Sunday Reads

I haven't written about my reading goals for 2019. I'm keeping my goal very modest this year indeed. I only have 20 books as my target and I'm already behind, lol. I'll likely catch up and read more than the goal but keeping the goal on the lower end gives me permission to do other things.


I've completed three books to date and I highly recommend them all.

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant--and that her lover is married--she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years’ experience tending the terminally ill. 

 

Shadows Over an African Heart describes how a few dedicated professionals take on a corrupt government, a ruthless band of poachers and other opportunists to save Zimbabwe's elephants. These noble beasts are being abused in cruel tourist ride training centers; while elsewhere small calves are being ripped from their mothers in the bush and shipped to lives of solitude and neglect in Chinese zoos; and in Hwange National Park, entire herds of elephants are mysteriously dropping dead. It's up to the newly appointed ZimParks superintendent, Hector Kaminjolo, his rangers and environmentalists Piet and Jessica van Rooyen, to band together to put a stop to these cruel practices, investigate the slaughter, locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice in 2013 Zimbabwe, where greed and corruption fuels the quest for ivory. This novel is a sequel to the author's other popular novel, Shadows along the Zambezi, set in 2001.


I'm currently reading all the books below and will soon finish several of them.

I'm always interested in early history and how people moved goods over long distances.

A rags to riches story of one of Kenya's most successful & philanthropic businessmen.

One woman's story about how she developed urban gardens in unlikely places.

 

Written by an American missionary to Kenya.

Tell me what you're reading and whether you recommend any books for me to add to my list.

Update

Thank you everyone for your comments, thoughts, prayers and questions. This post will update on the recent information I shared here.

I made the journey from Vancouver to Grande Prairie, Alberta to attend the funeral of my cousin's son who was pallbearer at my late mother's funeral almost 2 years ago. He had been in hospital since around Christmas after finishing chemotherapy and radiation and passed away on March 8th, 2019 at the age of 46 years of age.

There were a great many people at the funeral and his work mates and friends were a big part of the funeral services which was nice.  I was able to visit briefly with so many relatives most of whom had travelled from various places in the northern parts of British Columbia and Alberta.

It took about 17 hours by car to drive to Grande Prairie from Vancouver (see the map for the route north which I'v marked in black ink).  My brother and I left last Thursday evening about 9 p.m. We arrived at our destination at approximately 2 p.m. the next day.  We lost an hour due to the time change. After the funeral, reception and cemetery service we drove about 5 hours southeast to Edmonton where we spent three days resting and visiting with one of our cousins.

While in Edmonton we found out an uncle is now suffering from dementia & has recently been admitted to a long term care facility.  We went to find him and had a lovely visit.  I  was surprised to find him very cheerful and talkative. I'm grateful we had such a nice visit as we do not know if we will have a chance to see him again before the inevitable occurs. His memory was fairly good while we were present.  He even remembered just how long he was in the facility (3 days) and that he'd been transferred from another institution.  The next day we were invited by another cousin to visit for a barbecue dinner. We actually saw him at the funeral but he is now home for the next half a year since work breaks up every year in Spring and recommences in the Fall.  After dinner and a brief visit with his family, we started the long 13 hour return journey home leaving at 7 p.m. and arriving home at 7 a.m. (8 a.m. in Alberta).

The black line on the map below shows our journey to Grande Prairie. The blue line shows our side journey to Edmonton and the portion back home to Vancouver. Most of the photos were taken through the car window so they are not the best.  But they will give you some idea of the geography and weather during the trip.  You can click on any photo to enlarge.

A photo taken as we pass through Jasper National Park.

Signage as we take short cut to Grande Prairie through Grande Cache.

Some stretches of the road you can see miles ahead and it's flat.

Then you come to this view of the mountains.

It was early morning through here between 6-7 a.m.

On the outskirts of Grande Prairie the land flattens and you find a lot of this kind of equipment since it's oil and farming country.

Entering the City of Grande Prairie. In my view it isn't a very pretty city but has had tremendous growth over the last few decades.

A rather nice looking college and city library.

 ~~~~

While we were in the north the weather warmed up considerably. 
When we got back to Vancouver the weather was even warmer with near summer temperatures.
However the forecast for the next while is a bit of rain. 
I need to get out in the garden as this year I have an allotment in addition to my balcony garden which means twice the work for me.  Hopefully I'll be able to grow a lot of vegetables to eat over the summer.

 
Now that I'm home again I'm also hoping to resume my travel photos from my recent travels to Paris and Nairobi. 
I may also do one more post from my most recent trip to share a few more photos of the area.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday

and

wishing you all a wonderful weekend.