Le dernier jour d'un condamné (The Last Day of a Condemned Man), by Victor Hugo

Je n'apprécie pas ce roman. Victor Hugo essaie d'éliciter du pitié pour le prisonnier et tout qu'il doit subir, mais il ne dit rien sur le crime de cet homme, donc le lecteur ne sait pas si la peine a été méritée ou pas. C'est une histoire déséquilibrée où toute sympathie reste avec le criminel et le victime est absent.

Recherche la paix et poursuis-la: Petit traité sur la paix du coeur, by Jacques Philippe

Ce livre nous donne de conseils sur la cultivation de la paix et la sérénité intérieure dans la vie par l'acceptation de nos propres limites et le développement de l'habitude de prier.  On s'inquiète  souvent à cause d'une tendance perfectionniste, et ce livre nous rappelle que Dieu n'attend pas à la perfection chez nous.

The Hall of Uselessness, by Simon Leys

Great collection of essays from an author whom I think is one of the best essayists ever!  The topics in this collection are wide ranging, from literature to China to history to the sea.  My favorites were the ones on Chinese art and history (a subject I know little about, so I learned a lot reading them), and the ones on Cervantes, Victor Hugo, and Magellan.  Included in this collection is the one where he (rightfully, in my opinion) excoriates Christopher Hitchens's negative comments about Mother Teresa.

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot

Collection of fun poems about cats and their varied personalities.  I learned from this book that I have a Jellicle Cat, a Rum Tum Tugger, and an Old Gumbie Cat.  But I think my favorite poem is the first one about the Naming of Cats.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell

This is a very witty, readable little fable that illustrates the historical pattern that often plays out before, during, and after revolutions that promise utopian results. Somehow human, or in this case, animal, nature gets in the way, and what often happens is that the new government displays the same vices as the old.  The moral of the story is that we don't live in the Garden of Eden anymore and it's futile to hope that those kinds of perfect conditions can be realized here on earth.  The only sensible attitude to take towards those who promise paradise is distrust.

Reflections on History, by Jacob Burckhardt

Interesting and concise study of various patterns that often appear in history, particularly those involving the interactions among the three powers Burckhardt identifies at the start of the book: State, Religion, and Culture. Reading this book, which is not specific to any particular time or country, will make one more alert to spotting and remembering these patterns when they are encountered in studying the history of any time or people.

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

I read this entire series over and over again as a child and teenager.  I still have my original set of books and it's in sorry shape; they've been read so many times!  C.S. Lewis has a great talent for storytelling and building worlds and characters that seem real.  I always looked forward to losing myself in those stories.  It's hard to name a favorite among the books, but if I had to it probably would be a tie between The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom

The premise of this book is that after you die, your life will be explained to you by 5 people whose lives were touched by yours in some way. They are not necessarily those who were closest to you; they could be people you barely knew, chance encounters, or even complete strangers. This story is about a Vietnam vet/carnival maintenance man and the 5 people who helped him figure out the purpose of his life.

I found it to be a page turner and could not put it down.

The World's Last Night, by C. S. Lewis

I enjoyed this little collection of essays by C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite essayists ever.  As always, they display his gift for clear, logical expositions in straightforward language and his way of bypassing currently popular ways of looking at things by showing how they can be considered differently.  Reading Lewis nearly always helps to broaden my mind and this collection is no exception.  My two favorite essays in this book are <i>Lilies That Fester</i> and <i>The Efficacy of Prayer</i>.

Europe: Today and Tomorrow, by Pope Benedict XVI

In this book, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) analyzes the source of the malaise that has affected the West through most of the 20th century: the currents of thought that brought it about, why it persists, and how it can be cured.  Very worthwhile read and gives a lot of food for thought. Given its short length, it took much longer than I thought to finish it because I often had to stop and think about what I had just read and how it related to popular ways of thinking and acting.