The Hibernator's Back!

I'll be back.

Whether it is Rachel or Mr. Schwarzenegger, it is music to my ears in both cases. Have a wonderful 2014. xx Looking forward to you gracing the threads as before in the near future Arnie Rachel.

We'll be waiting!

Uh oh does that sound stalker-ish? mwahahahhahahah

Hi Rachel!

I'm so glad you're back!

Hi Rachel! You're back!! You probably already knew that, huh?!

Welcome back! Happy New Year!!

>2 PaulCranswick: Paul: Well, I don't think my re-entrance will be quite as dramatic as Arnie's :)

>3 streamsong: Janet: I'm surprised I still have stalkers after disappearing for so long!

>4 wilkiec: Hi Diana! Good to see you again!

>5 norabelle414: Nora! It's good to be back :)

>6 Crazymamie: Hi Maimie! I AM back, though I haven't even gotten around to posting my opener to my thread yet. But I wanted to save a small piece of cyberspace to call home.

>7 drneutron: Hi Jim! Happy New Year to you too!

Ok. So... Hi everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Rachel, and I'm a book addict. I am by education a biomedical engineer, but am currently working at Barnes and Noble - which is a lot more fun than I expected it to be, but which unfortunately doesn't pay enough that I can stay forever. *sigh* My managers would really LIKE me to stay, though, and that's a nice feeling.

I was really active on LT a couple years ago when I was unemployed, but I pretty much disappeared for most of 2013. I don't plan on doing that again - God willing. Hopefully this coming year will be less eventful than the last one!

And my New Year blog post *LT specific comments in italics*

Well, it's a new year! Last year was a difficult one for me - I moved back "home" to Minnesota, and was immediately distracted by family issues. Illnesses and other stresses abounded in my family this year. But I'm thankful that I was living in Minnesota at this time because I was able to be there for my family. Unfortunately, my family problems took away from my available internet time, so I got behind on writing my own blog as well as reading everyone else's.

Resolution 1: Blog about it! One of my New Year resolutions is to get back to writing blog posts and checking everyone's blogs *threads* again. So hopefully I'll see you around soon! I'm also going to make a better effort to write editorial pieces for my blog *I'll also post on LT!* since it tapered off to ONLY book reviews lately. I'm not going to stop with the book reviews, of course, but I'd like to include some other thoughts as well.

I'd been studying the "Question of Evil" for a while, but my studies tapered off when I became too involved in internet-based reading challenges and with my family. This year, I resolve that I will not commit myself to so many challenges and group reads - I will focus on my own interests. Those are: social justice, the "question of evil," and, my new interest, the "Question of Jesus."

Even when I was a child, I asked myself who Jesus was and why people prayed to Jesus instead of directly to God. As the good little Catholic girl that I was, I decided that this was a very sticky question and decided to shunt it off to some corner of my brain and stop worrying about it. Because of this shunt, I have very little relationship with Jesus at all, and even feel a little uncomfortable when other people talk about their bond with Jesus. I just simply don't know who Jesus is, I suppose. I'm a rather liberal Christian who believes that all religions are "right," and so I've ignored my lack-of-bond with Jesus for quite a long time. However, I have recently decided to read a little about Jesus and find out what He means to me.

Dedicated to this cause, I went to Barnes and Noble *Where I work, but don't say that on my blog! Big Brother is watching!*, and browsed the Christian Life and Christianity sections. I resolved that I would buy a "spiritual" book rather than an academic one - because I think the root of my problem is that I have always viewed the question from an academic standpoint. Of course, I failed miserably at my resolution, and bought four academic books. :) Oh well. There's always next time! Or maybe since I think academically, perhaps I'll find the answer in academic books? We'll see. Hopefully I'll do a better job at keeping my "blog about it!" resolution. Christian friends be warned - my thoughts on the subject of Jesus will most likely stick to academic ponderings.

Resolution 2: Just do it already! I make exercise goals for myself every year, and sometimes I complete them and sometimes I don't. I DID end up doing a couple of sprint triathlons a couple years ago, and I had been thinking of doing one last year. But I realized that I simply don't like swimming. It's so wet and chlorinated! I've always wanted to do the Tough Mudder, but that's one of those mud races where you need a team. And I couldn't find a team.

But this year, I have a coworker whose friends do the Tough Mudder every year. Now I have a team! :) So I'm going to train for the 2014 Tough Mudder (Minnesota). I'm a little skeptical that I can make the July 2014 race because right now I would consider myself a "mudderling" in the Tough Mudder Boot Camp. At the very least, I'll be fit enough for the 2014 Warrior Dash (Minnesota), right? Sadly, I hear the Run for Your Lives races have now been canceled or I'd certainly to THAT again this year. :(

Glad to see you back! Happy New Year!

Hi Katherine!

Janet: I'm surprised I still have stalkers after disappearing for so long!

Don't worry, I'll always stalk you, forever and ever and ever...

....errrrr....ummm, I mean, welcome back! *Laughs nervously*

And I'm sorry about the family issues. I hope everyone is okay, and it's totally understandable that you would fall behind on internet things with stuff of that nature going on in your life.

*Hugs* I'm looking forward to having you around again this year, though. :)

Resolution 3: Move forward! I resolve to move my career forward.

Resolution 4: Keep up! I resolve to do a better job of keeping up on my reading of the news / current events magazines. My problem is I really want to know what's going on in the world, but I'd much rather sit down and read a nice relaxing novel. I need to keep my reading more balanced with heavier stuff that I want to read but am always too tired to get around to. I'm also a pretty slow reader, so my book clubs take up a bit more of my reading availability than I'd like. I wish I had more free time!

Resolution 5: Please, just stop! I resolve to make fewer resolutions. I always make so many of them, and then I get burnt out and don't complete any of them. I need to focus on those resolutions mentioned above. So no reading challenges! I'll read whatever I want whenever I want, and not commit myself to group reads and challenges (unless I'm really eager to participate). I set a personal challenge this year to finish up as many already-started series and off-the-shelf (currently owned) books as possible.

Good luck to all of you and your New Years resolutions!

So can I tempt you with a year long group read of NT Wright's Christian Origins series? http://www.librarything.com/topic/162163

(more evil laughter)

Reading and Film Completed Last Month



My nephew and a friend of mine watched the first season in one weekend. My friend had just had surgery, so she had a lot of down time to just sit - and my nephew just kept wanting more and more. He also learned to use the rainbow loom while watching Doctor Who, and made me this awesome bracelet (pictured below). I'm glad that we agreed to watch this series through in order, it's a lot of fun. So far, I'm impressed with the fact that British TV has so much racial diversity - American TV tends to have shows that are biased towards one particular race, but Doctor Who has a more believable race ratio in its casting. Also, I admit that the Dalek are the most awesome enemy EVER. Lethal trashcans with suction cups and lasers?! AWESOME! They make me so happy. :)



Awesome Bracelet made by my nephew with the Rainbow Loom



I managed to find the money to re-subscribe to The Economist, which is my favorite current events magazine for foreign news. My first copy was the December 14th - 20th edition.

It had an interesting article about the pros and cons of raising minimum wage in America - though the lean was slightly conservative (at worst, it won't harm anything! It COULD help.) Personally, I don't understand the deeper economic repercussions of raising minimum wage, but my gut feeling says that it would probably help people who are struggling at the current minimum wage, and I doubt it would cause a permanent dent in the unemployment rate.





I'm still not a great fan of Rick Riordan, but I'm going to bully through and finish this series. He did a much better job both in writing and in research for this series than he had for the original Percy Jackson series, but there are still some quirks about his writing style that grate on me. Check my upcoming review for more details.



I watched the first story arc of the 1963 Doctor Who Series - An Unearthly Child - with my good friend and her parents. We enjoyed this campy B&W show, though the Doctor certainly isn't as charismatic as the more recent ones. And I had a really hard time believing that the 23-year-old Carol Ann Ford was a 15-year-old child. She DID slouch a lot to add verisimilitude.

In this show, we are introduced to the Doctor and his grand-daughter Susan. Susan's teachers begin to wonder who Susan is, and why she lives in an old junk-yard. So they follow her in to the TARDIS and are accidentally swept away into the stone age.



I'm slowly puttering through these fairy tales. I end up reading one every couple of weeks. It's great fun to read this mixture of familiar and unknown stories. Folklore is pretty fascinating, isn't it?

The Story of Bensurdatu: Three princesses disappear and the King promises that anyone who should rescue his princesses will get to marry one of them. A couple of knights set out to rescue the princesses, but they fail miserably and become servants in an inn because they're out of money. Then Bensurdatu sets out, rescues the two knights from servitude, and rescues the princesses by jumping into a magical river which the knights are too cowardly to enter. The knights betray Bensurdatu, though, and they leave him to die and take the three princesses home, claiming that they were the rescuers. They marry two of the princesses, but the youngest refuses to marry anyone but Bensurdatu. Luckily, the young man manages to rescue himself, and returns to the king as a hero. He marries the youngest princess, and the two nights are expelled from the kingdom. I feel sorry for the two older princesses, but I guess they should have been strong like the youngest one. :)

Hello, hello, hello! Glad to see you in this fabulous new year!

>14 Ape: Stephen: Woops! Almost missed your message in my eagerness to get all of my "New Year" posts up. :)

Don't worry, I'll always stalk you, forever and ever and ever...

You can stalk me as long as you want Stephen. :)

And I'm sorry about the family issues. I hope everyone is okay

Oh don't worry. Family happens, doesn't it? (I bet you thought I found some guy on OkCupid and gave up on internet life! Not true! Still single!) Everybody is doing well right now, and hopefully that will continue. Especially since my sister, her son, and her boyfriend moved out of my parents house. It makes it a lot more quiet down here in the basement. ;) And it reduces the stress since Colette doesn't get along with my mom very well. Thanks for the hugs!

>16 streamsong: So can I tempt you with a year long group read of NT Wright's Christian Origins series?

Oh dear Janet. Are you trying to tempt me already?!

>18 Morphidae: Morphy. Oh, how I have missed ye. I've already started The Many Colored Land, by the way. I really really really will finish the book this month. :)

Liz (eeblue) had a detached retina this month, and so she might not be able to finish the book. She's got it on audio, though, so she's making a good go at it.

Haha, I did assume that you had found someone on OkCupid. What kind of foolish men have you been dating that let you get away?

Currently Reading

The Five Flirting Styles, by Jeffrey Hall

I bought this book after seeing an article about it in the Star Tribune. It outlines several flirting styles and suggests ways to understand when people are flirting, and what kinds of things they might be thinking. Right now, I'm on page 77, and am feeling rather underwhelmed. A lot of the writing is really cheesy, and I'm not entirely convinced by Dr. Hall's studies.

The Many-Colored Land, by Julian May

This is my January real-life book club book with Morphy and eeblue. I read it many years ago but never got around to the rest of the series. I thought it would be fun to start the series over again, and this time finish it up. I'm currently on page 77, and am really enjoying it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling

Finally, I'm going to finish up the Harry Potter audiobook series with this last book that has been sitting on my audiobook queue for quite a long time. I read this book really quickly RIGHT when it was first published, so I don't really remember it very well - though I do remember being a bit shocked by the death and destruction and disappointed by the "cheesy" ending. Perhaps this time I'll appreciate it more. I'm on Chapter 7.

Newly Acquired

In the Blood, by Lisa Unger -ARC
The Dancing Master, by Julie Klassen - Signed by local author, bought it for mom's Christmas present
The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, by Marcus J. Borg
Jesus: A Theography, by Leonard Sweet
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Reza Aslan
Killing Jesus, by Bill O'Reilly
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander - present for my dad for Christmas
The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson - present for my dad for Christmas
Echoes of my Soul, by Robert K Tanenbaum - present for my dad for Christmas
Wondrous Strange, by Lesley Livingston - Nook free Friday

>21 Ape: Stephen: What kind of foolish men have you been dating that let you get away?

Very foolish ones indeed. One of them claims that he needs to "find a better job" before finding a girl friend. Which really means "I'm not interested in you." :p

Haha, well, I feel like I could never enter the dating world because I don't have a job, what women would ever date a man without a job? So I can understand that to a certain extent.

However, if he was lucky enough to score a date with you already then I'm assuming he's just a fool. To have a bad job and not only get a date but a GOOD one? Sounds wonderful to me. :P

A Rachel thread....do my eyes deceive me?!
No, my eyes do not deceive me.... not if Stephen is here!
Welcome back! You have been missed! {{{hugs}}}
Of course your managers LIKE you, what is not to like about such an amenable bookaholic like you?! ;-)
Happy New Year and best wishes for a wonderful 2014 for you and your family!

>24 Ape: Stephen Haha, well, I feel like I could never enter the dating world because I don't have a job, what women would ever date a man without a job? So I can understand that to a certain extent.

He has a job. He works at Barnes and Noble. Just like me. AND just like me, he took the job because he needed one, but he's overqualified.

However, if he was lucky enough to score a date with you already then I'm assuming he's just a fool.

We didn't actually go out on a date. We were coworkers, then friends, and then I got a massive crush on him but he doesn't want to date anyone right now because he wants to wait until he has a better job. Which, as far as I'm concerned means "I'm not interested in you, but I don't want to hurt your feelings." Because, after all, I work at Barnes and Noble, too, so it's not as if I judge him for taking a job like that in this economy.

To have a bad job and not only get a date but a GOOD one? Sounds wonderful to me. :P

Thanks for assuming that I'm wonderful to have a date with! :)

>25 lkernagh: Hi Lori! Of course your managers LIKE you, what is not to like about such an amenable bookaholic like you?! ;-)

Well, that's up in the air now, since I told off a customer today. :p He was being a complete jerk and throwing a fit about the difference in online price and in store price. He was DEMANDING in store price, and claimed that it was illegal to have two different prices like that. I watched him bully my manager and it really pissed me off, so finally I told him that if he really was a lawyer, he'd know that it wasn't illegal to charge different in store and online prices. He totally went off on me - personal insults and all.

Some people are really rude!

Thanks for assuming that I'm wonderful to have a date with! :)

I happen to know for a fact that not only are you pleasant to be around, but you are willing to pay for the pizza as well. If that's not a guy's idea of a good date then I think he needs to sort out his priorities.

Yeah, I can't imagine why he wouldn't date you if YOU were inquiring. Maybe he's a masochist, or at the very least gets pleasure out of self-deprivation. That's really the only explanation I can possibly think of. :P

Sorry to hear about the rude customer. How could he possibly have thought that a business couldn't have two different prices in two different places?

Happy New Year, Rachel! It's great to see you back on LT. Your 2014 plans sound great, and I'll be especially interested in your personal exploration of Jesus.

Are you still considering a career as a PA or NP?

Hi, Rachel! I'l be interested to follow your Jesus quest, too, just because I'm curious about others' thoughts on all sorts of religious questions. Have you thought about just chatting with people about their thoughts on Jesus? I can't think of a better way to get a personal, non-academic view, although I suppose it could get a bit tricky, depending on the person...

Welcome back Rachel! Happy New Year!

You should read Arctic Stranger's blog. He just had a great post. I'm not Christian and thought it was a delightful piece.

http://tmrichmond3.net/2013/12/31/a-very-messy-salvation/

Yeah, that one was pretty good.

>27 Ape: Yeah, I can't imagine why he wouldn't date you if YOU were inquiring. Maybe he's a masochist, or at the very least gets pleasure out of self-deprivation. That's really the only explanation I can possibly think of. :P

Now why hadn't I thought of that? He must be a masochist to not want to date me! :) That explains the whole issue. See, here's about how the conversation went - remembering that he'd already told me lots of times throughout the last year that he's not interested in dating anyone right now:

Him: I'm beginning to think I don't want to ever date anyone again.

Me: Oh, you shouldn't think that. You'll date someone again.

Him: You're being self-contradictory. You tell me that a person can be perfectly happy single, and then you tell me that I should date someone.

Me: I'm not being self contradictory. I've been single more than I've been in a relationship - how could I possibly think that you needed to be in a relationship in order to be happy?

Him: I don't know! You don't make any sense. But I'm DEFINITELY not ready to be in a relationship. You're SO self-contradictory.

Me: *heavy sigh* The REASON I think you should be in a relationship is because I have a crush on you. *Mind you, I thought he already knew that. Should have been pretty darned obvious.*

Him: *deer in the headlights*

Me: *stare down*

Him: But I'm not ready for a relationship?

Me: I can tell. *stomps away.*

Masochist. Clearly. Then he made it worse by desperately avoiding eye contact with me for a couple of days, which only pissed me off.

Rachel, it's wonderful to have you back. I have firmly attached your star and look forward to following your thoughts on reading and life in general. I have a collection of those rainbow bracelets from my granddaughters. They are pretty cool.

>28 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! Are you still considering a career as a PA or NP?

When I took the job at Barnes and Noble, it was because I was in the process of applying to those programs - as well as one for Clinical Laboratory Science - and I needed to take a couple of prerequisite classes. Figured B&N would be fun and easy and I could keep it as a part time job. But then when I was taking the classes, I realized I am just really tired of school. I simply don't want to go back for another couple of years. I'm not far enough away from the PhD to be happy with that. So it's kind of nice that I took those prereq classes to realize that. It would have been bad had I actually gone into one of those programs as burnt out on school as I was feeling.

So instead, I took a promotion at B&N - a couple of the managers there REALLY want me to consider management at B&N, and right now I'm a head cashier, which is the lowest level of management they have. I figured I really enjoyed working at the book store, and I'd give the whole management thing a try at least through the busy Christmas season. There's still a part of me that's considering management, but I'm concerned that if I stay in retail I'm going to start hating people. Like that annoying customer yesterday who SHOULD have been kicked out of the store - but my manager let the guy bully him. (That particular manager is very soft-spoken and shy. Not all the managers would have been bullied like that.) I'm afraid that if I stay in retail, I'll eventually get fired for telling a rude customer EXACTLY what I think of him. :)

Anyway, I've now decided to start applying for jobs again, while keeping the door open for any more promotions within Barnes and Noble. I've made some connections in the biomed companies around here - maybe one of them will pan out. And I'll apply for clinical research coordinator positions - many of them are fitting for people with PhDs. I could also apply to sales positions in biotech companies and drug companies. I'd like to stay out of basic science with animal research, though.

Keep in mind, while all this was going on, I also had a LOT of distractions from my family and didn't have much time to look for a job. First my dad broke his hip and THEN had a "cardiac event." My mom had a mental breakdown because she couldn't handle the idea that dad was hurt, and I sent her off to New Mexico to recover while I took care of dad all alone. AND, of course, I had to take care of my nephew, as well, because that's usually my dad's job. (My sister has her own set of problems and tends not to be very nurturing to other people.)

THEN a couple months later mom started showing signs of sudden onset dementia with manic psychosis. Which exhausted both dad and myself. NOW she's been put on some mood stabilizers and she's (strangely enough) back to normal. But it was PURE craziness around here for several months because of that. So, really, that gave me some time to let the whole management-at-a-bookstore thing sink in. It would be a really great job if only the good customers would stay and the occasional nasty ones would just order things online.

>29 scaifea: Amber: Have you thought about just chatting with people about their thoughts on Jesus? I can't think of a better way to get a personal, non-academic view, although I suppose it could get a bit tricky, depending on the person...

Well, I've talked to a couple of people. But I don't want someone to try to "save" me. So I have to be careful who I talk to. And it appears that the people I trust NOT to try to "save" me tend to have rather wishy-washy answers. They simply believe Jesus is God, and they pray to Jesus. It is a foreign concept to them that I (the good little Christian that I am) might question such things.

Of course, part of the reason I mentioned this issue on my blog and LT thread is to encourage discussion. As long as neither my blog nor my thread become a hot-spot for heated debates - people need to stay civil. And that's what I love about the 75ers.

Another person that would be great to discuss this with is the gentleman I mention in post 33, because he is very strongly spiritual, firmly Christian, and intelligent. He's also really darned frustrating, though, so I don't think the conversation is going to happen any time soon. :p

>30 SandDune: Hi Rhian!

>31 Morphidae: Morphy: Thanks! That looks like an interesting blog. I've added it to my Feedly feed, though I haven't had time to read that particular post yet. Always nice to find another good blog. :)

>34 Donna828: Donna: Yeah, the bracelets can be really good. And my nephew is surprisingly talented at it. Apparently, there's a girl in his class who makes those things and sells them. She's got competition now!

Returning your visit, Rachel. Glad to see you're enjoying new Doctor Who. Is this a first encounter for you?

Glad to see you on the 2014 group, Rachel! I'm quite a lurker on a lot of threads, but wanted to check in with you.

My husband and I are watching every single Doctor Who we can get our hands on. We're on Tom Baker (the fourth Doctor) and just watched "The Deadly Assassin" last night--it was really very good. There's been a pretty steady improvement in the writing and the production values!

I've also just started with the "Fairy" books -- I've read only the first, the Blue. Really liked it, and I plan to read the whole set (I'd really like to own them, too).

Got you starred! Best wishes in the new year!

Karen O.

33: Well, if he said he wasn't interested in a relationship before you told him you had a crush on him then I would think he was telling the truth...however if I found myself in that situation I'm pretty sure I'd change my mind very quickly. :P

Also, eye contact is totally overrated.

>38 MickyFine: Micky: Yeah, actually, I don't watch TV very much, so this actually IS my introduction to Doctor Who. Watching the series is a good activity to have with my friend and nephew, though - makes it a lot of fun. :)

>39 klobrien2: Karen: I'm glad to hear the quality of Doctor Who goes up with time. I AM enjoying the first episodes, but for a very different reason than I enjoy the newer ones. I like to see the evolution of the TV show...that's really interesting to me.

>40 Ape: Stephen: Well, if he said he wasn't interested in a relationship before you told him you had a crush on him then I would think he was telling the truth

Don't be silly. Men never tell the truth.

however if I found myself in that situation I'm pretty sure I'd change my mind very quickly.

:) I'm making him out to be unreasonable. He really isn't ready to be in a relationship, and I already knew that before mentioning that I had a crush on him. I only brought it into the conversation because I THOUGHT he already knew about my crush (it would have been pretty darned obvious to a socially-ept person), and I was trying to explain that it's not self-contradictory to want HIM to keep an open mind about dating when I GENERALLY think people can be perfectly happy alone. I didn't expect the admission to be such a shock to him. He avoided eye contact for two days. And then when I got pissed off and decided that I didn't feel like talking to him anyway, he suddenly seemed to change his mind and is now making extra special efforts to engage me in conversation. He's socially awkward, so this is difficult for him. And I decided to just let him struggle with that. His fault! He'll have to fix it. :p

Also, eye contact is totally overrated.

Somehow, I think you're going to turn into a man very similar to the one I have a crush on. :)

He does sound oddly familiar. :P

And, hey, it's not that men don't tell the truth! Okay, we'll lie through out teeth if it makes a lady interested in us, and maybe we boast around other men, but other than that we always tell the truth. Oh, except when we are telling tall tales to children of course. Hmmmmm...

Anyone who is that adamantly upset that he thinks you're self-contradictory is suspicious.

Hey Nora, have I ever mentioned that I have magical eyebrows?

>36 The_Hibernator:: Oh, right, I hadn't thought about the 'trying to save you' bit. Tricky, that. Hm. Well, good luck - I'm looking forward to any discussion that comes up here!

Hmm... have you tried The Case for Christ or The Jesus I Never Knew? I think the latter one might be a worthwhile investment for your quest! I believe it's all about who Jesus was/is, as a person and his role as the Son of God. Yancey's writing is extremely accessible. I have the book on my shelf, though I haven't read all the way through it before. If you do decide to read it, I'd be willing to pick it up alongside you!

As for exercise... holy CRAP, woman, Tough Mudder?!?!?! Have you seen the photos from that event?!?!?!? I'm hoping to do a few obstacle course races this year (figuring out which ones is actually on my to-do list for the month), but I don't think I'll ever go for Tough Mudder. Being electrocuted while swimming through a mudpit isn't my idea of fun. Haha. Honestly, if you're going for it, all power to you! But I will still call you crazy. :P

Sad to hear that the Run for Your Lives races have been cancelled, though... :( There's one similar to that held the next city over every year, but I don't know if that was the company. Crossing my fingers that it's not, since that was on my short list of events to do.

*42 Stephen: Yeah...he's probably about 15-20 years older than you, though, so you've still got some time to evolve into a man who feels that working at Barnes and Noble for minimum wage is beneath you. :p Seriously dude. We're hiring. Move to Minnesota. I have a friend looking for a roommate. You'll love her. ;)

*43 Nora: Anyone who is that adamantly upset that he thinks you're self-contradictory is suspicious.

Haha. Actually, he's the kindest, most sincere, and most compassionate man I've ever met. That's why I have a crush on him. The problem lies in his self-esteem. His last relationship was really, really, really bad and he's terrified of women now. In retrospect, I suspect that the accusation of self-contradiction was a ruse to get me to admit that I have a crush on him. But it backfired because he didn't think the conversation through very well.

Still. He's very frustrating.

*44 Stephen: Hey Nora, have I ever mentioned that I have magical eyebrows?

You DO?! Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh! I'm totally transferring my crush to you now.

*45 Amber: Yeah, I gotta be careful who I admit my questions/doubts to. :)

*46 Faith: I haven't tried either of those books. Thanks for the recommendations. I'll check them out. I'll see if we have them in the store today, in fact. :)

As for exercise... holy CRAP, woman, Tough Mudder?!?!?!

Yeah, I don't know why I always have to go big. But the reason I finally decided to do it was because my coworker who's going to do it this year is in worse shape than I am, but he's SO excited about it. It makes the whole training process really fun. :) At the very least, I'll be in shape for one of the shorter races.

*46 Faith Well look at that! They're both on sale for $2.99 on the Nook! Sold! :)

Technically I finished this book last year. But since I got behind on my reviews, I thought I'd just stick it in to this year. Especially since there's no way I'll actually read 75 books this year, I think.



2014 Book 1: The Hero's Lot, by Patrick W. Carr

Genre: Young Reader Christian Fantasy

Reason for Reading: This is the second book in a series I began last year. The first was quite interesting and I'm eager for the third to come out later this year.

Synopsis: In this second book of The Staff and the Sword series, Errol is compelled by powerful members of the conclave to go to a dangerous land and kill the traitor Sarin Valon. With a mixture of stubbornness and bravery, the princess follows Errol on his dangerous journey.

My thoughts: This book didn't have quite the flare of the first in the series, but it was nevertheless quite enjoyable. The adventure was much more clearly laid out in this book, which made it less mysterious than the first, but the plot was thicker as a result. The story emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, and raises interesting questions about whether Church authority is "good" just because it follows conservative values that have worked for centuries. I tend to believe that Carr's church is symbolic for the Catholic Church, and the hints of church-shattering philosophical changes that will come in the next book symbolize the conversion to Protestantism or perhaps simply the disgust many people have these days about the sex scandals in the Catholic Church. However, that's a message intended for adults, I suspect, and the target audience - ages 12-15 will probably mostly miss it. The dangerous foreign land that Errol traveled to clearly symbolized Egypt / Muslims - Carr included some rather direct hints to that effect. I felt a little sad that the people of that land were generalized as evil, except for those that had been converted by God's Christian word. Those few characters who weren't pure evil seemed rather weak and a little selfish. Messages like this always make me sad - especially in children's books - but I understand that it's difficult to write an epic fantasy without having a hint of xenophobia. Someone has to be "evil" right? I'm not sure how this problem can be gracefully avoided. At the very least, there were "bad" people and "good" people on both sides of the border, which is as much as I can rightfully wish for, I suppose. :)

Off the shelf talley: 0
Already-started series talley: 1

I'll take a minimum wage job at a book store ANY DAY!!!!!! But my cost of living will be ridiculously high in Minnesota, since I'm pretty sure I'll crash my car every time it snows. ;)

I will provide the wisdom that Canadians impart to all who live in wintery climes: snow tires.

Indeed, Stephen, if you live with my friend, you'll be within walking distance of Barnes and Noble. You need not drive anywhere.

ETA: It's a lot easier to drive in snow in Minnesota than in Ohio. Minnesotans are better about removing the snow AND about salting the roads in a timely manner. The reason no one knows how to drive in snow in Ohio is because they don't know how to get the snow off the streets.

Speaking of B&N .. they're having their holiday clearance sale now in their stores. All books with the red dot stickers are 50% discount.

>48 The_Hibernator:: It's true, there's something about training with someone else that makes the experience fun, instead of complete drudgery! El Husbando and I just started P90X3 together, and if we were each trying to do it on our own, I bet we would have quit on day one... heh. Having someone else to help motivate you on those crap days makes all the difference!

And yay for the books being on sale!!! How convenient...

>51 Ape: Stephen: Rachel is absolutely right, or at least the same applies for here in WI; more snow, but way more experience dealing with it as far as the road crews go. Plus, way more sunny days up here than in Ohio, even (really, especially) in the winter.

Hi, Rachel!

Wait, so you are saying I can have a lady-roomate, and be within walking distance of a book store, which I will work at?

Oh, I get it, you are luring me to Minnesota so you can kill me and feed me to the neighborhood cats. Of course!

*54 Caroline Yup! Clearance sale! Our own store also has a fantastic used book section that is also marked down to 50% off. It's pretty amazing.

*55 Faith Ah! You're a P90Xer! I was thinking of starting that out as part of my workout routine - it seems a wiser move than Insanity. But I'm not certain how much equipment is needed for P90X? I think it requires weights and stuff, right? Would you recommend it?

*56 Amber What she didn't mention is that when winter days are sunny in this region, they are also really darned COLD. :) Clouds keep the moisture and heat in the air.

*57 Stephen Don't be silly. I'm going to feed you to my OWN cats. Take care of your own first - that's my motto.

When you become manager you can totally hire me.

I doubt it would be necessary for me to become a manager, they're hiring pretty continuously. Though I admit, they tend to prefer the outspoken people. Which is rather silly in a book store. *sigh*

Yeah, I think most employers prefer outspoken people. :(

Well guys I'm an employer and I don't much go in for outspoken myself. Tends towards an unhappy office.

Stephen hitch a ride to Minnesota. Get that job in B&N as I am sure the subsequent posts would be enchanting.

Rachel, have a lovely weekend, if Stephen sets off I am sure someone in the group can give you prior warning. xx

Paul, I think you're unique in not preferring the outspoken employees. I think the managers at B&N prefer outspoken people because they are REALLY REALLY strong on the upselling, membership-selling, and gift-card selling abilities. Almost ALL of the employees are introverts, so it is difficult for most of us to thrust sales pitches on our customers. I'm not bad at upselling if I'm upselling something I honestly think the customer would like. And I'm generally good at selling the memberships, because I really believe it saves people money. But this holiday season I sort of felt like I was being told to stuff some gift cards down the throats of my customers, and then grab money out of their pockets while they were distracted with their choking.

Mind you, I like working at Barnes and Noble. I like the people I work with, I like the managers, and I like all the books. I even like most of the customers. But I do find it frustrating how so many poor little introverts have to become extroverts in order to work in a store like this.

In all honesty, Stephen would be better off working in a used bookstore or a library rather than a corporate one. It would suit the extreme introversion much better. On the other hand, maybe Stephen just needs to learn a little feigned extroversion? :)

Just like extroverts do sometimes have to spend time by themselves, introverts do sometimes have to be gregarious. It is part of life.

>63 The_Hibernator: I too find it easier to act extroverted when I'm doing so about something I care about. My whole volunteer job is basically being friendly to strange people and making small talk with them, but I get to talk about animals! So I don't mind.

Introverts need extroversion; nice idea, Rachel. Might surprise but I am only an extrovert in company I like; the fact that I do tend to get on well with most people helps me come out of my shell easily enough.

I wondered why Nora was always so nice to me .... basically being friendly to strange people and making small talk with them, . xx

Weekly Update

Film and reading completed


Doctor Who - The Daleks

Watched this with my good friend (eeblue) while I was waiting for the New Year to ring in. This is the world's first introduction to the Daleks, and I really enjoyed it despite (or perhaps because of) the cheesy acting and special effects. I LOVE that they haven't changed the design in all these years - the Daleks STILL have a plunger for a hand. :)

In this story arc, The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian land on another planet which has been ravaged by nuclear war. On the planet are two races - the peaceful Thal and the violent Dalek. The Thal would like to carve a truce with the Dalek, they will share their anti-radiation medication and the Dalek will share their food. But the Dalek have another plan. EXTERMINATION.

I love the philosophy of these shows. It questioned whether the Thal were really pacifist if it came down to defending themselves, or whether they simply THOUGHT they were pacifist. It also raised the point: There is pride in being unafraid to die, but there is shame in being afraid to live.


Doctor Who - The Edge of Destruction

I also watched this story arc while waiting for the ball to drop. This story wasn't very interesting to me, I'm afraid. The TARDIS "crashed" and the group was stuck in the ship for two whole episodes. They went paranoid (for seemingly no reason) and started accusing each other of conspiracy. The story didn't present any new concepts or philosophies, and the acting / directing wasn't strong enough to carry such an uneventful story. :( I almost fell asleep.


Wool, by Hugh Howey

I started this audiobook months ago for my real life book club with Morphy and eeblue. I finally decided I ought to finish it. Review upcoming.


The Week December 31, 2013 - Review of Year 2013

Currently Reading

*64 This is true, Nora. It would be unhealthy if extroverts never had time alone and introverts never spent time with people. All people need both types of stimulation.

*65 Because the employees at Barnes and Noble are generally introverted, I am actually considered one of the most extroverted people in the store. I'm often surprised at this since I'm used to being one of the more introverted people in my circles of friends. Part of the issue is that even though I am introverted, I'm also a fairly confident person. I generally like people and people generally like me (or if they don't, I'm happily unaware of their dislike). I'm also rather passionate and outspoken about issues that are important to me. So although I find social interaction exhausting, I am still "outgoing" while I am in certain company.

Of course, at other times I can be quite shy. :)

I see the issue of "The Week" is in your current reading...I received a sample copy with an offer of six more weeks free. I really miss my paper Newsweek (they went all digital), and I'm wondering if "The Week" would be a good substitute. What do you think? It seems it wouldn't hurt to go for the free issues and check it out.

Karen O.

*68 Karen I say go for it. That's how I got started on The Week. I tried out the free issues, then canceled them. Then I decided to get a subscription after all. I prefer the depth of information in The Economist, but the latter magazine is SO heavy and has SO much information that it is often difficult for me to get through in a week. I like The Week because it's short and sweet. It gives a nice review of what other journalists have said throughout the week, and then if I find the little squib interesting, I can go to the original article.

On the other hand, I'm not particularly familiar with Newsweek, so I can't say if it's a good substitute or not. I do know several other people who are quite fond of The Week, though, so the free issues won't hurt you any. :)

All this extroversion talk is making me nervous. :P

I LOVE The Week. You can read it in a few days, then you have some idea of the big stories, which you can pursue, or not, but at least I know what's happening! My other favourite mag. for that reason is Science News, another weekly.

I prefer New Scientist to Science News. It's a little denser than Science News, and a lot more expensive. But the target audience is career scientists rather than popular scientists - which makes it more fitting for me. But same idea. :)

>58 The_Hibernator:: Yes! I would recommend it! But it does require some equipment, and it's designed for people who are in decent shape to get in even better shape. P90X, the original, needs weights and either a pull-up bar or bands, and a yoga mat. The workouts are long -- some up to an hour and a half -- which is awesome if you have the time. The newer program, P90X3, is all half hour workouts (and same equipment) which is exactly what I need right now and I'm already seeing great results 9 days in.

Before starting P90X though, I went through the P90 Master Series to make sure I was ready for the intensity of P90X. The P90 Master series was a lot of fun, and still a really amazing workout, so I highly recommend that too! (Plus it needs less equipment, just weights and a yoga mat.) Depends on where you're at in terms of your starting fitness level, as to which program would be best suited for you right now. :D All told, I used to loathe the idea of working out, but Tony Horton's programs have changed all that. He's hilarious!!! Laughing during the workout can never be a bad thing...!

That said, Insanity just uses body weight, so you don't have to get any equipment... so there's a bonus! But personally, I find Tony more motivating than Shaun. Shaun T is too serious for me! I need to look forward to the workout or I won't do it, and I love Tony's randomness and quirky personality.

>73 dk_phoenix: Great! That's really helpful. I'm in decent shape on and off, so I have the "muscle memory" to be in decent shape again fairly quickly. I just need to motivate myself. Part of my problem is that I don't really like competing with other people at the fitness center for equipment, so I sort of dread going there. I really would prefer working out in the privacy of my own home, and it's probably less expensive, all told. And it's good to know that Tony has a good sense of humor. :)

However, I'm starting up the process of looking for another job right now, so it's probably best to not start the P90X program until I am settled down to a routine. So I have a little time to think about it.

Re: "The Week"

Thanks for the recommendations! They were just what I needed. I'll give it a shot.

Karen O.

>35 The_Hibernator: Sorry for my late reply to your message, Rachel; I'm slowly catching up on LT.

I realized I am just really tired of school. I simply don't want to go back for another couple of years.

Yep. I can sympathize with that. I thought I would start working on an MPH degree at Emory soon after I finished my residency in pediatrics there in 2000, but the thought of taking classes so soon was intensely unappealing.

So it's kind of nice that I took those prereq classes to realize that. It would have been bad had I actually gone into one of those programs as burnt out on school as I was feeling.

Definitely so. Good move on your part.

There's still a part of me that's considering management, but I'm concerned that if I stay in retail I'm going to start hating people.

Hmm. I have no knowledge of this, but I'd like to think that people who shop in bookstores are a bit nicer and classier than those who frequent places like Walmart or Value City. Save for that mega-obnoxious customer you described, what has your experience at B&N been like?

I'm afraid that if I stay in retail, I'll eventually get fired for telling a rude customer EXACTLY what I think of him.

I can't say that I see a problem with that. Someone has to do it!

I've made some connections in the biomed companies around here - maybe one of them will pan out. And I'll apply for clinical research coordinator positions - many of them are fitting for people with PhDs. I could also apply to sales positions in biotech companies and drug companies. I'd like to stay out of basic science with animal research, though.

Those all sound like good options (except for the basic science one, of course). Are you mainly looking at positions in Minneapolis or the upper Midwest, or are you willing to relocate out of the region?

Wow, your family did have its share of crises this year; I'm very sorry to hear that, and it certainly explains your absence from LT. I hope that your parents are doing much better now.

It would be a really great job if only the good customers would stay and the occasional nasty ones would just order things online.

That's even more reason for people like you to put the rude customers in their places. Maybe they won't come if they are worried about being told off if they act up. And if that fails, a wooden spoon is a very useful behavior modification tool.

Have a wonderful weekend, Rachel!

*75 Karen I hope you like it as much as we do!

*86 Darryl Sorry for my late reply to your message

That's ok...I certainly understand how easy it is to get behind!

I'd like to think that people who shop in bookstores are a bit nicer and classier than those who frequent places like Walmart or Value City. Save for that mega-obnoxious customer you described, what has your experience at B&N been like?

Well, here's a nice video on FB if you want to see what customers might do in a B&N.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=350633101742925

Of course, I'm a little skeptical of why this particular scene was filmed so well. Almost seems staged. :)

You're right though. The customers at B&N are much more polite and calm than ones at pharmacies and Walmarts. There's the occasional really grumpy person - grumpy about prices, about problems with their nooks, about our return policy, and every once in a while someone who gets pissed off if asked "do you have a membership at Barnes and Noble?" because they know the next question is "oh! do you know about the program?" Though I'm not certain WHY they need to get pissed off. If they say they don't want to hear about it, I don't tell them. But some people don't know about it and want to be told. The only way to know is to ask.

And there's the occasional shoplifter. One of our managers actually tackled one once. And once, a shoplifter shoved Janet (an elder employee) down, and the other customers got pissed off and grabbed him. :)

Our particular Barnes and Noble is plagued by a certain types of weirdos based on the area, though. There's the sex pervs that take the magazines into the bathrooms and leave messes behind. One guy followed me around the store for two hours, staring at me. When it first started, I was shelving books - I noticed he was looking at me funny, but I didn't really worry about it. But then when I was teaching a 1.5 hour-long nook class, the guy prowled around the area and peeked out from behind bookcases, then ducked back when I noticed him. I almost stopped the class and called a manager, but I had 10 people there, and I didn't want to make a scene. My manager walked me out to my car that evening.

Oh, and once, a guy came up behind the girl that was working in the kid's department and ejaculated all over her back. She had been bending over a low bookshelf at the time. I'm pretty sure I would have reacted with a little more punch than she did.

Other than that, there's just the occasional incident similar to the one in the video...where we're all like "what was that?!"

Most of the customers are fantastic though. I was just in a bad mood about customers at the time that I wrote message 35 because the bully-customer was still fresh in my memory. For some reason, it takes 100 average customers or a few really good customers to get rid of the taste of one really bad customer.

Are you mainly looking at positions in Minneapolis or the upper Midwest, or are you willing to relocate out of the region?

Mainly I'm looking in the Midwest, because that's where most of my connections (as well as family and friends) are. However, I'd be perfectly willing to move to another region if offered a good job.

I hope that your parents are doing much better now.

They are, for the most part. My father recovered well from his hip fracture, and hasn't had any more problems with his health. My mom has always been a bit sickly and anxious, so she's pretty much back to normal. Except that she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. There's going to be a lumpectomy on the 16th, and then several weeks of radiation. But I'm going to assume for now that these procedures will get rid of the cancer.

On the flip side, my sister just announced that she's pregnant again. :) She says she's really happy about it, though to me she seems quite nervous and ambivalent. I've suspected that she was pregnant since the end of October, and she's become more and more anxious as the months pass. But maybe that's normal. *shrug* Mostly, I worry because my dad is (and to a lesser extent I am) the main care-taker of her 9-year-old, Johnny. She's gotten a little better in the past couple of months, especially since she, her boyfriend, and Johnny moved out of my parent's house in early December, but I still worry about who is going to be the main care-taker of her new baby. My dad's not getting any younger!

*77 Thanks Diana! You too!

You mean you don't already hate people? However odd! I can't imagine why not. ;)

That scene does seem staged, Rachel.

Wow. Those creeps you described are horrifying! Is castration (surgical or chemical) legal in MN?

For some reason, it takes 100 average customers or a few really good customers to get rid of the taste of one really bad customer.

Yep. Substitute parent for customer and that describes perfectly the way I and my partners feel about the patients we take care of in the hospital. At least 90-95% of the families I encounter are perfectly lovely, but that one nasty or difficult parent can outweigh 10-20 good ones. We often have to remind ourselves of this, so that we don't let it affect us too much.

I still worry about who is going to be the main care-taker of her new baby. My dad's not getting any younger!

Last week I discharged home a preteen boy whose primary caretaker was his maternal great-grandmother; she was also taking care of his five other siblings. This woman, who was in her mid-70s, had an amazing amount of energy and did a fantastic job raising the six kids, whose parents and grandparents all were in jail or were unable to care for the kids due to drug addiction. There should be a special place in heaven for that woman.

*80 Stephen I love people Stephen. I just don't always love being around them. ;)

*81 Darryl Substitute parent for customer and that describes perfectly the way I and my partners feel about the patients we take care of in the hospital.

Yes, I can imagine. And it's so much more heart-breaking when they are parents (rather than customers) because you feel so bad for the children. :(

There should be a special place in heaven for that woman.

Agreed! That is tragic about her family, but what a wonderful person. Raising children when you're in your 70's is hard, as I've seen proof of with my father. Raising 6 of them! Wow!

I'm sorry to read about the problems. That is so incredible about the customers in the book store. I'm speechless and hope that guy who sexually assaulted the salesperson is now locked away.

My son is a wonderful salesman, bringing home great commission checks when he was doing sales. But he can no longer stand working with the public and it drove him back to school and into a different profession entirely.

I may have mentioned this a long time ago, but a SIL with a science PhD was able to get a bridge job teaching a night class at a community college which was happy to have her expertise for their students. In her case it worked into a full time position there. I realize it's not what you're looking for, but may be a useful short time solution.

Sending good wishes for your mom. Been there, done that. May the goddess of negative lymph nodes smile in her direction!

Hi Rachel, I've finally tracked you down. Welcome back and I hope 2014 proves to be a much better year for you.

Rachel - Weirdos in bookshops? Who would have thought that? I remember smilingly Megan telling me of her friends concerns that she may be risking life and limb going to me a potential psycho in Cchurch for our meet-up. Things turned out well enough (for both of us) and I think SWMBO being there too put Megan at ease a little, but it is concerning that there does seem to be so many people walking around so frankly out of control and seemingly intent upon wreaking discomfort as a minimum.

Trust that your weekend will be a great one and that every day gets a little bit nicer.

We had a friend and neighbor, well several actually, but this friend is a natural storyteller working at the cheese counter at Whole Foods for a time (in center city Phila) who came home every day with the most incredible stories of how people a)behaved b) treated the employees.... and again, you would think..... but no, these more entitled customers feel quite free to complain, berate, shoplift, eat things off the shelf etcetera. This guy was a treasure - he knew his cheeses upside-down and backwards and they let him go when he let one person too many have it. But he had tons of faithful customers who came on his work days, and he was really good, if you were open to admitting you didn't know a cheese from a chimichanga at getting you started. He sold more cheese than anybody!

Why am I going on about this?

Anyhow, yes, if I were in the field of science I might read New Scientist, but I'm not - mainly I want to know what's going on.

Hope you've had a decent week.

*83 Hi Janet! Thanks for the suggestion and good thoughts! Actually, I'd rather be a manager at Barnes and Noble than a lecturer. I don't mind teaching people who want to learn, but most community college and undergrad students are only there because they don't know what else to do with their life, and they weren't ready to grow up after high school. Many feel entitled to get A's, and whine and moan when they get a poor grade on a test or as a final grade after doing none of the homework. I heard a lot of that when I was a grad student. Many even have their parents call up and complain! I decided during grad school that I didn't ever want to teach.

Also, the nice thing about management at Barnes and Noble is that I would be able to come home after work and that would be the end of my workday. A teacher's job is never done. There's always a little more preparation you need to do.

That said, there was a merchandise manager job that opened up in a near-by store. I asked a couple of the merchandise managers and the assistant manager of my store if they thought I should apply, and was encouraged - at the very least, it's a great idea to interview. But then when I asked our store manager, she shot me down. I kind of knew she would, she has no people skills. And then she found it in her heart to give me negative feedback for the rest of the day (including a complaint from a customer who I - rather politely in this case! - asked to stop yelling at me). And she put a frownie face on my daily report. If I KNEW I'd be able to find a job in the next two months, I would have quit then and there. But it's better that I didn't. This manager has terrible people skills, but that's nothing new. I wouldn't want to leave all the other great employees and managers in the lurch because of the store manager and her negative attitude. :p Since I came to the store last year, many people have left because of this particular manager. :(

*84 Hi Judy!

*85 Hi Paul! My sister thinks it's REALLY, REALLY creepy whenever I meet people that I've been talking to on the internet. But I think it's creepy whenever she goes out on dates with guys she met when she's totally smashed at a bar. So we're even. ;)

*86 Hi Lucy! Yeah, as much as I'd like to adhere to Darryl's conclusion that some people need to be told that they're being unreasonable, that attitude doesn't fly very well in retail. Because the customer can complain to a manager. If the manager doesn't care, the customer can complain to the district manager. Eventually, the customer will get one or more people in trouble.

In some ways, I wonder if the more educated and "entitled" people are, the more likely they are to be a jerk to retail workers? I mean, I'm sure the ratio of nice-to-not-nice people stays the same between lower class and upper middle class. But it's possible that people with more money and education are simply used to getting what they want and are more likely to put up a fuss. They simply can't empathize with how it must feel to be the minimum wage employee whose fault it's NOT that online prices are lower than in-store prices (or whatever they happen to be angry about).

2014 Book 2: Love Monster, by Rachel Bright

Genre: Children's Picture book

Reason for Reading: It's the bi-monthly buy-one-children's-book-get-this-one-for-$7.99 sale at Barnes and Noble. Thought I should read it if I'm going to be trying to hand-sell.

Synopsis: This sad little monster is alone, surrounded by all sorts of cute and fuzzy creatures. All he wants is someone to love him. He searches and searches, until...

My Thoughts: Adorable!

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 0 / 2
2014 Already-started series talley: 1 / 2

Maybe I should read that one. :P

Hahaha sibling rivalry indeed Rachel.
Have a great weekend.

78: Oookay, this is making me wonder whether in my local B&N I should be paying more attention or scuttling out as quickly as possible.

87: And she put a frownie face on my daily report.
WTF?

In some ways, I wonder if the more educated and "entitled" people are, the more likely they are to be a jerk to retail workers?
I dunno. I was in a doctor’s office recently where large signs asked everyone to fill out some bureaucratically required form and to please not blame the staff, but several young men, apparently construction workers who had made early morning appointments, were grumbling and arguing and holding up everyone else because they didn’t want to deal with paperwork.

87: And she put a frownie face on my daily report.
WTF?

I'm with you. What are we? In kindergarten?

Hi Rachel! You should read the webcomic Mike: Bookseller. It's by a guy who works at a large chain bookstore (hmm, I wonder which one it could be!) and he draws comics about all the weird/funny things that have happened to him through the years. And terrible managers he's had.

Internet problems. Ignore this message.

2014 Book 3: The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan

Genre: Middle School fantasy / adventure

Reason for Reading: This is the third book in a series that I've already started.

Synopsis: In this third book of the Heroes of Olympus series, 7 heroes - Percy, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Annabeth - set out on a dangerous quest to Rome. The Romans and the Greeks must cooperate if they are to quell the rise of Gaia, but war is brewing between the two camps. Our heroes must try to postpone war while saving Rome from apocalypse-hungry giants and following the Mark of Athena - an ancient clue that only Annabeth can decipher.

My Thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of Riordan's writing, though I think this series is a heck of a lot better than the Percy Jackson series. While reading this book, I finally figured out what it is about Riordan's writing that bothers me - the audience is too childish. All the adults in these books talk as if they were kids. That grates on me. I guess I prefer kids books where adults sound like adults - even if they sound like silly or disinterested adults (which is often the case in middle school books). Despite my dislike of the style, though, I found this book well-researched and interesting. The plot isn't very complex, but there's a lot of action and some good humor. I'm not rushing to Barnes and Noble to buy a copy of the next book, but I'm planning on reading it "some day." (Which probably means I'll wait until the NEXT book comes out and reminds me that I still haven't read House of Hades...which is what happened with Mark of Athena.) One thoughtful question about this book - and maybe this will be answered in House of Hades - is why did Riordan only write first person narrative from the Greek heroes' points of view? Is he hiding something about the Romans?

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 0 / 3
2014 Already-started series talley: 2 / 3

More internet problems. *sigh*

*89 Stephen Yeah, I'm sure you'd relate. :)

*90 Thanks Paul! You too!

*91 Well, Katherine, that's a good point. Perhaps everyone has a sense of entitlement these days.

*92 Morphy, I agree - the frownie face was a bit childish. But that's just what she's like. She actually likes me, she's just MORE annoying to people she doesn't like. :) It's hard when I'm looking for another job not to just quit whenever she really gets on my nerves, though. I really just want to look her in the face and say "oh, I'm verbally submitting my 2-weeks' notice right now. I'll bring in a written notice tomorrow." But I can't until I find a new job. Stupid thing is, she'll actually be sad to see me go. One of my other managers thinks that the reason she didn't want me applying for the merch manager job in the other store is because she wants to keep me in her store. But I still think the interview would have done me good!

*93 Nora Oh that's SO funny! And SO true. You can't imagine how TRUE it all is. It's like reading Piled Higher and Deeper for the bookseller crowd instead of the grad student crowd.

*94 BAH!

Hey hey hey, I deserve my sense of entitlement, gosh darnit!

...

:P

>98 Ape: Stephen: *SNORK!*

Hi, Rachel! I'm demonstrably *not* a Riordan fan at all, so I'll pass on that one, too.

Definitely agreed that the Heroes of Olympus series is better than the Percy Jackson series... I do love them both, though. :)

*98 Stephen :p

*99 Amber Nice to see I'm not the only one!

*100 Faith Yeah, it is. I think it was the first Percy Jackson book that originally put me off his writing. I don't like what happened to the step-father at the end of that book. Was that really necessary? That, and the fact that he morphed Chronos and Cronus into one god. That irked me a little.

Oh! And I made a new blog post about my career development (or lack thereof) if anyone is interested. It's just some thoughts about where I've been...

http://rachelreadingnthinking.blogspot.com/2014/01/wherefore-arent-thou-my-caree...

Interesting blog post. I think I would love working in a bookstore too, but for now I'm still hoping to be a tenured academic eventually. We'll see how that goes over the next few years. It's sort of reassuring to hear that the backup plan can be fun too :)

>101 The_Hibernator:: *resisting urge to rant about Riordan's abuse of the gods...*

There is no doubt that there is truth in what you say about entitlement. I would imagine, however, that a study of such a thing, if it were even possible to do, would show that the ratios aren't that different - that it has more to do with personality in the end. Also situations and state of mind and that ineffable chemistry between people. I'd be curious to see such a study, really, because I could be so wrong!

I tried Riordan a while back, not for me.

*103 Zoe Well, good luck with that! Hopefully the situation is a little more cheery for you than it is for us scientists. :) If not, good for you for sticking too it! :)

*104 Amber haha. I've ranted enough. Really, the second series is much better researched than the first. Except that he made the gods act like very powerful 3-year-olds rather than as the ageless, yet angstful, beings as they were in mythology.

*105 Lucy I doubt the ratios of small-minded people changes much between the poor and the reasonably well-to-do. But I'm still thinking the willingness to act out on those small-minded impulses is higher in the well-to-do. But I'm not sure how to run such a study!

ETA: Since a few people here expressed interest in my religious quest this year, I will post my entire blog entry about doubt here instead of just a link.

Doubt

I'm sure most of my readers are familiar with the story of Jonah. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to prophesy against their wickedness. But Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh. He was afraid to prophesy in a foreign land full of wicked people who hated Hebrews. Plus, he didn't want God to show mercy to his enemies. So he ran. But he couldn't escape God, who in His Great Wisdom made a whale swallow Jonah until Jonah was able to see the error of his ways and continue more willingly on God's path.

I've been thinking a lot about Jonah recently. So I was surprised when a coworker jokingly compared ringing at the registers of our bookstore as her "Nineveh." She added "but if God told me to go to Nineveh, I would go." I half jokingly answered "then perhaps you haven't found your Nineveh yet." (She looked a bit taken aback. Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut.)

I think we all have a personal Nineveh (even those of us who are agnostic or atheist). Some of us have more Nineveh than others. Recently, I have found a Nineveh. It's a personal issue, and I don't think the details matter for this post...but the basic idea is this: I have a series of choices that I feel God has encouraged me to make. I don't like those choices, because I'm very much afraid of getting hurt. After much prayer, I decided to go ahead and have faith and make the plunge. It backfired in my face, I got hurt, I hurt someone else, and it all seems to be spiraling downhill from here.

I am faced with two interpretations: I can assume that I foolishly mislead myself with wrong expectations; or I can have faith that God led me down this path, that He had a reason to do so, and that some good will come of it.

Neither interpretation is inherently wrong as a Christian. Lots of people mislead themselves into thinking they're doing what God wants them to do when they're really doing what they want to do. Easy mistake to make. And with this interpretation, I can safely backpedal out of the situation I've created and abandon the path that I'd foolishly chosen. (Yeah, it leaves a mess behind, but .... woops! my bad!) Unfortunately, losing faith in myself isn't too healthy. If I choose this interpretation, then I need to believe that I don't really know when God is calling me and when He's not. Because I was pretty darn certain He was calling. And if that wasn't God calling me, then I'm probably a little crazy and certainly can never have faith in my interpretation of God's call again. So it seems like a good choice, as long as I'm ok with losing faith in myself and in God.

The second interpretation is more scary. It means I have to continue on the path I'd chosen, having faith that I was, indeed, hearing God's call, and that if He got me into this mess, something good must come of it.

I haven't yet chosen which of these interpretations to make, and am fluctuating a lot lately. But my instinct tells me that as a Christian I ought to believe that God was calling me, and that he's still calling me to follow that path. The path to Nineveh. Where I really, really, really don't want to go.

And while I wallow in self-doubt, as well as religious doubt, let's not forget that Jesus asked God to take away the burden of His chosen path: "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36 NIV, see also Luke 22:42). Let's not forget one of Jesus' last statements on the cross: "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" (Mathew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. He was quoting Psalm 22.).

Jesus, that miraculous man who is loved by millions of people even 2000 years after his death, also had a path he didn't want to follow. He also had his moments of doubt. Doubt is human. None of us should ever forget this fact when we are struggling with our own doubts. We need to always remember that we are human. That doubt is natural.

Always accept that you are human - that even Jesus doubted - and forgive yourself for your weaknesses. That is the best way to restore your faith.

http://rachelreadingnthinking.blogspot.com/2014/01/doubt_27.html

2014 Book 4: Wool, by Hugh Howey

Genre: Post-apocalyptic dystopia for adults, short stories

Reason for Reading: This was the choice for my real-life book club several months ago, but I only finished it this month. I had a bit of a reading slump in there, but I prevailed!

Synopsis: In this collection of related novellas, we explore a post-apocalyptic world in which everyone is living in a "silo" spanning downwards into the earth, instead of up into the sky. There, they are safe from the toxic fumes that ravage the earth's surface. However, it's not at all clear how humanity got into this underground silo, why the people of the past have revolted so many times, and...slowly...new evidence arrives to suggest that possibly the people in power are hiding something nefarious. This set of novellas follows several different characters as they independently discover secrets of the silo.

My Thoughts: This book had a really slow start for me since I prefer novels rather than short stories. I like the character and plot development that is only possible with a novel-length story. Wool is a long book, but it is a collection of loosely connected novellas rather than one continuous story. This creates an intriguing atmosphere of mystery, and allows for different characters to discover different types of secrets of the silo - which is a refreshing turn from most dystopic literature these days in which one character manages to discover all. I guess this format is more believable in that way. But the format slows down plot and character development. The book started picking up about half-way through for me, though. This is when it started focusing on certain characters for longer. Thus, more character development. Also, about half-way through the book is when I started to realize that perhaps Wool was ideologically different than most dystopias. I began to wonder if maybe the choices the government was making really were protecting the people. Maybe ignorance - though abhorrent - was necessary in this case? I'm not going to say what my final conclusion on this subject was...you'll have to find out for yourself. And I probably still need to read the prequel, Shift, and the sequel, Dust, in order to come to a conclusion.There's still a lot of mystery to me about the silo.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 1 / 4
2014 Already-started series talley: 2 / 4

I couldn't handle Wool when I picked it up a few months ago - just didn't get engaged, however, I gave it to our library, so if I change my mind...... great review!

Fine cogitations on the nature of doubt. I'm not religious, as in attached to any particular faith, but I read and think a lot about 'spiritual' matters - in which I include moral and ethical responsibilities of adults. Doubt affects everyone at some level, down to the 'why bother getting out of bed' sort of thinking on up the line. I also loved the idea of a 'personal Ninevah' I have quite a few of those, from the trivial (fear of failure etc) to the serious (extending beyond what is comfortable - real giving, not just convenient giving).

Whoohooo! She got it read! :D

I need to get around to reading the prequel and sequel, too.

*109 Lucy, yes, I agree that sometimes "real giving" can be a personal Ninevah. For instance, it's easy for a lot of people to give money, or perhaps even blood, but not to volunteer their time. And if they do volunteer their time, it's often things that they feel very comfortable doing such as gardening for their church, knitting prayer shawls, or helping yard work for elderly people. It's much harder to volunteer for a soup kitchen or a crisis hotline, because most people like to avoid direct interaction with people who are suffering. Not that I'm saying giving money or knitting prayer shawls isn't good, but that it's easier.

*110 Morphy Well, actually I finished reading Wool during the first week of January. I'm just behind on my reviews. I also need to review The Many Colored Land and The Drowning Girl, but I'm not worried about reviewing them the moment I finish them. I'll get them reviewed soon. :)

I wouldn't be able to handle a crisis line. I've been on the other end too many times. I wouldn't be able to handle hours of me! I'd be a mess after my first day.

Now, a soup kitchen I want to do. Once I'm out of this chair, I plan on it.

I volunteered at a soup kitchen for years, and I actually found that there often wasn't as much interaction with the clients as I would have liked. If I were lucky I could be one of the two people actually serving at the counter, and sometimes on slow days I could go out to the eating area and play a bit of Euchre, but most of the time was spent preparing food in the kitchen with the other volunteers.

I also just never figured out how to ask people to share their stories, though.

I tried to volunteer for a crisis hotline last year. But it took a month of 2-day a week training plus two full 8 hour days and some additional practice sessions. I got most of the way through the curriculum, and then had to miss a class because I took my mom in to the emergency room (it was the second class I'd missed, the first was also a mom-related emergency). So I have to start all over again. But I told them I'd wait until I find another job and know what my schedule will be. I hope that happens soon!

*112 Morphy As far as being on the other end feels, I HAVE been on the other end - though never bad enough to call a hotline. That was part of what drew me to the idea. I felt that those little crises would help me to empathize with the callers. I know what it feels like, and I don't want anyone to go through that alone. I'm pretty sure I can handle the stress - but we'll see!

*113 Zoe Ok. Maybe soup kitchen was a bad example. :) But I'm glad you enjoy it!

Sadly, I no longer volunteer at that soup kitchen since moving from Toronto to New York. But I hope to get back one day!

January Synopsis

Another good month has passed, and as you can see I've accumulated more books than I've read - yet again! As far as my resolutions go, I 1) posted 3 book reviews this month: Hero's Lot by Patrick W Carr, The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, and Wool by Hugh Howey; as well as an entry about my career development and some thoughts on doubt. 2) I've done a terrible job of getting back into shape for a mud run this summer. :( 3) I've worked really hard on buffing up my resume, and 4) I have only joined one group read - which I quickly realized I wouldn't be able to keep up with. So, yay for partly keeping up on my resolutions!

As for personal news, my mom found out she has breast cancer this month. :( She had the lumpectomy a couple of weeks ago, and now she'll have 6 months of chemotherapy followed, most likely, by a couple months of radiation. On happier news, my sister announced that she is pregnant again - another boy. That should be a big change for the family!

Books and Film Completed This Month



Watched this with my good friend (eeblue) while I was waiting for the New Year to ring in. This is the world's first introduction to the Daleks, and I really enjoyed it despite (or perhaps because of) the cheesy acting and special effects. I LOVE that they haven't changed the design in all these years - the Daleks STILL have a plunger for a hand. :)

In this story arc, The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian land on another planet which has been ravaged by nuclear war. On the planet are two races - the peaceful Thal and the violent Dalek. The Thal would like to carve a truce with the Dalek, they will share their anti-radiation medication and the Dalek will share their food. But the Dalek have another plan. EXTERMINATION.

I love the philosophy of these shows. It questioned whether the Thal were really pacifist if it came down to defending themselves, or whether they simply THOUGHT they were pacifist. It also raised the point: There is pride in being unafraid to die, but there is shame in being afraid to live.



I also watched this story arc while waiting for the ball to drop. This story wasn't very interesting to me, I'm afraid. The TARDIS "crashed" and the group was stuck in the ship for two whole episodes. They went paranoid (for seemingly no reason) and started accusing each other of conspiracy. The story didn't present any new concepts or philosophies, and the acting / directing wasn't strong enough to carry such an uneventful story. :( I almost fell asleep.

Wool, by Hugh Howey
Love Monster, by Rachel Bright
The Many Colored Land, by Julian May
The Drowning Girl, by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Books Acquired this Month

The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancy
The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel
Castle Corona, by Sharon Creech
Where The Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
Love They Neighbor, by Mark Gilleo
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Ruins of Gorlan, by John Flanagan
The Illustrated Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell, by Stephen Hawking
Love without End, by Glenda Green
Spirit Animals: Hunted, by Maggie Stiefvater
Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
Resume Magic, by Susan Britton Whitcomb
Job Search Letters for Dummies, by Joyce Lain Kennedy
Job Interviews for Dummies, by Joyce Lain Kennedy
Job Searching With Social Media for Dummies, by Joshua Waldman
An Introduction to the New Testament, by Raymond E. Brown
The New Testament: A Historical Introduction To Early Christian Writings, by Bart D. Ehrman
Dover Beach, by Richard Bowker
Idiot's Guide to Knitting, by Megan Goodacre
Shada, by Douglas Adams
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck, by Jeff Kinney
The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots, by Karla Akins
Bear is Broken, by Lachlan Smith

For more details about why I got these books, and for all the covers, check my blog post.

Hi, there! Very impressed to see your reading and your self-examination (it's hard to do, sometimes, isn't it?!) Best wishes as you find your way!

116: Doctor Who (the early shows): Husband and I are dutifully watching the extras that seem to be included with all of the Doctor Who DVDs (sometimes on Fast Forward, but close-captioning is, once again, a godsend). There's a lot of cool and interesting information there. When the early episodes were being filmed, more often than not money was very short. In the case of "The Edge of Destruction" they literally had no money to do anything but wander around the inside of the Tardis. I believe it is this series that had the young companion turning quite violent and there was a big hoopla about exposing children to that.

I hope you keep watching the old episodes. I'm finding that they're getting better (scripts, production, acting), but even the dogs are fun and can provide cheap laughs.

Karen O.

I have had my own religious doubts so many times over the years that I think it must be part and parcel of being a member of this club of human beings. I converted to islam in 1995 in a rare burst of belief and, whilst I cannot say I regret my choices, I am as doubting as ever I was. Where I want profundity, I look for logic. Where I want faith, I look at science. Confused of Kuala Lumpur can fully sympathise with his friend across the seas. xx

*117 Karen, yeah, The Edge of Destruction was, indeed, the episode in which the Doctor's granddaughter became "violent." The violence wasn't really all that bad, though. She just went a little crazy with the scissors a couple of times. Funny how things change, isn't it?

Don't worry, I don't plan on giving up just because I was bored through The Edge of Destruction. :)

*118 Paul Where I want profundity, I look for logic. Where I want faith, I look at science.

Yes, same here. I decided back in December that I would spend my Christmas gift card on "spiritual" books about Jesus - not academic ones. But all the books I picked out were academic. :) It's because I think like an academic. Just as you say, I want profundity, but I hear the logic. :) That's ok, though, I don't regret any of the purchases I made. You can be spiritual and academic at the same time!

2014 Book 5: Spirit Animals: Hunted, by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Middle School Fantasy / Adventure

Reason for Reading: This is the second book in a so-far excellent series

Synopsis: (May contain slight spoilers for book 1). Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan hike across Eura on quest to capture the talisman of the Great Boar before the Conquerors get their hands on it. But the Conquerors have a few surprises up their sleeves - they are now able to force an unnatural bond between humans and animals! They now have the advantage of superior numbers of bonded warriors. In order for our heroes to survive, they must learn to trust one another and fight as a team.

My Thoughts: This was an excellent follow-up to Brandon Mull's Wild Born (reviewed here). The characters are developing - and so is the philosophy. In this book, our heroes struggle with trust. It's a story of strengthening ones bond with friends - how such a bond can never fully be broken, even when trust fails. It's a story about following your heart, even when your heart leads you astray from logic (a fitting theme given my thoughts on doubt last month!) I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in this series, Blood Ties, which comes out in March.

This is my first book by Maggie Stiefvater, and I'm eager to pick up some more now! I like the way this series is designed - with a different author for each book. That way, I am introduced to authors that I might otherwise never gotten around to reading. :)

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 1 / 5
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 5

Okay, I've added the first book in the series to Mount TBR.

*121 :) I hope you like it Morphy! I love Brandon Mull. Though my favorite books of his are the Fablehaven series and the Beyonders series.

For those of you who are interested in my spiritual journey this year, I've posted a blog entry entitled
Friday, February 7, 2014

Intercessory Prayer - Does it influence the Divine Opinion?

Throughout my life, I've often wondered about the power of prayer. If God is all-powerful, and He wishes the best for all of us, then why do prayers matter? If I pray that my friend's medical school applications will go well, for instance, what difference do I make? Certainly God already has a Divine Opinion on whether my friend should get into medical school or not. Certainly God has the power to help my friend get into the right medical school without my prayers. So why pray? Of course, there is the chance that by praying I'm releasing endorphins or reducing levels of stress hormones in my body. So maybe prayer is more for my own physical well-being than to nudge God into seeing things my way?

There have been several scientific studies which explored the power of prayer. I think the most frequently cited is the Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in Cardiac Bypass Patients. But, as I pointed out in a previous post about whether God belongs in science, these studies tend to be inconclusive and easily misinterpreted. Clearly, I will not find a scientific answer to my question.

Prayer seems to be a very natural human urge. It's not just people from the mainstream religions that pray. For instance, some people "pray" to the universe, as in Rhonda Byrne's The Secret. Byrne's philosophy uses positive thinking to direct the power of the universe, with life-changing results. Similarly, my Wiccan friend once likened spell-casting to a form of prayer. He said that if you focus your mind on a certain goal, you are more likely to achieve that goal - regardless of whether you consider this spell-casting or prayer. The universal belief among these religions and philosophies is that there is some sort of greater power out there (whether it be a self-aware God or simply the universe) that is ready to be harnessed for the good of humanity.

Personally, I have a Christian perspective on prayer. The idea is: pray to Jesus / God for what you want and then finish up with a nice "Thy will be done." This phrase always gets to me though. Of course God's will is going to be done. I realize that this phrase is supposed to help me accept the fact that sometimes God's answer will be "no." But the phrase still bothers me - and maybe that's because I still haven't decided whether prayer really influences God's Divine Opinion or not.

I have two basic types of intercessory prayer that I commonly use. The first is the general "please God, let such and such happen. Please, please, please. Thanks! Oh...yeah. Thy will be done and all that jazz!" I pray like this because a part of me doesn't really believe that I'm influencing the Divine Opinion. But I go ahead and pray, because part of me really does believe. *sigh* Wavering doubt has always been my biggest weakness, as you can read in my recent post about doubt.

Surprisingly, I am much more confident about my second type of intercessory prayer. I meditate upon God's love...I visualize it streaming out of the sky and filling me till I'm overflowing. Then I concentrate on whoever I happen to be praying for. I visualize a string of love pumping out of me and into the other person. This isn't difficult, since I have an inexhaustible source of love coming from God. I hold this connection with the other person as long as I am able.

In my heart, I know that this form of prayer works. I really AM channeling God's love when I pray that way. So this is the way I prefer to pray. (Although it tends to be more about love and less about getting my dream job, so I have to pray the other way too!) But why am I so confident about this type of prayer and so doubtful of the other? I mean, shouldn't the same questions be raised? If God is all-powerful, why would He need me to channel His love for Him? But I thought - maybe that's what He put us here on Earth for. To amplify and channel his love. Maybe we're part of His power. Maybe we're meant to provide this love to our neighbors. This interpretation seems to fit with Christian philosophy. So I'm running with it. :)

On the other hand, I still need to reconcile myself to my other type of intercessory prayer. Perhaps my readers would like to share their thoughts on the subject?

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. Keeping you and her in my thoughts, and hoping for good news post-radiation treatment.

But yay for the baby news! In my experience, baby boys are pretty wonderful.

Rachel, I was sorry to read your bad news as I am getting caught up with you. I wish your mother all the best in her battle with cancer. Thank goodness there are better weapons out there than there used to be. Good news on the baby. That should help keep your mother's mind on something else besides her treatment. I am going to check out your blog as I am interested in your spiritual journey. As old as I am (66!) I still struggle with staying on the right path for me.

Very nice book haul! I really like all of Yancy's books. He is down-to-earth (in a spiritual way - lol) and has an easy-going writing style. Cloud Atlas is a favorite book of mine. I hope you like it as much as I did.

*124 Thanks Amber! I'm sure things will go well for mom, there's a good prognosis. :) And, yes, a new baby will be a great joy.

*125 Hi Donna I'm glad to hear that you like Yancy's books, because I just bought another one. :) They all look really interesting. I've heard great things about Cloud Atlas, so I have high hopes of liking it.

For those of you interested in my quest to better understand Jesus, here's another blog post:

How do we know about Jesus?

As I pointed out in my New Years Resolutions, this year I have decided to explore my relationship with Jesus. Who is Jesus, and what does he mean to me? This has always been a sticky question that I avoided. My first book in my quest is: The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, by Marcus Borg and N. T. Wright. Borg is a liberal Jesus historian and Wright a conservative one. The book is a set of essays which outlines an ongoing discussion that these two friends have continued for years.

In the introduction, they list three target audiences: first, they hope that this book will be of interest to Christians and non-Christians alike.

"We both believe strongly that what we say about Jesus and the Christian life belongs, not in a private world, inaccessible and incomprehensible except 'from faith to faith,' but in the public world of historical and cross-cultural study, in the contemporary world as well as the church."

Second, they hope that this book will provide new insight into a debate that has become gridlocked among Christians - liberal vs. conservatives.

Third, they hope that their book will speak to people who want to better understand how different visions of Jesus translate into Christian life. This, I suppose, is why I bought the book originally - though the academic arguments will probably be of more interest to me. :)

In their first section, they ask the question: How do we know about Jesus? In their separate essays, Borg and Wright point out the difficulties of deciphering the historical data about Jesus. They agree that everybody's interpretation of history is viewed through the lens of their own perception or worldview. Borg describes four lenses through which he views Jesus:

1. Gospels are history remembered as well as history metaphorized
2. Jesus was a Jewish figure teaching and acting within Judaism
3. Jesus' legacy was developed by the community of early Christians
4. Jesus' legacy was developed by a variety of modern forms of Christianity, as well as other religions.

Borg and Wright agree that modern secular culture, which believes that the universe can be studied, understood, and described by natural laws, can be used as a weapon against faith. Borg says that it is easy to lose sight of the divine Jesus when you have a strongly secular worldview. Wright points out that with a secular worldview, you are focused on data and theories. Both scientists and historians ask the questions:

Does the theory make sense of the available data? Does it have the appropriate simplicity? Does it shed lights on other areas of research?

History differs from science in that there are no agreed-on criteria for what counts as "making sense" and "simplicity." Therefore, it is very hard to for Jesus historians to come up with any consensus.

Both Wright and Borg focus on the difficulty of working out the historical evidence of Jesus and the gospels. Borg thinks it is necessary to see and appreciate both the historical Jesus and the spiritual one, lest you lose sight of Jesus altogether. These two entities are not the same - the first is an actual man who was once alive, the second is a concept that has influenced spirituality for thousands of years.

"When we emphasize his divinity at the expense of his humanity, we lose track of the utterly remarkable human being that he was."

On the other hand, Borg believes that if you emphasize only historical fact and what Jesus meant in his own time to his own people, you lose sight of how strongly his message has influenced today's culture, and what he means to us today.

In contrast, Wright says that he doesn't think the early Christians made a distinction between the historical Jesus and the divine Jesus, so why should he? He feels that these "two versions" of Jesus are one and the same, and that whenever he reads literature about the historical Jesus, it reinforces his faith in the spiritual Jesus.

Personally, I'm inclined to agree with Borg on this subject. I think that he nailed my problem directly on the head: all my life I've tried to combine the historical Jesus and the divine Jesus into one entity. Thus, my faith and my secular worldview were battling for prominence in my perception of Jesus, and I lost sight of Him altogether. If I can separate the two entities in my head, I will be able to appreciate both the wisdom of the historical man and the divine love of the Christ Jesus.

2014 Book 6: The Many Colored Land, by Julian May

Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy Mesh (Adult)

Reason for Reading: I read this book a long time ago and always intended on picking up the rest of the series. This year, I convinced my real-life book club to read it. So hopefully I'll get to the rest of the series soon!

Synopsis: In the near future, an alien federation called the Galactic Milieu has intervened on Earth, and welcomed humans into the its fold. For most of humanity, the Milieu is a blessing. Long life, health, an ethical law system, the adventure of space travel - these are the perks that humans enjoy. But some feel confined by the rules of the Milieu and yearn for a simpler life. And some are too sociopathic to be accepted in the Milieu's society. These people can go into Exile - they are sent back in time to the Earth's Pliocene epoch. The Many-Colored Land follows the story of one group of exiles as they discover what lies on the other end of the time-portal. Life isn't as simple as they expect, and they are soon swept up in a world of war and conspiracy.

My Thoughts: I must have read a lot more hard-core science fiction when I was a teenager, because I don't remember this book being as heavy as it felt this time around. All the descriptions of futuristic technologies / cultures slowed me down because I don't read enough science fiction to be used to the terminology. It may have been slow reading for me, but I felt refreshed by the newness of the plot. This is a very complex book, with many layers of hidden foundation. Superficially, I think the characters could have used a little more development - but I'm sure they grow throughout the series. This first book in the Pliocene quartet was mainly world-building. We were introduced to the alien cultures - both the good and the bad aspects. We got a hefty background on the Pliocene epoch. And we got some hints of how these events in the Pliocene might have impacted humanity's development millions of years later. It's a fascinating set-up, and I'm eager to see how the rest of the series plays out. I've heard so many good things about it.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 6
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 6

I 'remember enjoying The Many Colored Land as well, years ago.

2014 Book 7: The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister Herbert

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Reason for Reading: Picked it up in the bookstore because I liked the cover

Review: This is a cute little picture book about a vain fish which loves its beautiful rainbow scales more than anything....until it realizes that its own vanity and selfishness has made it the loneliest fish in the sea, even if it WAS the most beautiful. An endearing story about how friendship and giving is more important than outer beauty.

I'm interested to see the reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble - some people view this book as an immoral story of "buying" friends or a thiny veiled seductress to socialism. :)

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 7
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 7

2014 Book 8: The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots, by Karla Akins

Genre: Christian Fiction / Women's Fiction

Reason for Reading: I'm leading a discussion on this book from February 24th through 28th on the American Christian Fiction Writer's Association book club. You can join the email discussion group if you wish! Just click on the link, and subscribe to the yahoo group. There's still plenty of time to read the book!

Synopsis: Kirstie is stressed out trying to maintain the image of the perfect pastor's wife. She'd really just like to relax and not worry about what everyone in her congregation thinks. On top of that, she has a severely autistic son, and another rebellious teenage son - both of whom lead to a lot of sideways looks from her conservative neighbors. When she realizes that riding a motorcycle releases her built up tension and makes her love life again, she has to deal with the prejudices of small-town gossips.

My Thoughts: This is not the type of book that I usually enjoy reading - for some reason I have a tendency to avoid "women's fiction." So I was surprised when, after about 30-or-so pages, I became really attached to the characters and their issues. This was a sweet, funny book about finding friends in unexpected places, letting go of preconceived notions, forgiving those who gossip about you, and putting your family first. I got lots of good laughs over the antics of our "biker chicks."

I was a little concerned at the beginning of the book when the subject of autism was first brought up, and Kirstie called it an "ugly disease" and her "enemy." It is possible that some people will find this portrayal of autism to be offensive. However, I was glad to see that in the rest of the book these negative statements were no longer present - as Kirstie released her woes on the road, she became less depressed and was better able to cope with the difficulties of autism.

I don't want to drop any spoilers, but I have to say that the ending of the book was not only the most exciting part of the book, it was the funniest as well. Wow. Way to pack it in at the end! :) Fantastic finish.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 8
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 8

>127 The_Hibernator:: I'm enjoying reading your thoughts on the figure of Jesus.

>130 The_Hibernator:: Immoral? Really? *snork!*

I'm interested to see the reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble - some people view this book as an immoral story of "buying" friends or a thiny veiled seductress to socialism

You have GOT to be kidding! Talk about seeing something that isn't there.

Did you hear about the woman who says Frozen promotes the "gay agenda?"

>132 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

>133 Morphidae: Morphy

Did you hear about the woman who says Frozen promotes the "gay agenda?"

If it does, good for it. But. Uh. No. ???

>134 The_Hibernator: Not that I would mind either but it doesn't in any fashion! She's seeing things that aren't there.

I don't even believe in the "gay agenda" unless you mean having equal rights which all humans should have as a matter of course.

I agree, Morphy. I do believe the "gay agenda" is a chapter under the "equal rights" agenda. Unless they are enforcing homosexuality on straight people...but I generally think it is the other way around. There is DEFINITELY a "straight agenda."

I think the only agenda that the movie Frozen had was "don't be afraid to be yourself" and also "love for family comes first" and possibly "romance isn't the be-all, end-all of a girl's life."

(I saw that article, yes, and... *blank stare*)

But don't you see? "Don't be afraid to be yourself" is a GAY MESSAGE!

*snorts*

>138 Morphidae:: I second that snort!

*Poke poke*

Oooo! Stephen just poked me!

Oh. Am I supposed to be, like, posting reviews and talking with people here. I see.

2014 Book 9: The Mitten, by Jan Brett

Genre: Children's Picture book

Reason for Reading: It was there

Review: Cute story about the stretchiest mitten ever knitted. Think my knitting skills will ever compare? Fantastic illustrations!

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 9
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 9

2014 Book 10: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Genre: Children's Picture book

Reason for Reading: Thought I'd make a stab at reading the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up since I'm way too lazy to read the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.

Review: Classic! I especially love the caterpillar's face after it ate all the junk food. :)

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 10
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 10

There. Does that count?

Yes, yes, it does!

I've requested that MrMorphy take me to a big branch of the library so I can spend a couple hours reading books from the 1001 Children's Books. Great minds think alike!

>144 The_Hibernator: The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar has been one of my favourite picture books since I was a kid.

I meant to ask you not to tell everyone I poked you! *Blushes*

Oh, wait, I did it in public, didn't I? *Head smack*

*146 Morphy - Yeah, I work in a bookstore, so it SHOULD be easy for me. But I'm easily distracted from my goals.

*147 Micky - Isn't it adorable?

*148 STEPHEN POKED ME!!!!!

2014 Book 11: The Drowning Girl, by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Reason for Reading: This was one of the nominations last year for the World Fantasy Awards

Synopsis: In The Drowning Girl a young schizophrenic woman, Imp, tells the story of her meetings with Eva Canning - a ghost? a mermaid? a werewolf? a normal, disturbed young woman? As Imp's mind roils in schizophrenic fantasy, the readers are left wondering how much of the story is reality and how much is fantasy.

My Thoughts: I'm having a hard time coming up with viable thoughts about this book. I just don't know what to think! I was interested throughout; I always cared about Imp - and about her girlfriend Abalyn - but I never knew quite what to think. Which, I suppose, is the point of the book? Kiernan did a fantastic job of spiraling Imp's writing in and out of control, and the pacing of the spirals was quite amazing. This is a skilled bit of writing. Likewise, Jackson was a superb narrator for this role. Her inflections were perfect for hinting at whether Imp was "in control" or "out of control" when certain passages were read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy open-ended stories, especially those stories with an aura of unreality.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 11
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 11

2014 Book 12: Resume Magic, by Susan Britton Whitcomb

Genre: Self-Improvement - Job Hunt

Reason for Reading: Trying to buff up my resume so that I feel more presentable.

Synopsis: This book contains a lot of information about content and format of resumes. It starts by encouraging the reader to find his or her own personal brand, so that it can shine through on the resume. Then, Whitcomb discusses the differences between a chronological resume and a functional resume and provides suggestions about when each type of resume would be helpful. She helps the reader create an outline of the resume, later fleshing it out with helpful tips about content. She emphasizes the importance of listing accomplishments. Finally, she dwells on proof-reading. She provides a guide of the basic grammar and punctuation mistakes people make while writing resumes. The final few chapters outline her thought on job search through social media and on cover letters. These sections, of course, aren't as thorough as the chapters about resumes, but I think she's trying to whet our appetites for her other books..which I hear are just as thorough.

My Thoughts: First. DON'T get the ebook! Get a hard-copy, because the figures and tables are really tiny in ebook format. Second, this book did not really have a lot of information that was relevant to writing a CV, for those of us who have a PhD. Although Whitcomb provided examples of resumes for a large variety of job types, she focused primarily on business, sales, and marketing. Sometimes I wondered if her tips applied to me or not. However, the book DID provide enough information for me to make my resume more presentable. Third, the title. Ouch. I almost didn't buy this book because the title was too pretentious. Fourth, Whitcomb was a bit heavy-handed with her self-marketing: Resume Magic often read like an advertisement for Whitcomb's webpage and other books.

And now I see that my thoughts are rather top-heavy in criticism. I hadn't intended my review to be negative. Resume Magic is loaded with information and tips, and I'm much happier with my CV now than I was before reading this book. Resumes and job hunting have changed dramatically in the last few years, and books like these are very helpful for catching up on what employers are expecting. Because, let's face it, first impressions are a LOT about presentation. And don't we all want to make a good first impression?

I haven't read any other resume books, and I don't have the time to do so right now, so I can't very easily compare this to other books on the market. I have been reading Joyce Lain Kennedy's Job Interviews for Dummies and Job Search Letters for Dummies, though, so I can make a guess at what her Resumes for Dummies is like. My guess is that Whitcomb's book is more heavy in specific tips, and Kennedy's books tend to be more general. They both provide a lot of good examples, and they both explain what makes those examples stand out. But Whitcomb's style is more self-aggrandizing and opinionated. Kennedy recommends books by authors other than herself (including Whitcomb!), which makes her advice seem more sincere and approachable. So I guess if you're trying to choose between the two - pick Whitcomb if you want a book heavy in information, and Kennedy if you want more general advice from someone who's willing to reference opinions other than her own (even when they do not exactly coincide with her own).

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 12
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 12

2014 Book 13: Little Owl's Night, by Divya Srinivasan

Genre: Children's Picture book

Reason for Reading: This was returned by a customer today (her great-grandchild already owned the book), so I stood there and read it while I waited for the customer to get a different book.

Review: The pictures in this book are SO ADORABLE!!!

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 13
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 13

>140 Ape:, >141 The_Hibernator:, >148 Ape: and >149 The_Hibernator: - Okay, I have to ask: Stephen, did you poke Rachel? ;-)

Awe...what a cute little owl on the cover of Little Owl's Night!

Hi Rachel!

Okay, fine, maybe I poked Rachel a little. Twice.

>152 The_Hibernator: I know, right!? Charlie and I both really liked that one.

*Poke poke*

...

*sings*

You put your right foot in
You put your right foot out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about...

*sings in a mournful voice*

Say something I'm giving up on you...

No no no! We must be HAPPY!

You know what I like about you, Rachel? You always come alive when I poke you.

You know what I like about you Stephen? You always poke me when I'm dead.

2014 Book 14: The Question that Never Goes Away, by Philip Yancy

Genre: Christian Living

Reason for Reading: A galley copy of this book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to read this book because I'm interested in theodicy, and I've been pretty impressed with the bits of Yancy's writing that I've seen.

Synopsis: After over a decade of traveling the world giving lectures on Where is God When it Hurts, Philip Yancy has decided to revisit this subject in his most recent book The Question That Never Goes Away. I have not read his earlier book, so I can't compare the messages of each, but I assume the newer book has a similar message to the older, with recent examples and insights that he has gathered since writing the first book.

He starts by describing two different types of disaster: the devastating 2011 tsunami in Japan and the horrifying 4-year seige of Sarajevo in 1992. The first example is a natural disaster, but the second is man-made. Such disasters beg the question "Why?" Why would a God who loves us allow such destruction?

Yancy points out that atheists have a field day with such calamity - using it as evidence that God doesn't exist. For, clearly, a loving God wouldn't allow such things to happen; therefore it is erroneous to believe in God. But Yancy counters: if, indeed, this is an impersonal universe of random indifference, why are the atheists so shocked and upset about someone else's tragedy? Clearly, their morals are shaped by the philosophical framework of Christianity.

My thoughts: I don't really think this is an adequate counter to the claim that God doesn't exist. First of all, Christianity is not the only religion which is founded on the power of love. Second, there is no evidence that God created our revulsion to other peoples' tragedy. Such revulsion can be explained by evolution of social behavior. Humans might simply have an instinct to protect our neighbors because we are better able to survive in a group than alone. On the other hand, I don't think asking the age-old question "Why?" proves God doesn't exist, either. To think so is a bit naive.

Yancy continues by explaining that there's nothing wrong with asking the question "Why?" In fact, it is a question asked over and over again in the Bible. God expects such questions, and he understands our grief and frustration at getting no answer. BUT, He still doesn't provide an answer. Not in the Bible. And not in the world.

Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die.

Yancy suggests that we shift our focus from cause to response. When disaster strikes, we should appreciate the outpouring of humanitarian aide that comes from individuals, communities, and countries. Yes - some of this humanitarian aide can be poorly planned, but notice what lies at the heart: love. We, as human beings, want to reach out and help those who are suffering. So where is God when it hurts? He is in those friends, neighbors, and complete strangers who reach out to help the suffering. God hates our suffering as much as we do - but he loves us so much that he sent his own son to suffer among us. Because we can relate to a suffering God.

Finally, Yancy criticizes the claim that God sends suffering in order to build character. He points out that Jesus healed the afflicted. He never once said to them "But think of how character-building this experience is!" Yancy points out that God has promised to redeem our suffering. This does not mean that God sends suffering, but that when tragedy occurs, He inspires and directs good to result from the evil. Thus, we do gain character from suffering.

My thoughts: Well, I know for a fact that good often comes out of bad situations in my life. I don't know if that is only because I like to be optimistic and think of how I've learned from an experience, or become stronger, or had a good experience that otherwise never would have happened. I could just as easily dwell on the tragedy and what good that might have happened if tragedy hadn't occurred. If I did so, I would certainly live a more miserable life. But would I be any more right or wrong? Regardless, it makes me happy to think that God redeems my suffering. I'd rather not be miserable, thanks.

My thoughts: This is a very difficult book to read because Yancy dwells on quite a few tragic events in detail. However, the book has a strong message and is written with a very humble and personal air. Yancy impresses me with his intelligent observations and powerful examples. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the question of why God allows suffering. I am eager to read more of Yancy's work.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 14
2014 Already-started series talley: 3 / 14

2014 Book 15: A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr

Genre: Teen / Christian Fiction / Fantasy

Reason for Reading (May contain slight spoilers for previous books in the trilogy): This was a galley copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book in a trilogy that I have been enjoying.

Synopsis: In this third, and final, book of the Staff and Sword trilogy, the war for Illustra begins. In order to maintain order within the Judica, Errol must retrieve The Book that was left behind in Merakh. Meanwhile, Adora and Liam must journey to the Shadowlands to make a pact with these newly discovered allies. A feeling of dread descends upon everyone, as the people of Illustra realize they are surrounded by vast armies of enemies and demon spawn. They must discover who their king and savior is - or else the barrier will never be restored and the demons will destroy Illustra.

My thoughts: This book was every bit as good as the previous two - and it tied off most of the loose ends quite well. For fantasy fans, this book was packed with battles, intrigue, foreign lands, and ranging demon-spawn. I was also quite impressed with Carr's ability to write religious allegory. He deftly got his message across by showing it within the story instead of writing lectures into the dialog as many authors do. In fact, I bumped this book up an extra half a star (something I rarely do) because I admire how much finesse it takes to write a good allegory without sermonizing.

One of the allegorical issues presented is the fallibility of humans (as well as the organizations that we create). The church, in Carr's world, was composed of many good men (as well as a few villains) who often made mistakes and were suffering under misunderstandings of God which had accumulated after the loss of their religious book. This is the message that I originally interpreted as criticisms of the Catholic Church in my review of Hero's Lot, though after reading this book the criticism feels more forgiving. The message is: no one is perfect, we are all human, and we're going to make mistakes. We can't judge everyone in a group based upon the mistakes of some of its leaders. I'm not sure if this is the message that Carr intended, but it is how I felt when I read A Draw of Kings.

The other allegorical message that I felt was done tremendously well related to faith and doubt. There was a moment when Adora as climbing a cliff and Liam was behind her, and even though she knew Liam was there to catch her if she fell, she suddenly doubted that he was there at all - that he had ever been there. And then he carried her. I'm sorry if that is a spoiler, but I couldn't help but point out the beauty of that moment. Because it's so true, isn't it? It's so easy to lose faith - even though this loss of faith is irrational when viewed from the outside-the-moment.

My interpretation of this story has evolved so much while reading this third book, that I feel I ought to go back and revise some of the criticisms I made about the second book. Of course, I always have to include criticisms, but.... Which brings me around to my criticisms of A Draw of Kings. My first complaint is how violent it was. I felt that the good guys (Adora especially) were sometimes more violent than they ought to have been. Of course, this could simply be another way in which we are only human - and therefore fallible. So this is only a small criticism. The other criticism is that I felt threads were dropped in relation to the countries other than Merakh. There needed to be a little more tie-up after that much build-up. But that, too, is only a minor issue since the major threads were tied up wonderfully.

Overall I was greatly pleased with this book, and I will recommend it to all of my friends who read books of this genre. In fact, I'm hoping it wins some awards - it's well-deserving of the Christy Award for Young Adult literature.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 15
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 15

2014 Book 16: The Ghost Box, by Catherine Fisher

Genre: Middle School Fantasy / Reluctant Readers

Reason for Reading: In exchange for an honest review, this book was provided by Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC via Netgalley.

Synopsis: When Sarah discovers that the ancient tree outside her window is haunted by the ghost of a boy, she is both terrified and fascinated. The ghost boy gives her a beautiful old box and begs her to find a key to open it. But soon, Sarah's pesky goth step-brother Matt is sticking his nose into her business. Can Sarah find a key to the box without Matt figuring out what's going on?

My thoughts: This book was written specifically for middle-school-aged reluctant readers. I'd say the interest level / maturity is for a 10 to 12 year old, but it is second grade reading level. For that target audience, I think this is a wonderful novel! The plot is just the type of story I loved reading when I was in the 4th grade, and the difficult dynamics between Sarah and her step-brother are something that a lot of kids this age will relate to. And, these dynamics end with a message of cooperation, teamwork, and new understanding. So there's a great message to the story, too. If you are struggling to find books that are age-appropriate for your dyslexic child, I highly recommend this book. In fact, I wish there were a lot more books like this available. The more our reluctant readers enjoy their books, the more likely they are to become readers.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 2 / 16
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 16

2014 Book 17: The Annotated Emma, by Jane Austen

Genre: Classic / Regency Romance

Reason for Reading: I'm rereading all of Austen's novels. I've seen these Annotated versions and been tempted to try them out for a while, and this is the one I ended up picking up.

Synopsis: Emma is young, rich, beautiful, and the most important gentleman's daughter in her neighborhood. When her governess marries and moves away, Emma must find another friend to entertain herself. She chooses Harriet Smith, the love-child of nobody-knows-whom, and boarder at a local country school for girls. Emma, well-meaning but naively self-important, makes a mess by foisting potential suitors upon poor Harriet, while Emma's old friend Mr. Knightly tries in vain to check Emma's eager naivete.

My thoughts: I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen. This is the third time I've read this novel, and I've seen all the movie renditions multiple times. I love watching Emma grow in wisdom throughout the story. And her romance is, in my opinion, the sweetest of those written by Austen. But I recognize that this is a difficult book for many people to get into because of Emma's painful flaws and poor choices. Another reason that Emma is less appealing to some readers is because the narrator's perspective is so unique. The POV focuses almost entirely on Emma's perception of the world, to the point where it is easy to be mislead about what is really occurring since we are only seeing what Emma sees. Emma, especially at the beginning of the novel, tends to be very self-centered and aloof, and so is the narration of the novel. However, even though this POV makes the story harder to get into than the other Austen novels, this is Austen's most appealing work for character study.

The annotations of this book are lengthy and detailed. Many interesting images and comments are included so that we can visualize antique customs, fashions, and furniture that Austen's readers would take for granted. That aspect of the annotations was fantastic. The annotations also included a lot of character analysis commentary, such as "Emma thinks such-and-such is happening, which shows you how much she lacks self-awareness at this stage." These annotations included a lot of spoilers (the reader is warned which annotations include spoilers, but sometimes these warnings were dropped out of the ebook version - so caution should be practiced if you're reading the book for the first time and you have ebook format). These character analysis annotations were sometimes interesting, but mostly they told me things I'd already knew - either because I was familiar with the story or because I am sensitive to Austen's nuances. Therefore, I think this annotated version is for you if 1)You are interested in having some historical perspective, 2)You are reading the book for the first time and don't mind spoilers, 3)You're re-reading the book, but don't remember the details and nuances, and/or 4)You just love reading annotations. In other words, I am glad that I read this one book from The Annotated Austen series, because I enjoyed the historical perspective notes, but I probably will not pick up any of the others because I think I got the main idea now.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 3 / 17
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 17

Rachel, that trilogy sounds dark but interesting.

2014 Book 18: Jesus, the Middle Eastern Storyteller, by Gary M. Burge

Genre: Ancient History / Bible Studies

Reason for Reading: This year, I'm studying Jesus and the New Testament. This book was loaned to me by Elizabeth, a friend from work. It was given to her by a friend because the author was her professor.

Synopsis: In this short book, Burge guides the reader to interpret Jesus as a storyteller - a teacher who uses allegory and hyperbole to make important points within his own social context. The book is filled with beautiful pictures and several examples of Jesus' use of hyperbole to teach an important point. Burge provides historical and cultural insight into what Jesus may have been talking about when telling his parables.

My thoughts: I was surprised at how fun this book was. Although it's quite short, and half of it was pictures, it made me look at Jesus from a interesting new perspective. Of course, I already knew that Jesus used parables and hyperbole to make points, but it was really interesting to read Burge's cultural analysis of those parables.

The story I found most enlightening was Burge's interpretation of the fig tree incident. For those of you who don't recall, the story is related in Mark 11:12-14, 11:20-25; and in Matthew 21:18-22. In my unromantic version, Jesus is hungry, and he sees a fig tree by the road. It's not fig season, so the tree isn't bearing any fruit. Jesus curses the poor tree and it withers. I've always disliked that story. Despite my cousin Steve's insistence that fig trees don't have feelings, and I shouldn't take the story so literally, I always felt sorry for the tree. Why'd Jesus curse a tree just because it wasn't bearing fruit in the off-season? (And, yes, Mark clearly states that it wasn't the season for figs.)

Burge pointed out that the fig tree represented the Jewish state and religion. Throughout the New Testament Jesus repeatedly pointed out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who made a public spectacle of themselves fasting, praying, and giving alms; but who did not keep the spirit of religion in their hearts. They prayed for the approval of the people, not for the approval of God. Thus, they were not "bearing fruit."

Of course, I realize that this insight about the fig tree and the Pharisees is not uniquely Burge's - in fact I found some interesting articles on the subject after reading Burge's book. What's important is that Jesus, the Middle Eastern Storyteller introduced me to some interesting interpretations that I could look into in more detail later. In that way, this book was a valuable resource for me.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 3 / 18
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 18

>166 ronincats: Roni, Do you mean The Annotated Emma, or Stephen? ;)

ETA: Oh...wait. Got it. You mean Patrick Carr's books. Yes. they're pretty good, but they are a little dark as far as Christian YA goes.

2014 Book 19: The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper

Genre: Children's board book

Reason for Reading: This is one of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.
This is an old favorite.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 3 / 19
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 19

2014 Book 20: Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss

Genre: Children's picture book

Reason for Reading: This is one of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.
This is an old favorite.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 3 / 20
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 20

2014 Book 21: Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt

Genre: Children's picture book

Reason for Reading: This is one of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.
I'd never actually read this one before. It's cute.

2014 Off-the-shelf talley: 3 / 21
2014 Already-started series talley: 4 / 21

161: I'm happy to poke you whenever you need it most. :P

That's a lot of books! Also, I'm pretty sure I'm not a trilogy. I'm not contesting the dark part though.

>160 Ape: & >161 The_Hibernator: Ahem.

Not going to indulge in any poking over here but I am pleased to see you back. xx

Wow, lots of great reading lately! I'm currently doing a study on Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew. Three chapters in and I've gained several insights on aspects of his character that I hadn't considered before. I really like Yancey's personable approach -- I think I heard once in an interview that he writes books based around the questions he's struggling with himself, which I think makes his writing so much more relateable than if the writing came from someone who already thought they had all the answers. If that makes sense...?

>172 Ape: Stephen Good to know you're there when a need a good poking.

>173 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Yeah, I really should come around more often. I've been lurking, but I should let more people know that I'm around. :)

>174 dk_phoenix: Thanks Faith! I own The Jesus I Never Knew and Prayer. I haven't finished either of them yet, but I'm really pleased with Yancy's writing. Yes, he seems to write about questions that he struggles with himself. And you're right: that makes the books more approachable for me. I tend to read books like that if I'm struggling with a question, not if I feel I have all the answers. So it's easier to relate to an author who knows what it feels like to ask that particular question.

Yeah, well, you know, I'm just selfless like that... ;)

Yeah, it's what we all love about you. :)

You haven't posted in a month. Nag nag nag.

*Brandishes poker*

No poker from me Rachel but the sentiment is spot on! Come back to us all soon.

More nag nag nag.

DAH! :) Ok. HI everyone! Been a bit stressed out lately. So I fell off the face of the earth. But here I am. I think I might even have some reviews to post. And I'll stop by everyone's thread and get all updated.

Sorry, Stephen, for not responding to the poker. I'm a tease. ;)

Always love to see you posting, Rachel! Sorry to discover you have been stressed. Please tell me things are improved and stress is a thing of the past or at least manageable.

Thanks for posting, Rachel! I admit I was beginning to question my poker's....ummm...potency. :P

Sorry to hear you have been stressed out! *Hugs*

*wanders in*

*listens to crickets*

*wanders out*

>186 Ape: - Good one!

Hi Rachel!

hehe

>186 Ape: And again I say, weirdo.

Ummmm, poking Rachel is probably the most normal behavior I've ever exhibited.

But poking her in spoiler tags is weird.

So I poked Rachel in a place you couldn't see, you peeked at us, and I'm the weird one?

:P

Spoiler tags aren't a form of private messaging you goof.

...

*Pokes Micky*

ooo, double poking there Stephen?

>194 Ape: We need to work on your social interaction skills.

195: Ummmmmm...yeah, I'm either terrified or aroused...I'm not sure. :P

196: *Repeats response to post 195*

Lesson the first: mentioning arousal in polite company during a friendly interaction is going to be uncomfortable for everyone.

Well, that's great! That means we all have something in common! Lets talk about it.

:)

See? Rachel is aroused too! :P

Uh, Stephen, smiling at you is not an indication of arousal. It could just as likely be an effort to appease you and make you go away. :P

:)

Hahaha

>202 MickyFine: Are you sure that wasn't a grimace?

Not at all sure.

*sings*

I like big books and I cannot lie, you other nerds can't deny.
That when a book walks in with an itty bitty spine
and its big story in your mind, you get sprung!

Ok. Trying again. Move along to this thread. https://www.librarything.com/topic/176570