Reading Recommendations:

City of Tranquil Light

, a novel, Bo Caldwell

Will Kiehn is an "ordinary man", seemingly destined for life as a humble farmer in the Midwest, when having felt a call from God, he moves to the vast North China Plain in 1906. There he is surprised by love and weds a strong and determined missionary, Katherine, who is also a determined nurse.

Early in their marriage, Will and Katherine find themselves witnesses to the crumbling of a more than two-thousand year-old dynasty, which plunges the country into years of civil war. As they work to improve the lives for the people of Kuang P´ing, Ch´eng-City of Tranquil Light, a place they come to love, they face hardships they could not have imagined; a personal loss that shakes them both to the core, the constant threat of bandits, the physical dangers and tragedies of warlord China. But while they are continually tested both spiritually and physically, they are also rewarded in ways that leave them forever changed.

Told through Will and Katherine's alternating viewpoints, and inspired by the lives of the author's maternal grandparents, City of Tranquil Light is a tender and elegiac portrait of a young marriage set against the backdrop of a beautiful and torn nation. A deeply spiritual book, it shows how those who work to teach others often have the most to learn and is further evidence that Bo Caldwell writes "vividly and with great historical perspective."

And,

American Lion, Andrew Jackson in the White House, Jon Meacham

Andrew Jackson created the modern American presidency as we know it today. A backwoods orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, Jackson ushered in a new era in which the people not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice in the hopes and fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. With his powerful persona and mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, where it has remained ever since. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, he was also the most contradictory of men, forcing the Indians from their native lands yet risking everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, acclaimed author Jon Meacham has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency, and America itself.

This one I've reviewed before. It's one very American should read! If Jackson could make it to the top, anyone can in our country.

And,

Country Living

Restore, Recycle, Repurpose, Create a Beautiful Home, A Country Living Book, Randy Florke with Nancy J. Becker contributing editor Randy Florke shows how to decorate and renovate a home inexpensively with repurposed, restored and recycled materials. Providing inspiration and practical information, he perfectly captures why sustainable living is important and reveals how everyone can create a home that's harmonious with the environment as it is beautiful. What's more, Restore, Recycle, Repurpose explains how to do it without buying costly materials from far-flung places or throwing out what you already have.

Room by room, Florke presents ideas, examples and resources. His approach begins with a major focus for each room, such as vanities, sinks and tubs in the bathroom.

Sharing his flea market and thrift shopping skills as well as some savvy wisdom inspired by his grandmother, Florke will help you create a welcoming, lovely, earth-friendly decor, without spending a fortune.

This one is a keeper!

See you at Rylander!