The small book, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” caught my eye recently in a bookstore. It is very short – only 134 pages in the paperback edition. The title intrigued me and I checked the book out of the library (the e-edition). Jean-Dominque Bauby was a French writer. At the age of 43 he …
From Off the Shelf
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
During the government shutdown, I averaged five books a week. I had plenty of time for reading and I took full advantage of it. One of the most powerful books I read was “Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate. “Before We Were Yours” is a novel based on fact. In western Tennessee, in the …
Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans
I recently finished reading the book “Searching for Sunday” by Rachel Held Evans. It was my first devotional book of 2019. I read her book, “A Year of Biblical Womanhood” in 2013 and enjoyed her humorous attempt to live a Biblical lifestyle. As good as that book was, “Searching for Sunday” was even better. Rachel …
Becoming and Tears We Cannot Stop
In an effort to understand the current state of affairs in our country, I have been reading a bunch of “political” books. I am constantly seeking answers to “How did we get to this?” and “What can we do about it?” Theology has plenty of answers to those questions, starting with original sin and the …
Chronological One Year Bible from Tyndale
I start every day with time in the Bible, devotional reading, and prayer. Putting God first in my day is very important to me. I set my alarm so I have this half hour of quiet at the beginning of the day. This last year my time in the Bible and my devotional reading came …
Relatives in the Family of God – All Cousins
I just finished reading A. J. Jacobs‘ book “It’s All Relative.” I love how Jacobs immerses himself (and his family) in a topic. He lives it, researches it, and writes about it with a humorous perspective. I reviewed his book “Drop Dead Healthy” in 2015. In “It’s All Relative,” Jacobs uses the world genealogy trees …
Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder
As you know, I like to read mysteries. I mostly read mysteries, but I occasionally delve into true-crime stories. I recently finished the book, “The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective” by Kate Summerscale. It is a true-crime detective story and much more. I have to …
American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide
I first decided to check out the book “American Bible” thinking that it would talk about how different parts of the United States look at the Bible. The book turned out to be very different from what I was expecting, but in a good way. “American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a …
DogTown and Best Friends: Two Books
After visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, I decided to read a couple of books to get more in-depth information. I started with “Best Friends: The True Story of the World’s Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary” by Samantha Glen. Then I read “DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Redemption, and Rehabilitation” by Stefan Bechtel. I started …
Breaking Free: Escaping the FLDS by Rachel Jeffs
Tom and I are living in Mormon country. We are surrounded by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For the most part, these folks are just like everybody else: hardworking, friendly, respectful, and doing their best to live in ways that please God. Within the area, however, there are also …