Earth Hour and Books Read

I just finished participating in Earth Hour. With the kids in bed, and Jake out with a friend, I used the time without electricity to finish reading a wonderful book by candlelight. This was not difficult since I have what you might call an affinity for candles and even without lighting them all, there was more than enough light to read by. There was not, however, enough light to justify reading textbooks or writing out an essay by hand. (I am, of course, the queen of justification for or against things as the situation demands.)

The book I finished was Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende. It's historical fiction based on the real life of Ines Suarez, a conquistadora who helped found the country of Chile. I actually listened to all but the last 3/4 of a chapter on CD, beautifully read by Blair Brown. I have to say that I am almost as sad to give up listening to her voice as I am to say goodbye to Ines Suarez and Isabel Allende. Isabel and I will meet again though, as one of the main reasons I fired my computer back up was to search out another of her books in audio format.

Oh, audiobooks, how do I love thee... I have a great deal of required reading for my classes, as well as things that aren't directly required but necessary for research purposes. With that, it feels incredibly indulgent to sit down and read a book just for fun, especially as laundry piles up and my to-do list seems to have three new things added for every one I cross off. So I love making use of the 4+ hours I spend in a car each week (15 this week) and passing the time with an audiobook.

Prior to beginning Ines of My Soul, I finished two non-fiction works...

The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs by Madeleine Albright
&
Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- And Doesn't by Stephen Prothero

both of which were read by the authors. They were incredibly interesting, and I'd recommend Stephen Prothero's work to anyone who wonders why I study Religion and what possible relevence it holds. Madeleine Albright's as well, for that matter, although Prothero is a bit more accessible and applicable for those of us who aren't serving in international politics.

Before those, I made my way through A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Despite being forced to read Dickens in high school English, and suffering through horrible film adaptations of several of his books, I still enjoy his writing.

Next up is a book I've been hoping to read, Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup. While the subject matter might be a bit depressing, I caught a bit of her appearance on MPR about a year and a half ago, and also read an article she published in the UU World magazine and actually found her words to be very comforting. So I'm looking forward to the book.