Join My Book Club?

I decided I need to read a little more. Being a stay at home mom is wonderful. It really is. I am so blessed to be able to be home and watch my little pumpkin grow. I am blessed that I am here to raise her. That I make the rules and the schedule and that I am the one teaching her. I do know that I am very fortunate to be in the position where I get to do this. However, it is tough! You hear moms say that all the time but you never really get it until you are home. I suppose some people are really just cut out for it...but me...man, it is a challenge. The hard part is not raising the child(ren) -- although ask me again 10 years down the road and I might have a different answer. The hard part (right now) is still being a person - someone independent of "mom." I often feel very bored. Not bored in the sense of having nothing to do -- there is always something to do. But the things you do are so routine and mundane - the laundry is never done because even as the last load clicks off, you finish your day and toss your days clothes into the hamper...the dishes are only clean until the next meal...the floors are vacuumed and then the dog comes in...figuring out what's for dinner that everyone will eat...it's never-ending mind numbing tasks that fill your days. I think my brain is literally going to mush.  Because it's not just housework! It's also the library of baby books I have that I can read with my eyes closed. Goodnight Moon to Snuggle Puppy to Baby's First Words. The Signing Times DVDs that repeat in my head until I fall asleep.  The conversations I have with a little person who only responds with "da-da", "ba", "ne-ne", "abbb-ul" (apple) and "crrk-rr" (cracker).  I'm going crazy! So yes, at times, I miss work. I never would have thought I'd say it, but I do. I miss mental stimulation and adult conversation. I miss a sense of accomplishment. Yes, it feels great to see your daughter take her first steps and to hear her try to form words so she can talk to you and I can't put a price tag on that. But every now in then, I'd like to be Laura instead of Mom and I'd like my brain to get a work out. 

So, because I can't be both a stay at home mom and a working mom (outside of the home), I have to resort to other methods to get some brain pilates. 

I have a few books on my shelf whose pages haven't ever been turned, so I'm going to give them a whirl. I'd like to set a goal, like 20 books in a year, but I haven't really figured out the right number yet. It would at least give me a goal to work towards. Maybe one a week? That seems a little ambitious...but maybe I'll try...

Nonetheless, my latest read is:

This is the same author who wrote My Sister's Keeper. Change of Heart is the story of a man named Shay Bourne on death-row who has been accused of murdering a young girl and her step father. The story intertwines his spiritual journey as his death approaches with that of his spiritual advisor, Father Michael Wright, and his ACLU attorney, Maggie.  It is really an intriguing story and very well written however, some of the reviews of the book herald the author for tackling such a controversial topic as the death penalty. In my reading, I found this to be less of a book about the death penalty and more a book about religion. And from what I see, it takes the approach of "all roads lead to heaven." This is where I found disappointment. You delve into the book and come to know the characters, but all of the characters seem to disappoint because of their lack of true conviction. Instead they come up with what suits them best. Even as the book ends, you are question "Who was Shay Bourne?" "Was Maggie converted?" "Did Father Michael resolve his crisis of faith?" Does it even matter? I say yes, because so much religion is thrown into the book, yet no one takes a clear stand on who they are. You are left with half-characters. 

To the author's credit, she claims the book to be more about why we believe what we believe and how religion plays such a divisive role in our decision making:

"...I’ve looked at legal issues that, when pushed, are less than fair. But right now in America, it feels to me like the country’s being broken apart on the fault line of religion. All the big controversies – like abortion and gay rights and capital punishment seem to boil down to religion, and the weird thing that’s happened to religion. Although historically it was a way to unite people, it’s become divisive – because beliefs have become absolutes. People think, “I’m right, so you MUST be wrong.”

I found myself asking why we believe what we believe. Is it because it’s right? Or because it’s too scary to admit we may not know the answers? And suddenly, I started to come up with the story for CHANGE OF HEART."

Overall, I would give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars. It is well written. There was a great-story-that-could-have-been in there. Channelled a little differently, this book could have easily scored five stars. But I find this idea of "do what feels best" to be all to prevalent in our society as it is. I think the author could have made a phenomenal book if she could have created characters that took a real stand. 




Now reading: The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright