A Cottage by the Sea
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​Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger

2/24/2020

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    Krueger considers himself a mystery writer, and for sure Ordinary Grace is a mystery. And yet it doesn’t belong in the mystery section, because it is so much more. It is about a family dealing with what life presents them, and isn’t that always full of mystery? If only I had the calmness and faith that Nathan, the dad, had to lead his family through difficult times!
     This book will definitely make my 2020 Top Ten. 

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​The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett

2/17/2020

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    Great read. Wish I had saved it for my next airplane ride. Patchett cleverly weaves the story back and forth from past to present while also building up toward the future. Each characters is unique but the most noble of them all is The Dutch House, who withstands the test of time. 

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​Secrecy, by Rupert Thomson

2/9/2020

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   I loved this book because it was set in Florence (1671during the reign of Cosimo III). I walked the streets with the wax artist Zummo and immersed myself in his secrets. Maybe that’s what I do when I visit the city—walked around in my secret world.

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​When She Flew, by Jennie Shortridge

2/4/2020

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      I picked this right after finishing Love, Water, Memory by Shortridge. I love stories about seemingly normal people living seemingly normal lives, but do things in an alternative way. And I am especially attracted to stories of people who live off the land as they try to get away from societal constraints that imprison their souls.
     All turns out well for everyone; the ending isn’t usual, just deeply satisfying. 

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    Author

        Compassionate Reading may sound strange, but that’s my purpose in joining the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge. A book a week seems like a reasonable goal. Maybe I’ll read 52, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll read 32, but probably not 520.
         Number goals appeal to me, especially ones connected with the calendar. As a teacher, I loved the definitive school year. There is nothing like a Monday morning every seven days to give me another jump start. The first of every month I take delight in turning the page of my wall calendar. I like numbers.
         However, this reading goal isn’t about adding books to a list. My goal is understand lives different from mine. Up until now I have read through the lens of my own life, one of ease, privilege, freedom and advantage; they never promised a rose garden, but I was given one. Now I want to wear the lens of the authors and their characters. I want to step into their feelings and experiences without comparing them to mine. I want to observe without judging. I want to appreciate the nuances rather than put everything into categories. I want to I want to read with my heart more than my head.
         My plan is to post how each book opened my heart to compassion.

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