Sola Christus

June Books

Yes, I know it is August,^* and here I am writing my reviews about the books I read in June. This summer has seemed both interminably long and fleeting at the same time.

Lots of things have happened. I have been on 7 planes, 20+ hours in long car rides, been in 8 airports, and slept in 6 different beds (none of which are my own). I buried my grandmother in May, welcomed my new goddaughter into the world in June, and said yes to a certain man who asked me a question on the shores of Lake Michigan in July. Needless to say, this summer has been very full, which has not left as much time as I wanted for pleasure reading.

I started this year out with the goal of reading 50 books, fully realizing that I may not reach that goal, but with all of the other things that have happened this summer, I suppose it is surprising really that I have gotten any reading done.

Now, I am taking a moment off while I sit in the Upper Reading Room at the Bodleian Library to think about the books I did read. Looking out the window at some of Oxford's "dreaming spires," it seems a fitting place to reflect on reading and books.

In June I read two books:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

(young adult, fantasy, fiction)

 I am rereading these, and really enjoying them. I have read them several times (except for the last one, I have only read that one once).

I have noticed lots of groundwork that Rowling lays in the earlier books in preparation for the last two. Even as early as the Chamber of Secrets, there is prep-work for the horcruxes.

2. Gilead by Marilyn Robinson

This is Robinson's second novel, which she won the most acclaim for. (You can listen to an interview with her here.) I know I will come back to this novel again and again. My fiance suggested it, being one of his favorites, and it gave us much to discuss. With no chapters and entirely first-person narrative, it might seem thoroughly modern, but at the same time there is something deeply timeless about it. The book is a letter to a son, written by his dying father, John Aimes. And yet, it is so much more. I was reading it when my Grandmother died, the woman who taught me how to serve, laugh, and love, and this book touched the deep rivulets of grief that I felt with her passing. Here is a section where the pastor meditates on the end of his own life:

I wish I could leave you certain of the images in my mind, because they are so beautiful that I hate to think they will be extinguished when I am. Well, but again, this life has its own mortal loveliness. And memory is not strictly mortal in its nature, either. It is a strange thing, after all, to be able to return to a moment, when it can hardly be said to have any reality at all, even in its passing. A moment is such a slight thing. I mean, that its abiding is a most gracious reprieve.

This book is home-like and comfortable while being startlingly beautiful. Go read this book!

 * I started writing this post in August, and finished it today. Oh well.

April Books

April seemed quite busy, which means I only read two books. However, May will see me on yet another international plane ride, which generally means I will have time to read more....

 

1. Momo by Michael Ende

(fiction, young adult)

This was a selection for our book club. Written by the author who wrote the book-come-80's-classic-movie The Never-Ending Story. The book is quite age appropriate for about 9-11 year olds; its characters are relatively simple and enjoyable. The vocabulary is surprisingly varied, and the strong narrative voice would make it a delight to read aloud. However, for the adult reading the book, Ende's strong Taoist/Buddhist worldview and rather pedantic approach to a collectivist mindset can get a bit, well, boring.

Who should read this? Someone who enjoys fantasy and books written for this age bracket, or someone looking for an easy, fast read.

2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling

I am hoping to get the series read again before the movie comes out this summer. We'll see if I succeed....

Who should read this? If you haven't ever read HP, you probably don't like fantasy, magic, or young(ish) adult novels, and I am not sure that I will convince you to read them here.

March Books

In spite of finishing a chapter, writing a conference paper, making one national trip, and an international trip, I still had time to read four books this month.

 

1. Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess by: Matthew Paul Turner

(non-fiction/memoir)

A spiritual autobiography about the author's life growing up as a fundamentalist Christian.Who should read this one? Anyone with a good sense of humor who knows what CCM and culottes are.

 

2. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by: Neil Gaiman

(fiction. graphic novel)

Another interesting remake by Neil Gaiman. Much like American Gods and 1602, Gaiman takes a myth and reshapes it into his own creation. Gaiman's take on the death of Batman is quite typically post-modern in its unsatisfying ending, although, in true comic book fashion, it leaves room for reincarnations of future versions of Bruce Wayne. Who should read this? Anyone interested in graphic novels or Batman. This is not Gaiman's best though, so a beginner might want to start with another choice.

 

3. The Town Below the Ground: Edinburgh's Legendary Underground City by: Jan-Andrew Henderson

(non-fiction, history)

This was a fun read written by a tour guide who knows the city well. It is a written in a conversational style and is quite enjoyable. The one thing that it is lacking is a good city map. If the reader isn't familiar with the city, it would be easy to get lost in all of the landmarks. Who should read this? Someone who is interested in the city.

4. Breaking Dawn by: Stephanie Meyer

(fiction, fantasy)

The fourth book in the Twilight series. I think this is the last time for me to read this series. Who should read this? Only the reader who has read the first three.

 

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by: JK Rowling

(fiction, fantasy)

The first series in the famed series. I am re-reading them in anticipation of the last movie. Who should read this? Has anyone not read it?

February Book

Yes, book. Sadly, I just read one in February. I have been busy working on a chapter that was due. 

The Great Divorce by CS Lewis. It has been one of my favorites for quite awhile. It is one of those books that changes how you look at your life and what you do. It is a thought-provoking and soul-stirring book. Along with Perelandra, it is the perfect example of what I call Lewis' "upward" writing.The kind of writing that pulls you up and out of yourself, pulling your eyes towards a future Hope.

Lewis' vision of heaven is so simply put:

"Here is joy that cannot be shaken."

Not by sin or death or darkness.

Here is an excerpt of praise from another section:

"The Master says to our Master, Come up. Share my rest and splendour till all natures that were your enemies become slaves to dance before you and backs for you to ride, and firmness for your feet to rest on.

From beyond all place and time, out of the very Place, authority will be given you: the strengths that once opposed your will shall be obedient fire in your blood and heavenly thunder in your voice.

Overcome us that, so overcome, we may be ourselves: we desire the beginning of your reign as we desire dawn and dew, wetness at the birth of light.

Master, your Master has appointed you for ever: to be our King of Justice and our high Priest."

 

Who should read it?

Anyone who likes Lewis, but be aware that it is fiction. Lewis never meant it to be taken as doctrine.

 

January Books

Several of the blogs I visit recount the books the owner reads each month, so I decided to start recounting my monthly books as well. It will also (hopefully) give me the opportunity to write short reviews about the books that I read, since I never get around to writing individual ones.

Here are the books I read in January of this year:

1. I Sold my Soul on Ebay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes by Hermant Mehta (non-fiction/memoir)

The author is a blogger who "sold his soul" to people on ebay. After selling his time, he visited several different types of churches. This book is the result of those visits. He begins the book assuring the reader that his goal is not to make fun of religion or people who believe in spiritual things. Rather he attempts to analyze various aspects of churches and religious services as an outsider. His religious experience came from a family of Jainists. He rejected his religious upbringing as a teen and chose atheism instead. Things that have become common in many American churches, like Scripture reading or the use of cameras in services, seem odd or untenable to him, and after reading hs explanations it makes sense.

Who should read this? Anyone who is interested in "cross-cultural" relationships (because a lot of churches do function as their own little micro-culture). Anyone interested in an outside look at Protestant church services.

 

2. The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis

(YA fiction)

I am rereading the Chronicles of Narnia this year. I read this right after a visit to Los Angeles and found it particularly poignant. Many inhabitants of our post-modern Western world seem to have more in common with Digory's grasping uncle then they may think.

Who should read this? Anyone.

 

3. The Children of Men by PD James

(fiction, dystopia)

I haven't seen the movie made from this book several years ago, but from the information I have heard, it sounds like the movie is very different from the book. The dark near future contains sterile men and barren women. As time goes on, humanity starts to fall apart with no hope for the future and no enjoyment in the now. The book centers on a lonely Oxford professor who has ruined his life through not bad decisions, but passive non-decisions. Offered with hard choices, he sees hope for redemption. This was a really interesting book, very different from the Dalgliesh novels this one is worth it.

Who should read it? Anyone who likes dystopic fiction or who is interested in questions about basic humanity.  Be aware though, there are some pretty violent sections, but they are not gratuitous.

 

4. Peter Pan by JM Barrie

(fiction)

Barrie's novel is very different from the Disney-fied version. A strong narrative voice with humorous asides, the novel is enjoyable, but quite dark. This narrator is dark, pessimistic, and lonely. Worth reading, but not the tripping joyous tale you might be expecting.

Who should read it? Anyone interested in the fantastical or Victorian British culture--Barrie belies quite a bit of his world.

 

Just too much

You are in a restaurant. You have had a lovely meal of steak or chicken primavera or manacotti. You decide that that lovely looking chocolate bomb has indeed tempted you. Then, the waiter brings the luscious looking desert to the table. You pick up your fork and break the gooey sauce covered cake. Tasting it, the chocolate melts into your mouth and the smells intensify the sweet goodness. Three bites in, it is no longer pleasurable. It has become cloyingly sweet and sickeningly goopy. You've had too much.

This book started out promisingly well. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen has a lovely title, and starts with several funny chapters and laugh out loud lines. It ends however by being too much. Too much introspection. Too much bitterness. Just too much. I found myself wishing that Janzen would spend more time writing about her delightful family in all their amazing quirkiness and less time about her abusive louse of a husband.

Who should read this?

Anyone one who has had experience with large families. Anyone who has experienced the quirky world of fundamentalism, which has many weaknesses, but actually has a few (a very few) strengths--like valuing family. With that said, if you do pick this book up, be prepared for quite a lot of coarseness and, well, just too much detail about Janzen's bitter and painful years in her marriage, which may outweigh those first three bites of chocolaty goodness. Too bad books aren't like desserts, because you will want to split this one.

A short review of a graphic novel

I just finished reading 1602 by Neil Gaiman. After hearing a paper on the Sandman comics, I decided to check out the first volume, Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes from the Fife library. Sadly, they have volume three, but not volume two. So, while doing a search on Neil Gaiman's other works, I found 1602. Happily, it is three of my favorite obsessions put together: the X-men, comic books, and the Tudor period (or at least the tail end of it). Yes, you read that right, the X-men. Quite a few comic heroes show up in this series, including the X-men. I won't tell you who else shows up, as that is half the fun. These are not super heroes displaced in time, but rather in an earlier incarnation, which makes this story even more genius. I suspect that some people might even read it just for the historical aspects (my flatmate did--it is the one comic she has ever read).

Who should read it: Anyone interested in superheroes or the history of America. This would be a good one to try out if you have never read comics, as it is pretty traditional in the artwork and has an intriguing plot.

      

the gods are fickle things

I just finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Chera has told me several times of Gaiman's talent, although she hasn't read this one. I must admit, I was skeptical. But, this book, was, well, fascinating doesn't begin to describe this book.

As the title says, the book is about America. "This is wild rice country. Moose country. What I'm trying to say is that America is like that. It's not good growing country for gods." (p. 556)

America doesn't have its own gods, but rather the ones that many people brought with them when they came to this new land over the sea and through the snow covered slopes. The gods live on belie, prayers, and worship, which means in America there are leprechauns, Norse gods, piskies, and tribal gods, all living like normal people.

The book opens with a man named Shadow who gets out of prison, only to discover that his possibilities of a new life have died with his wife in a car wreck. Then, enter Mr. Wednesday, who offers Shadow a new opportunity. Trouble is coming, the new gods: Technology, Media, Fame are brewing up a war with the old gods.

The book at times zooms out, leaving Shadow and Wednesday to view other moments in history, the moments when gods were brought to the shores of America. The book then focuses back in Shadow, a character who is likable, if complex.

One of the things I most liked about this book, was Gaiman's ability to capture America. I am far from the patriotic type, but his ability to capture America in all of its small town, big city, farmland, snow covered, sweltering beauty, was immensely enjoyable.  

The one thing that is a bit ludicrous is Gaiman's principle: if something is believed in then, somewhere in a metaphysical world, it is brought into being. Because someone believes in a god, that god is brought to life: that the act of believing, of sacrificing, and praying has its own beauty. This lends a type of bitterness to the deaths in the book. While trying to legitimize the deaths of those "sacrificed" in the name of the gods, this actually cheapens human life, leaving humans as tools for gods, and life, itself, worthless.

A note about the text: I would pick the one published by Headline Review, which is the author's preferred text. It is about 30 pages longer than the first text published, making this volume a more complex and complete tale.

Who should read this book:

Readers of fantasy, lovers of myth, people interested in other cultures, Americans.

Who should not read this book:

Readers who want only realism in their books, those who aren't prepared for the gods (along with their sexual exploits)

10 years, 10 books

Other people are making lists , so I thought I would make my own list for the decade. As most people could say, many things have happened to me over these last ten years. I graduated with my undergraduate and Master's degrees, taught at two different universities, worked at several different jobs, moved three times, and changed my country of residence. I made some new friends and lost some old ones. There were many good memories and many bad ones. But one of the things that stayed the same was my love for books.

I love books; I mean really love books. I love the smell, the feel, the look of books; even poor little yellowed paperbacks have their worth. So, I thought I would make a list of the books that I read for the first time over the last ten years: books that have stuck with me; books that changed my life.

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien 

I remember when I read this; it was in the Fall of 2001, when I was in graduate school. I knew almost nothing about Tolkien and his work, but a guy I was interested in really liked this series, so I read them. The guy is long since gone, and these books have settled comfortably into my life. The epic arc of the story and the beauty of Tolkien's writing grabbed me from the start. I have since read the whole series two more times, and am on my way through them again. To quote Lewis, in these books are: "beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron."

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

No, I never read these as a child. But, I think in some ways, I enjoyed them more because I was an adult. I was probably able to see through the wardrobe more clearly.

The Great Divorce by CS Lewis

I read this one about two years ago. While this is a work of fiction by Lewis, his depiction of the seductiveness of sin changed my life. I think of the characters in this work often--as people not to emulate.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

My old book club, Fine Print, read this in about 3 months. We all decided that Tolstoy's ability to develop his characters was amazing. We also decided that his wife probably helped him, because his insight into the female mind was uncanny. The book isn't just about an adulterous woman, it is about the things that make us human: betrayal, power and control, but most of all it is about love. If you read it, you will never forget Levin.

Emma by Jane Austen

This was one of the first Jane Austen novels I read, it was in a class introducing literary criticism. We used it as a text and applied different forms of criticism to it, opening up different levels of meaning. But, I think the thing that stuck with me the most was when the professor said, "Every woman needs a Mr. Knightley." And for the first time, I agreed with him.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

This may look seem like just a book on writing, but it is really more of a book on life. It made me read books differently, but it was also influential in my personal growth. It all has to do with the negative voices and a mason jar--read it, you'll see what I mean. (Here's a quote from the book)

Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner

This book did two things for me. The first may be obvious: it introduced me to Lauren Winner. (I reviewed another book of her's here.) The second, is that it changed the way I thought about my relationship with God. Instead of a duty, it helped me to think about a relationship.

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I listed to this in the midst of rejection letter after rejection letter to PhD programs. McCourt reminded me why I wanted to be a professor, because I love teaching and students

The Space Trilogy by CS Lewis

I have to say, Perelandra and Out of the Silent Planet are my favorites, but the trilogy should be taken as a whole. According to Walter Hooper, Lewis thought his best novel was Perelandra, but his favorite novel was Out of the Silent Planet. Lewis uses science fiction in the way that Tolkien uses fantasy; he uses the genre to make his readers out of themselves and focus on questions like what makes one human? or what does redemption look like? or what is evil and can it be fought?

The Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins

Even though I am limiting my list to ten books, I would be remiss to leave out Hopkins. I discovered him my last year as an undergraduate. Reading "God's Grandeur" and "Carrion Comfort" opened my eyes to the thickness that is poetry.

Those are my 10. Do you have any books that have changed you in the last decade?

Dancing Rats

This will be a short book review, compared to some of my other ones. For almost the entire month of October I have been in bed, getting over a slipped disc, which means limited movement (from a lot of pain) and a lot of medication. In the beginning it was really hard for me to pay attention to anything longer than a TV show. One of the frustrating things about this whole experience has been my inability to read with my usual ease. So, my friend Chera brought over a lovely, short book. Even though it is a young adult book, I still found it difficult to concentrate in the first few weeks, but it is delightful.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett is a quick little read about a cat, Maurice, who finds a group of talking rats. But, they aren't only talking rats, they are slowly becoming more and more sentient.They learn about writing and try to create their own system of writing, and they even begin to wonder about dreams and the afterlife. But, this isn't merely a philosophical book loosely draped in fiction (although it does bring up interesting questions about person-hood) it is really a delightful book. It is kind of like a humorous let's make fun of all the other fairy tales book. Maurice and his group of rats, including Peaches, Dangerous Beans, and Inbrine, have a marvelous adventure when they were just expecting to wrack up some easy money.

Who should read this book? People who like fairy tales or folklore, People who like the topsy-turvieness of "The Princess Bride" or "Ella Enchanted," People who like puns and words. (Note: I do not like "Princess Bride." In fact, I hate it. I was forced to watch it too many times as a child, but I did enjoy this book immensely. And, no, it wasn't just the pain medication.)

Who should not read the book? Anyone with musophobia. 

Give Maurice a try. I think you will like him (even if he is a cat).

A passage from The Amazing Maurice:

"It was another cellar. And it was full of water. In fact, what it was full of was not exactly water. It was what water eventually becomes when rat cages drain into it, and gutters up above drain into it, and it has a chance to sit and bubble gently to itself for a year or so. To call it 'mud' would be an insult to perfectly respectable swamps all over the world. Maurice landed in it. It went 'gloop.'" (p. 155)