My Journey Through the Classics

One of my goals for 2015 was reading more of the classics of literature. My favorite genre is biographies. I hover around that category most of the time. I love to stalk my friends' reading lists and am envious of their variety, so I decided to come out of my box and try something different. The classics seemed like a great place to begin. I read a few in high school but that was a loonnng time ago.

I haven't been disappointed. There is a reason they've stood the test of time. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Lewis, and Shakespeare knew a thing or two about crafting a sentence.

My favorite writer, by far, has been Hemingway. His writing draws you in as if you're looking over his shoulder watching each scene unfold. I was there with him in the boat as he struggled with the fish in Old Man and the Sea. My arms grew weary as he fought through the night with no sleep or food.

 I was the unseen guest in A Moveable Feast, Hemingway's last novel, published after his death. It's the story of his Paris years in the 1920's and chronicles the infamous meetings of writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and Hemingway. Their daily gatherings set the tone for many writers to follow.

There's nothing I like better than sitting with my writing buddy at Starbucks, The Corner Bagel Shop, or her local "office" while talking over writing projects.

Other books recently read include A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. While I don't know if it's considered a Christian classic, it should be. I highly recommend this book. Phillip Keller, the author, gives insight from a shepherd's point of view as well as the son of missionaries. He was also a wildlife photographer. The book makes you fall in love all over again with the lover of your soul, Jesus Christ. He takes you on a journey through the life of a shepherd and his sheep in a one year cycle and relates it to Jesus, our Shepherd. Run to your nearest bookstore or log on to http://www.amazon.com and order this one ASAP.

More favorites:

The Red Letter Life: 17 Words from Jesus to Inspire 
   Simple, Practical, Purposeful Living by Bob Hostetler

All is Grace by Brennan Manning

Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly

Spirit Hunger by Gari Meacham

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitsgerald

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

These are a few of my latest reads. You can log on to Amazon.com and purchase any of these with a click and a credit card. But then, if the title of this post caught your attention you probably already know that. Happy reading!

Cindy