"A Prayer for Owen Meany" A Miracle of a Book

I recently finished reading "A Prayer for Owen Meany," by John Irving, and although I don't intend to write a complete review, I feel compelled to recommend it. If I had to pick a single theme for this book I would probably have to go with "faith," and as I believe in the power of faith for healing, I think this book meets the criteria for this site.

A Prayer for Owen Meany chronicles the relationship of two boys, coming of age in New Hampshire in the 1950s and 1960s. Owen Meany and John Wheelwright come from "different sides of the track." The former is the son of a blue collar quarry man and the latter comes from "old money." Their differences--their quirks if you will--make them perfect for each other and they develop a life-long friendship, so strong, that nothing can tear it apart. Their friendship survives a war and even the death of John's mother, killed by an errant foul ball hit by Owen Meany in a little league game.

This story of hope and unshakable faith is soooooooo good that I dare not say anything else, for fear of giving something away. What I will say is, if you have the time, this book is a must read. If you enjoy a book that forces you to look at yourself and ask what's really important, A Prayer for Owen Meany is a book you will certainly enjoy.

The Best Anxiety Book I Have Ever Found

I do a lot of reading, it helps relax me. There is one book, however, that I find to be superior in its soothing quality--The Holy Bible.

Now I'm certainly not trying to force religion, of any sort, onto people who'd rather not hear it, and I apologize beforehand if this suggestion offends anyone. But I don't think this book recommendation is necessarily religious, nor do I think I'm violating any code in the "polite blogger's handbook." This is just another post to let readers know what has helped me in my battle with depression and anxiety, and I would feel guilty for not passing this information along if I thought it could help even one person.

The Bible is much more than a pious symbol of my faith. It is a handbook for living that always seems to say just what I need to hear every time I pick it up. I'll admit, after the first couple of times, I thought it might just be a fluke--a coincidence of sorts--that this book seemed to be speaking directly to my problem or situation. After a while though, I was a believer (pardon the pun). This book was dead-on every single time. When I was anxious, it calmed me, and that was no small task.

I won't go on and on about this, but I'll be satisfied and sleep better knowing I passed this information along to you. This blog wouldn't be completely honest if I only posted articles that I knew would be accepted by everyone, in fact, it would probably be blank. Take some time and make up your own mind.