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reviewed by: Lynan

The Joy Luck Club. Author Amy Tan tells a story about four Chinese women who immigrated to San Francisco, California. These four women became acquainted and they started to have meetings to play mah jong, a Chinese game played with tiles. During those afternoon gatherings they also told stories. They invested their mah jong winnings in stocks. Thus, the Joy Luck Club was formed.

It's a book of collected stories of past memories. Some of the old culture and traditions of the Chinese-American families were lost from one generation to another. This is a wonderful story about the intriguing relationships found between the Chinese mothers and their daughters. You must put this book on your list of books to read. You won't be disappointed.

P is for Peril is by Sue Grafton. I love to read this mystery series. I have read every book from A to P. Grafton has created an amusing detective, Kinsey Millhone, to solve the crimes. The detective is such a likeable character that I find her adventurous escapades highly entertaining. If you love to read mystery novels, I urge you to read this book.

Kokology and Kokology 2, are by Tadahiko Nagao and Isamu Saito. These two little books are composed of games about self-discovery and relationships. Tadahiko Nagao states that these psychological games are kind of like an inkblot-reading test (popular in the 60's) that uses words instead of inkblots. These books are full of psychological games that are fun to play and to make the games more interesting you can play with friends. I highly recommend that these two books be added to your library.

Pigs in Heavenby Barbara Kingsolver is a story about a mother who has adopted a daughter from the Cherokee Nation. The mother is drawn into conflict because she adopted the daughter illegally. I like the characters and the humor in this story. So far, I am enjoying the book. It's entertaining.

Dalai Lama, My Son by Diki Tsering

Diki Tsering tells the story of her family and how her son was chosen to be the Dalai Lama. The Chinese Communist invaded Tibet and Diki Tsering tells of her family's escape and exile into India. It is also a story about the Tibetan culture and the Buddhist ideals of compassion, faith, and equanimity.

The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

While riding her horse, a teenage girl has a terrible accident. The girl's mother senses that if the crazed horse dies something in her daughter will die, too. To save her daughter, the mother enlists the help of a horse whisperer (a man who heals horses.). This book is about healing and redemption. In his book, the author has a message or meaning that he is trying to get across. To figure it out, you have t3, o carefully read the story.

Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now by Maya Angelou

If your mind is tired and you do not feel like reading a novel, this is the book for you. This book is composed of short stories that will take only five to ten minutes to read. Maya tells tales of her experiences. She talks about living well, power of the Word, voices of respect, jealousy, complaining, style and many more topics. Just page through the book and read the topic that interests you.

Left Behind by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

This is the first book in a Christian-fiction series. It is a story based on the Rapture, a Bible prophecy about the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. In an instant, millions of people disappear and global chaos takes over. Those who are left behind are the non-believers. Somehow they must find their faith to overcome the darkest days that awaits them. This is a captivating story that unfolds and leaves readers wanting to continue on to the next book. That book, Tribulation Force tells about the birth of a group by the same name. Their purpose is to fight the enemies of God and the Antichrist.

Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

This book is a simple guide to mindfulness meditation. Through it, we learn to awaken to the present living moment. Mindless, we live our daily lives automatically without noticing a beautiful sunset, a happy smile, a tasteful meal, or a warm touch. Mindful, we stay in touch, pay attention, become aware, and to listen to our intuition. Mindfulness meditation enriches your life more fully. This reading is worthwhile.

Walking in the Light, 30 days with Pope John Paul II (author not noted)

I just purchased a wonderful little book, Walking in the Light, 30 days with Pope John Paul II. The book has thirty days of the former Pope's reflections. Each is followed by a scripture passage, a prayer and a suggested act to do for the day that corresponds with the daily reflection reading.

When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd

I also got another interesting book, When the Heart Waits. It's an autobiographical story of Sue Monk Kidd's spiritual crisis. Maybe you have read this book because it was printed in 1990. This book is interesting, too. Sue tells of her midlife crisis. She spent most of her life playing roles for other people. She said that she was someone's mother, someone's wife, someone's Sunday school teacher, someone's employee… She lost track of who she really was. That was when Sue Monk Kidd embarked on a journey to find herself.

Lynan is married and in her spare time she is taking watercolor lessons. She tells about her life, "There is not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do... I find that meditation enriches my spiritual growth and relaxation time... I enjoy golfing with my husband or friends. But, there are times when I play alone. Then I enjoy the feeling of peace and solitude. I find that being a housewife is a fulltime job. My work is never done, but I wouldn't have it any other way. As long as I can find the time to read some books, I am happy."