Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Summer reading

So other than the previously posted about "This Present Darkness", I undertook the task of reading two classics this summer: Dune and The Last of the Mohicans...

Dune, for the uninitiated, is the sci-fi equivalent of the Lord of the Rings series - the quintessential work in it's field. If your only experience with Dune is the truly horrible 1980s film, please attempt to blot it from your memory! The book is fantastic - it addresses theology, ecology, sociology ... and it's terribly entertaining, too. I'm glad to have read it.

The Last of the Mohicans was, perhaps, even better. I couldn't put it down. Again, it deals with issues of theology and pluralism, tolerance, history ... and is very entertaining. Having just finished the book, I though I watch the 1992 film of the same name. I phrase it that way on purpose, because the film bore so little resemblance to the book that I found myself wasting two hours of my life. I'll never get them back. Neither will you, should you watch that wretched film. I'm generally not a film-snob, but this one is simply terrible.

All right, then: what was on your summer reading list?

Hatushili

2 comments:

Boomer@KCC said...

I've been reading books of a different nature this summer. The first was Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It's wrecked me. Not that lukewarm Christianity is anything to dream of fondly, but the early steps of leaving it are in many ways painful. Similar to breaking up with a spiteful, jealous, controlling girlfriend who also happens to be a good kisser. I'm happy to be away from the guilt, condemnation and pain, but still crave the self-pleasing.

The other book was Becoming the Answer to our Prayers by Shane Claiborne. Challenging in a different way. Learning now to see others the way God sees them and rushing to meet their needs. I'm still struggling with discernment on when to meet a need, how much to give and do I ever attach any strings (or instruction, guidance, teaching, training, correction) to it. Still very much trying to learn to listen in those areas.

Hatushili said...

A lot of our teenagers in the church have been reading Crazy Love. I've yet to hear their thoughts, but yours encourages me.

Hatushili