Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) My Friends: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
I have read every novel Backman has written for the simple reasons that he has never written a bad one and he is one of the best living writers in the world. My Friends is his latest, and it is no exception, although it is exceptional. In his inimitable style, Backman tells a story that has a plot but the plot is entirely subservient to his rich characters. His aim is to tell you what happened in what order but to unfold the lives of an array of varied people–artists, orphans, drunks, lovers, laborers, and of course, friends. Backman captures the depth of friendship and the loss of friendship at different times in life. He writes moments in simple and hilarious ways that carry the freight of loss and joy and memory. He never tells you how to feel but rather makes you feel. He never tells you which characters to love or hate, but be certain, you will fall in love with some and hate others and be unsure about a few–kind of like humanity. Because that’s what Backman writes so well: humanity. But he is not a nihilistic, no happy endings, no meaning writer. He understands deep things about virtue and love and happiness and laughter and purpose and they are woven in his stories. This description could apply to any of his novels since they are all wonderful. My Friends happens to be the one I finished this week, and it belongs in Backman’s pantheon of literary story telling genius.
2) Garmin Forerunner 745 GPS Running Watch
I am not “a runner,” but I do run. “A runner,” in my estimation, is someone who enjoys running, has a natural stride somewhat akin to a gazelle, and believes that something called a “runner’s high” exists. None of these describe me. I dislike the act of running, though I enjoy having completed a run. My stride is something closer to a rhino than any creature of the deer family. And I think people who enjoy running might be high. That said, running is an efficient way to stay fit that does not involves a gym membership and is highly portable. So I do it. And in so doing, I wanted a fitness tracker that accurately measured distance and pace (as well has heart rate and calories and so forth), and Garmin watches are fantastic. I settled on the Foreunner for cost and simplicity a couple years ago and it has worked great. It has a long battery life and is pinpoint accurate (unlike the Apple watch on both counts). It can be linked to a phone for notifications of emails/calender/etc. but doesn;t have to be (thank God). And it can track all sorts of workouts besides running. I have used it for swimming, biking, hiking, walking, pickle ball, and more. If you;re looking for a reliable, sturdy, accurate fitness watch that won;t break your bank or intrude in your life with every notification, here you go.
3) God Is On Our Side by Andrae Crouch
Andrae Crouch is one of the great Gospel musicians, composers, and arrangers of all time. I love this simple, beautiful, powerful reminder of who God is and where we are in relation to Him.
