I will be presenting a book for the month of June. I would also like to present you with other options in case you find yourself without a book to read or don’t think the June book is your cup of tea.

Presenting: “Lisa’s top 5 books she’s ever read that she can remember at this moment.”

#1. “The Brother’s K” by David James Duncan.

#2. “The River Why” by David James Duncan

David James Duncan is a fantastic writer and storyteller. I love his character development, his style of writing and his compassion for the human spirit, which he can portray through his writing. Both of these books are classics and should be handed down to the next generation.

#3. “The Poisonwood Bible” By Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is also a fantastic writer and storyteller. If you’ve never read a Barbara Kingsolver book, this would be a good one with which to start.

#4. “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall

You don’t have to be a runner to enjoy this book about the Tarahumara tribe of runners from the Copper Canyon in Mexico. A fascinating account of trying unsuccessfully to implement our societal ways on others.

#5. Number five is a tie. “Unbroken”, “The Warmth of Other Suns”, “Drive”, All the other Barbara Kingsolver Books, “The Book Thief”, “The Emerald Mile”, “The Untethered Soul”………..

Also, if you did not get a chance to read the May Book of the Month; “Nightingale”; you should add that to your list too. It was a very good read, and I highly recommend it. The survival of women in occupied France during World War II. Great story.

The June book of the month I have read before and am now re-reading. My mom is re-reading it as well. We both enjoyed the book before, but this time it has more meaning to our current life. It must have meant something to me from the first reading as I had saved the book in the storage shed. The book is Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment“.

“Time isn’t precious at all because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”

Once again we touch on the subject of living in the moment. I believe this is a talent that we should all practice. The past is history, the future a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.

I’m also reading Jon Krakauer’s newest book. He wrote “Into the Wild” and “Into Thin Air”. His newest book is “Missoula, Rape and the Justice System in a College Town” When this book first came out I was upset that he titled the book “Missoula”. A Rape town is not the way I would want the beautiful college town of Missoula Montana to be considered. Some of the reviews I have read in the Missoula Independent have praised Krakauer and Missoula for having the courage to address the subject of “date rape”. It is often dismissed due to “drunken college antics”. I’m curious if other societies have this issue. I believe in Europe that sexuality and nakedness are not as taboo as they are in the United States and, therefore, are not the proverbially “prize to win at the fair”.  Krakauer is more of a reporter than a book author. That is one reason I like his books. This reporter style writing makes this book “Missoula” a very difficult book to read. The facts are stated as told to the police. I believe everyone should be concerned that our society seems to say:

“….you put yourself in that situation; what did you expect.”

As if the act of rape is now the victims fault. Tough read.

For more book of the month selections as well as an entertaining blog post, check out Wild About Books.