Playing Catch-Up 2

 

Once again, I am in the position of reading faster than I write.

 

And, once again, I find myself thankful.

Year of Wonders  

by Geraldine Brooks

2001

 

A historical novel borrowed from real-life events of plague-ridden 17^th century England: a village quarantines itself to stop the spread of disease.

 

I have really enjoyed Geraldine Brooks’ writing in the past (see Caleb's Crossing) and, initially, I loved this book too.

Historical detail, interesting characters, fascinating plot.

 

Then my opinion changed.

 

The characters I thought I knew turned a 180 and, instead of wrapping up as the book began, the book ended like an episode of Days of Our Lives.

 

It seemed to come out of nowhere and I felt blind-sided.

Let down.

 

Did I miss something?

Somehow I wish I did.

What this book really speaks to, however, is grace. Or the lack of it. 

 

 Wings of Dawn

by Sigmund Brouwer 

1995

 

Having only known Sigmund Brouwer as the writer of middle-grade hockey novels, I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

 

Wings of Dawn takes place in 14th-century England and is full of action, intrigue and wonderment. While I can’t really say that I love Mr. Brouwer’s writing style, what I can say is that he provided good, clean, adventuresome fun.

 

Exactly the kind of books I want to read.

 

Exactly the kind of books I want to write.

 

 

Winning Balance

by Shawn Johnson

2012

 

If you’ve read my post entitled, The Art of Pushing Too Hard, you’ll know I have a soft spot in my heart for gymnastics, so when I saw Winning Balance, I grabbed it.

 

I wasn’t let down. It was truly an engaging read.

 

Winning Balance is the autobiography of gymnast, and Olympic Gold Medalist, Shawn Johnson. As expected, Shawn talks about her life before, during and after gymnastics. The book ends as she attempts to make a comeback into the world of competitive gymnastics with the 2012 Olympic Trials.

 

Of course we know from the 2012 Summer Olympics, that Shawn withdrew from competition as a result of injury.

 

As interesting as it is, what sets Winning Balance apart from all the myriads of other gymnastics books on the market is the “Lesson I’ve Learned” section at the end of each chapter. These little nuggets give insight into the inner workings of the author and are truly wisdom to share.

 

Things like, “You need relationships as part of your life.” “Be humble…” “Stepping out of your comfort zone may be scary at first. But it’s worth the risk to see how far you can go.”

 

Shawn is also very open about her faith and she writes many things that would identify her as a Christian. I really appreciated that aspect of the book.

With a world full of fallen superstars, I am so thankful for those very few who can be considered healthy role models.

 

 

Reading on…