and storytelling that has the events revealed from both Lavinia and Belle's point of view keep it grounded and balanced. Life was hard, but there was joy as well. Love was shared irregardless of color. Family was all-important. If your book club is looking for a read to stimulate conversation on race and family, this is a good choice. If you're just looking for a good read, it's a good choice as well.

Labyrinth

I just finished a novel that brought back such memories for me. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse is set in southwest France, the Languedoc, in and around Carcassone. It's a book replete with medieval history, Crusaders, the Cathars and legends of the Holy Grail. While it's fiction, Ms. Mosse has done extensive research on the period she writes about, i.e. the 13th century. The story is what she calls a 'timeslip;' it moves back and forth between the 13th century and the 21st century. Various characters are mirrored across the millenia. Alice Tanner is an ancestor of Alais Pelletier du Mas and bits of memory of Alais' life in medieval France haunt Alice's thoughts and dreams. Competing secret societies seek the Grail; Alice as a volunteer on an archaelogical dig in the Sabarthes Mountains stumbles on clues that will lead everyone to the Grail's mysteries. 21st century murder and magic mimic the mayhem of the 13th century. Does Alice really 'stumble' or is she lead by the influences Alais, Guilhem and Escarlmonde across the centuries? Is she able to bring rest and peace to the restless souls who protected the Grail from the onslaught of the only Crusade mounted inside France? Is there a way for her to avenge the deaths of thousands of Cathars burned by order of the King of France and the Pope? If you love medieval history, this novel is for you. Fictional characters in a story interwoven in real history and real people. And it will be even more meaningful if, like me, you've visited this part of France, climbed the pog to Montsegur and journeyed through Cathar land.

To The Nines

I can't believe that I haven't shared Stephanie Plum with you! She's the main character in the Janet Evanovich 'Numbers' mysteries. No, this isn't great literature, not even close, but the entire series is a great romp through murder, mayhem, and mystery with a couple of hot guys thrown in to spice up the action. Stephanie Plum is your average Jersey girl..she has a slightly dysfunctional family, two really sexy men in her life, a job being a bond enforcement officer that kind of pays the rent, and a penchant for attracting the weirdest characters you can imagine. Oh yeah, she also has a knack for getting her cars blown up and her partners & protectors in trouble. She lives with Rex, her hamster and keeps her gun in her cookie jar. Her best friend and sometimes partner is Lula, an ex-ho who manages to squeeze into spandex of every hue. If there's a way for bond enforcement to wrong, Stephanie has found it. And she also finds murder in all her adventures. Stumbling through mishap after mishap, Steph's life is full of edgy violence and terrifying villains. Yet, she's funny, her exploits are hilarious, and frankly, I don't know why no one has made a TV series out of her adventures. Anything that creeps me out and makes me laugh uproariously has got to be right for prime time. You don't have to start with "One for the Money" to enjoy these mysteries. Pick a number and go for it. After you read a couple, send me an email. Are you a Morelli or a Ranger fan???

Lunch in Paris

You're probably wondering if Red Bell Reads has been reading lately! Yes, of course, Red Bell Reads lives to read. But nothing worthy of sharing has come along...that is until 'Lunch in Paris.' It's almost summer and this would be a delighful summer read. If you're vacationing/living somewhere with a great Farmer's Market and a kitchen to work in...all the better. Read the book; share in Elizabeth's journey to Paris, to love, to cooking in a tiny, tiny apartment with minimal utensils, but a wealth of imagination and appetite. The story is funny and romantic. There are several laugh out loud scenes. The recipes that the author includes will keep you paging through the book long after you've read the last page. I tried  'Poached Cod with Wilted Leeks and Homemade Mayonnaise.' Okay, it didn't turn out exactly right, but that was my fault. I substituted regular mustard for Dijon (which I didn't have), but it was still yummy. And just why have I never poached fish before?? Easy and delicious. I'm a convert. I'm anxious to try the 'Lamb Shanks with Orange and Star Anise' and the 'Summer Ratatouille.' If you buy the book, let me know which recipes you try!

Irish Mexican Music?

Red Bell Reads likes other things besides books, you know...like music and movies. Especially music that ventures 'outside the box.' And what could be more outside the box than Irish Mexican music? Yet, the Chieftains and Ry Cooder pull this off beautifully in their brand-new CD, San Patricio. I love the Chieftains and have 3 other of their CD's; I've been known to tap my toe to Mexican music as well, so when I heard an NPR piece about this CD, I said 'why not?' The music in it is based on a little known piece of history from the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. A group of 'displaced, downtrodden, and devil-may-care' men from many nations led by Capt. John Riley fought on the side of the Mexican army under the command of General Lopez de Santa Ana. (Yes, that General Santa Ana who defeated Davy Crockett and others at the Alamo.) Called the San Patricios and reviled by America as traitors, most of the company was made up of Irishmen. Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains has arranged traditional Mexican and Irish songs and written others that capture what must have been the mood of those Mexican-Irish camps. Both cultures are alive with music;it's not a stretch of the imagination to blend the two together. The songs are both lively and hauntingly melancholy. As usual, the Chieftains have invited others to perform with them: Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, Lila Downs, Los Folkloristas, and others. Liam Neeson recites "March to Battle." A highly recommended addition to your World Music collection.

What Is Your Life Saying?

As I search for 'what I want to be when I grow up,' I've spent time discussing my life options with a variety of people...friends, family, my clergy. My rector gave me this little book, and I think it's changed my life! Parker J. Palmer is a Quaker, an educator and writer who wrote this 109-page helper for those of us who are 'listening for the voice of vocation' in our lives. I've read it three times already, but when Mary told me it was mine to keep, I started it a fourth...this time highlighting and underlining those words I want to remember. Palmer's premise is that we are all born with a nature, God-given gifts, talents, and ways to be in the world. When we ignore that nature (and most of us do!) and do what others, the world, our society tells us we should do, our lives become at least incongruent, at most desperately unhappy. Our jobs should ideally reflect our innate nature and not all the false skills and tricks we learn to get by and get along. Palmer begins his book with a poem by William Stafford where the poet  says: "Ask me whether what I have done is my life." A profound question...is your life your job, your occupation? Is what you do for a living right now how you want your life to be remembered? Put another way, Palmer instructs us: "Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you." He goes on to describe what vocation/life calling looks like, what it is and what it isn't. He also tells the reader about his own struggle with vocation that led to two bouts of severe depression. Even if depression isn't an issue for you, Palmer's depression holds lessons to be learned by anyone. This book could be the perfect gift for a high school or college graduate, someone who is launched in a career, but is unhappy with it, someone who has lost a job and is looking for a way, or someone who is retiring and looking for a fulfilling way to spend the second half of their life.

Trail of Crumbs

I became an avid reader before I could even read! My mom wrote in my baby book that as soon as I could sit up, I'd entertain myself for hours 'reading' magazines and comic books. The summer between 6th and 7th grade I remember feeling so proud that  I had read every biography and autobiography in the entire Bookmobile! (did they have Bookmobiles where you lived?) It seems only natural, then, that the memoir has become one of my favorite literary genres. This memoir, "Trail of Crumbs" by Kim Sunee came recommended by a friend who knew a memoir sprinkled with New Orleans, Paris, Provence and food would be right up my alley..and she was right! I caution you, however, that if you're looking for a 'happily ever after' story or one full of sunshine and light, this memoir is not for you. Kim Sunee explores her life as 'other' looking for a place to call home, a place where she fits in. What she has in reality is a life most of us would consider a wonderful, a fairy tale life. In her early twenties, she meets and becomes the companion of Olivier Baussan, founder of the French company, L'Occitane. Desperately in love, they live in a villa in Provence and an apartment in Paris, and travel all over the world to its most gorgeous and exotic places. Kim is beautiful, talented, smart and living a lifestyle that most people would envy, yet she is desperately unhappy and unsure of herself. Her struggle to find identity is compelling; her writing is evocative and luscious especially when she shares the one thing that does make her happy...food and cooking. The recipes she includes for her favorite comfort foods are reason alone to read this books. They may surprise you! So will Kim Sunee.

Contemplative Artists

As I explore pilgrimage and contemplative photography over at "Musings from Red Bell Farm" and "Dona Nobis Pacem," I'm drawn to a book that my brother gave me for Christmas in 2008. It's a compare/contrast book about two of my favorite artists, Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams. Lavishly illustrated with both familiar and not-so-well-known works by both, this book is a feast for the eyes and for the soul. I can't help but label both O'Keeffe and Adams 'contemplative' artists. Even though Adams produced photographs for commercial reasons, his black and white images pierce my heart with their clear vision of the soul of the places that called Adams to capture them on film. O'Keeffe's luscious landscapes and flowers delve into that soulful place as well. If art as a contemplative practice appeals to you, this book is one you must read.

More Haiti

I've shared in a previous book review that I like to have a mystery tucked away in a bottom drawer for those days when both the weather and my mental outlook are a bit dreary. Last week right after I finished "Mountains Beyond Mountains" I had one of those days, so I pulled out this Cara Black mystery, "Murder in the Latin Quarter." Right on the heels of Tracy Kidder's story about Dr. Paul Farmer's work in Haiti, I found myself deep into a murder mystery centered around Haiti, Haitian illegals in Paris, and clean water for Haiti research. Seems as if I can't get enough Haiti in my life lately! While I wouldn't recommend a fictional story for factual information about Haiti, I would say that good mystery writers research the details for their mysteries and those details can pique your interest to learn more. Yes, this mystery is a good, fast-paced story. It's also enriched with wonderful details about the Latin Quarter of Paris. And Cara Black's references to tonton macoutes, Baby Doc Devalier, voudou, and the Haitian pig scandal may just lead you to Mr. Google and a better understanding of Haiti today.

Haiti

Even before the devastating earthquake in Haiti last month, my friend, Edith recommended that I read this book, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder. I often act on her recommendations since we share a lot of common interests. I didn't get around to actually purchasing my copy, though, until after the earthquake when I felt compelled to learn more about this complex, poverty-ridden neighbor. The book is centered around Dr. Paul Farmer who is a medical doctor and anthropologist and who has made healthcare in Haiti his life's focus. He is an amazing man and Kidder does a very good job presenting him objective candor. In telling Dr. Farmer's story, Kidder also tells the story of Haiti...its corrupt governments, its culture, its irrepressible people, and its poverty. As a nurse, I found Dr. Farmer's theory that healthcare can only be improved when poverty is alleviated most compelling. I think the author lays out Dr. Farmer's arguments in support of this theory completely and objectively. Something that's hard to do when so many people consider Dr. Farmer a genuine hero for his unflagging work for improved healthcare not only for Haiti, but also for the rest of the world. If you have an interest in digging deeper into Haitian culture or a desire to learn more about Dr. Farmer's work to improve healthcare by setting up systems of public health that incorporate ways to raise people up out of poverty, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" is a must-read for you.

Journey to the Heart

I am in the habit of reading a daily meditation in the morning after I journal. Each year I search for just the right book companion for the next 365 days. While I've tried several other meditation books, the one I keep coming back to and using over and over is this one by Melody Beattie that I purchased in 1996. The poor book is tattered with many turned down corners to mark especially pertinent days. Many of the essays throughout it are marked up with highlighting, underlined words and comments in the margins. I'm always amazed that the day's essay often speaks directly to issues, worries, fears that I'm currently facing. While Beattie is best known for her self-help books on co-dependency, this book that claims itself as 'daily meditations on the path to freeing your soul' is the one that most speaks to my heart. The author is open and honest about her personal struggles with drugs, alcohol, and the overwhelming grief she felt after losing her son. Hers is not a sugar-coated, fairy tale life; that's what makes her essays so down-to-earth and real. They speak joyfully to ways to connect with our own selves, our own creative processes, and our own fears. This year "Journey" is resting in my bookcase, but I'm sure 2011 will find it in use once again.

Today's words for the Journey: "Be happy now. Enjoy the creative process--the process of creating your life, yourself, and the project you're working on--today. Don't wait for those finishing moments to take pleasure in your work and your life. Find joy all along the way."

More Cara Black

I've already shared Cara Black's "Murder on the Ile St. Louis" with you. I've read this one set in the Marais as well. It was Black's first mystery and introduces Amy Leduc, her strong woman character who gets involved in more murders than cats have lives! You can purchase your own copy of this fun mystery here, but you can also win one if you're lucky and a talented photographer. Click over to EyePreferParis; Richard's offering a free copy of Black's book to the winner of his 'photographs of the Marais' contest. While you're there, be sure to check out Richard's blog...he has some gorgeous photos of hidden Paris courtyards, some great interviews with interesting Parisians, and recommendations for yummy places to eat.

A Redbird Christmas

Okay...I know it's 'way beyond the holiday season, but really, you need to get this book now! Tuck it away until next Christmas, if you must. It's not exclusively a holiday book, though; it spans a whole year in the life of a small community, Lost River, in very rural Alabama. You can read it anytime of year. Miss Fannie Flagg is one of my very favorite authors. I love Southern genre books in general; Miss Flagg does 'southern' to perfection! I can just hear my Mom and her sisters speaking Fannie's dialogue as they sit in Mabel's kitchen eating grits, sipping sweet tea and gossiping about the rest of the 'generation' as they called the family. "A Redbird Christmas" is a feel-good story about community, love, and a rascally redbird named Jack who touches the lives of everyone who sees him. Little Patsy loves Jack, Roy, the grocer, loves Jack, even Mildred who thought she hated Jack, really loves him deep down inside. Miss Flagg hasn't written a totally syrupy-sweet story, however. Oswald T. Campbell has a drinking problem; Roy and Julian LaPonde have vowed to shoot each other on sight, and Tammy Suggs is the very worst kind of 'white trash.' Here's my confession: I drag out my copy of "A Redbird Christmas" every December. I pick a snowy Sunday afternoon and let the story transport me to warm and wonderful southern Alabama; I can almost smell the magnolias and the musky river, taste Frances' scuppernong jelly, and hear Jack chattering away with Patsy in the back room.

Other books by Fannie Flagg: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe,Standing in the Rainbow,Welcome to the World, Baby Girl,Can't Wait to Get to Heaven (Random House Large Print),Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)). They're all good!

Murder on the Ile St. Louis

I always like to have a good mystery tucked away in my bottom drawer for those days when I feel a bit bored, a bit out-of-sorts, maybe a bit blue. They're usually an easy, fast read; they keep me engaged. And I always like the challenge of seeing if I can figure out 'whodunnit' before the author reveals the real culprit. When I can combine a mystery with my favorite city in the world, Paris, life gets even better. Cara Black's mysteries take me there. Her main character, Amy Leduc, keeps me on the edge of my seat as she investigates murder in some of Paris' most famous arrondissements. This mystery set on Ile St. Louis combines fast paced action, environmental concerns and remnents of a faded Polish monarchy. Learn more than you'd ever want to know about how the Seine treats its corpses and explore the sewers and underground tunnels of the City of Lights. Trust me, you'll like this one!'

PS...I know I'm weird, but I like to read Black's mysteries with my Michelin Paris Par Arrondissements Plan Atlas: Nouvelle Edition (Michelin Maps) map book in hand. I trace the action along the rues and boulevards and into each place she mentions.

Little Saint

Welcome to Red Bell Reads, my blog about words and images that I find intriguing. My first offering to you is Little Saint by Hannah Green, a book I've actually read twice. My first encounter with Little Saint occurred deep in the heart of la France profounde during my month-long stay in the Lot. It was Laury's book; she recommended it as it is about Conques, a pilrimage village that I planned to visit during my stay. It is about Conques, but more importantly, it's about the saint venerated there in the Abbey Church....Sainte Foy. Martyred in 303 AD as a 12 year old child, Foy captured the imagination of the author, Hannah Green during her many sojourns in the village. This book is as much a memoir of the author as it is her rapture with the child-saint. When I returned home, I bought my own copy of the book and read it again. Each word, each sentence took me back to Conques, now a beloved memory of my trip. I'm as charmed by Sainte Foy as Ms. Green was. I can't wait to get back to Conques to visit her church again and light a candle to her.