This Week’s Book Notes – Mini Reviews and Jottings by Sarah

Is someone else other than just me proud of me for doing this a second week in a row?

No?

Well, I’m okay with that.

Maybe I’ll even keep going with this. (Maybe not. I make no promises, as Destructoboy’s in the background doing…well, nevermind what he’s doing.)

Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free, by Tullian Tchividjian – Christian Life/Spiritual Growth, 5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed at length at my place earlier this week.

I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book! It really resonated with me and spoke to me. It covers suffering very well and it does not blow hot air anywhere.

Reading it as a Catholic, I fully expected to have some hot air blown, if you know what I mean. I mean, non-Catholics seem to look down on the crucifix and on what the author calls the theology of the cross. This guy, though, nails it.

Highly HIGHLY recommended. I’ll be rereading it for sure and not sharing it until I do.

Princess Academy (Princess Academy, #1), by Shannon Hale – YA Fiction, currently reading

Still reading. And loving it. The other night, I stayed up waaaaay past my bedtime to continue on. I am going to have to put it down to make sure I get The Good Pope done in time for the blog tour I agreed to do next week, but believe me, it’s the carrot I’m dangling in front of myself. Really good stuff.

The Good Pope and His Great Council: A Biography of Saint John XXIII and Vatican II, by Greg Tobin – Biography, currently reading

I read through the first chapter last night, and I will keep going. Apparently, there’s an expectation of some disagreement and negative reviews for this one (that coming from the book tour organizer’s email to me), so I’m alternating between wishing I hadn’t agreed to it and curiosity about it. And then I also have to wonder if I’m smart enough to catch on if there IS a problem with it. Add worry to the pile.

But it’s too late to back out now, so on I go. And you know the irony? I don’t usually read biographies much. I couldn’t finish JP2’s second one. So what was I thinking, agreeing to this?

That said, it will be a bit of a writing and reading exercise. The scholar in me likes that.

Seven Glorious Days: A Scientist Retells the Genesis Creation Story, by Karl W. Giberson – Science/Spirituality, currently reading

I realized as I was diving into this one and enjoying it immensely that I had to put it down to finish The Good Pope. It might be heretical, but I have to admit that retelling the Genesis story using science as the basis of the language is appealing to me. And it’s well-done so far (I’m up to Day 2). I expect to whip through this as soon as I get through the other. Maybe as soon as next week I’ll have something to report about it!

How about you? What have YOU read this week?