At Play In The Fields of the Lord

by Peter Matthiessen

Imagine my surprise as I groped through the aisle of the library, seemingly in the "M" section when I came upon several of Peters books in the fiction section. I thought he only wrote nonfiction. I picked this book of the three or so offerings and laid it on the stack I was accumulating for the weeks reading.

As I began to read I immediately became sucked in and totally immersed in the story, the setting, the characters. It began to occur to me, about midway through, that this book reminds me of the countless books as a child I eased out of the library under the watchful nose of my Mom and read under the cover of my room, at night while the family slept but I could not. I would be totally immersed in the story, spellbound by the world out there I knew nothing about, fretted over the emotions and needs of adults that I could only hope to someday to understand.

Obscure books that no one else read, but were life changing for me.

This was a good book, one I could not put down and turned the pages greedily. Mr. M's prose is astounding and tender. One line went like this...we found ourselves like butterflies pinned to the trays of our mortality....

The characters were each and every one, fascinating. Though the central character, Moon was someone that I wanted to overcome the hand life had dealt him and in the end perhaps he was the only one who had successfully been reborn, redeemed, saved.

Fascinating book, lot of topics to give thought to such as forcing our idea of a Higher Power that is better, more redeeming than the "savages" idea of a higher power. Who exactly are the savages here? The love between Wolfie and Moon, a manly love, one of desire and two halves making a whole.

A study of faith and loss. Everyone looses. Even Moon, who lost so much to end up in the god forsaken back waters of So America, somehow overcomes in the end. As does Andy, as does Martin, who ends his life work as a martyr killed by one of the converts.

I'm certain there is much more to this parable, this warning, this deep story layered with subtle preaching and astonishing revelations.

I will be searching out rather than stumbling upon more or Mr's books.

The day i ate whatever i wanted

by Elizabeth Berg

I thought she could have stolen this title from an entry I made in 2006 the day before I went on the cleansing diet - yuck - and ate Dairy Queen, donuts, etc. all day long. The first of many exquisite short stories begins with a similar tale.

I read another book by Eliz., the last book she wrote as it was recommended by my sister and it was very good. Yet, I liked this collection of stories much better. I think I could find some connection to most every character. And if not, then some sort of understanding.

I loved the husbands. I like the way EB characterized them as understanding and un-suffering balances in the lives of their wives. Not all the stories involved husbands, but when they were there they were very lovable.

I totally drank up the story of Michael who quits his advertising job and moves to Mass and builds himself a house. I loved her reaction when she went and visited him, with her husbands trust and approval making the first journey with her. She realizes that Michael is living the life that she wanted and had not known until that moment that it was the life she wanted. And she mourned the loss. Then M. has brain cancer and her last moments/memories with him.

The story about the only child, 10 years old who mean cousin hips her the fact that she is fat. Sad and I felt such sorrow for that child. Like her childhood was over at that moment.

I loved the story about the two old friends and one is dying of leukemia and the other invites her to come live with her. I shed a tear on that one.

I devoured the letter from an old neighbor that served as a birthday gift. It was the recipe to apple pie and was so wonderful that I could just cry.

EB makes writing appear effortless and as easy as breathing. I will definitely read more.

And it was nice to rid myself of the Civil War monkey on my back.

The Black Flower

A novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr

This is the third of Mr. Bahr's books I have read beginning with the most recently written and ending with the first, the story of the Battle of Franklin. Another great story that left me crying. Another wonderful group of the most interesting characters from a fictitious city in MS called Cumberland.

He brings his characters to life not only with the dialogue, but also with the inner workings of the men. Virgil c. was only in the first 50 pages but we felt great pain when he left. And Jack, the same fate only we revisit with him in his last hour.

And Bushrod. My God, how I would love to meet these men. Thought they are from another era, another century, another life I would find many things we have in common and I would love to just listen to their stories, their meaning in what is not being said.

I feel these characters in my heart and I cry with feeling for them and their circumstances.

The Black Flower is a tragic story and told beautifully. The middle one, the Year of Jubilo is my favorite out of the the trilogy.

I can not wait for Mr. Bahr to complete another. As I am certain he has many more stories and many more people from Cumberland to introduce us to and make us care about them as much as he cares about them.

Gods and Generals

by Jeff Shaara

I use to write a brief description of the book I had read, rated it and then on to the next book. This year, I have just listed the titles on the side-bar and let it go. I have had the unusual pleasure of just being able to read as much as I want the last year since I am not working and just lay around doing nothing but reading and worrying about money etc.

What is the use of all this reading if I do not document what the book and story meant to me?

G&G was about 480 pages. As I started the book I looked to estimate how long it would take me to complete. I may not have read this book, but I started another that just did not do it for me and I have made the promise to myself not to read it just because I started it (I use to do that!)

I am not big on history and I like the way both Jeff and his father, Michael who wrote The Killer Angels, take on history with a new twist. They make it fiction. Not in a million years would I guess that I would have read either of these books. The latter won the Pulitzer in the 1970's it was so good, and it was, I read it in a day. But I deviate from G&G. Jeff is not his father and some of the people left me cold. Jeff definitely is more fascinated with the Confederate Army than the Federal Army. The Rebels are always outnumbered, under fed, have limited clothing yet fight like wildcats. It is a wonder we (as I live in the South and consider myself a Southerner) lost the war. Just think, the southern states could be a separate nation, uninvolved with the damn war in Iraq and maybe have an ample supply of gas provided by the great state of TX and the country of Mexico.

Once again, I deviate. I read this book to learn about several of the great battles that took place before Gettysburg. I did not know a lot of things, like Stonewall Jackson died as a result of "friendly fire".

Stonewall is my favorite character in the book. I find myself becoming irritated with the lack of concern .... concern it too harsh a word, the uninterested with the wounded and dead, the dying after all these battles.

I will not read another Shaara book, I will continue with my tear through all the Civil War books I can lay my hands on (I Have a pile of them at ready).

But, it was still good and I learned a lot. A whole lot about the sequence of the war and how very brave the Southerners were.

1. 1/365, 2. 4/365, 3. January 4, 4. 5/365, 5. 6/365, 6. 7/365, 7. 8/365, 8. 10/365, 9. 11/365, 10. 9/365, 11. 12/365, 12. 13/365, 13. 14/365, 14. 15/365, 15. 16/365, 16. 17/365