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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

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This is a book of informal essays that capture Miller’s reflections on God, Jesus, and the issues of living as a Christian in a fallen yet hopeful world. Miller dispenses with some of the more formal guidelines for good writing to establish a more conversational style. I appreciated his approach because it led to an authentic, often humorous tone, though sometimes it became a bit too casual. But the ideas and their thoughtful expression were what were most important in this book, not necessarily the quality of the prose. I was attracted to this book not so much because Donald Miller answered my questions about why the church and fellow Christians are often so disappointing to me, but because he let me know that I am not alone in my diappointments. And he did this from a standpoint of strong Christian faith and hope for God’s work in the church.

My favorite chapter title is "Church: How I go without getting angry." It resonated in my mind because for the last 2 years I have dreaded going to church, and I often come home thinking, "Can I continue to attend without being angry?" In this chapter the author talks about aspects of most churches that bother him: people who try to "sell Jesus as a product," the blind acceptance that Republicans are God’s party, and the war-talk against "liberals and homosexuals" and America-haters. These traits irk me about my current church and many Christians I know. And, since I can, I will list a few more:

-Gender stereotyping and the resulting limitation of ministry: men all love red meat, fishing, and sports; women love crafts, children, and pink, ruffly comfort.
-Self-absorbed giving and spending: it seems church budgets often go toward building even nicer sanctuaries, "life centers," offices, and private schools. Why don’t more funds flow out from the church in love toward missions and poverty-relief and health and clean water for people in need?
-Provincial, materialistic, complacent worldview: Christian faith seems to be domesticated within a wealthy, comfortable, suburban lifestyle that isn’t conducive to spiritual discipline, sacrificing any comfort for the good of others, or loving people who are different or poor or sick or needy. A preoccupation with shopping and consuming is embraced as spiritually-neutral or even beneficial to Christians.
-Utter disregard for preserving God’s marvelous creation: for most Christians, stewardship of resources, natural areas, and the earth’s ecological systems is completely unrelated to participating in Christ’s kingdom and loving others as we have been loved by God.

If a believer doesn’t buy into these parallel Christian assumptions, often that person feels left out of the faith; instead of being welcomed into the family of God, he can stand out as an outsider or foreigner. What's more, I believe earnest seekers and even long-time believers can be alienated from the church because of such cultural issues. Miller’s solution in this book, one that I’m not satisfied with, is to find a church where you fit in. He describes his own church, where he finally found like-minded Christians. I am extremely sympathetic to his decision and am tempted to do the same myself. There is a church I really like – but it’s in Seattle, 40 miles away. It seems like a cop-out, somehow, yet one more example of how the marketplace drives spirituality: I can choose the congregation that fits my needs. Does God want that? I don’t know. For now I’m staying at the church where I grit my teeth during the service and praying that God will help me to keep growing.

One of the most insightful ideas I gleaned from Blue Like Jazz was that our fallen natures can be characterized as an all-consuming addiction to self. Miller says that the world is depraved, but that "the problem is not out there; the problem is in the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest." We should be more concerned with cleaning out our own sin closets than that of our neighbors as we follow Christ. That coincides strongly with the passage I read this morning from Elton Trueblood, that Christians should rightly view their own sin:

heed the words found in The Imitation of Christ, “Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” The essence of pietism, by contrast, is the limitation of primary interest to personal salvation. Even today, by the highways, we can see signs paid for by somebody, which urge us to “get right with God.” The evil of this well-intentioned effort lies not in what it says, but in what it so evidently omits. The assumption is that salvation is nothing more than a private transaction between the individual and God and that it can become an accomplished, dated event.

The truth is that we are continually in need of God’s forgiveness and redemption; too often we behave as if we’re planted firmly on God’s side and criticize those on the other side of the fence, neglecting to tend to our own festering sin and complacence. (So I should take back all that stuff I said about church earlier?)

There is also an excellent chapter about how to better love other people, as well as many moving stories, funny anecdotes, and thoughtful reflections on Christ’s work in our human lives. It’s a book I could discuss at length with friends; a book whose ideas will come back to me for several years; a book about what I most care about.

Title:Blue Like Jazz
Author:Donald Miller
Date published:2003
Genre:Spiritual Non-fiction
Number of pages:242

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The lord of a star is accused of a crime and sentenced to find what he lost on earth, living as a dog. Sirius at first knows only dog thoughts because he is too young to remember or understand who he is/was. He is found and adopted by a kind young girl named Kathleen. She is living with relatives who are not particularly kind to her, so Sirius is a wonderful addition to her life. He learns to know people by their voices and attitudes, knowing whether to trust humans or not. He must find the Zoi (a sort of tool he used when he was ruler of the star), and in the process bring justice to those who actually committed the crime.

In his search for the Zoi, Sirius ends up traveling all over town and incidentally meeting all sorts of people. Some of whom really enjoy giving him food or petting him for a bit. His favorite is an old woman named Mrs. Smith, who speaks to him as though he can actually understand (which he can, since he worked to learn the language). Mrs. Smith takes care of him, as well as all those (dog or human) who he brings to her front door. Such hospitality and generosity -- even though she doesn't have much to share sometimes. A beautiful character.

This story brings to mind the incarnation. An immense being coming to earth as a dog, having both dog-nature and star-nature, searching for justice/the Zoi and being unable to share that search with those around him in ways they can understand, becoming friends with others on earth who don't know how to relate to him when they discover who he really is. Jesus came as a baby -- and had to learn to crawl, to walk, to speak, to listen, to be patient -- to live as a perfect human. Jesus as both human and God is hard to comprehend, and it's so much easier to think of Him as just one or the other -- but having examples helps me to understand, such as this star become dog.

Title:Dogsbody
Author: Diane Wynne Jones
Date published:1975
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Number of pages: 261
Notes: Repeat reading

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Friday, February 23, 2007

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cover of Over Sea, Under Stone

On a family vacation in Cornwall with their mysterious, adventurous Great-Uncle Merry (nicknamed "Gummery" by the children), Simon, Jane and Barney (short for Barnabas) discover an ancient map and end up on a kind of treasure-hunt for an Arthurian Grail, but they are also racing against the dark and mysterious villains who are looking for the same treasure for their own evil purposes. It's a delightful, entertaining story-- the puzzle of the "map" to the treasure is clever, but also believable that the children could figure it out. It also occurred to me, as I neared the end, how nice it was to read about siblings who actually get along well and enjoy working together.

After the children discover the ancient map, Great-Uncle Merry explains to them that their quest is part of an age-old battle between good and evil; the treasure they seek is a grail with engravings that tell the true story of Arthur, which has been lost in myth and legend. Gummery himself is old but ageless, and clearly quite powerful (the villains don't dare to confront him). Near the end of the book, when Barney hears Merry's full name (Merriman Lyon), he wonders to himself if his great-uncle could possible by Merlin, but then quickly dismisses the thought.

The map is hundreds of years old, so the Cornishman who hid the treasure had to use signs that wouldn't wear away-- the children discover that these signs are the ancient natural rock pillars near the coast, with directions given by the setting sun and the full moon. The grail itself is in a cave near the coast that they can only get to when the water is at extremely low-tide (and the smallest of them, Barney, can barely fit through)-- almost as if they were meant to find it. This fits with what Merry says at one point-- that they'll find it happens to be the right time of year for the moon and sun to be where they need them to follow the map.

The leader of the villains is a dark and sinister man, even with some hypnotic powers. At one point the Withers snatch Barney away-- and in spite of the fact that he's been kidnapped, Hastings almost convinces him that he's misunderstood everything and that they aren't really evil at all. Merry states enigmatically that this dark man will be back again, as he has been before, but that he won't look the same-- which sounds almost like a Satan figure.

Title:Over Sea, Under Stone
Author:Susan Cooper
Date published:1965
Genre:Children's Fantasy
Series:The Dark is Rising
Number of pages:252
Notes:repeat reading

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

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cover of Astonishing X-Men: Torn

I've been waiting a while for the latest Whedon/Cassaday X-Men, and it seemed too short and ends with a cliff-hanger-- so it doesn't seem like enough. But I still enjoyed it. We finally get to find out why Emma Frost is double-dealing on the X-men, and get to see Kitty in action.

Emma's been secretly working for the Hellfire Club-- although there's a twist at the end that changes all of this, and I didn't feel like I knew enough about the Hellfire Club and Cassandra Nova to get it. But it's pretty interesting the way Emma is able to neutralize pretty much all of the X-Men (through dreams or mental constraints).

Some interesting interactions between Emma and Scott; I especially liked when he comes around and helps save the day. We finally find out that Colossus is the one destined to destroy the Breakworld (seems like that storyline has been hanging around for a while, so it will be nice to see what comes of it).

The artwork, as usual, is gorgeous. And there's even some bits of conversation in foreign languages, which made me miss Firefly a bit (and wonder where I can find translations).

Title:Astonishing X-Men Volume 3: Torn
Author:Joss Whedon (artwork by John Cassaday)
Date published:2007
Genre:Graphic Novel
Series:Astonishing X-Men
Number of pages:152

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Monday, February 19, 2007

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This devilishly clever book traces the interlacing lives of two men, William Kane and Abel Rosnovski, who were born on the same day in 1906. One is the privileged son of an elite Boston family; the other, an orphaned peasant in an impoverished Polish village. William follows the trajectory expected of him, achieving high grades, earning academic awards, and winning a math scholarship to Harvard. He eventually becomes the chairman of a very influential East Coast bank. Abel’s early life, meanwhile, is spent enduring and finally escaping violence, oppression, and poverty. His homeland of Poland is overrun with German soldiers who destroy towns and lives, and send Abel to a prison camp where his most probable fate is death. With good fortune and hard work, he manages to flee to the United States and construct his own business empire.

A key encounter in the lives of the two men sparks an intense enmity between them, though they never knowingly meet. They spend the next several decades trying to bring vengeance on the other; the conclusion is surprising and sad.

While this is not great literature, the book is wholly worthwhile. The author depicts each man sympathetically and builds a good deal of suspense into the story. The writing is intelligent and spare; a terrific vacation read.

Title:Kane and Abel
Author:Jeffrey Archer
Date published:1979
Genre:Fiction
Number of pages:579

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cover of Ultimate X-Men: Blockbuster

Wolverine leaves the X-Men and goes out on his own, and ends up getting hunted down by some rogue operation with pretty sophisticated weaponry. Wolverine ends up going to Peter Parker's house to recover from his first shellacking by this group, and then Spiderman tags along with him for a while. Then they run into Daredevil, who is incensed that Wolverine would bring this violence into his neighborhood where the gunshots could hit anyone. It was fun, if a little odd, to see those characters in an X-Men book, and I enjoyed Spidey's wisecracks (even if Wolverine didn't).

This didn't seem like a particularly eventful episode. That seems silly to say in one sense, because there is lots of action and blowing things up. But it doesn't feel like the larger story moves forward so much, or you learn too much more about Wolverine. The villains turned out to be former Weapon-X soldiers who were taught to hate mutants (and Wolverine in particular) who are being used by some shadowy leader who may or may not be trying to overthrow the government. There is one woman in particular who seems an interesting character-- hates Wolverine and comes after him with a vengeance. But they don't go into it much more than that.

Some fabulous artwork, as usual with this series. One section in particular was the great full-spread shots of Jean Grey going into Phoenix mode to take out some of the people hunting Wolverine before they take out Xavier's school.

Title:Ultimate X-Men Vol. 7: Blockbuster
Author:Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch (illustrator)
Date published:2004
Genre:Graphic Novel
Series:Ultimate X-Men
Number of pages:144

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

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This is an anthropological book, written by an English woman about the English. I enjoyed it very much. Haven't read anything like it before, and don't think it's going to become my new favorite kind of book, but it was worth my time. Kate Fox takes a step back from her own culture, to try and explain it to outsiders. Most of us (all of us?) grow up inside at least one culture, and know how to act, what to say, how to dress, what to value .. even if we couldn't explain it to anybody else. Having someone take the time to share a bit about Englishness was a gift. And after reading the bulk of it, I found myself reading an Agatha Christie novel and realizing 'oh! this character is just being English.' And, as I have opportunity to interact with the English, hopefully I'll be able to understand them better and be able to interact in ways that are valuing to both of us as individuals as well as our separate cultures.

The last chapter is a summary, where she wraps up all she has learned into a few short words. These words cannot express everything, but they do a good job of summarizing. (As they are supposed to!) The core of Englishness she calls social dis-ease (being uncomfortable with others unless they are very well known). There are 3 reflexes (which are learned so deeply they often cannot be stopped): humour, moderation, and hypocrisy. 3 outlooks: empiricism, eeyorishness, and class-consciousness. 3 values: fair play, courtesy, and modesty. All of these characteristics became clear as Fox did much research, including participant-observation research. This kind of research means watching queues to see what happens when someone tries to jump to the front. It means purposely bumping into people on the sidewalk to see if they respond "sorry" which they almost always do. It means asking lots of questions and pushing social boundaries to see if they are really there and how others react when they are pushed (or shattered, as the case may be).

One of my favorite parts of the book was the underlying humour, which one would expect from a truly English author. Since the English usually extend courtesy by not prying into others' business, it was funny to read about Fox working up the nerve to push a boundary everyone knows should never even be looked at (like how much home renovations cost). As she discovered/observed certain characteristics, she duly noted them in herself. Reading a book like this written by someone who is so aware both of her own culture, and her individual reactions, was a treat. I consider myself somewhat self-aware, but in terms of cultural awareness .. I have a long way to go. (If I were english, a statement like that would mean "I'm brilliantly aware, but wouldn't admit it for the world.") But I'm not, so it means I really do have a long way to go. See? I did learn something!

Title:Watching the English - The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour
Author: Kate Fox
Date published:2004
Genre:Nonfiction, Anthropology
Number of pages: 416
Notes:found in a Romanian bookstore!

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Friday, February 16, 2007

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cover of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Set in England during the early 1800s and the Napoleonic war, this is the story of two magicians who bring "practical magic" back to England. Norrell is a little, scholarly gentlemen who wants magic to be respected and important, but also wants it under control-- he wants to be the only magician (which he very nearly accomplishes), and he wants everyone to think the way he does about English magic. Strange is younger and more charismatic, and much less restrained in his practice and theories about magic. Norrell is particularly vehement that fairy magic and the legendary Raven King, the mysterious and powerful magician king of northern England (as well as parts of fairy and another land beyond Hell), should not be considered so central to English magic.

The book is narrated in a very pleasant, witty voice that some of the blurbs on the book compare to Jane Austen-- which seems fairly apt. When Norrell comes to London, the two men who immediately befriend him and begin introducing him to the rest of polite society (all the while making sure that they are his particular friends and advisors) are really quite dandies, social butterflies. One of his first magic acts is bringing a young woman back from the dead, and I love the way the narrator describes society's response:

It has been remarked (by a lady infinitely cleverer than the present author) how kindly disposed the world in general feels to young people who either die or marry. Imagine then the interest that surrounded Miss Wintertowne! No young lady ever had such advantages before: for she died upon the Tuesday, was raised to life in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and was married upon the Thursday; which some people thought too much excitement for one week.
The book is also written with lots of footnotes-- sometimes references to books by or about Strange or other magical tomes, but often other stories of magicians and fairies that are quite entertaining. Sometimes the footnotes seem a bit overwhelming (going on for pages), but they also seem quite appropriate to these gentlemen magicians who are far more scholarly than we might usually imagine.

The book also deals with some very interesting issues of class and race. Norrell has a servant, Childermass, who is incredibly useful, and has picked up some magic of his own; he's also quite capable of reading things in the Tarot cards, in spite of Norrell's disapproval. But in spite of all he does, Norrell does not trust Childermass or treat him like an equal the way he does with Strange. Another very interesting character is Stephen Black, a butler of African descent. The fairy who figures quite a bit in the book (always described as "the gentleman with the thistle-down hair") meets Stephen and takes quite a liking to him-- sees him as regal and wise, and gives him all kinds of gifts, and wants to make him king. While I don't think we are meant to completely trust the fairy's opinion, since he is capricious, selfish, and bloodthirsty, he certainly recognizes something in Stephen that most of the Englishmen around fail to notice. Stephen does reflect at one point on the strange fact that slaves are not allowed on English soil, but Englishmen are allowed to hold slaves elsewhere.

There is so much in a book this long, and I can't comment about everything. There's a delightful sequence where Strange accompanies Lord Wellington on his campaign against Napoleon, and Strange often moves parts of Italy around to suit Wellington and his troops, but forgets his promise to move them back when the war is over. The final section is impressive; we finally get a glimpse of John Uskglass, the Raven King, and see that he hasn't abandoned England completely (as many thought). His book of prophecy (now on the skin of the street-magician Vinculus-- which is a strange and delightful thing, to have this character be the book) was being fulfilled by the very actions of Norrell and Strange as they attempted to bring magic back to England, and Uskglass has much larger purposes and a great deal more power than either of them could imagine.

Title:Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Author:Susanna Clarke
Date published:2004
Genre:Historical Fantasy
Number of pages:1006
Notes:Read in two weeks

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Sir Stafford Nye is a diplomat who likes to do things a bit out of the ordinary. He likes things which are interesting and challenging and a bit unacceptable. So he is chosen to join a powerful few who are seeking to discover who is behind all the chaos in the world. Students in almost every country are revolting .. being violent for the sake of violence, championing anarchy, and they have plenty of training and weapons and power. Who has provided these things? And how can they be stopped? These are the questions which must be answered if the whole world is not to be dramatically, drastically changed.

Mary Ann aka the Countess Renata Zerkowski is an agent with the British government. She travels all over the world gathering information, discovering secrets, playing roles. She brings Stafford into the mix for a variety of reasons, and together they are able to help pin down exactly who is in power, who is giving money, who the youth of many countries are following, and how they may be stopped. It's rather scary to think about this, because it seems somewhat possible. As humans we are easily tempted by those who are powerful, especially when we are promised the chance to share in their power, or in the 'better world' they are seeking to create. Story after story has been written along these lines. And stories always contain bits and pieces (or large pieces, sometimes) of truth. What stops us from such deep evil? I suppose my answer is simple: the grace of God.

Stafford has a great aunt .. Aunt Matilda. She is rather old and suffers from rheumatism and arthritis and other aches and pains, but she is remarkably astute and well connected. Many key players in this story are childhood friends, or at least people she knew 'way back when'. Stafford is continually amazed at how much she knows and what is normal for her. I appreciate this about Agatha Christie -- how so often 'old women' which the world thinks powerless as actually powerful, key characters. Miss Marple comes to mind, but I'm sure there are others. Christie values age and wisdom and common sense and understanding which comes when someone has lived well for a number of years. As well as the British modesty of Aunt Matilda, who plays it off as though it were 'all in a day's work' .. nothing to be proud of. A very enjoyable character, as well as a value (that of honoring and listening to individuals) which I appreciate.

Title:Passenger to Frankfurt
Author: Agatha Christie
Date published:1970
Genre: Mystery
Number of pages: 262
Notes:not a typical Christie

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Wednesday, February 14, 2007

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Dorian Gray is a beautiful young man. When he walks into a room, everyone notices him, and believes him to be good. Dorian is discovered by a painter, who does an amazing portrait. The painter's friend happens to be at his house on the day the portrait is being finished, and starts to influence Dorian for the worse. He tells Dorian that the portrait will never grow older or less beautiful, but Dorian is already older than the portrait. Dorian then wishes it would be opposite, and for some mysterious reason .. it works. The portrait changes with his actions over time, but outwardly he remains young, fresh, uninfluenced, good.

With my family, the idea of inside and outside appearance has often been raised. Some of those who on the outside appear so beautiful have souls which a dog would not wish to smell. Others who appear plain or even ugly, have souls which could put the sun to shame. Okay. Not quite, but .. would we be different people if we could see our own souls? If others could clearly see our souls? Dorian can see how each action and decision affects his soul, but it does not make him a better man .. instead it makes him worse, because everyone still believes him to be unspoiled and perfect due to his young features.

Lord Henry is the man who takes Dorian's innocence from him. Lord Henry says what he does not believe, and believes what he does not say. He speaks in paradoxes and opposites and things which sound good but are not. Dorian Gray takes these to heart, and lives as a hedonist .. seeking, finding, taking pleasure wherever he may find it, and caring not for others who happen to cross his path. Lord Henry cares to watch the process. He doesn't care much for outcomes, but champions feelings and moving forward and pleasing oneself. It makes one sick. And Dorian is given freedom (in some sense) to pursue this sort of life, to care only for himself and what interests him, and to forget, ignore, revile the rest. It makes me angry that someone who speaks lies and does not love can have so much power, but I know that it is often so. That for some reason or other, we find certain people and voices and ideas powerfully attractive. May we learn to listen to those voices which speak truth, and challenge those which sound sweet but ruin all those relationships and people they touch.

Title:The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Date published:1891
Genre: fiction
Number of pages: 288
Notes: repeat reading. read online at gutenberg

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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

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The fairy tale of Robin Hood, made into a long wonderful story. McKinley has done this often and well .. taking vague tales and making them believable and with depth. Robin accidentally kills a man and goes into hiding, and with the help (and persuasion) of two good friends takes others with him. They become a banner for Saxons who are frustrated and angry with the Normans who unfairly tax them and take control of more than belongs to them. Robin is more than flesh-and-blood to those who keep surviving under Norman rule -- he is the embodiment of a legend -- he symbolizes their hope.

All the regular characters are here .. Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, Much, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Will Scarlet. Characters as unique as one could hope for .. each with quirks, fears, dreams, humor. The band in the woods is made believable by the way they care for each other, the ways they interact, the mundane problems they have to deal with (food, rain, shelter, hiding, uncomfortable trees). An intruiging idea .. something that to us is only a tale becoming living people. How quickly normal people can become larger-than-life. I wonder if we need that to survive. Humans need stories .. but do we also need stories that are 'impossible' .. heroes who survive more often than they should, relationships that are saved and not broken as they so often are in our world, people who need hope and to whom it is given. Things that perhaps are not .. but perhaps should be? or could be? or may yet become?

Title:The Outlaws of Sherwood
Author: Robin McKinley
Date published:1988
Genre: fantasy, fairy tale
Number of pages: 275
Notes: repeat reading

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Third in the Time Quartet, this book is mainly about Charles Wallace. In order to save the world from great evil, Charles Wallace and Gaudior, a unicorn, must travel through time. Meg's mother-in-law, Mrs. O'Keefe came to thanksgiving dinner in order to share a rune with Charles Wallace and commission him to fight the evil. He goes to fight the evil, all the while sharing a kythe with Meg who helps him to stay rooted to the present and to who he is.

Charles Wallace is given the opportunity to go "within" -- to be inside four other humans, to share life with them for a time. To experience what they experience and know what they know -- and to share the rune with them, bringing hope to hopeless situations. Most of the four people that Charles goes within are special -- seeing visions, seeking peace, having relationships with those who are different, kything (sort of like mature telepathy) -- seeing the world as it might be instead of just as it is. As Charles Wallace is within, time becomes blurred both for him and his hosts -- and they sometimes see one another or share experiences they should know nothing about. But they are connected through Charles and together make decisions and actions and bring hope which alters the course of one man who affects the world.

In the first chapter there is a phone call saying that 'Mad Dog Branzillo' is threatening to use nuclear weapons and ruin the whole earth. This is certainly sobering news, but the twins wonder whether it might be better if humans didn't exist because we can do so much evil. Charles Wallace jumps in with how everything is interconnected -- the really small with the really large, so that if earth were to be ruined it would affect the rest of the universe, something which cannot be good. The events that Charles Wallace affects while he is 'within' are somewhat small, but their effects ripple through generations. And the child who is born to become the great threat in Charles Wallace's time was destined to be great -- either for great evil, or for great good.

Title:A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Date published:1978
Genre: Young Adult
Series: Time Quartet
Number of pages: 256
Notes: Repeat reading

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Saturday, February 10, 2007

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Irene, a young princess, is kept inside at night for fear of the goblins. They live in the mountain, and have done so for many years, so their complexions and attitudes have been highly affected. They are mischevious and mean, and would love to get their hands on the princess. But the princess has two friends who are determined to care for her. One is a boy named Curdie .. his father is a miner and has raised Curdie to be wise and strong and unafraid of goblins. He knows to sing rhyming verses, which the goblins hate and run away from. The other is an old woman (great, great, grandmother to Irene) who lives in the top of the house/castle, and who is a wonderful magical character. The goblins have a big plot to ruin the miners and hurt the king, but Curdie is able to help stop both of them.

A number of times, MacDonald puts in comments about what a real princess is. The princess has a nurse who cares for her very much, but is not always right about what a 'real princess' would do, so as the narrator, MacDonald sets the reader straight. Characteristics that he attitributes to her include bravery, keeping promises, not being afraid, being honest, and loving her king-papa. As MacDonald was a Christian, it's enjoyable to think about how he was encouraging his children (who certainly enjoyed his stories) to truly be children of God. To be good in the best sense of the word. And a princess is not stuck-up, but is glad for friends wherever she may find them, and will not tolerate those who are rude or lying. Good things to strive for, to be sure.

Irene's great, great grandmother, Irene, lives in the top room of the house/castle. Almost nobody knows she is there, until young Irene finds her. And if someone were to come upon her, they would probably not see her. Her bedroom looks simple and not lived in, but because young Irene believes this beautiful old woman, she can only see treasures in her bedroom. Irene is saved multiple times by her grandmother and knows to trust her regardless of what may appear. An old wise woman who does only good, who can be seen only when she allows it, who takes care of those she loves .. a beautiful character.

Title:The Princess and the Goblins
Author: George MacDonald
Date published:1872
Genre: children's fantasy
Number of pages: 203
Notes: repeat reading

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Friday, February 02, 2007

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Missy, aka Taylor, Greeg leaves Kentucky. She had two goals in life -- to avoid early pregnancy and to get away from her small town. Both of those happen, with help from a mother who always believed in her, even when reason wouldn't have. Taylor works hard, has a bit of luck, and is able to buy a car which she plans to drive until it runs down and stay there. At a diner in Oklahoma, a little girl is given to her -- so she becomes a mother of sorts. Taylor and the girl (Turtle) end up at a place called "Jesus is Lord Used Tires" in Arizona, a place run by a woman named Mattie. Mattie lives deeply in reality, and still makes time to care for those who are hurting around her. And Taylor manages to 'find' a woman, named Lou Ann, who wants a housemate. They both have young children, are both from Arizona, both finding the strength to live in today, and able to speak honestly with one another.

Hope is a strong theme in this book. Turtle is given to Taylor, and it is clear that her life was not good before she was given away. Yet this little girl who has been so hurt is growing up with hope. She learns the names of all sorts of vegetables and flowers and growing things. Plants which are growing and green and full of life. A little girl who doesn't speak much (at first) learns words which bring her joy. There is also hope in the form of a young couple who are staying over the "Jesus is Lord" garage. Their names are Estevan and Esperanza, and they are Guatemalans running from some form of persecution. The bits and pieces of their story that the reader gets are painful. But they are still alive and safe. Esperanza is quiet and lost in her pain, but Turtle is able to draw her out and together they have some beautiful moments. Even a woman who has had lost those she loves deeply and has no 'home' can find pleasure and reasons to smile in today. A good read.

Title:The Bean Trees
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Date published:1988
Genre: Fiction
Number of pages: 232

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

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cover of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is one of those iconic characters that everyone is familiar with-- but perhaps not so many know him very well. I thought I had read some Sherlock Holmes before, but all of these stories were new to me-- and the description of Holmes' character and personage was a little different than I expected. I suspect my mental image of Holmes has been more formed by TV versions of his character than by the original stories. In spite of my mild surprise at finding a different man than I expected, I found both the stories and the character quite engaging and interesting.

I've discovered about myself that, while I enjoy mystery stories (whether in book or video form), I dislike the death and gore that is so often associated with them (particularly in so many TV series these days)-- so the fact that Holmes' cases in this book are much more varied was a pleasant surprise. A few have to do with death, but in many other cases Holmes stops a crime before it happens, or by solving the mystery of one death prevents another. In at least one case, there was no actual crime committed-- although still a terrible, unkind act. After I finished the book, it occurred to me that at least three of the different stories (out of twelve total) had to do with fathers or step-fathers who, by death, imprisonment, or more subtle means, were doing their best to keep their daughters fortunes under their own control. They are all different cases and interesting on their own-- but the parallel struck me as interesting; perhaps because it is so much less likely to happen in our society now.

I love that Holmes cares so little for rank. He works for the high and noble, Kings and Lords, but is just as willing to work for the poor commoners-- he cares more about whether or not the case is interesting and challenging than anything else. A while back I read that the character of Gregory House on the TV show "House, M.D." was based partly on Sherlock Holmes (which I found both intriguing and explanatory as to why I liked the show so well). When I read these stories and found Holmes so much concerned that his case be "interesting" or unique (rather than any kind of payoff or importance in the eyes of the world), it resonated with the character of House. Watson also notes Holmes' arrogance and (probably pretty just) assessment of his own brilliance and skill-- sometimes even showing off what he can deduce about people's profession or means of travel by the tiny indicators on their clothing and the like-- an arrogance that is also discernible in House.

This collection includes an afterword from Fred Strebeigh excerpted from "The Greatest Detective Who Never Lived" on Holmes fans, especially American ones. What struck me as most interesting (and a little bizarre) is the insistence that Holmes be treated as and spoken about as a real, and not a fictional, person.

Title:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Readers Digest edition)
Author:Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Date published:1987
Genre:Mystery Short Stories
Series:Sherlock Holmes
Number of pages:270

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