The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (Knopf, 144 pages, 2011) I read a lot of books in 2011, but my favorite was Julie Otsuka’s The Buddha in the Attic. Prior to reading the novel I read a review in my local newspaper and was interested in the book’s setting—the West Coast, San Francisco, towns and cities in a state I know and love. But, the novel is not about San Francisco and therein lies the beauty. The names [...]
Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by James Martin, S.J. (HarperOne, 272 pages, 2011) How many times have you walked into a church and seen a smiling saint? How many times have you heard that Jesus used a little humor to get his point across? I bet the answer to those questions is “rarely” or maybe even “never.” I’ve long said that I think God has a sense of [...]
mental_floss: The Book – The Greatest Lists in the History of Listory Edited by Ethan Trix, Will Pearson, and Mangesh Hattikudur (HarperCollins Publishers, 320 pages, 2011) Did you know that the term “tween” was coined by J.R.R. Tolkien or that Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 was originally called Catch-11? Why are Bellinis called Bellinis? What was the original purpose of Play-Doh? True to the magazine’s quirky and engaging style, the folks at mental_floss have released a compilation of some of their best [...]
The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day, Edited by Robert Ellsberg (Image, paperback, 752 pages, 2011) June 19, 1973 We feel so powerless. We do so little, giving out soup. But at least we are facing problems daily. Hunger, homelessness, greed, loneliness. Greatest concern of the Bible is injustice, bloodshed. So we share what we have, we work for peace. (571) Dorothy Day’s words can easily be echoed today by the many working on the front [...]
Yes, you read it right! Happy Haul-idays 2011 from our friends at Chronicle Books! Once again, Chronicle Books is giving bloggers and blog visitors the chance to win a haul of books worth $500. If I win, one of you wins too! And, this year the Haul-iday is even better. The winning blogger will be able to choose a favorite charity to receive up to $500 worth of books too! I can’t think of a better way to spread some [...]
The Betrayal of Charity: The Sins that Sabotage Divine Love by Matthew Levering (Baylor University Press, 225 pages, August 1, 2011) It is always refreshing to read from a young theologian bringing new perspectives and exploring topics in a new light. Matthew Levering certainly does not disappoint with his newest theological work, and recent Patheos Book Club pick, The Betrayal of Charity: The Sins that Sabotage Divine Love. In bringing together the works of contemporary theologians and scholars in other [...]
Hamlet’s Blackberry by William Powers (288 pages, Harper Perennial, paperback edition, August 9, 2011) A funny thing happened while reading William Powers’ book about our constant connectivity—my Blackberry Bold became unusable for a few days. Timing is everything. In Hamlet’s Blackberry, Powers carefully observes what we’ve become in this digital age. Walking down the street we see every other person, if not every person, using some sort of handheld device. On public transportation you might see someone with an e-reader, [...]
Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer: Experiencing the Presence of God and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of an Ancient Spirituality by Norris J. Chumley (208 pages, HarperOne, April 5, 2011) Last month I wrote about Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer, a fine documentary film about the Eastern Orthodox prayer practice of the Jesus Prayer. Shortly after that review, I had the opportunity to read the book that was released in tandem with the film. Like the film, this book is [...]
Mother Teresa, CEO: Unexpected Principles for Practical Leadership by Ruma Bose & Lou Faust (144 Pages, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, July 5, 2011) As a contributor to the Patheos Book Club blog, I recently read Mother Teresa, CEO by Ruma Bose and Lou Faust. The book can be categorized as a business and leadership book that aims to provide practical advice for effective leadership. In fact, Bose and Faust believe their work provides “Unexpected Principles for Practical Leadership”—so the subtitle implies. I [...]
I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics edited by Chris Cuddy and Peter Ericksen (130 pages, Servant Books, June 14, 2007) When I’m on the road I usually take a book or two with me. On my most recent trip I failed to bring the book I wanted to finish, but managed to bring my Kindle with me so that I could, if time warranted, catch up on some book reviews. As I sat in the airport without a book, [...]
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Through A Glass Onion by Angelica Quinonez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.Based on a work at throughaglassonion.com.