Man oh man. I reread this for discussion in a couple of weeks at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. The Hobbit is the flavor of the month just at present thanks to the upcoming movie, so I’m sure I’m not the only one rereading and finding new insights. It was still really good even though this is the umpteenth time I’ve read this classic. I took the opportunity to get the audiobook from the library because I... Read more
As soon as I saw Jeff Miller’s mention of Tim Power’s latest, Hide Me Among The Graves, a sequel to his 1989 book The Stress of Her Regard, I went out (metaphorically) and snagged an e-copy. I’ve been a Powers fan since the ’80’s, and pick up anything new whenever I happen to run across it. Jeff describes it as a “vampire” story, which is not incorrect, but it’s also pretty much entirely misleading. Powers’ vampires are identified with the... Read more
I have the usual love-hate relationship with Dickens, felt by most of us who’d rather be reading Sherlock Holmes. But I’ve recently discovered a great little library book that I think will be of interest both for avid fans, and for reluctant readers in search of a useful resource for making sense of Dickens’ literary world. Walking Dickens’ London opens with some background information about the life and work of Charles Dickens. Then author Lee Jackson proposes a series of... Read more
Christian Audio has a dilly of a deal for their free audiobook this month: God Is in the Manger is the Advent devotional written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the 20th century’s most admired and beloved Christians. This devotional includes daily selections for the four weeks of Advent and twelve daily selections for Christmas and Epiphany. In each devotional, Bonheoffer expresses his beliefs that Christ’s strength is portrayed the best during times of trial and weakness and God is often... Read more
I have a soft spot for a good story. And when I’ve read previous work by the author and know them to be clever, witty, and humorous? Consider me smitten. In fact, smitten is a pretty good way to describe how I feel about this book: It’s the debut release by author Katharine Grubb: Falling for Your Madness. You may recognize Katharine as @10MinuteWriter on Twitter or from 10 Minute Writer, her blog of writing in the ten minute chunks of time she can... Read more
One of those authors I have been meaning to get around to read is J.F. Powers. I first heard him recommended by Amy Welborn and later found that both Flannery O’Connor and Walker Percy praised his works. As a writer he was not very prolific writer with only two novels along with collections of short stories. It is interesting that his first writing started as an experiment during a spiritual retreat. I had previously read his novel Morte d’Urban which... Read more
Conversing with God in Advent: Praying the Sunday Readings with Lectio Divina by Stephen J. Binz My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Bible ends with the words of Christ, “Yes, I am coming soon,” and with the ancient prayer of the Church, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (revelation 22:20). The word “Advent” is derived from the word adventus, which means “coming.” In Advent we’re reminded of how much we need a savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s coming in... Read more
Seven Glorious Days by Karl W. Giberson My rating: 5 of 5 stars The watery planet that would bear the label “Earth” some five billion years later was nothing short of a creative miracle. The ten billion years that it took the universe to produce a habitable planet is about the shortest possible time for that gargantuan task. Skeptics who say humans must be irrelevant because they did not exist for most of the history of the universe don’t know... Read more
In I Left My Brains in San Francisco, Karina Fabian’s new novel, zombie exterminator Neeta Lyffe is travelling to San Francisco’s Moscone Center for ZomZeitgeber, the international zombie exterminator’s trade show. Yes, it’s a sequel to Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, which somehow I unaccountably failed to review when I read it last year. This is frustrating, because I was all set to point at my old review and say “As before, so now.” Alas! OK, here’s the shtick. In Neeta... Read more
O Radiant Dawn: 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath by Lisa M. Hendey My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a very handy book that I recommend to anyone who wants to get in the habit of regular reflection during Advent. Lisa Hendey has written a series of 5-minute prayers designed for daily use by individuals or families, even those with young children. The family gathers round the Advent wreath, lighting the candle, a song is sung, and a... Read more
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