What I'm Reading

Once in a while I post about what I am reading.

I have signed up for my library's adult summer reading program. I am supposed to read and review books, each of which will count towards our town's goal of reading 10,000 books. If we make it the School Superintendent and Town Administrator will jump in the local lake.

So.. I think I am supposed to read stuff from the adult section of the library. I have read the biblical book of James and I guess that counts.

For fiction, though, I was for some reason drawn to reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle. I was recalling the rune contained in it, went to look at it, and ended up reading the whole story. It's a good one, too. If you haven't read L'Engle's time quintet, I strongly recommend going for it.

That lead me to remember something from the story line of A Wind in the Door, the second book in the quintet. So I read through that, too. It's about stopping seeking our own pleasure and maturing. That is actually what lead me to read James, because that book focuses on maturing in faith and action.

So that's what I'm reading. Haven't decided if I'll review them for the adult program yet, and I need  a new book. Very open to suggestions.


So what have you been reading? 
Why were you drawn to that book?

Books Are Dangerous

Well, good books are. Ones that have something to say, that make you think. Inane books can be fun or   help us take a break, but they aren't dangerous.

In The Giver, Lois Lowry asks us to imagine a "safe" society. Much has been taken away ... choice of spouse, choice of work, weather, color, love....and books. Each household has only three books: a dictionary, a practical guide to the community and a book of rules. In school, students are taught precision of language, science and technology, and civics. No history, no literature. Risk has been reduced, but at a price. There is no depth to life, no feelings. Things are always predictable, calm, the same. The community seems wrong, even before its darker side is revealed.

Taking away books and history is the only way for the community to function. If they had those things, the order of life would almost inevitably be challenged. If people could think for themselves, they would insist on choices and inevitably some would make the wrong ones. People generations back had chosen safety over freedom.

As we let our children read books, we expose them to new ideas and new ways of thinking. It's a risk. They may grow up to be different from us, perhaps in ways that will break our hearts. They may choose wrong paths.

But, if we keep them on the right path by limiting what they read too far, they aren't actually choosing the right path. They are just following, without really understanding what they are doing and they might do that all their lives..... a frightening thought.

Beyond that, being dangerous isn't the same as being evil. Here's a quote from one of my favorite books:

Gimli said, "But you speak of him as if he were a friend. I thought Fangorn was dangerous."
    "Dangerous!" cried Gandalf. "And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord. And Aragorn is dangerous, and Legolas is dangerous. You are beset with dangers, Gimli son of Gloin; for you are dangerous yourself, in your own fashion. Certainly the forest of Fangorn is perilous - not least to those that are too ready with their axes; and Fangorn himself, he is perilous too; yet he is wise and kindly nonetheless."

                                                                     J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

The protagonists -- honorable folk --  are here described as dangerous. They are -- lethal shots, deadly fighters. But they are right and good, as well. Only evil need fear them.

Books are dangerous because they change us. They can upset the status quo, give voice to injustice, sound warnings about trends and systems. They do it by introducing realities to people who haven't been able to see them, by planting new ideas.

Yes, some of those ideas are wrong, even evil. One of the things we need to learn is how to distinguish between good and bad arguments, right and wrong patterns, acceptable and unacceptable ways of thinking.  As we encounter these things in books and stories, we learn to evaluate them in the real world. It's an important part of education and a good reason to study a broad array of literature.


What dangerous books have you encountered? 
How have they changed you?




I am participating in the January 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Mash Ups

Saturday, I got to try some yummy cookies that my brother's girlfriend brought to the house. Boy were they good!

They were an interesting recipe -- oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies. A mashup.

I have also seen a picture of a pie stuffed cake recently. Three types of pie each cooked into a layer of cake. Not sure what to think of that one. Might be good. Might be sickening.

This mash-up craze didn't start with food. It started somewhere in medialand -- whether with books, photos or movies, I don't know and I am not going to research it. But it seems to be permeating more and more of our culture.

I wonder what lead us into this mash up phase. Why are we combining things in this way? Are we bored with what was, but not wanting to create new things, are putting old things together in new ways?

I don't know. It's an interesting thing to observe. I wonder what part of our lives it will migrate to next.

Have a blessed day!

What I am Reading Now

Every once in a while, I describe what fiction I am reading. Now is one of those times, so here goes.


War in Heaven by Charles Williams

I enjoyed this supernatural thriller. My favorite character is the Archdeacon, a protagonist of joyous and impertubable faith in God, who lives a quiet life until caught up in the events surrounding the Holy Grail. Other characters are memorable, with the evil ones being truly siniser. Prester John is an intregal part of the story and around him people are more fully themselves, so it seems that he is of Heaven. The central idea of this good vs evil story is that evil destroys, annihilates, makes things nothing. We must, therefore, pray against nothing. It also explores what happens to those who defy God. A great, albeit somewhat frightening, book.


The Mongoliad Subutai Corporation http://www.mongoliad.com/

I am still following this internet novel and really enjoying the development of the characters. The plot is exciting, too. The Mongoliad is released chapter by chapter on a more or less weekly basis. When I first started reading it, several chapters had already been released and I had to play catch-up. Now, I am reading it as it was intended to be read and need to make use of the links the authors have helpfully provided to explain characters and locations. My memory isn't as good as it once was, I guess. Still, I am going forward. If The Mongoliad is ever published as a print book, I would like to try it in that format, too.

Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

I just picked this up again. I am rereading the series. In December, I was back up to Book 8, now I am well into Book 9. It was hard going for a while, but after a break I am enjoying it again. It's a great series for lovers of fantasy, but the plot can be hard to follow and the characters difficult to keep straight. I am looking forward to Books 12 and 13, which I am told, wrap things up.

Tale Spinning by Stuart Nager http://stuartnager.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/little-animal/

This is a blog, which the author calls "an open experiment in writing styles". There are original short stories from a variety of genres mixed in with posts on writing and teaching writing. The writing is really good and I would recommend this blog for people who like quick but thought -provoking reads. My favorite story so far is Materfamilias, a sad piece about Mother's Day.



Well, that's it. What are you reading?

What I'm Reading Now

Every once in a while, I describe what fiction I am reading. This is one of those times, so here goes.


War in Heaven by Charles Williams

I enjoyed this supernatural thriller. My favorite character is the Archdeacon, a protagonist of joyous and impertubable faith in God, who lives a quiet life until caught up in the events surrounding the Holy Grail. Other characters are memorable, with the evil ones being truly siniser. Prester John is an intregal part of the story and around him people are more fully themselves, so it seems that he is of Heaven. The central idea of the book is that evil destroys, annihilates, makes things nothing. We must, therefore, pray against nothing.




The Mongoliad Subutai Corporation, http://mongoliad.com/welcome
I am continuing to read this internet novel. It is written in installments, similar to the serial stories that were released in newspapers in small portions in the 19th century. When I first began reading The Mongoliad, several chapters had already been released, so I was playing catch-up. Now I am reading it more as it is intended to be read. Perhaps because of my memory, I am finding the plot difficult to follow and the characters hard to remember. However, the story is both absorbing and exciting and the characters well drawn. Plus, I am learning a lot about the 13th century, the Mongol invasion of Europe and the Catholic Church of the time. I would like to read this straight through if it is ever published in print form.

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

I just picked this up again. For a while, I was finding it hard to plow through. However, after a break I am enjoying it again. It's a good story, but very complicated. It's hard to follow the plot and keep the characters straight. This series is a reread for me, and I am looking forward to getting to the last two books which I haven't read yet.







Tale Spinning Stuart Nager

http://stuartnager.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/look-at-all-the-pretty-stars/

This is actually a blog which the author describes as an "open experiment in writing styles". There are several short stories mixed in with posts on writing and teaching writing. The writing is always good. My favorite story is Materfamilias, a sad piece about Mother's Day. I learned of this blog while participating in The Ultimate Blog Challenge and recommend it to anyone who enjoys short stories.



Well, that's it. What are you reading?