Pretty Awesome!

In the Role of Brie Hutchens was not only great because our hero Brie watches All My Children (reruns, the book the set in current times, I am pretty sure) and she uses Bianca's coming out to Erica as an audition monologue, it is SO real and so faith-based and just lovely.  And real and fresh.

BBT is the REAL Deal

I have dear friends who really KNOW Barbara Brown Taylor.   Pastor was president of Central Baptist Seminary when BBT came and spoke there and he and his First Lady (she hates it when I call her that!) got to know her and just say that she is an amazing, authentic person.  And I LOVE everything that I have read from BBT.  Learning to Walk in the Dark is no exception.  Fantastic and I love that she reads the audio.  A smart, well spoken, Christ-like writer, professor and priest. 

A Beautiful Book to Read to Start the Year

or end it, or at any point in the 12 month period.  That's true of any book by Anne Lamott.  Traveling Mercies:  some thoughts on faith is no exception. I do have one regret, I wish I would have read her chapter Mom before my mother died.  I urge you, if you still have your momma, read at least this chapter now. 

Complicated

The love story in The Opposite of Always is complicated.  Aren't all love stories?  Isn't life complicated?  It is.  And this was a complicated and beautiful story.  It just seemed a wee bit too long for me, but I still would highly recommend it.  Faith and life and death and time travel and Groundhog Day and love all rolled into one. 

Two Sides of the Same Coin

I know that I have talked about this before, but when I get "high and mighty" about being a 'progressive Christian" (what I call just following Jesus!), I am reminded of my progressive pastor at one of my progressive and incredible churches, East Liberty Presbyterian.  Dr. Bush reminded us that the right and left are simply two sides of the same coin, and we need to acknowledge how very thin the coin is.  Before I read Everybody Always, I read Love Does and before I read either one I tried to get a sense of the author, Bob Goff. Does he REALLY follow Jesus? 
(Yes I am embarrassed that I think I have the audacity to ask this question.) The litmus test for me is, where does the author or pastor or priest or person stand on same-gender love issues.  I just that speaks volumes.  I can't understand how people who are trying to follow Christ can condemn, and when I say condemn, I also mean those "hate the sin, love the sinner" people, because of whom they love and with whom they express their love.
As long as a relationship is a God-glorifying one, meaning it is not exploitative and is between two people who have equal power and voice in the relationship and are not trying to hurt or exploit or manipulate anyone else as part of that relationship, if it is a true, expression of love, then it is God-glorifying.  One's anatomy doesn't matter.  Well I read the books before I was able to find anything out either way, but from the books I had the sense that Mr. Goff was all inclusive in his love and acceptance of God's people, even if they loved people with the same body parts.  I couldn't be sure and I love to be sure about this, but as it turns out, he really is one
of those people who loves people who love people, even if they have the same body parts! 
So.
That is just a long way of saying, if Goff was one of those "hate the sin, love the sinner" people or openly anti-love, God is still using him in amazing ways.  Because these books were wonderful examples of ways to live in the world and share God's extravagant love!

LOVE THIS!

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit was just soooo good.  It was just the perfect kind of book for me, as it showed people who follow Jesus, and in case, even professionally minister in His name, actually acting like Jesus!  And toward people who love people with the same body parts, even!  Can you imagine!  Heaven on earth!
And it also was honest in showing how some people who claim to be following Jesus aren't quite there yet when it comes to understanding that God does not care WHOM we love, God cares THAT we love!
Complicated, but simple and sweet and funny and heart-breaking and beautiful.

The Only Downside

to Operating Instructions:  a Journal of My Son's First Year by the incredible Anne Lamott was that it was not read by the author.  I almost stopped listening after hearing that she was not the narrator.  But Rebecca Lowman did an excellent job.  And the book was so good.  Even for someone who has never been a mother.  After reading this one, I wanted to learn more about Sam Lamott and I knew that even though I hadn't been a mom, I would still love it, since I loved that one and will never be a grandma!

Too Much of a Good Thing

The Man on the Mountain was really good!  At first....
And I actually would give it 3.5 stars.  If it had been shorter.  And this is not just me, liking shorter books rather than long ones.  And in fact, this is a combo performance of two books, The Holy Man and The Holy Man's Journey. I really liked it.  It was just like a sermon that is awesome, but just went on a little too long.

Sometimes

I think that I am far too old to connect with someone far younger than I.  The main character of Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid just seems SO young to me that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I might have.  I can't say if this is a fair reading of the book, though.  I expected Maxine to have more understanding, a greater sense of the people around her and herself, but then I think, what do I know about being 18 anymore?  And could it be that other, more mature 18 year old book characters are simply TOO old.  I have criticized books before for having teen characters who have all of the right answers and can spout poetry, so why did Maxine's innocence bother me so much?
I like RPDIAWFOP's look at faith, though.  That was well done.  So I could recommend this, but I would like to see what real 18 year olds think about it.
I loved Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance, it was one of the best books I read last year and and will keep reading him.  I am just curios as to what others thought about the thoughts and feelings and actions of Maxine and how "real" they were.

Who Was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?

That's not the title of the book I read.  I read The Plot to Kill Hitler:  Dietrich Bonhoeffer:  Pastor, Spy and Unlikely Hero.  As of now there is no Who Was book about him, but I hope there will be! 
Patricia McCormick has written many books but I have only read Sold, which was just exceptional, so I need to read more from her.  Read this that she wrote last fall.  It is very powerful about another man's evil actions. 
Bonhoeffer might have felt that he committed evil acts, but I was thinking about Hitler when I wrote that sentence!
This book was so good in that it raised questions for me and answered questions.  I really want to know more about Bonhoeffer and especially his relationship with Karl Barth, another theologian I admire.  But Bonhoeffer and Barth get into it here.  McCormick says that Barth criticized Bonhoeffer for his role in the plot against Hitler.  At least that's what it sounded like to me.  But other places say that Barth was mad at Bonhoeffer not because he thought Hitler shouldn't be opposed or thwarted, but that Bonhoeffer was kind of a coward for running away from the Nazis and being safe back in the US, while others were dying in Europe.  I want to look into this more. Barth was very anti-Hitler, but the way that McCormick described his conversation with Bonhoeffer, having not known anything else, I would have assumed that Barth was more "live and let live" when it came to Hitler.  Again, that is just me, not having known anything, but this is a book for kids, so it just worries me because the readers might not know about Barth and the Confessing Church and so forth. 

Word By Word

is an lecture of sorts, done as a result of the great success that Anne Lamott had with her book Bird by Bird which I hope to read very soon.  Word By Word is great though.  And it makes me want to read the book even more.  There is so much more here than advice for aspiring writers.  And today I even wrote 400 plus words!  So thank you, Ms. Lamott for your continued wisdom and joy.  It was cool listening to this after having finished the latest Jack Gantos book, on the same topic but for kids, but man, really for anyone.  I wonder if Gantos and Lamott have ever met.  I bet they would get along very well!

Plans C, D, E and so on!

Listening to an Anne Lamott book will be my whole Alphabet Plan for the new year and always.  Plan B:  Further Thoughts on Faith was another excellent listen.  My mother has been listening along and she really is inspired by Lamott who seems to be the first person to really ask the questions and share the concerns that my mother has.  Great, great stuff. 

Even though

I will never be a mother or a grandmother, and even though I was hesitant to read Some Assembly Required:  A Journal of My Son's First Son, I soon realized that one doesn't have to be a mother or grandmother or son, first or otherwise, or father to appreciate this beautiful and honest and heart-breaking book. 
If I had already fallen in love with Sam Lamott just from what his mother has written about him in her other books, I would have fallen in love after reading this. 

I still can't spell

Hallelujah.  Which is too bad because as a pastor it's a word that I might use more than some.  I also can't spell bulletin, which again, given my vocation, makes it tough!  Hallelujah Anyway:  Reflections on Mercy by Anne Lamott was wonderful.  Yes, I am reading everything I can by her.  In this one she mentions a tweet that she wrote about "the only transgender person she can't stand" and it was easy for me to google that whole debacle.  I was so touched and impressed by her honesty and admission of wrong in this incident.  And her openness regarding the impact that her son had on her dealing with the situation. 
What google couldn't do was tell me which author she is talking about when she writes about an author who said nasty things about her and humiliated her.  Doesn't she know that I need to know so I can hate this author?!?  Doesn't she know that I need to know who did this to her so that I can hope that this author will get bad reviews forever?!?
Oh wait, maybe I am supposed to be merciful.
Live and learn.
And grow.  Excellent book.

So True

Never That Far is a really good book.  It's short.  It's simple, but it's real.  Yes, dead people visit the living.  But still.  It's real.  It's about loss and the end of this life.  And there is a woman preacher!  And she is both kind and annoying!  And the book isn't what people come to think of as "Christian Fiction."  Actually, I think that a lotta people who read "Christian Fiction" might be offended by it, thinking it isn't "Christian" enough.  But that's my issue! 
Good stuff. 

A Sweet Story about Death

Yes, Have a Nice Day is about death!  But it's not a downer.  I swear.  It's one of those audible originals and it narrated so well!  It stars Annette Bening, I LOVE her!  And Kevin Kline and Billy Crystal.  Kevin Kline is the President of the US (again!) and Ms. Bening is the First Lady.  All of them are just excellent and it really does make one think, "What would you do, if today were your last day on earth?"

Still Don't Really Understand Darning

But that doesn't mean that Stitches:  a Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair is excellent.  It seems that every Anne Lamott book review says, "Her most profound book yet.," and well, I have to agree.  I mean, I am not reading them in the order in which they were published, but every time I read a new one, I am blown away.
Oh, and here is how to darn! 

Why?

Why, why, why didn't I read Anne Lamott before now?  So many people told me to do so!  Why did I wait so long?  On the other hand, I REALLY need this now, you know? Grace (Eventually):  Thoughts on Faith was another read-by-the-author wonderful book.  What strikes me about this book and Small Victories is Lamott's description of her anger and heartbreak surrounding Little Bush's administration.  (My dad called the H.W. "Big Bush" and G.W. "Little Bush and I think I will do that, too.  Thanks, dad!)  I agree that this was a horrible, horrible time in our country.  And that Little Bush made reprehensible decisions and what was even more reprehensible was that he claimed to have a strong faith in Jesus, but I look at our current administration and I wonder what Lamott must be thinking now.  So I have been listening to podcasts like this one (and I just find it SO cool and hard to believe that I was on this podcast once!) and this one and this one.  And I fall deeper in love with Lamott.  Because she is so calm and so reassuring and while being completely aware and active.  I was especially captivated by Lamott's description of an eating binge, as well, you know my deal.  So thank you, Ms. Lamott for your brilliance and your grace, for who you are. 

Back in Seminary School....

I am so surprised by the number of times I get to write that!
Anyway, back then, in another life, I read Elaine Pagels.  So I was very interested when I saw that her new book was on hoopla and then I saw that she was on Fresh Air and I listened and then I listened to the book and it was excellent.  Why Religion?:  A Personal Story is, indeed, a personal one.  She writes about her husband, Heinz, who was killed in a hiking accident shortly after the death of there son. 
We have some similarities in our spiritual journy!  I mean, not exactly, her parents were scientists and she became famous and all, but we both were Evangelical Christians and were "born again" at a Billy Graham revival!  I went to the 1993 revival in Pittsburgh.  And although I had known Christ prior to my coming forward at this event, this was impactful for me.  This is a book that will evoke a lot of feelings, I believe.  For Christians who are more of the black and white kind, it will be disturbing, I think.  But for others and for even those who do not know Christ it is a must read.  It is also a must read for those who have suffered great loss.  Yes, for sure. 

Ms. Lamott

is becoming a SUPER favorite author of mine.  Wow.  I really loved Almost Everything:  Notes on Hope and I just finished Small Victories:  Spotting Improbably Moments of Grace and I loved that, too.  She is hilarious and heart-breaking and thought-provoking and just brilliant.  Wow she was right on about the online dating profiles, too!  I remember when I was going through that and yes, yes, yes, she is spot on!  Wonderful book.