Book 7: Water for Elephants

Wow! Simply wow. The artistry of the circus blended together with murder, mystery and romance places this book at the top of the list, thus far. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a beautiful coming of age story for a young boy who looses everything. His world completely changes as he jumps upon the train of the Benzini Brothers Circus Show. Set in the time of the Great Depression, I cannot even begin to fathom this type of life style and all of the implications--let alone circuses traveling by trains! I think about how vastly different life today is compared to then, but that one thing always hold certain: love comes in the most unexpected places.

The story of love and longing in this book show an aspect of commitment and dedication that I feel rarely gets seen. The relationships are not presumed but develop over time, and seeking common care for each other is something that requires work. Maybe I read the wrong books, but it is not very often that we get to experience such initmate levels of care between so many characters. I particularly loved the relationship between Jakob and Rosemary, the nurse. It was touching to see the amount of care that they invested in their relationship and how it grew over time.

Grade: A

Next Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Reading Diversion: Ask, Thank, Tell

I am blogging about my reading adventures. They are mostly from my reading list, but now that the semester is beginning there will be more diversions that will be represented.

So, I read Ask, Thank, Tell for my Money and Mission course at Luther Seminary. If you are a pastor person seeking to revitalize your stewardship practices then this book is for you! Charles (aka Chick) Lane is a dynamic writer who convinces the reader that stewardship and giving is NOT about paying the bills but about building disciples. Our giving tells a story about who we are and what we value. As leaders in the church and the world, what we give to others and the church matter. Lane offers a comprehensive plan that is practical, non-invasive, and life giving.

It is a must read for those thinking about the role of money in their life!

Grade: A

The Kite Runner

My latest reading adventure has been The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Wow! This book was incredibly difficult to read. It was not because of the writing or word choices, both of those were fabulous. It was difficult to learn about the realities of life in a culture other than my own. It was difficult to see the corruption of humans brought to indescribable heights. It was difficult to read about broken relationships, longing, anticipation, and how time plays an immeasurable role.
Hosseini weaves a narrative of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan with the life of a young boy seeking his fathers approval and wrestling with his own guilt and shame narratives. The Kite Runner is a powerful story of love, loss, grief, and coping with societal changes that are beyond comprehension.

I particularly appreciated how the story began before the Taliban took power and how it was originally perceived before it became corrupt. They relieved Afghanistan from the Soviet powers but, as time progress, implemented their own oppressive powers. It was interesting to learn the history through the story of a young man and to be able to humanize areas in the middle east. So often, I feel as though I live in my own cultural bubble with my own assumptions and prejudices. To hear this story, in a voice that is not my own, was incredibly powerful and enlightening.

Grade: B+

Next Book: Water for Elephants

Book List Distraction: Insurgent and Allegiant

Earlier this month, I read Divergent by Veronica Roth because it was on my book list (see previous posts) and because it is becoming a movie in March. I really enjoyed it, although not as much as The Hunger Games, but enough to be intrigued to finish the trilogy. 

I completed both Insurgent and Allegiant within a week! Oh. My. Goodness.

The distopian society that Roth weaves of how quickly power corrupts people is shockingly accurate. I was amazed by the many ways that evil seeps in and out of humanity, just in our very nature.  One question that I had about this series was what the role of religion might play in it. Surely religion has had its fair share of corruptness in our real world, but it can also provide a message of hope. Roth vaguely referenced religion in the various factions, but never as anything that people hold as a form of truth or identity. In this society, where did religion go? Why was it not part of the structures, especially if creating a holistic community was the end goal?

Where The Hunger Games emphasized hope, the Divergent series emphasized forgiveness. The message of forgiveness was incredibly powerful and thought provoking. Roth engages how to forgive, why people forgive, what's possible to forgive, etc. It became an interesting theme that was well woven up until the surprising ending. I won't give away any more information than necessary, but that ending (although painful) was very well done. 

Ratings:

Insurgent: B+

Allegiant: B

Book 5: Life of Pi

There may not be any words to describe the poetic symmetry between zoology and religion that Yann Martel depicts. His crafting of words, thoughts and feelings transcends the mind to places of deep yearning. In Life of Pi, book and movie, Pi Patel survives a fateful shipwreck on the Pacific Ocean while harboring a tiger on the all-too-small lifeboat. It is the story of courage, vulnerability, fear, and faith. His quest for lifelong learning and ability to see beyond his wildest imaginations keeps him alive to tell this magnificent tale.

The ending will surprise you, possibly even amaze you. Yet, “If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?” ― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

This book was stuck to my fingers until it was completed and it continues to give me the courage to continue persevering, no matter what the obstacle may be. Even amidst the hardest trials and tribulations, one can always find hope to continue on.

Rating: A-

Next Book: Insurgent by Veronica Roth (I know it is not on the list, but it is the second in the Divergent trilogy, and I am really intrigued)

Book 4: Divergent

I am not sure if I read this book so quickly because it was difficult to put down or because it was WAY more exciting than my current J-term course: Modern Church History. Nevertheless, I completed this book in 3 days and am not regretting the decision.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is the story of a young girl in a dystopian society on the brink of peril. As a part of their culture, she is called to search herself and choose which "faction" she would like to abide in. The decision needs to be her own and it becomes a defining part of her identity. Each faction is known for a different attribute, courage, kindness, honesty, selflessness, and knowledge. Those who do not fit into one of those categories are known as Divergent. The divergents pose a threat to the overall structure of the system, especially when power hungry evil dictators want to take control. You can see where this is going, right?

This book was a particularly fitting read this season. As a seminarian awaiting assignment, I feel as though I have taken my aptitude test and am waiting the choosing ceremony. Only, instead of it being my choice, the choice will be made for me. I am terrified of the results, especially in light of life pulling a 180 on me. I want to be brave and serve the church where ever God calls me to go, but living into the fear of the unknown tends to consume me.

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. 

That's impossible. 

It's learning how to control your fear, 

and how to be free from it.”

We will see where life leads, and til then there are two more books in this series to keep me company. 

Grade: A-

Next Book: Life of Pi

Book #3: The DaVinci Code

I've decided that a book a week was highly unrealistic. The Poisonwood Bible made me realize that some books are just longer than others. Nevertheless, I am still committed to reading all 100 of these books! It just may take longer than anticipated.

My most recent adventure, The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, was exhilarating and (like the title of the list suggests) could not be put down. Now, I am a #churchnerd, who loves the intricacies of symbolism. The way Brown weaves the narrative together is masterful and keeps the reader in suspense through out the story. This was my third Dan Brown novel, and I recognized the familiar pattern of his writing style. There is a deeply profound conundrum that gets Robert Langdon involved, there is some female counterpart-with whom Langdon does some extra-curricular work with, and there is always an evil underling to work the plot of a mastermind. While I appreciate the suspense of figuring out "who dun it," the eccentric albino criminal/monk was too much for me. Daily forms of torture to keep the self in line were too far for me to appreciate his commitment to the cause. What I did appreciate was the relationship he had with the bishop who cared for him in his times of need. That even until death they were committed to each other.

Overall, I was unable to put the book down. Yet, I feel like I found Angels and Demons and The Lost Symbol more thrilling. I am excited to read Inferno, eventually. And after all of these books with deep faith questions, I am ready for a switch.

Grade: B+

Next Book: Divergent