December Talking Meme
Both mermaidrain and gehayi asked me about the books I've been reading lately. In the past few months, I've read a number of books, both fiction and nonfiction, and would basically recommend all of them. A sampling, because I can't be bothered to fetch my Kindle and confirm:
Fiction
World War Z by Max Brooks: Yes, it's a zombie apocalypse book, but I'm not even into zombies and I loved it. The setup is that an interviewer (and if you listen to the audiobook, the interviewer is Max Brooks) has written up the accounts of survivors of the apocalypse and organized them chronologically. You get a worldwide view of the initial outbreaks, how the infection (a virus called Solanum) spread, the panic as people realized what they were up against, efforts to fight back, and the eventual rebuilding of societies. Seriously, it's great.
If you've seen the movie, btw, it's nothing like the book. The book zombies are classic "slow" zombies, and infection takes up to 48 hours to set in. Also, there's no Brad Pitt. Or Peter Capaldi. A bit of the dialogue in Israel is about the only thing that survived from the book to the movie. I liked the movie, but it's an "in name only" adaptation.
Wool by Hugh Howey: In a future world where the air is so toxic people are forced to live in silos underground, the ultimate punishment is to be sent outside to clean the viewports that are the only glimpse the people of the silos have of the world above. The people sent out have just enough time to complete the task before they die. Everyone knows it's a death sentence . . . so why do they always do the cleaning? This is the central question that drives the narrative of the five individual stories the omnibus edition comprises.
Nonfiction
A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith by Brian McLaren: I've read a few of his books, and this one's my favorite. I identify as a Progressive Christian, but what McLaren posits is that the progressive, or emergent, church is actually going back to the roots of our faith, before it took on a Greco-Roman character. What was Christianity like before Constantine? Before it had political power? What accretions on our faith actually go against the character of Christ? These are important questions, especially in today's world.
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi: I'm working very closely with a lot of Muslims these days, and I want to understand as much as I can of their religion. I have a friend who's a Christian-turned-Muslim, so when I saw this book, I thought it might be interesting to read the thoughts of a Muslim-turned-Christian. And indeed, it was. Qureshi speaks very fondly of his life growing up as a devout Muslim in a devoutly Muslim family, of the beauties and mysteries he found in his faith. He also describes what eventually caused him to turn to Christianity. It's a fascinating story, full of respect for both faiths.
Finally, my favorite:
A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans: Rachel Held Evans is a Christian feminist. So why would she want to do things like exile herself from her home during her period, cover her head while praying, and call her husband "Master"? Well, it's a funny story . . . and also a very enlightening, poignant one. There are so many contradicting opinions on what a Christian woman should be these days that she thought she'd go back to the source and try to follow some of the Old Testament laws (as much as she could without actual animal sacrifices). Along the way, she interviews women from a variety of Christian and Jewish traditions. And exasperates her longsuffering husband. It's a great book, it really is.
Fiction
World War Z by Max Brooks: Yes, it's a zombie apocalypse book, but I'm not even into zombies and I loved it. The setup is that an interviewer (and if you listen to the audiobook, the interviewer is Max Brooks) has written up the accounts of survivors of the apocalypse and organized them chronologically. You get a worldwide view of the initial outbreaks, how the infection (a virus called Solanum) spread, the panic as people realized what they were up against, efforts to fight back, and the eventual rebuilding of societies. Seriously, it's great.
If you've seen the movie, btw, it's nothing like the book. The book zombies are classic "slow" zombies, and infection takes up to 48 hours to set in. Also, there's no Brad Pitt. Or Peter Capaldi. A bit of the dialogue in Israel is about the only thing that survived from the book to the movie. I liked the movie, but it's an "in name only" adaptation.
Wool by Hugh Howey: In a future world where the air is so toxic people are forced to live in silos underground, the ultimate punishment is to be sent outside to clean the viewports that are the only glimpse the people of the silos have of the world above. The people sent out have just enough time to complete the task before they die. Everyone knows it's a death sentence . . . so why do they always do the cleaning? This is the central question that drives the narrative of the five individual stories the omnibus edition comprises.
Nonfiction
A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith by Brian McLaren: I've read a few of his books, and this one's my favorite. I identify as a Progressive Christian, but what McLaren posits is that the progressive, or emergent, church is actually going back to the roots of our faith, before it took on a Greco-Roman character. What was Christianity like before Constantine? Before it had political power? What accretions on our faith actually go against the character of Christ? These are important questions, especially in today's world.
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi: I'm working very closely with a lot of Muslims these days, and I want to understand as much as I can of their religion. I have a friend who's a Christian-turned-Muslim, so when I saw this book, I thought it might be interesting to read the thoughts of a Muslim-turned-Christian. And indeed, it was. Qureshi speaks very fondly of his life growing up as a devout Muslim in a devoutly Muslim family, of the beauties and mysteries he found in his faith. He also describes what eventually caused him to turn to Christianity. It's a fascinating story, full of respect for both faiths.
Finally, my favorite:
A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans: Rachel Held Evans is a Christian feminist. So why would she want to do things like exile herself from her home during her period, cover her head while praying, and call her husband "Master"? Well, it's a funny story . . . and also a very enlightening, poignant one. There are so many contradicting opinions on what a Christian woman should be these days that she thought she'd go back to the source and try to follow some of the Old Testament laws (as much as she could without actual animal sacrifices). Along the way, she interviews women from a variety of Christian and Jewish traditions. And exasperates her longsuffering husband. It's a great book, it really is.