Welcome to the iona book club!
We meet every Tuesday from 12:30 to 1:30 pm in person and online on the zoom Platform. We’d love to have you join us.
If you’re interested, please email churchoffice@Saint-Aidans.org to request a link to our Zoom meeting each week.
We look forward to seeing you!
These are som of the books we’ve read, along with brief reviews:
Holes by Louis Sachar
“A young adult book which I thought might be boring. Loved it. A page turner.”
“OK. Good children’s story.”
“A delightful story about hope, friendship, and determination.”
Finding Jesus, Discovering Self by William Dols & Caren Goldman
“Inspiring.”
“Highly recommended for self-directed exploration into the conversation between discipleship and personal piety. Easy read, non-judgmental welcoming for all experience levels.”
“Good read. Many lessons learned.”
“OK”
“This book provoked a lot of introspection.”
Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Forgetting the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor by Jana Riess
“Okay.”
“Oh, yes! We are all here!”
“Loved reading this book. Reminds me that we all have something to learn about ourselves and how others learn about life’s lessons.”
“Humorous, entertaining, self-deprecating.”
“With a lot of humor, the author points out how important it is to try, even if we fail – as we often do!”
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
“Very enjoyable read! This author has been a delight, we have read several of her books.”
“After loving Harold Fry went for this. At first wasn’t sure I’d like it but it captured me as again, Rachel Joyce brought her characters into such sharp characters that we began to recognize parts of ourselves in each.”
“Great! Loved it.”
“I thought a book about a beetle would be boring. I was wrong. I love Rachel Joyce’s character development. Trust me – this book is about a lot more than a beetle!”
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
“This book is about a Jewish artist growing up. Enjoyable also.”
“Part of Potok series, but also a stand alone read. Gently profound leaving one thoughtful. Am urged to read the other two.”
“Gripping if a bit dark. Insightful into artist’s motives and feelings. Love Chaim Potok.”
“My introduction to Chaim Potok’s work, and I’m hooked. After reading this, I immediately read the second in the series, and the third one is on my nightstand, awaiting its turn.”
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho
“A fun read.”
“Reading for entertainment and insights into our own journeys.”
“Adult fairy tale re: pilgrimage and coming of age.”
“Coelho takes his protagonist through an improbable pilgrimage with a lot of lessons for all of us. Very enjoyable read.”
The Everlasting Story of Nory by Nicholas Baker
“Okay.”
“OK”
“Seeing the world and life through the eyes and with the language of a very young girl. It’s important to keep that in mind when reading it.”
The Love Story of Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce
“Story of Harold Fry through her point of view.”
“Sequel to Harold Fry. Loved it, too, but must read after Harold. Rachel ‘paints’ characters with words, and you can ‘see’ them.”
“One never knows how stories will hold our interest. Easy read.”
“Love this book. Read it after reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which is a great book. Addresses old age, illness, death and life’s meaning.”
“Queenie fills in the blanks left by reading Harold Fry, and brings us to an unexpected ending.”
The Seven Last Words of the Cross by Fleming Rutledge
“Provoking.”
“Amazing work. Right on insights. Rutledge never fails one. Excellent for any time of the year, but certainly Holy Week.”
“Powerful book, difficult to understand man’s cruelty to man. Better understanding an empathy for what Jesus truly endured.”
“Concise and thoughtful.”
“I was deeply moved by this book. No matter how familiar you are, or how many books you’ve read on the Seven Last Words, this will open them up in a whole new way. Highly recommended.”
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
“A fun read.”
“A walk through England to save his friend. Very good story!”
“This was my first Joyce book. Loved it.”
“Loved this book.”
“Harold’s journey across England by foot begins unexpectedly, and continues with sheer determination in the hope of righting a wrong. A good book.
The Way of Love by The Most Rev. Michael Curry
“Beautiful book that offers just the basics. If you love, truly love self and neighbor, you’re on The Way.”
“Easy read.”
“Optimistic, hopeful.”
“Love is what Bp. Curry preaches, and this book expresses it beautifully.”
Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
“Accurate. Well-researched.”
“Informative but not an easy read.”
“Very tough first Solnit read. I’ve heard her other books are equally erudite, but are easier to take in. This is a slower read but important with deep references. If you ever wanted to know why, how, when we walk, this is a must.”
“Difficult book to hold your interest at first. Interesting insights by the author about how transportation, suburbia, and modern times has changed our interest in walking but also explains why we love walking outdoors.”
“Thoroughly researched, if a bit academic, with poetic insights. I would recommend first reading her Field Guide to Getting Lost. For me, she ties a lot together.”
“I have to confess that, although I started it with hope, I just couldn’t get through it. I did learn from others’ discussions, however. It seemed tedious with periodic bouts of almost lyrical writing. Sadly, the tedium overcame the lyricism for me.”