Friendship, Religion, Family

I read 2 books while we were camping over the New Year Holiday. What fun to be able to just lay around and read all day. I don't think I've done that for about 20 years (hmm coincides with birth of first son).
Several months ago my neighbors were cleaning their garage and I was being neighborly and chatting to keep them from their work. I spied boxes of books and who can resist? Karen said, "Take any you want. Please!" (and probably thought, and then go back in your house so we can get this done) I picked a few and deposited them on the night table where i eventually get back to them.
The first I read was The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart. The story follows 2 girls who become fast friends at the age of fourteen, that friendship that you are sure will last forever, that no one can put asunder. But we find that people, time and events can change anything and the friendship falls apart, mostly due to a man. But the characters are so finely drawn with a real complexity to the story that, like in real life, we realize the man is not the only reason. We all carry around ideas about who we are, who we want to be, truth, love, friendship and when those are challenged or found lacking, we must redefine our thoughts and sometimes ourselves.
This book has stayed with me-the questions about what is love? what is friendship? what is family? I'd like to read another by this author.

The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds was an Oprah Book pick way back in 1997! This book was very pertinent to the discussions we've been having about religion. I've linked to the wikipedia description of the book which sounds a bit goofy but it's actually much better presented in the book. It does give insight into the cult factor of religious fanatics of any ilk. My view remains, it all depends on one's level of fear of the afterlife and who is interpreting doctrine.
This was not nearly as complex as the Stewart book but was a good read, I zipped through it in about 8 hours. The high point of the story for me was the central characters journey to becoming an artist and how her art was literally a part of her.

Today I'm suffering the beginning of a lousy cold but that gives me the excuse to lay around and read more. I'm reading the new David Sedaris book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and I'm still on the search for The Green Mile.