Just When I Thought All Was Lost

I have been searching... no hunting yes hunting for a certain book for years. When I was about 7 years old I won a book prize at school. I kept that book for years until I was an adult. But because I moved a lot since completing university and my parents did their own house clearings getting rid of stuff over the years the book got lost. Of course, sentimental me was devastated when I couldn't find it on one of my trips home. My other childhood books including The Secret Garden were still there and I just couldn't understand how that one got lost. I had been hoping that it would be one of the books which I would pass on to my children one day. So I came up with a plan...I would buy the book and keep it to share with my kids one day. Aha as it were it turned out that I had forgotten the name of the book. All I remembered was that it was about a magpie who liked shiny things, a wishing well and a little girl who wished for a present to give to someone.

I tried to search on the internet using these and different phrases but my search turned out nothing on my particular book. Disheartening as it was, I was in denial that the internet with all its vastness would not have any information or at least the cover of the book. I knew if I saw the cover I would recognize it. I tried again and again. I had almost given up hope of ever remembering or finding it when the other day I decided to put time periods of when the book could have been possibly published (e.g 1970s, 1980s) and whala, one of the imagines caught my attention. I had found my book. I was so stunned such that I was speechless and frozen for awhile. After years of searching and trying to remember my moment had finally come. After that nothing and no one could remove the smile from my face.

Image from Pinterest.

This is the book. I am going to find it and buy it. One day I am going to share it with my kids. I am adding it to the list. My kids better be avid readers, shame they already have a number of books waiting for them :) :). Kids one of the things you should know is that your mama is book crazy!

The One That Challenged Me

I love writing stories. When I write I feel ...awesome and  myself. When I write I enter this amazing world where I am one with my characters. I have cried, laughed, celebrated and had many adventures through writing. Somehow I feel that I was born to be a writer. What that means I am still trying to figure it out. Anyways one of the things which I have tried to steer away from when writing my stories is weaving in my faith and beliefs too much. I have done so because I feel that people get put off when they read a story which talks too much about God, faith and like things. Yes, I have been a coward. Then I came across this book...

This book posed a challenge to me. This book has taught me that it is ok to write and include my beliefs and that doing so doesn't necessarily make stories boring. I like the way the authors had the main character Jane as a woman who loved God and even when she was at her lowest point she did not lose her faith but instead still confessed her confidence in God. She had just lost her job, been dumped by her boyfriend and the roof of her flat by some misfortune had caved in and she was temporaily homeless. Despite all this she had this to say  and I quote;
'He (God) has always been good to me. I have to trust Him even now that my life is in shambles. I have decided he's working on something big up there. I just don't know what it is yet.'

I enjoyed this book a lot. The way it was written - it wasn't too 'churchy' and yet it was clear the main character was a Christian, loved God and had faith in him without it being too much in your face. I made up my mind then and then that I was no longer going to restrain myself if when writing it was befitting to include my faith and believes to whatever extend befitting the story. I have just realized it is okay, there will people wo will still enjoy my stories as much as I enjoyed the Book of Jane. From now on I am just going to go with the flow of ideas. I am glad this is settled and I don't have to concern myself with the issue anymore.

The One I Missed

I was of the view that I had read all of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency book series but I was wrong. I came across this one in the local library and of course I couldn't resist. I knew I was in for a good laugh. At some point I had to stop reading it in the bus because I kept giggling behind the and I was in serious danger of busting out in laughter. Mr. Smith you never fail to get me with Mma Ramotswe and crew. This is one collection I have to have in my personal library so that I can read again and again if I want some cheering up.

Here is an excerpt from The Double Comfort Safari Club, but to really get it I would recommend just reading the whole book or better still the whole series:

Side Note: Mma Ramotswe is the main character and the owner of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Mma Makutsi her secretary (she is a riot).

'In the place which she always occupied, halfway down and at the end of the pew, a good spot to observe, Mma Ramotswe cast an eye over the congregation. There were no surprises, although she did not recognize one couple sitting towards the back, the man heavy-jowled, the woman wearing a blue hat and a shawl in a clashing pink colour – not a good combination, thought Mma Ramotswe, even if well intentioned. The Mma Makutsi School of fashion, she thought wryly, and then immediately took back the uncharitable observation, remembering where she was. But it was true: Mma Makutsi did not have a good color sense, and should not wear spots. Mma Ramotswe had been thinking for some years of saying something to her about that, but it was difficult. You could not say, A lady who has blotchy skin, Mma should not wear spotted blouses. You could not. And even if you were more tactful, saying something like, Spots are nice, Mma, but I think that in your case stripes might be better, there would still be a chance that the person to whom the advice was offered might ask why. Then, if you were truthful, you would have to explain. If you were truthful…'

It is scenes like this which get me laughing. Mr. Smith I hope you are penning another book in this series. 

Judging a Book by its Cover ...So Wrong

Finding a good book is like finding a treasure. Of late it has been so hard to find a book which I can say I have enjoyed. There are several books which I have started and have not finished – so unlike me but ... For instance, I like Sophie Kinsella  and I have read a number of her books which I have enjoyed but one of her latest ones left me wanting. When I saw a copy of Shopaholic to the Stars at the local library I made a grab for it and couldn’t wait to start reading. A couple of pages into the book I found myself struggling to get into the story line. Undeterred I read on but at some point even before I got half way I couldn’t go on ...I just couldn’t. I never finished the book. I failed to connect with the main character. 

Then I came across this book unexpectedly: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson.

At a glance it looked like some book about birds and bird watching, I almost ignored it but I am glad something made me look at it closely. I really enjoyed this book and I had many laughs. Nicholas’s style of writing is like that of one of my favourites Alexander McCall Smith - witty, quirky, with that African flavour that I love so much. Who knew that bird watching and romance could go so well together? Mr. Malik the main character is a man full of surprises – from the incident of the Hadadas and how he manned up to his long time nemesis by accepting a wager over a woman he had secretly fallen in love with. It kept me on the edge and those who saw me laughing on the train or bus (to and from work) must have thought I was crazy, they just didn’t know about Mr. Malik and all the drama which was happening to him and around  him.

Well done Mr. Drayson, what a great book.

Laughing with Alexander

I am having a great time reading Alexander McCall Smith's The Miracle At Speedy Motors (from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series) - again. I love this particular series of his books. I have read every book from the series and any chance I get I re-read any of the books I come across.

You get me every time  Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. You guys are comical. Thank you for making my day (in fact week) Alexander McCall Smith. You are a brilliant writer with an amazing imagination. When I am reading your books it is like I am right there with all the characters and talk about the laughing - I laugh a lot. I can't help it cause these books are hilarious. Just my cup of tea.

A Future Mum's Dream





Picture from here

History was my favourite subject when I was in High School. When I was reading history it was more than an academic experience for me. I would enter the world of King Lobengula, Shaka the Zulu, Peter the Great, Napoleon, the Renaissance and Reformation. I loved it. 
  

Today I am still very much of a reader. Reading is my get away, the place I can unwind and I get to chill out. This is one of the reasons why I try as much as possible to avoid reading sad books. There is already too much sadness in real life and taking a break from it all through reading is worth it for me. I know it sounds crazy but I secretly long that my children will also be readers like me. I already have a list of some of my favorite the books which I would love to read to them or for them to read on their own:

1.       Heidi by Johanna Spyri – this book started a long term longing which I still have even today. I will share more about that in another post.

2.       The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – I won this book when I was 7 as a prize at school. I still have the copy somewhere at home, just need to go through all my old stuff.

3.       What Katy Did by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey – I enjoyed this so much that when I saw it in a bookstore a few years back I bought a copy.

4.       The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis - I remember reading the book first and the some Anglican priest and his wife coming to our school and showing us the movie.  Both made a big impression on me.

5.       Annie of Green Gables and all the subsequent books on the life of Annie by Lucy Maud Montgomery - I was introduced to this book my friend Ruth who also bought me my very own copy which I treasure.  I don’t know how I never read this when I was young. Anyhow it makes my list.

6.       Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – Although this book made me sad especially when Beth died. I still love it and I think it is a beautiful classic.

7.       Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren – came across this one when I was in Sweden and thought it was another great children’s book.

So many good books out there and the list could get too long because this future mamma has big dreams for her children. Any good books anyone?

It’s Contagious

About a week and half ago I visited the local library so that I could open an account with them. After submitting all the required documents they told me to come back after 7 working days as they needed to confirm information about me. Three days later, I was back in the library. I was a desperate woman who needed something to read and seven days was way too long for me. Fortunately, they had already confirmed everything and I was handed my new library card. I was so excited and told the lady that she had made me the happiest woman in the world.  She smiled when I told her that and she immediately warmed up to me and we chatted for awhile about books. As I was leaving to start looking around she came along with me and gave me a mini tour of the library, pointing out some authors she enjoys reading. I don’t know if this is what they do, to show all new members around the library but I would like to believe that my excitement rubbed off on her and she was able to share her love for books with me and go the extra mile in showing me around the library ha ha ha.

One of the first books I came across in my search was this one:

I am a great fan of Monk the TV series; I have watched each and every episode of the series. I could not resist taking the book when I saw it. Apparently, it is a continuation from where the TV series ended when Monk was finally able to solve the mystery of  his wife's death (any Monk fans out there?). I have just begun reading it, so far so good. The way the obsessive and compulsive Mr. Monk is always able to see things that most people would miss and solve murder cases always fascinates me.

New Discovery

I recently discovered a new author by the name of Francine Rivers. I have already read three of her books within a short period of time. I just had to share, in case there are avid readers like me out there who are looking for interesting Christian books.

The first book I read was The Warrior a book which is Francine's imagination of Caleb's story. This book made me see the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt for Canaan in a different light and I was impressed by the man who Caleb was - a man of great faith, whose trust was solely in the Lord irrespective of the grumblings and complainings of those around him. No wonder why he stood out and was blessed by God.

The one I just finished is called Redeeming Love. This one kept me up several nights since it was hard to put down. This is an amazing story which is based on the story of Hosea, the prophet who was told to marry a harlot/prostitute as an allegory of God's relationship with Israel. I was totally taken by the love of one of the main characters Michael for Angel the woman God told him to marry. She was a woman who had known pain and abuse most of her life since she had been sold into prostitution at a tender age of 8. This is beautiful love story of a man who loved unconditionally. She ran away, he followed her and bought her back. She put up barriers, he patiently worked on breaking them down. She refused to love or return his love, he loved her anyway. This story tells how deep the love of God for us is. God is indeed an amazing and loving God, I want to love the way He loves.

Do check out this author. I am sure you will not be disappointed.