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I’ve found that since cutting out caffeine, I’ve been taking more baths as a treat. (And because my back often hurts at the end of the day after carrying children all day long). And I’ve often brought in a book with me. It’s been nice to read for fun.

Here are my recent reads:
Recently Finished:
84, Charing Cross Road
The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective (Rohr)

Reading:
Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver (essays)
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Reading aloud with DH:
44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

Reading for my PhD (the novels anyway):
Defoe’s Moll Flanders
Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson (first American bestseller)

What are you reading lately?

I’ve been quite interested in following The Gospel and Culture Project, at least in its manifestations in articles.

A few interesting thoughts from a Wheaton College English prof on The Shack:

Judging from the Pulitzer Prize winning Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, and its National Book Award Finalist companion book, Home, American readers are ready for some theology, even some sermons. Sermons can be comforting. Getting trustworthy thought from trustworthy figures is a rarity and the familiarity of authoritative speech is restful, somehow. But getting a sermon–or several–straight from God’s mouth, well, that takes things to a different level.

While Left Behind at least made some attempt to address the global scope of God’s interest in humans, The Shack filters all its theology through the individual. The Shack shows us, at times, an insulated, regional spirituality, which doesn’t try to answer the global questions beyond those of Mack’s personal tragedy. An over-indulgence of this kind of focus can lead to the other end of the self-massaging spectrum from the vindication complex, one equally destructive to Christian mission.

Full article can be found here.

I hope to think through the issues of faith, the gospel and fiction when I have a bit more time on my hands. For now this serves as a good reminder to come back to it.

The Prodigal God (Tim Keller)
A great little book explaining the Parable of the Prodigal Sons; what I appreciate most about this book is its penetrating clarity, its lack of wordiness, and the biblical emphasis that we, like both the elder and younger brothers, are lost, and don’t understand the nature of sin or the nature of God’s abundant grace to us. Highly recommended, especially for older brother types like me.

A Treatise of Human Nature (David Hume)
As you might expect I read this nearly-700 page book for my PhD thesis (for the second time). Actually I’m unsure if I’d actually read all of it before now (having had read relevant parts and skimming the rest). For as much as Hume is maligned often as the Chief Skeptic I found most of his reasoning interesting and convincing — though he doesn’t leave room for many things beyond the empirical realm, which is indeed problematic. His writing is clear, fluid and actually gets into a narrative rhythm, especially in Book III: Of Morals. Recommended for philosophy-enthusiasts and for the layman, Book 1 of the Treatise would be worth picking up (especially for its pseudo-Calvinist ending).

Currently on the nightstand: Hypno-birthing, still working on What Mothers Do, Mama, PhD, skimming again through Sears’ The Birth Book, and for my book club, Things I’ve been Silent About.

Inspired by a number of fellow bloggers who actually keep track of what they read and (gasp) even review them, I’d like to have some reading goals (dare I say resolutions?) for the year.

1. Keep track of what I read, including dissertation books.
2. Review said books on the blog (even if it’s just a paragraph).
3. Read at least one *fun* book per month — which generally means a novel for me.
4. Read the Bible in a year with Bryce.

What’s currently on my nightstand:
What Mothers Do, Mama, PhD, The Prodigal God, and the Bible. I’m also working my way through Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature (again) for the dissertation.

What are you reading and what reading goals do you have for this year?