An Interesting Time

in which to read Notes from the Apocalypse:  A Journey to the End of the World and Back.  For a while it looked like COVID19 was the beginning of the end.  It still might be.  A lot is still unknown.  Most things are unknown.  Except that the end is coming, for each of us.  Death is the only certain thing.  Well, earthly death.  Because the only other certain thing is that we were created by Love, shown how to love in Jesus and we will return to Love when our earthly lives are over.  I have said this before and I will say it always, I am a Trinitarian Universalist.    I don't worry about dying.  

I can understand Mark O'Connell's obsession with the end of the world.  Growing up the 80s I remember the fear of nuclear war, and I have written about that, too.

This book was good.  It was honest and heart-felt and smart.  I was scared to read about the preppers.  Not surprised, but it is always jarring to see or read about racist hate.  

Funny, thoughtful...really good.  

Don't They Know...

it's the end of the world?  That song always comes back to me.  The World Ends in April was quite good.  It was funny and it was real and it was the first book that didn't fall into the white default problem.  Every character was clearly described as white, black, Asian, etc.  And it wasn't clunky and it wasn't weird.  It was actually refreshing!

What if...

you had one day left to live?  What would you do?  What regrets would you have?  That is a question that we probably all have thought about, more than once.  In All We Have is Now, two teens know that they are most likely going to die in 24 hours.  An asteroid is set to wipe out North America and Emerson and Vince are two late-teen street kids who are trying to figure out how to make the most of their last hours.
Really, really good, even though it is set in Portland, OR!

The Chosen

I saw on goodreads.com that someone said this book sounds too much like The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  I have no idea where that thought came from.  Gated isn't anything like The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  Not at all.  This is realistic fiction here.  It's one of those "ripped from the headlines" deals that referes to Waco and Jonestown and Heaven's Gate.  It was a great book and I loved, loved, loved that it wasn't a big rip on Christianity.  This was a true caught-in-a-cult story, and I appreciated its truthfulness.  No no one was ripped on or made to seem stupid.  It all was very respectful, even of those who were realed in by "the Pioneer," the leader of the cult who promised to keep everyone safe from the end of the world.  Lyla's family has a lot to be sad about and fearful of.  Her sister Karen was kidnapped as a young child, her family lived in NYC during 9-11.  It is easy to see why a safe, supposedly utopian society would be appealing to her parents.  But as Lyla grows older and as the "end" approaches, she begins to question.  Questioning isn't big in their little commune.  Great story.  A great heroine and very respectfully done.