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Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity by David W. Swanson My rating: 5 of 5 stars The more I read about the white American church's complicity with racism, the more I recognize my own complicity with racism. The more I read about whiteness and white privilege, the more I recognize the many ways I benefit from my whiteness--and the more I recognize the cost of this privilege. And it's hard to write these things. It's uncomfortable. And I need to make peace with discomfort and seek justice, whatever the cost. Last February, I attended the Cultivate conference and participated in a breakout session focused on how to talk about race. Leroy Barber, the facilitator, asserted that the problem in the white church was a lack of discipleship, training, understanding what the Bible says, understanding history, understanding justice. And that word discipleship resonated with me. How do we begin to see the world beyond...

The Girl from Vichy by Andie Newton My rating: 3 of 5 stars I've read a lot of novels about espionage during World War 2 and the role of female agents, and this was one of them. I liked the storyline, and I appreciate Newton's moves to illustrate complexity of human beings as they try to navigate difficult times. Why do people support their leaders despite the evidence that the leader is taking the people down a dangerous path? Why do some people collaborate with enemies? Why do some people risk everything to change the course of history? How does war change us? Unfortunately, this story and the simplistic character and plot development never quite achieve what I believe Newton wanted to achieve. For example, the protagonist's recruitment into the resistance was based on the fact that she wasn't a spy for the opposite side and because she fled marriage to a collaborator. She was actually a bit flighty. The resistance members shared na...

The Last of the Stanfields by Marc Levy My rating: 5 of 5 stars Her name is Eleanor Rigby, and she is from England. Her mother passed away suddenly. His name is George Harrison, and he is from Canada. His mother is suffering from early-onset dementia. They have never met, but they are drawn together and pulled to Baltimore by anonymous letters claiming that their mothers committed unspeakable crimes, which seems unfathomable to mid-20-something young people who could not be more different. Although each is suspicious of the other, they ultimately work together to uncover the mystery. Once again, Marc Levy draws rich, complex characters that make me smile and make me want to read more. We know them through their words, their responses, their interactions, and not just from surface descriptive details. We root for them and their mothers. We learn that no one is all good or all bad, that our actions have consequences, but those consequences don't ha...

The Art of Advent: A Painting a Day from Advent to Epiphany by Jane Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read a few Advent books every Christmas season to keep my mind focused on the meaning of Christmas beyond gifts, decorations, and family togetherness. I wasn't raised in a spiritual tradition that observed the church calendar, but I am drawn to it as it allows me to see myself in a larger story than my own. Every day a painting depicting some part of the advent tradition; most are classical paintings, but some are more modern. Every day a devotional that examines and analyzes the painting. Every day questions for self-examination. Every day a prayer. Every day personal challenges to "reflect unhurriedly on what God's might acts in Holy Scripture" and what these mean in practical terms. This started on December 1 and ended today, Epiphany. I appreciate the extended Christmas season that allows reflection on the work of Christ and no...

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow My rating: 5 of 5 stars Portals into other worlds? Yes, please. (It's been a long time since the parallel universes of Fringe and even longer since I stepped foot into Narnia.) Harrow's depiction of January, a peculiar and intriguing young woman who knows words like "temerarious" when she is seven, who has a peculiar living situation and a peculiar origins story, engaged me from the first chapter. January's words, written on a page, have power, and even if she doesn't see it right away, I did, and I was hooked. Where was this going? What would happen? It takes her almost the entire book, but she finally realizes, "Words and their meanings have weight in the world of matter, shaping and reshaping realities through a most ancient alchemy." Harrow employs visual, olfactory, and aural descriptions to draw pictures of characters, settings, and action, and these made me...

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars Since reading Magpie Murders back in 2018, I have made it a point to read all new Anthony Horowitz books. His characters and his sense of humor make me smile; his plots have me asking questions from beginning to end. But back to Moonflower Murders. It is a true sequel to Magpie Murders, and so Susan Ryeland is back, trying to figure out the secrets embedded in mystery writer's Alan Conway's detective Atticus Pund. I enjoyed this from the first page. Like last time, Horowitz embeds an Alan Conway novel in the book, and like last time I was annoyed to switch characters, and like last time, I ended up enjoying the parallel novels and the way the Atticus Pund novel informs the larger story. Horowitz has a self-deprecating sense of humor, such as when he writes about writers. He says, “It’s such a strange profession, really, living in a sort of twilight between the world they belong to...

My Grape Christmas by Laura Bradbury My rating: 2 of 5 stars I chose this book because it was about Christmas and about France, and I love both of these. Plus it was Christmas-time! There was no plot beyond "college Canadian living with her French boyfriend goes to visit his family in France for Christmas." She experiences cultural differences, insecurity, and jealousy. There is a happy ending, and this is not a spoiler since the happy ending was never in doubt. The typos were annoying. I do think some people would enjoy this book. The descriptions of French culture and the contrasts between Canadian culture were interesting. View all my reviews