Day 1 of a few days of vacation.
This morning I got up early, because I forgot to turn my alarm off. Shrugged, made coffee, watched the sun rise.
Before the day gets too far along, I’m reading what I want. That’s a highlight of downtime for me. Reading what I want.
Want to know what I’ve read (or listened to) lately? Outside of work and school stuff, I mean.1
Philip Yancey’s Where the Light Fell. I’ve loved Philip Yancey’s writing for a long time. His Christian voice has always been kind. He’s willing to acknowledge and sit with questions that don’t have easy answers. His use of language is beautiful, truly an art form. After all these years, he published his own story. I had to put it down several times, processing the sadness I felt. Sometimes the church is so messed up. I finished it because I wanted to know how a boy from such pain became an author of such gentle grace. I highly recommend it to those who grew up with Yancey on the bookshelves, as I did.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics & Religion. So fascinating. It took me awhile to read this one, because it contained a lot of information, as well as graphs and charts. I’m not a graphs and charts person. Plus, I had an audio version. If I was going to read it again, I’d do a visual-reading version, not audio. I absorb better that way. Nevertheless, it was a good listen. Here’s the starting point: none of us is as reasonable, logical or honest as we’d like to think. Brace yourself. This one is gonna make you a teensy bit uncomfortable at times, no matter who you are. Pastor-friends: check out the “Religion Is A Team Sport” chapter.
Noah Gordon’s The Physician. Historical fiction. Breathtaking in its scope, following an 11th century boy whose unusual journey intersects with multiple cultures and faiths. I’ve read a few of Gordon’s books now and so far, this one is my favourite.
Lisa E. Dahill’s 40-Day Journey With Julian of Norwich. A friend and I did this together, reflecting on excerpts from the writings of this 14th century Christian mystic, who was so focused on God’s love. Beautiful.
And now? I mean, there’s always a list. Last night, looking for something lighter, but also beautiful, I started listening to The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard and Clint Howard. One chapter in, so far, so good.
Plus, there’s always another Agatha Christie story to read. Pure entertainment.
And you? What do you read when you’re reading what you want?
Um, I guess I need to say here that just because I read a book doesn’t mean I agree with everything it says or that my life reflects the behaviour or beliefs of the various characters within. I read to hear voices and imagine stories outside of my own.