From the Bookshelf: Dealing with Loss

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the death of our oldest son, Peter. To mark the date, here are some books that deal with grief that I have found to be helpful in coping with the change the loss made in my life.

When God Doesn't Make Sense was written back when Dobson really did "focus on the family" rather than politics, and this book offers many wise words on dealing with loss. My sister-in-law Connie sent it to me shortly after Peter died and it was the first book (of many) I read in trying to sort out changes wrought by his death.

Publisher's Summary: An immensely practical book for those who are struggling with trials and heartaches they can't understand. Why does disease, divorce, rejection, death, or sorrow seep into our lives when we are trying to serve the Lord? It just doesn't seem fair! This book deals unflinchingly with life's most troubling question -- the awesome "Why?"


Disappointment with God is written by one of my favorite Christian authors, Philip Yancey.

Publisher's Summary: "Is God Unfair? Is God Silent? Is God Hidden?" These questions are asked with piercing honesty and biblical certainty. Step by step, Philip Yancey retraces the long journey toward understanding the answers to these and other questions. If God desires our love, why does he sometimes put obstacles in the way? Why does he seem so distant? What can we expect from him after all? No part of the Bible goes unstudied in the author's search for God's hidden nature in this compelling and profound book.


When God Weeps is written by Joni Eareckson Tada, who has certainly had much loss in her life and has had much time to reflect upon it.

Publisher's Summary: "If God is loving, why is there suffering? What's the difference between permitting something and ordaining it? When bad things happen, who's behind them -- God or the devil?" When suffering touches our lives, questions like these suddenly demand an answer. From our perspective, suffering doesn't make sense, especially when we believe in a loving and just God.

After more than thirty years in a wheelchair, Joni Eareckson Tada's intimate experience with suffering gives her a special understanding of God's intentions for us in our pain. Together with her lifelong friend, Steven Estes, she probes beyond glib answers that fail us in our time of deepest need. Instead, with firmness and compassion, they reveal a God big enough to understand our suffering, wise enough to allow it -- and powerful enough to use it for a greater good than we can ever imagine.


A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss is written by Gerald L. Sittser, who is also very familiar with grief.

Publisher's Summary: Loss came suddenly for Gerald Sittser. In an instant, a tragic accident claimed three generations of his family: his mother, his wife, and his young daughter. While most of us will not experience loss in such a catastrophic form, all of us will taste it. And we can, if we choose, know as well the grace that transforms it.

A Grace Disguised plumbs the depths of our sorrows, whether due to illness, divorce, or the loss of someone we love. The circumstances are not important; what we do with those circumstances is. In coming to the end of ourselves, we can come to the beginning of a new life -- one marked by spiritual depth, joy, compassion, and a deeper appreciation of simple blessings.


Celebrating the Wrath of God by Jim McGuiggan lives up to it's thought provoking title. This book was written in 2001, so it has been a more recent read for me than the previous four.

Publisher's Summary: Is there a purpose to suffering and loss? Just by living, we see and experience how agonizing life can be. We are surrounded by child abuse and neglect, starving families, premature deaths of those we love, natural disasters, and global disease. How could a God worthy of respect and worship allow such a world to exist?

There are no simple answers. But there is hope. Author Jim McGuiggan believes that suffering may in fact be the last thing we expect -- an expression of God's wrath, which is in turn nothing other than his relentless, loving pursuit of us. If this is true, then suffering is a vital part of God's work to redeem his creation. Give this claim a hearing, and you just might see the suffering world in a new way -- a world shot through with glory and hope and assurance.


This book, Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb, was recommended to me by another sister-in-law, Cindy. (I've got seven of them, so this could go on and on, but this is the last one for now.)

Publisher's Summary: "Shattered dreams," writes Dr. Larry Crabb, "are never random. They are always a piece in a larger puzzle, a chapter in a larger story. The Holy Spirit uses the pain of shattered dreams to help us discover our desire for God, to help us begin dreaming the highest dream. They are ordained opportunities for the Spirit first to awaken, then to satisfy our highest dream."

To help you understand this neglected truth in the deepest and most helpful way, Larry Crabb has written a wise, hopeful, honest, and realistic examination of life's difficulties and tragedies. He wraps his insights around the bold story of Naomi in the Bible's book of Ruth.

As Crabb retells and illuminates this sometimes disturbing and often profoundly touching story, we are shown how God stripped Naomi of happiness in order to prepare her for joy. And we gain an unforgettable picture of how God uses shattered dreams to release better dreams and a more fullfilling life for those He loves. Shattered dreams have the power to change our lives for good. Forever.


Anyone have any other recommendations? You'll notice (if you actually made it all the way to the end of this list) that these books all have to do with God and loss. Thinking about these books made me curious about what type of books people who do not believe in God read to help them cope with loss. Post a comment if you can recommend a title.

Browsing for Best Books of 2005

Amazon.com has a list of their "Editor's Choice" Best Books of 2005. There are 50 books listed, only one of which I have read.

Here are their Best Sellers of 2005, two of which I've read (this is an interesting list).

"S" is for Silence by Sue Grafton

Fiction: Modern Detective. Unabridged Audio from Random House Audio. 12 hours and 7 minutes. Published in 2005. Recorded in 2005. Read by Judy Kaye. Purchased from Audible.com.

I finished this latest Kinsey Millhone Mystery a while back, but life conspired to keep me from getting it blogged. My mom introduced me to this series several years ago, and I've read quite a few of them since then. If you aren't familiar with the Kinsey Millhone Mysteries, they begin with "A" is for Alibi, and work their way through the alphabet, to the latest offering "S" is for Silence. They are not deep reading by any stretch, but are a pleasing example of the genre.

For more information on Sue Grafton and her Alphabet Series visit: www.suegrafton.com

Publisher's summary:
Thirty-four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again.

In the small California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband.

But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind, Violet's absence has never been explained or forgotten.

Now, 34 years later, she wants the solace of closure.

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: "S" Is for Silence
from amazon.com, click here: "S" is for Silence
from Audible.com, click here: "S" is for Silence

Google and Books

Google offers a book search that I think is just fabulous.

Another "Books for Kids" Charity Option

First Book is a national nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. By visiting www.firstbook.org you can support First Book today!

Jack: C. S. Lewis and His Times by George Sayer

Biography. Hardback from the now defunct Harper & Row (now HarperCollins). Published in 1988. From Herrick Public Library via interlibrary loan.

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of C. S. Lewis. Somewhere on the internet (why don't I take better notes of where I get book recommendations?), someone said this was the one to read. Having only read Surprised by Joy I don't have a lot of experience with C. S. Lewis biographies. However, I certainly would not quarrel with describing this as a very well done biography. We benefit greatly by the author's relationship with Lewis. There is much to be learned of Jack and his life between these pages. A very engrossing memoir.

Publisher's summary:
A warm and perceptive insider's look at the life of C. S. Lewis, Jack is a personal biography of the gifted literary scholar, bestselling author, and one of this century's most influential Christian apologists. George Sayer, a long-time colleague and friend of Lewis, shares a wealth of information that only a trusted member of Lewis' inner circle could draw upon. He provides fresh and enlightening glimpses of life at the Kilns; days at Magdalen College; meetings with the Inklings; and the creative process that produced such world famous works as Out of the Silent Planet, Mere Christianity, the classic Chronicles of Narnia, and many others.

To buy used from amazon.co.uk, click here: Jack: C.S. Lewis and His Times
used from amazon.com, click here: Jack: C.S. Lewis and His Times

Wireless at the Library

Our local library just added free wireless! What a happy thing. :-)

This article talks about Seattle being the most literate US city. In part this is because of their excellent libraries. I've lived in cities with great libraries and some with pitiful libraries. We are blessed here in Grand Rapids with an excellent library system.

How about any of the rest of you? Good libraries in your town, or not so good?

From the Bookshelf: Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald S. Whitney

Non-Fiction. Paperback from NavPress. Published in 2001. Borrowed first from the Cascade Library then purchased from NavPress.

There are many wonderful books on Spiritual Disciplines, including another book by this same author: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. This slim 131 page volume takes a bit of a different approach in giving you some questions to help you decide if your practice of the spiritual disciplines is headed in the right direction, rather than giving advice on the actual execution of them. Throughout the book there are many good reminders of the ultimate goal of our implementation of spiritual disciplines.

Publisher's summary:
Most Christians desire a deeper walk with Christ. Many are pursuing activities geared to help them grow spiritually. But many believers wonder if they are really making progress. They're spiritually active, but are they spiritually healthy? Would Jesus look at their endeavors (prayer, church attendance, evangelism, Bible study, etc.) and pronounce them spiritually fit? Or does He have an altogether different set of criteria by which He measures their spiritual well-being?

Best-selling author Don Whitney (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life) is no stranger to activities and disciplines designed to move believers toward a deeper relationship with Jesus. The ten probing questions Whitney poses in this book will help readers look beyond their spiritual activity to assess the true state of their spiritual health. His questions cut to the heart of the matter: Is the reader's character becoming more like Christ's?

There's a difference between being spiritually healthy and being spiritually busy. Don Whitney poses ten probing questions to help you evaluate your growth in important areas of your life.

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health
from amazon.com, click here: Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health

a Generous Orthodoxy by Brian D. McLaren

Non-Fiction. Hardback from Zondervan. Published in 2004. Purchased at Kregel Bookstores.

a Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN is the full title of this book. Blogger thinks that is a few to many words for a title, so you get the whole thing here.

a Generous Orthodoxy has been over in the sidebar there for quite a while as my "Current Read". It took me a spell to get it read. This in no way reflects on the quality of the book. It was a very interesting read - the type of book that I go after with a highlighter. As McLaren goes through the different labels for Christians in each chapter, he talks about the good that can be gleaned from each approach to Christianity (and some of the pitfalls of each to avoid). He strays a bit from what is typically considered a Christian label in the chapter on being "Green", but makes a good case for why it should be a Christian characteristic.

Coming from a church heritage that has often acted as if they are the only ones who have it correct, it was refreshing to me to hear about what other denominations do right. His chapter on being an unfinished Christian is a good summary of why we should never feel like we have it all worked out perfectly.

Publisher's summary:
A confession and manifesto from a senior leader in the emerging church movement—a Generous Orthodoxy calls for a radical, Christ-centered orthodoxy of faith and practice in a missional, generous spirit. Brian McLaren argues for a post-liberal, post-conservative, post-protestant convergence, which will stimulate lively interest and global conversation among thoughtful Christians from all traditions.

In a sweeping exploration of belief, author Brian McLaren takes us across the landscape of faith, envisioning an orthodoxy that aims for Jesus, is driven by love, and is defined by missional intent. a Generous Orthodoxy rediscovers the mysterious and compelling ways that Jesus can be embraced across the entire Christian horizon. Rather than establishing what is and is not "orthodox," McLaren walks through the many traditions of faith, bringing to the center a way of life that draws us closer to Christ and to each other.

Whether you find yourself inside, outside, or somewhere on the fringe of Christianity, a Generous Orthodoxy draws you toward a way of living that looks beyond the "us/them" paradigm to the blessed and ancient paradox of "we."

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: a Generous Orthodoxy
from amazon.com, click here:a Generous Orthodoxy

Magic Street by Orson Scott Card

Fantasy/Fiction. Hardback from Del Ray. Published in 2005. On loan from Kent District Library, Cascade Branch.

In a previous book, Enchantment, Card added to the story of Sleeping Beauty. In Magic Street Fairy characters from Shakespeare's plays moved forward to today's world are the foundation on which he built this story.

I appreciate that Orson Scott Card does not discount God in his stories, nor does he make those who are believers all the "bad guys" as is often found in this genre. (Not that I am saying that believers have not been the bad guys plenty of times in real life, but that it is nice to find a book that knows that believers can be good, too.)

Publisher's summary:
Orson Scott Card has the distinction of having swept both the Hugo and Nebula awards in two consecutive years with his amazing novels Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead. For a body of work that ranges from science fiction to nonfiction to plays, Card has been recognized as an author who provides vivid, colorful glimpses between the world we know and worlds we can only imagine.

In a peaceful, prosperous African American neighborhood in Los Angeles, Mack Street is a mystery child who has somehow found a home. Discovered abandoned in an overgrown park, raised by a blunt-speaking single woman, Mack comes and goes from family to family–a boy who is at once surrounded by boisterous characters and deeply alone. But while Mack senses that he is different from most, and knows that he has strange powers, he cannot possibly understand how unusual he is until the day he sees, in a thin slice of space, a narrow house. Beyond it is a backyard–and an entryway into an extraordinary world stretching off into an exotic distance of geography, history, and magic.

Passing through the skinny house that no one else can see, Mack is plunged into a realm where time and reality are skewed, a place where what Mack does and sees seem to have strange affects in the “real world” of concrete, cars, commerce, and conflict. Growing into a tall, powerful young man, pursuing a forbidden relationship, and using Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream as a guide into the vast, timeless fantasy world, Mack becomes a player in an epic drama. Understanding this drama is Mack’s challenge. His reward, if he can survive the trip, is discovering not only who he really is . . . but why he exists.

Both a novel of constantly surprising entertainment and a tale of breathtaking literary power, Magic Street is a masterwork from a supremely gifted, utterly original American writer–a novel that uses realism and fantasy to delight, challenge, and satisfy on the most profound levels.

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: Magic Street
from amazon.com, click here: Magic Street

The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin

Fantasy. Paperback from Devil's Due Publishing. Published in 2003. On loan from the Tamarack District Library. (Yea for interlibrary loan!)

This is a graphic novel, so besides the author I should mention that it was adapted by Ben Avery, penciled by Mike S. Miller, inked by Mike Crowell, colored by Team Kandora and lettered by Bill Tortolini. A lot of work goes into a graphic novel, that's for sure.

I enjoyed this short prequel to the Song of Fire and Ice series that I recently have begun reading. The short story comes from a book edited a few years back by a fellow named Robert Silverberg called Legends. Eleven different fantasy writers contributed short stories set in the fantasy worlds that made them famous and this was Martin's contribution. It was then adapted into graphic novel form, which is what I found. Guess I'll have to go looking for the original short story now.

Publisher's summary:
In this prequel story to George R. R. Martin's Award winning, New York Times Best Selling novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, Night falls over the life of one noble knight and brings the dawn of his squire's knighthood. Dubbing himself "Ser Duncan the Tall," the Hedge Knight sets forth to the tourney at Ashford Meadow in search of fame, glory, and the honor of upholding his oath as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately for him, the world isn't ready for a knight who keeps his oaths, and his chivalrous methods could be the very cause of his demise.

To buy from from amazon.com, click here: The Hedge Knight

Thud! by Terry Pratchett

Fantasy/Humour. Unabridged Audiobook from Harper Audio. Read by Stephen Briggs. 10 hours and 31 minutes. Published in 2005, recorded 2005. Purchased at Audible.com

Terry Pratchett is a very prolific writer, but I have yet to grow tired of his Discworld series. This is number 30 and Pratchett continues to live up to his reputation for a rousing good read. He always makes me laugh out loud and this book was no exception.

There is a companion book to this one, called Where's My Cow?. It's a picture book, believe it or not. But, if you read Thud! it will make perfect sense.

Publisher's summary:
Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch will be damned if he lets anyone disturb his city's always tentative peace, and that includes a rabble-rousing dwarf from the sticks who's been stirring up trouble on the eve of the anniversary of one of Discworld's most infamous historical events.

Centuries earlier, in a hellhole called Koom Valley, trolls met dwarfs in bloody combat. Though nobody's quite sure why they fought or who actually won, each species still bears the cultural scars and views the other with simmering animosity. Lately, an influential dwarf, Grag Hamcrusher, has been fomenting unrest among Ankh-Morpork's more diminutive citizens. And it doesn't help matters when the pint-size provocateur is discovered beaten to death, with a troll club lying nearby.

Vimes knows the well-being of his city depends on his ability to solve the Hamcrusher homicide. But there's more than one corpse waiting for him in the vast mine network the dwarfs have been excavating beneath Ankh-Morpork's streets. A deadly puzzle is pulling Sam Vimes deep into the muck and mire of superstition, hatred, and fear, and perhaps all the way to Koom Valley itself.

To buy from from amazon.com, click here: Thud! (Discworld, Book 30)
for audio from amazon, click here: Thud! CD

Tintin (Volume 4) Hergé

Fiction. Hardback from Little, Brown and Company. Originally published in 1945. Published in 1991. Purchased from Amazon.com

My first introduction to the Tintin books was when we lived in the Netherlands in the early 1970's. Over the years I have enjoyed introducing my kids to Tintin, and have relished rereading many of the 23 books in the series. (I haven't read all of them, but have been searching our local library to see about catching up on the ones we don't have.) Originally published in French, the books have been translated into over 50 languages. (Dutch being the first language I read them in. Can't do that anymore even though I still have the book!) I enjoy these three in one books because they are more compact than the individual editions. I do like the individual ones too, though. They have the advantage of being the original format, plus being a better choice for seeing the detail in the artwork.

Publisher's summary:
Whether he's trolling the high seas for treasure or blasting off for the moon, young reporter-sleuth Tintin and his faithful dog, Snowy, have delighted readers everywhere for generations with their timeless adventures. Join Tintin and Snowy as they tackle the toughest mysteries around the world in Red Rackham's Treasure, The Seven Crystal Balls, and Prisoners of the Sun.

To buy from amazon.com, click here: The Adventures of Tintin - Red Rackham's Treasure / The Seven Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 4)

The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis

Fiction. Paperback. Originally published in 1955.

This is a prequel to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. The younger two kids are reading the series for school, so I read it, too. There is some debate about the order to read the series, many preferring to read it in the order it was published, rather than chronological order. C. S. Lewis is quoted to have said he thought the chronological order was probably the was to go, but he thought they could be read in either way.

I've also been reading a book about C. S. Lewis and the question of whether this series is an allegory or not has come up. According to my book, Lewis preferred to call it a "supposal", as in "Suppose Jesus came to a land called Narnia. What would that look like?" Tolkien is quoted as saying "that's the same thing as allegory", but Lewis contended that it was different. I guess I can see a small distinction between allegory and supposal, but I wonder if perhaps supposal should be a category under allegory.

In any case, this is not my first reading of The Magician's Nephew, but I enjoyed rereading it none the less.

Publisher's summary:
When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined. Hurtled into the Wood between the Worlds, the children soon find that they can enter many worlds through the mysterious pools there. In one world they encounter the evil Queen Jadis, who wreaks havoc in the streets of London when she is accidentally brought back with them. When they finally manage to pull her out of London, unintentionally taking along Uncle Andrew and a coachman with his horse, they find themselves in what will come to be known as the land of Narnia.

To buy from amazon.com, click here: The Magician's Nephew

Too Many Books?

This is what our upstairs hall has looked like for the past several months. These are mostly the kids books that won't fit into their bookshelves. (They won't fit into any of our other bookshelves either, sadly.)

Anyone else out there with books piled up in their hall?

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

Fantasy. Audio from Random House Audio. Published in 2000. Recorded in 2004. Read by Roy Dotrice. 46 hours and 42 minutes. Purchased from Audible.com.

Third in the series A Song of Fire and Ice. If you are familiar at all with the Veggie Tales movies, you'll be familiar with the phrase "I laughed; I cried; it moved me Bob." spoken (in all seriousness) by Larry the cucumber in reference to story told earlier in the show. I could say the same for these books. This series has got me hooked. Now comes the agony of waiting for the rest of the books to come out.

This is not a PG-13 series, and you will not enjoy it if you expect the heroes to all live to the end. When he killed off some of my favorite characters (main characters) in this book it took me quite by surprise and really shook me up. When situations come up where there are choices to be made by the characters, I'm never sure what path Martin will take them on. I think I'd be emotionally drained if every book I read was like this, but a roller coaster ride of a book occasionally is okay by me.

If anyone out there in cyberspace has read this series, I'd love to hear what you've thought of it so far.

Publisher's summary:
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King's Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
from amazon.com, click here: A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Fiction. Unabridged audiobook from Random House Audio. Published in 1999, recorded in 2004. Read by Roy Dotrice. 36 hours and 38 minutes. Purchased from Audible.com

The second in the series A Song of Ice and Fire. The series is still keeping me guessing. The story does not move quickly, but I am enjoying it none the less. I'm several hours into the third book and have just discovered that this in an unfinished series, expected to go to either six or seven books. (Flashes of the agony of waiting on Robert Jordan pop into my mind.) The fourth book is due out November 8 this year, so it's going to be a long wait for the whole series. I am not especially surprised as it did not seem to me that in the third book things were beginning to be resolved. I guess I'll have to wait a long bit before knowing how it all ends up. (Me and many others, I'm sure.) Shame on me for thinking that since there were three books I would be able to read the whole series in quick secession!

Publisher's summary:
A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.
It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: A Clash of Kings (Song of Ice & Fire)
from amazon.com, click here: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)

ALA's Banned Book Week

Oh, I know. I missed it. Banned Book Week was last week. I was perusing the ALA's web site though and came across a couple of quotes from J. K. Rowling I wanted to share. First on the subject of her books promoting witchcraft:

I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, "Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch."

And, secondly a bit of wisdom about banning anything comes from Rowling via Hermione, speaking to Harry in the book The Order of the Pheonix,

If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!

Check out the ALA's page for more quotes and other info about Banned Book Week.

Oh, and for an interesting article about banning by omission, check out this post on Get Religion.

The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks

Fiction. Audiobook from Random House Audio. Published 2005. Recorded in 2005. Unabridged, read by Scott Brick, 15 hours and 37 minutes. Purchased from Audible.com

The author of this book writes under a pen name to protect his (or her?) identity. There is a interview with the author (with the voice disguised) at the end of the recording where he/she expounds on his/her theories about "living off the grid". (Which means things like no driver's licenses, or registering to vote, or owning property or having checking accounts, etc. to stay away from the notice of the government.) Being "on the grid" does not really bother me, so his/her concerns seem a bit paranoid to me. But, perhaps if I went through what Sandra Bullock did in the movie The Net I would have a different perspective on it. Who knows?

As to the book, there were some ideas that needed a bit more fleshing out perhaps (like what the big deal was about travelers - other than a short bit where someone talked about how great a traveler was because he made everyone feel better, it's really very vague about that part of it and I wasn't really sure why I should care if they were all gone). It was somewhat predictable in terms of where each of the brothers ended up as well. The book did keep me occupied while I did housework so I was thankful for the diversion. Not the best thing I've read lately, but not the worse, either.

Publisher's summary:
Gabriel and Michael Corrigan are two young men living just beneath the glittering surface of life in Los Angeles. Since childhood, the brothers have been shaped by stories that their father was a Traveler–one of an elite group of prophets able to attain pure enlightenment. The Corrigans, who may have inherited their father’s gifts, have always lived "off the grid"—that is, invisible to the intricate surveillance networks that monitor people in our modern world.

Thousands of miles away, Maya is attempting to lead a normal life in London. The attractive twenty-six-year-old designer wants to ignore the fact that she comes from a long lineage of Harlequins–a band of warriors pledged to protect the Travelers at all costs. When Maya is summoned to Prague by her ailing father, she learns that Gabriel and Michael have just been located in California. The brothers may represent the last surviving Travelers, and are in desperate need of protection. Maya is reluctant to be drawn into the solitary, destructive life of her ancestors, but she has been trained to fight since she was a young girl.

Also searching for the brothers is Nathan Boone, a disciplined mercenary working for the Tabulas–ruthless men who are determined to inflict order on the world by invisibly controlling its population. Boone and the Tabulas fear the power of the Travelers, and for generations Tabulas have hunted them down. When Maya flies to California in search of Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, a colossal battle looms that will reveal a secret history of our time.

In this stunningly suspenseful first novel, reminiscent of George Orwell and Philip Pullman, John Twelve Hawks has created a vividly imagined world that runs parallel to our own. Moving at lightning speed from the back alleys of Prague to the underworld of Los Angeles to a guarded research facility in New York, THE TRAVELER goes beneath the surface to give us new insights on history and our own lives.


To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: The Traveler
from amazon.com, click here: The Traveler : A Novel

Wish You Well Foundation

Wish You Well Foundation supports family literacy in the United States by fostering and promoting the development and expansion of new and existing literacy and educational programs. Check it out.

Hour Game by David Baldacci

Fiction. Paperback from Time Warner. Published in 2005. Purchased at Meijer.

Publisher's summary:
As a series of brutal murders darkens the Wrightsburg, Virginia countryside, the killer taunts police by leaving watches on the victims set to the hour corresponding with their position on his hit list. What's more, he strives to replicate notorious murders of the past, improving on them through savage attention to detail. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are already investigating a crime involving an aristocratic and dysfunctional Southern family, but when they're deputized to help in the serial killer hunt they realize the two cases may be connected. Adding to the tension is the appearance of a second killer, this one imitating the murders of the first. Soon, the two killers are playing a game of cat and mouse, with King and Maxwell racing to solve the intricate puzzle of their identities-before the body count escalates.

To buy from amazon.co.uk, click here: Hour Game
from amazon.com, click here: Hour Game