I could read just looking for a good story…
All in Books
Never Let Me Go, Artificial Intelligence, and Souls
Who has souls, and how can we tell? In typical fashion, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro ponders this question, but only obliquely…
10 Favorite Books of 2022
Recommendation is a practice I like coming back to because books have a double power…
Returning to the Silmarillion
In order to prepare for The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, I had to read Blood and Fire by George RR Martin and reread the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien…
Returning to Gilead
Of the hundreds of books I’ve read, nothing I’ve read feels as close to my family life as Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson…
Consuming and Banning Books
Ideas, like chemical cleaners, aren’t meant to be consumed. They’re meant to be used. Using them can reveal something new or forgotten.
Matrix: Julian of Norwich should be more famous
My immediate thought after finishing Matrix by Lauren Groff was that Julian of Norwich needs to be more famous. This is my attempt to make that happen.
Théoden, Dune, and Savior Narratives
There’s as much truth to be found in the pages of fantastical novel as there is in the world around us. Today, we face the ability of others to use their powers of persuasion to seemingly alter reality around them. Yet in the face of that, we can still see and believe in what is true.
10 Favorite Novels I read in 2021
The year is at an end, so once again I’m sharing my favorite novels I read in the year.
Is the Wheel of Time show what I wanted?
I wanted the Wheel of Time TV show to be what I remembered it was as a beloved book series to a high school boy. Instead, I got something more like the life I live as a young husband and researcher.
Resolving my feud with the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Fortunately for my future (my own mom threatened to have me imprisoned before I could do the deed), I think I’ve been convinced to leave it standing.
Everyone is a Wizard: Piranesi, Perception, and Participation
Everyone is a Wizard… we can change people’s expectations, therefore we can change their perceptions…
Why I Love Klara and the Sun
As an avid reader, I’ve long experienced the magical power of books to reveal truth. Recently I read Kazou Ishiguro’s newest book Klara and the Sun, and through the journey of Klara’s faith, I experienced that power of books anew as Klara showed me a new way to live.
Learning from Job
Job is perhaps the most perplexing book in the Bible - but maybe that’s what makes what it has to say all the more significant.
Why I Love Lila
Lila, by Marilynne Robinson will gently change your perception and make you reconsider the world around you through the eyes of the gentle, humble Lila.
Why I Love Entangled Life
As I’ve recently discovered, fungi have rather a lot to teach us, and they’ve helped me rethink a few things about myself and the world too.
10 Favorite Books I Read in 2020
The year is at an end, so it seems like a good time to share my favorite books from the year.
My Mixed Feelings about Rhythm of War
Sometimes magic just needs to be wild, and sometimes character development needs fine tuning and detail. In Rhythm of War, Brandon Sanderson spends much of his book doing excellent character work, but devotes too much time to mechanizing the fantastical.
Book Covers - Paratextual Activity
Is it really so bad to judge a book by its cover? As the reader’s first introduction to the narrative, perhaps covers hold more meaning than we give them credit for.
Epigraphs - Paratextual Activity
Epigraphs, the short quotes at the beginning of many books, may not seem like much, but they play a key role in interpretation.