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!

Words

Words on Bathroom Walls was one of those heart-breaker books.  Mental illness is one of the most painful parts of our broken world.  I am not sure why I gave this book only 4 of the 5 stars, but I must have for some reason, so I guess I will leave it as such.  Still, it is such an important topic and though there are more and more books about it, I think that a good one, which this one was, deserves a listen.  So I will recommend it for sure.  It is told from the POV of a young man who has both visual and auditory hallucinations.  It is all so complicated and I suppose there is still much that the experts don't understand.  I did love Adam very much.  And loved his relationship with Maya.  Really good book. 

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood

for a love story.   This wasn't chick-lit, no.  It was more than that, deeper, better written and more interesting.  It WAS good.  It was just that it maybe was a little bit predictable?  But predictable books need to be written, too and this was very well written.  Maybe it hit a little too close to home for me?  Maybe that was it.  The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig has me wondering about the title.  Were there really seven torments for Amy?  It seemed like Craig was the one tormented!  But yes, I suppose I must be fair...Amy was tormented, too.  Just not in the same way.  I read the book because it was set in Janesville, where I have stayed twice!  And I ate a pretty good Mexican meal, there, too, back when I ate!  Don't worry, Mr. Levithan!  I don't eat Mexican food now!

When I was back in seminary school

there was a professor who really didn't like a lot of people.  I know he loved God, but God's people?  Not so much.  His last name was Sunquist, which stuck in my head as I was listening to We Should Hang Out Sometime because the author has a similar last name and came from the same kind of theological place that Dr. Sunquist did.  Josh Sundquist is the author of WSHOS and this book is QUITE funny.  It is memoir, dealing with Sundquist's adventures in unsuccessful dating.  I really enjoyed this! 

One Day

LBGTQIA relationships will be written about like this.  You know, where the LBGTQIA part of it is not THE part of it.  Where it is just part of who the characters are.  Where all will realize that love is love is love is love.
Everything a Leads to You was just a really, really, really good story and love story.  Really liked this a lot.

Powerful

The Tattooist of Auschwitz was an excellent witness to the Holocaust.  Very moving.  It is also based on a true story.  It is sad to think that Lale Sokolov felt that he could not talk about his experience for so long because he feared that he would be called a traitor and a Nazi collaborator.  It seems to me that there is no way that anyone could accuse him of this. 
Once again we hear the horrors of the concentration camps and the ways in which human beings were treated as things.  Horrifying.  Incredible that this is also a love story.  He never would have considered himself a hero, I bet.  But he sure was. 

Bounce Back

Camilla's Roses was an incredible book.  I was so thankful to have read it after the bad run of books lately.  When I went to write this post I wanted to link it to my first McFadden experience which was Loving Donovan.  It was then that I realized that the post never saved!  I was very sad!  Because I remember writing and writing about how much I loved LD and had put CR on hold and that I couldn't wait to read more from BLMcF!  Dude!
McFadden is going to be a go-to author.  This book and LD were just so very, very well done.  I loved everything about them.  Especially the ending of CR.  The whole thing.  Man.  McFadden is a WRITER!  Wow! 
Both of these books made me laugh and cry.  A lot.  Just like life. 

Yeah...

The Careful Undressing of Love was pretty good.  It was good, yes, but it didn't suck me in or "wow" me.  Still, I can see that it was well written.  It was just that the ending was super rushed, it seemed to me.  I also have to say I don't really understand the title.  But still, it was pretty good.  And I would read another book by Corey Ann Haydu for sure. 

Sadly, This is America

An American Marriage is one of the best books I have ever read.  It is sad that we who work in libraries don't let people know about the databases we have.  In our county we have two eAudio sites, Hoopla Digital and Overdrive.  We have another one, but it is terrible.  Anyway...with Overdrive, there are a set number of copies and only one patron can listen or read a book at one time.  So there are waiting lists.  Right now on Overdrive there are about 100 holds for An American Marriage on audio download.  But with Hoopla, I can listen, you can listen, we all can listen at the same time.  No waiting.  So I was SO fortunate to check both resources and listen to this incredible book.  And then I got to hear Tayari Jones on this podcast and this one!  Simply excellent.  Must-read.  And it is Oprah's Book Club pick, currently! 

Descending Shakespeare!

Isn't a word I use very much.  As I Descended is a modern retelling of Macbeth!  Dude so much Shakespeare in my life this year!  With two Ladys Macbeth instead of a Dude Macbeth!  Creepy and good!

Once

I read that Genuine Fraud was written with the idea that it would pay homage, be an update to The Talented Mr. Ripley, I really began to LOVE this book.  There was a movie made of that book in 1999.  And I confess, that is how I came to know the story.  It was only years later I realized it was from a book and a series.  I have not read them, but wow, that movie.  It was a horror movie, I think. 
I really enjoy all of Lockhart's books and this one was one of the best books I have read so far this year.  I don't know if it is a Printz kind of book, but it sure was a great, great, great read that I can recommend.  It was completely creepy and very well written.  I think it definitely should be considered.  It is just so well done, how can it not? 

Match Made in Heaven

Death Match was okay.  I wish I would have liked it more.  If I hadn't seen it coming so clearly, I know I would have liked it more.  But oddly enough and so unlike me, I was able to see it coming pretty much from the beginning of the book.  But maybe it was supposed to be that way?  Because if I could see it coming, then pretty much everyone could see it coming.  It was very "meh."

Until There Was You

I never would have read Soppy until I fell in love.  Had a been forced to read it, I would have hated it and mocked it.  I loved this book.  If you are in love, you will love it, too.  If you love "ordinary time" with the one you love, you will especially love this book.  What a love story.  Only thing is, David Levithan would hate this book.  The female character is drawn so that she looks a bit overweight!  He would have a field day saying how lazy she is!

Watch Out for the Quiet Ones

Mindy McGinnis has written a tough book.  The Female of the Species starts tough and ends tough.  I loved, loved, loved the character of Peekay, the Preacher's Kid and her parents.  I feel like this was one of those books that really got church right.
The story is told from the POVs of Peekay, Jack and Alex.  Alex is the main character, he sister was raped and murdered by a local man who didn't go to prison due to lack of evidence.  Jack is the guy who falls in love with her, willing to forget his playboy self and just be faithful to Alex.
The book is raw and, I saw someone on goodreads call it brutal, and it is.  It is real life in its worst of times.  But very realistic.
There are stories about abuse to animals, because Alex and Peekay volunteer in an animal shelter, so some of that will be hard to take for some, but it no where compares to the abuse done to humans in the book.  This is getting Printz buzz and I can see why.

A Sad Smile, but a Smile Just the Same

I remember when I was a little girl, our house caught on fi--- on no, wait.  That was Peg, not me.   But I do remember, when I was a little girl and I was in a snit about something, my father would often try to make me laugh.  I would try and try not to give in, but he was a very, very funny man.  And he would often announce, "It was a sad smile, but a smile just the same..." and what would do it.  A full blown smile, just as he narrated.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane made me smile many sad smiles, but smiles, indeed, just the same.
What a glorious book.  Years ago I read Because of Winn-Dixie and I remember feeling the same way after having read it and I can't, for the life of me, think why it has take me so long to read another DiCamillo.   Minnesota brings out the genius in everyone, doesn't it?
Edward is a handsome bunny, made of the finest china and he loves himself, surely, but doesn't know how to love others.  A turn of events, a curse perhaps, sends him off on the journey of his life, one that I will remember for a very, very, very long time.  Beautiful.