I am about halfway through Girl Meets God, by Lauren Wicker (on your recommendation, Helen!) It’s an interesting look at a conversion to Orthodox Judaism, then to Christianity. The author is very young and I wonder how she will feel about what she has written in a few years. (If anybody is interested, I can tell you more in a few days when I get it finished).
On my bedside table is Memories of my Melancholy Whores, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which I haven’t started.
I just read a review of Reynolds Price’s new book called something like A Letter to a Godson. It sounds fascinating. Price is a “maverick Christian” who is a great writer and includes religious themes in his fiction and non-fiction. This appears to be an attempt to describe his faith. Anybody seen it?
NCXian: The author is very young and I wonder how she will feel about what she has written in a few years.
Interesting question, NCXian. She’s written at least one more book since then - one is about sex - so it seems that she’s continued her pattern of being disarmingly honest.
I haven’t read the other two you mentioned. I was reading some of The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong while I waited for my car to be serviced this morning. It’s autobiographical, about the years immediately following her leaving the convent. She refers back to her convent life quite a bit. Convent life evidently was awful for her - she always felt a failure; but leaving there didn’t immediately resolve everything. She had to deal with the aftermath of all they’d taught her. Also, she suffered because of her undiagnosed epilepsy. It not only went undiagnosed during her convent years, which was when it began, but also during her first three years outside the convent, even though she was seeing medical professionals during that time because of her ‘fainting’ episodes.
I’m re-reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I read it in my pre-Christian days right after I graduated from college. It instantly became one of my favorite books–though I’m sure most of it went right over my head. Back then it led me to read Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal in which Ms. Rand developed her objectivist philosophy. Something about it appealed to me at that point in my life.
Now, reading it through Christian eyes I find myself still drawn to her ideas but there are some things that no longer resonate with me.
It is a book that I will read every 10-15 years as a sort of “water-mark” in my own epistemology.
skikid wrote: I am reading “the left hand of God’… which I highly reccomend.
skikid, could you tell us more about the Left Hand of God?
Bob wrote: [The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand] is a book that I will read every 10-15 years as a sort of “water-mark” in my own epistemology.
I think it’s neat how you do that.
It seems sad to me that the books I loved when I was completely an EC (Evangelical Christian) I now have trouble with.
One book I found as I was moving away from my complete EC position, which I go back to again and again because I still like it just as much, is The Four Agreements by Don Michel Ruiz. I had to get used to the terminology of the author but once I did I found I connected with what he said in a very powerful way. It was very refreshing to me because it was so positive and so empowering - in ways that for me at that time, evangelical Christianity simply wasn’t.
I could have denied that I liked that book way better than what I was hearing from evangelical Christians at the time. However (internally, although not yet outwardly) I was trying to move away from denial and ROAAs and seek truth, the real truth, about who I am and what I connect most strongly with.
I was reading some of The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong while I waited for my car to be serviced this morning.
Actually, I think it was Armstrong’s feelings about her first book, how she was kind of embarassed about it in retrospect, that made we wonder if Wicker will feel the same way one day. Not that Wicker’s book is embarassing but, like Armstrong, she is writing about a big life change fairly soon after making it. I wonder if her perspective on things won’t change pretty dramatically after a decade or two.
I really enjoyed the Spiral Staircase, by the way. I had read several other of Armstrong’s books, so it was interesting to me to get the story behind the author.
NCXian wrote: I really enjoyed the Spiral Staircase, by the way. I had read several other of Armstrong’s books, so it was interesting to me to get the story behind the author.
I’m in a similar situation and that’s how I feel too!
I am reading The Unknown History of the American Revolution by Gary Nash, reading history makes me feel more confident as I attempt to assess whats reall around me.
Basically it exposes (softly) the myth of our leaders being super human / godly men and makes them look more like us. hypocritical, self serving and afraid while putting on a front that appears confident and successful and consistent.
Our history is inextricably linked with slavery - the best people who opposed it were followers of Jesus and the worst who supported it were Christians
I had to wait to be sure I was really reading something ;)
There are ~15 books by my bedside, but time has been short lately. Today I got a chance to read to page 97 of Jose Saramago’s The Double so it’s now clearer that’s what I’m currently reading.
I never would have picked up one of his books if my book club hadn’t “assigned” his novel All The Names ~2 years ago. I loved it. I like his writing alot, but it’s hard to read - he doesn’t use paragraphs or dialogue marks, and some of his sentences are a page long, but if I can get some quiet time to concentrate on his writing, I really enjoy it. I’ve also read his novel The Cave. Theme in these 3 books is, isolated semi-depressed middle aged man is forced to explore something outside of himself, because of an unexpected circumstance. Doesn’t sound so appealing described that way, but that’s the common thread in these particular 3 of his books!
Before that, I read John Shelby Spong’s 1997 book Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes. Those who know me from the Discussion Board will not be surprised to hear that I found it really interesting…but I’m quite sure it would not appeal to everyone!
I’m one of those readers that others often can’t understand; I always have 3 or more books going. What I am currently reading:
“Self-made man” by Norah Vincent. It is her story of living as a man for 18 months. It is fascinating.
Deborah Tannen’s “You’re Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation.” I’ve read all her books; this one really hits home.
“Uncommon Calling: A Gay Christian’s Struggle to Serve the Church” by Chris Glaser.
“Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Mothers Tell All” by Harlyn Aizley. This one’s a bit disappointing. It is 90% about lesbians who decide as a couple to have children, not about lesbians who partner with someone who already has children, which is what I was hoping for.
I rarely read fiction. With the exception of the summer and a few weeks in Dec/Jan, I rarely read anything that’s not a requirement for one of my courses!
Doreen, I liked Deborah Tannen’s book Men and Women in Conversation (actually I’m not sure if that’s the exact title). That’s the only one I’ve read.
I started reading fiction again in the last few years and I find it very freeing. I enjoy learning through stories that don’t demand I learn any particular lesson, but leave me free to draw whatever conclusions I like.
Most non-fiction is telling me something or other and expecting me to agree.
This is probably an unfair generalization, however ;)
Without having finished The Double, I have started reading CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity - several people have mentioned this over the months & I finally got around to it. I’m mulling over how to describe what I think of it. He is definitely a good, clear writer. He also takes what seems like a tactical step from the get go, carving out the high ground (for example, saying that people simply cannot second guess God - though he says it better than that) so that those who ask questions (like me) are already defined as inappropriate by chapter 2 or 3. Irksome for that type of person (like me) to read, but interesting!
Comment by: NCxian
1 06/27/06 4:32 PM | Comment Link |I am about halfway through Girl Meets God, by Lauren Wicker (on your recommendation, Helen!) It’s an interesting look at a conversion to Orthodox Judaism, then to Christianity. The author is very young and I wonder how she will feel about what she has written in a few years. (If anybody is interested, I can tell you more in a few days when I get it finished).
On my bedside table is Memories of my Melancholy Whores, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which I haven’t started.
I just read a review of Reynolds Price’s new book called something like A Letter to a Godson. It sounds fascinating. Price is a “maverick Christian” who is a great writer and includes religious themes in his fiction and non-fiction. This appears to be an attempt to describe his faith. Anybody seen it?
Comment by: skikid
2 06/27/06 7:21 PM | Comment Link |I am reading ‘the left hand of God’… which I highly reccomend.
Comment by: Helen M.
3 06/27/06 7:28 PM | Comment Link |Interesting question, NCXian. She’s written at least one more book since then - one is about sex - so it seems that she’s continued her pattern of being disarmingly honest.
I haven’t read the other two you mentioned. I was reading some of The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong while I waited for my car to be serviced this morning. It’s autobiographical, about the years immediately following her leaving the convent. She refers back to her convent life quite a bit. Convent life evidently was awful for her - she always felt a failure; but leaving there didn’t immediately resolve everything. She had to deal with the aftermath of all they’d taught her. Also, she suffered because of her undiagnosed epilepsy. It not only went undiagnosed during her convent years, which was when it began, but also during her first three years outside the convent, even though she was seeing medical professionals during that time because of her ‘fainting’ episodes.
Comment by: Bob
4 06/28/06 4:39 AM | Comment Link |I’m re-reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I read it in my pre-Christian days right after I graduated from college. It instantly became one of my favorite books–though I’m sure most of it went right over my head. Back then it led me to read Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal in which Ms. Rand developed her objectivist philosophy. Something about it appealed to me at that point in my life.
Now, reading it through Christian eyes I find myself still drawn to her ideas but there are some things that no longer resonate with me.
It is a book that I will read every 10-15 years as a sort of “water-mark” in my own epistemology.
Comment by: Helen M.
5 06/28/06 5:10 AM | Comment Link |skikid, could you tell us more about the Left Hand of God?
I think it’s neat how you do that.
It seems sad to me that the books I loved when I was completely an EC (Evangelical Christian) I now have trouble with.
One book I found as I was moving away from my complete EC position, which I go back to again and again because I still like it just as much, is The Four Agreements by Don Michel Ruiz. I had to get used to the terminology of the author but once I did I found I connected with what he said in a very powerful way. It was very refreshing to me because it was so positive and so empowering - in ways that for me at that time, evangelical Christianity simply wasn’t.
I could have denied that I liked that book way better than what I was hearing from evangelical Christians at the time. However (internally, although not yet outwardly) I was trying to move away from denial and ROAAs and seek truth, the real truth, about who I am and what I connect most strongly with.
Comment by: NCxian
6 06/28/06 11:33 AM | Comment Link |Actually, I think it was Armstrong’s feelings about her first book, how she was kind of embarassed about it in retrospect, that made we wonder if Wicker will feel the same way one day. Not that Wicker’s book is embarassing but, like Armstrong, she is writing about a big life change fairly soon after making it. I wonder if her perspective on things won’t change pretty dramatically after a decade or two.
I really enjoyed the Spiral Staircase, by the way. I had read several other of Armstrong’s books, so it was interesting to me to get the story behind the author.
Comment by: Helen M.
7 06/28/06 1:38 PM | Comment Link |I’m in a similar situation and that’s how I feel too!
Comment by: jim
8 06/28/06 3:40 PM | Comment Link |I am reading The Unknown History of the American Revolution by Gary Nash, reading history makes me feel more confident as I attempt to assess whats reall around me.
Basically it exposes (softly) the myth of our leaders being super human / godly men and makes them look more like us. hypocritical, self serving and afraid while putting on a front that appears confident and successful and consistent.
Our history is inextricably linked with slavery - the best people who opposed it were followers of Jesus and the worst who supported it were Christians
Comment by: Eliza
9 07/1/06 4:55 PM | Comment Link |I had to wait to be sure I was really reading something ;)
There are ~15 books by my bedside, but time has been short lately. Today I got a chance to read to page 97 of Jose Saramago’s The Double so it’s now clearer that’s what I’m currently reading.
I never would have picked up one of his books if my book club hadn’t “assigned” his novel All The Names ~2 years ago. I loved it. I like his writing alot, but it’s hard to read - he doesn’t use paragraphs or dialogue marks, and some of his sentences are a page long, but if I can get some quiet time to concentrate on his writing, I really enjoy it. I’ve also read his novel The Cave. Theme in these 3 books is, isolated semi-depressed middle aged man is forced to explore something outside of himself, because of an unexpected circumstance. Doesn’t sound so appealing described that way, but that’s the common thread in these particular 3 of his books!
Before that, I read John Shelby Spong’s 1997 book Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes. Those who know me from the Discussion Board will not be surprised to hear that I found it really interesting…but I’m quite sure it would not appeal to everyone!
Comment by: Doreen
10 07/3/06 9:46 AM | Comment Link |I’m one of those readers that others often can’t understand; I always have 3 or more books going. What I am currently reading:
“Self-made man” by Norah Vincent. It is her story of living as a man for 18 months. It is fascinating.
Deborah Tannen’s “You’re Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation.” I’ve read all her books; this one really hits home.
“Uncommon Calling: A Gay Christian’s Struggle to Serve the Church” by Chris Glaser.
“Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Mothers Tell All” by Harlyn Aizley. This one’s a bit disappointing. It is 90% about lesbians who decide as a couple to have children, not about lesbians who partner with someone who already has children, which is what I was hoping for.
I rarely read fiction. With the exception of the summer and a few weeks in Dec/Jan, I rarely read anything that’s not a requirement for one of my courses!
doreen
poetcomic.blogspot.com
Comment by: Helen M.
11 07/3/06 11:54 AM | Comment Link |Doreen, I liked Deborah Tannen’s book Men and Women in Conversation (actually I’m not sure if that’s the exact title). That’s the only one I’ve read.
I started reading fiction again in the last few years and I find it very freeing. I enjoy learning through stories that don’t demand I learn any particular lesson, but leave me free to draw whatever conclusions I like.
Most non-fiction is telling me something or other and expecting me to agree.
This is probably an unfair generalization, however ;)
Comment by: Eliza
12 07/5/06 11:18 PM | Comment Link |Without having finished The Double, I have started reading CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity - several people have mentioned this over the months & I finally got around to it. I’m mulling over how to describe what I think of it. He is definitely a good, clear writer. He also takes what seems like a tactical step from the get go, carving out the high ground (for example, saying that people simply cannot second guess God - though he says it better than that) so that those who ask questions (like me) are already defined as inappropriate by chapter 2 or 3. Irksome for that type of person (like me) to read, but interesting!