Read all the things. Learn all the things. Talk about all the things.

Barefoot Ways by Stephen Cherry My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

What Sam Knew by Steve Higgs My rating: 3 of 5 stars Yawn. Patricia Fisher's husband cheats on her, she goes on a world cruise and solves a few crimes, and then a Maharajah gives her the use of his estate in her home town and ail of his luxury cars and his staff for perpetuity, so she goes home, starts a detective agency, and lives like a rich woman even though she isn't. She also doesn't actually seem like a very good detective since she ignored major clues that were obvious to readers but hidden to her, and she talks about that cruise incessantly. Apparently there is a whole series about the cruise, and so she is just talking about it in case we didn't read that series. I did not. She also talks about her cars and the size of her house. She also doesn't know what a booty call is and doesn't take the time to Google it, but mentions several times that she doesn't know what it is despite the fact that people keep saying tha...

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...