London riots and other musings

Please join with me in praying for London and other cities that have been affected this week by the riots.  I have family living in London, so I am praying for their protection, and for all those that have already been really badly affected.  Our God is a God of peace, not of disorder.  Lets pray that peace will prevail.

Yesterday, youngest son and I went here.

This is a wonderful 'book farm' in the village of Astley, in Warwickshire.  They have a cafe, which sells delicious cakes, served with cream, strawberries and blueberries on the side, and very reasonably priced.  They have a 'ten bob barn', where they sell many books for 50p.  I bought this book

It is called 'The Pleasure of Reading', edited by Antonia Fraser.  I already have a copy, and it is one of my favourite books ever, but this one is for my son to take to Uni with him.

I have read some brilliant books this summer.  As well as Influential Women by Wendy Virgo, which I have already written about, I have read Family Life by Elisabeth Luard

'Room' by Emma Donaghue, which is an incredible book, dealing with a potentially depressing subject in a life-affirming way,

and Once Upon Another Time by Jessica Douglas-Home.

This is an amazing book that I found in an Oxfam shop in Whitby while on holiday.  It describes the author's secret life behind the Iron Curtain in the last years of Communism, when she carried books, materials and hope to dissident communities.  It is fascinating to read how the cultural life of the dissidents was kept alive, despite many privations.  I have read similar books about people smuggling Bibles into these same countries during that period, but this is a different angle, and shows how important it was for people to keep reading, learning, exchanging ideas, and listening to their music.  

For me, I love to read your blogs, to learn, to be inspired and entertained.  Have a great day, and keep writing!