52 Books in a year - Week Eight - In the Neighborhood

52 Books in a Year – Week eight – In the Neighborhood

I have been waiting to read this book for almost a full year now – I read an excerpt in the magazine “The Week” and finally have had the time to sit down and enjoy it. The book centers around the author discussing the need to find community in the neighborhoods we live in – the fact that it does not exist. The author, Peter Lovenheim goes from house to house asking if he can have a sleepover with this neighbors. Through many closed doors, Lovenheim discovers that while most neighbors desire privacy in their own homes, they truly long for this sense of community. In times of emergency and distress, many community members learn they have nobody they can lean on, making for a very undesirable way to live.

52 Books in a year - Week Seven - When Elephants Dance

52 Books in a Year – Week seven – When the Elephants Dance

Our book club pick for June, by far one of the most tragic and brilliantly written books I have read in a long time. After reading the first 15 pages, I honestly didn’t know how I was going to finish the book, the outlook seemed to grim and so bleak. However, the combination of the families story living in a cellar combined with the story each character shared about their past was beautifully done. Not only do you get a full novel, you get short glimpses into the lives of each of the characters, causing great attachment. This book also made me once again realize how little I know about history and the wars the United States was involved in. This book has encouraged me to read more books about this conflict.