What Are You Reading, Love?
I’ve gone through some books pretty quickly as of late. First was Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz, kind of a spiritual autobiography that has some apologetic leanings. We’ve been discussing this book every week in a class up at the church and when I heard that they wanted to devote six weeks to it, I was a little surprised. I didn’t think it had THAT much new to say.Anyway, Miller’s initial idea is “I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve […] I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve.” Of course, there’s a problem right from the get-go in that, except for the most “free” of free jazz, jazz is full of tension and resolution, both harmonic and melodic. But that’s a little nit-picky. I take the point of God not resolving and I agree-- resolution is rare in this life. (But not rare in this book…)
I also read Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies within the last week. It’s also in the spiritual autobiography vein, but feels much less preachy. But both of these authors seem pretty intent on presenting an individualist’s take on Christianity. They don’t have what I consider to be typical Christian language and ideas. I can say that after reading both, I think I would rather meet Lamott. She seems more real and has a pretty impressive conversion story. I’m always a sucker for the story of a life redeemed.
Last night, I got done reading James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, which I was supposed to read in high school. It’s the fictional story of four people stranded from an air crash in a hidden, mysterious monastery called Shangri-La somewhere near Tibet. It was a much quicker read than it was, oh, I don’t know, 12 years ago?
So, what’s everybody else reading these days?
posted by Mike @ 10:56 AM
2 Comments:
The best compliment I can give to "Blue Like Jazz" is that it was interesting. Whether I agreed or disagreed with what was said in the book, I appreciate the fact that Donald Miller uses his personal experiences with explaining what God meant to him and explaining how he got from Point A to B. That's more than what a lot of people seem to capable of when they write books about faith in God. I would have more of a problem with an author that tried to wrap everything up in a tidy little package.
I saw the movie based off of Hilton's book. Didn't it win an academy award? or maybe was just nominated. Anyway, it was a good film.
Starting very soon I will be reading Letters to a Teacher--I guess this book inspired the making of Dead Poet's Society. Anyway, it is a book club at school, and I get $100 bucks for reading a book...it doesn't get much better than that, right? I am professionally developing myself by reading....:)
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