Neurodiverse

After reading Tornado Brain I found out about the term neurodiverse. Now I say right out that I am not

neurodiverse.  The main character of the book, Frankie a seventh grader, is and I do know people who would fall under the term, if it is applied in the way I have seen it defined.  Saying that, I like the term, because it seems to negate the idea idea ADHD and autism aren't abnormal, they are just part of the spectrum of the diversity of human brain function.  I think that any time we stand up and say, "You aren't weird, or your way isn't the 'different' way just because it is different from my way" we are on the way to recognizing our oneness.  We are on the way to remembering that we are all created by the same Loving and All-Good Creator, the image of that Loving and All-Good Creator and therefore we are all good as well and then our job is grow in the likeness of our Loving Creator.  We must affirm our own and one another's holy personhood, our place in the collective family of God.

For me as a Christian, I follow Jesus, Love in the flesh and see the way He lived in the world and try to act as He did.  But now I am off on a tangent-- so let me get back.

When we stop saying "abnormal" when we stop "us" and "them"ing our siblings, we live are getting better.  We are growing into the likeness of the Love that made us all.  

And so for me, is a good term.  

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.

Chick Lit Thrillers

seem to be a dime a dozen as they say...and this one isn't bad but it just seems more "chick lit" to me than for my taste.  Stranger in the Lake was not a memorable read for me.  Wasn't offensive though, either. 

An American Summer Sadly Like Every Other American Summer

although this one seems worse.  Or maybe I am finally more aware.  An American Summer:  Love and Death in Chicago is written by the brilliant Alex Kotlowitz.  And if one hasn't read There are No Children Here, it should be read today.  And then this one. 
And we have to do something, right?  But what do we do?  How do we make things right?  How do we, especially those of us who claim to follow the example of Jesus, and try to be Christ in the world, live out of faith so that we will live in a world where Black Lives will Matter?

Killed by the Narrator

And the narrator was good.
And the book was good.
But...the book was set in the American South...at a college...the main character is a college student...so why a middle age British narrator.
Just pretty much ruined the whole thing.
I didn't have high hopes for Watching, the first in the Making of Riley Paige series. 
Blake Pierce and the series and all of the others books and series written under the name Blake Pierce are one of those...what are they called...I can't remember the term...hang on...syndicate is the word I found right now, but there is another word for it.  Like Nancy Drew but for adults.  But all of these books under this name are on hoopla and when there is nothing else to read, I have been tempted.  But man...the British narrator?  Just weird and maybe lazy. 

Jack McEvoy kinda troubles me...(NOT!)

Of course, one doesn't have to love a character to appreciate a book or series.  And Jack McEvoy didn't trouble me until The Scarecrow.  I really did enjoy The Poet but then I didn't like Scarecrow so much I was surprised by how much I really did enjoy Fair Warning. But FW was so good that I will read the book about Jack.  Even though I do find him troubling...I don't remember why...but there were some things in Scarecrow that really made me raise my eyebrows...but maybe I am just being picky.

NO NO NO WAIT!

Dude while I didn't like Scarecrow, it wasn't Jack that bothered me...it was the guy from the other book by that woman who writes about a woman priest and a sheriff.  And the sheriff guy is a HUGE Blame-the-Victim dude.  BIG Time!  This one! 

So I had to change my title of the "review."  Jack is just a regular dude.  I mean, do feel bad for him because he lacks a lot of self confidence, especially when it comes to love.  But he isn't a creep like the law guy in that other series!  Sorry! 

My Eating

Eating has always been hard for me.  Most often I have eaten too much.  That is why David Levithan makes me so sad.  Sometimes I have eaten too little, and with the help of therapy, I am trying to get a hold on that problem.  

About 18 months ago I started a new part-time job.  I loved it, but it was a very stressful job for me.  I gained 30 pounds.  But the thing is, I am SUPER obsessive about weighing and measuring my food, counting my ounces of water, tracking my running and exercise and counting my steps.  

I hadn't made any changes in that time.  I have it all tracked.  

For whatever reason, I gained 30 lbs.  Three weeks ago I left my part-time job.  It was hard to do, but new demands at my full-time (I love that, too!  I am SO BLESSED work-wise and always have been and I am SO grateful) I knew I had to quit.

Well, in three weeks I have lost 14.5 of those extra pounds.  I can't explain it.  I haven't done anything differently, except leave my part-time job.

I did read The Mayo Clinic Diet:  Eat well.  Enjoy life.  Lose weight.  And I really think it is excellent.  But I haven't applied it.  But it is good to know that if I don't continue to lose weight, to get back to my pre-new-part-time-job weight, I can try this!  

And then maybe David Levithan will find me acceptable!  

I have 10 more pounds to go to get back to the weight I was when the photo on the right was taken.  I am trying, Mr. Levithan!

Hmmm

For a long time I have been embarrassed to say that I had not seen Judgement at Nuremberg.  Judy of course was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but as we know, Oscar is political and usually wrong.  1954. Now may I say that even Judy would agree that Oscar was right in awarding Rita Moreno the win that year.  1962 was no 1954.  Moreno's WSS role was the standout and Moreno is just one brilliant woman and actress, but I digress.
Shocking.

Anyway...I finally watched JAN and wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
What a movie.
Yes, Judy is incredible.  And the whole film is incredible.  I also read the book form of the script written by Abby Mann because, man.  This is one powerful story.  By the way, Mann grew up in East Pittsburgh!
One review I read of it asks the question, if the Axis powers had one the war, would the United States have been on trial for the bombings of Dresden and Tokyo and for the dropping of the atomic bombs. 
Other questions asked by the defense attorney:

Where is the responsibility of the Soviet Union...
who signed in  the pact with Hitler...
enabled him to make war?
Are we now to find Russia guilty?

Where is the responsibility of the Vatican...
who signed in the concordat with Hitler...
giving him his first tremendous prestige?
Are we now to find the Vatican guilty?

Where is the responsibility of the world leader Winston Churchill...
who said in an open letter to the London Times in            
'Were England to suffer a national disaster,
I should pray to God...
to send a man of the strength of mind
and will of an Adolf Hitler.'
Are we now to find Winston Churchill guilty?

Where is the responsibility of those American industrialists...
who helped Hitler to rebuild his armaments,
and profited by that rebuilding?
Are we now to find the American industrialists guilty?

No, Your Honor.

Germany alone is not guilty.

The whole world is as responsible for Hitler as Germany."


This blew me away because SILENCE IS VIOLENCE as we see today in the murders of so many African Americans.  Police remain silent.  Politicians remain silent (at best, MANY speak hateful, vile lies).  And most embarrassingly to me, pulpits remain silent. 

We all have the blood of 8 million Jews on our hands.  We all have the neck of George Floyd under our boot. 

WE MUST ACT FOR JUSTICE AND LIFE! 
WE MUST STAND FOR LOVE AND BE PEACE MAKERS NOT PEACE KEEPERS!  Because the "peace" we are protecting when we say "all lives matter" and "stop the looting" and "cant't we just be peaceful and kind" is not a peace.  It is signing a pact with evil like the Vatican did in 1933.

We must wake up and remember we were ALL created in the image of God and the only way to grow into God's likeness is to act like Jesus did.  Jesus was political. 
Jesus was killed by the state because He spoke out for the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed.  Following Jesus does not mean "peace keeping" it means PEACE MAKING and that is dangerous, dangerous work. 

Dr. and Mr. = Dr. and Ms.

Henrietta and Eleanor is a new version of Jekyll and Hyde, adapted by Libby Spurrier, who has adapted a lot of books for audio.  I like this.  I like most audible originals.  I have never read the real Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde.  Nor have I even been to Jekyll Island.   I loved this J and H book a lot...but this one just was decent for me anyway. 

Years and Years and Years Ago

I listened to Wild Fire.  On a CD!  At the drive-in!  This was a LONG time ago!  And I LOVED it!  I just finished Plum Island, which is the first in the John Corey series and I loved it, too.  Because John Corey is hilarious. 

Here is just one of my favorite quotes:
She has clear, grey eyes, grey hair and a sort of interesting face with translucent skin.  A face that reminded me of an old painting.  Not any particular painting.
Or artist.
Or style.
Just an old painting.

I LOVED THAT!

Anyway...fantastic cop.  Fantastic book. 

Some People

I am not sure if more people are like Maggie or not like Maggie.  I think if we have the answer to that life would be a lot easier.  This book just completely messed with my understanding of morality and how I think (or thought) people see right and wrong.  This is How I Lied was pretty terrible regardless. 

So...this is weird.

In the Bleak Midwinter is the first book in the Rev. Clare Fergusson, and Russ Van Alstyne series.    This was not a book that came highly recommended.  In fact, when my friend told me about it she said, "These characters are terrible.  They are such jerks.  They are completely incompetent at what they do."  But then she told me that she has read every one of the books in the series.  And has every intention to read any forthcoming books in the series.  
Well I had to read one, right?
I am a pastor and so is Fergusson and so I figured that might be interesting.  And I love detective fiction, so I figured that might be interesting.  
It was not interesting at all!
My friend was right!  Neither Fergusson nor Val Alstyne are good at their jobs.  They are not sympathetic characters either.  But will I read the next one?  Yes.  I have already started it.  Will I probably read the rest of the series.  Probably.  It is like not being able to look away from an accident I guess.  I actually don't know.  It is just so bizarre.
Just.  Yeah.  I can't recommend this book either, but I will say if you read it, you might get hooked.  

Perfect for a Pandemic

I think it has been wonderful that Stuart Woods (along with Parnell Hall in this case) has released two books in pandemic time.  The world is in an awful place.  The United States is in chaos, "led" by a hateful man.  I feel helpless.  What better way to take a break from the hell that is reality right now than to read about Stone Barrington and his rich and charmed friends and family.  This is the fourth Teddy Fay book, Bombshell.  At was a great escape.

Not that we can escape all the time.  In fact, now more than ever we need to raise our voices and raise our hands and do all we can to protest the murder of African Americans, most recently George Floyd.  For the first time I preached what some might call a political sermon. I was very afraid.  The church at which I serve does not really address current circumstances in the world and country but I am trying to change that.  And it was Pentecost.  And if the Holy Spirit is with us well, we CANNOT be silent.  We MUST speak up.  Tomorrow I am going to my first protest vigil at my old church.  I am embarrassed and ashamed that it is just my first one.  But I can't be silent anymore.

I know I went off on a tangent.  But an important one.
I just wanted to make sure that it didn't seem as though it was okay to just escape into a book.  There is time for relaxing and reading, but there is also time (and the time is now) to stand up for what is right.  

Both Sides

On the Horizon is a beautiful book.  One that brought me to tears.  Lois Lowry really makes magic with her words.  She recalls her childhood in Hawaii and her time in Japan and recounts the stories of lives lost at Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. 
War.
What is it good for?
They even wrote a song asking that question.
The song's answer is "Absolutely nothing."
I pray one day we will learn from that answer.
Will there be a time, this side of heaven when we look at one another as children of God?  Only then will it happen. 

Swimming

I have a dear friend who has a dear daughter who is a competitive swimmer.  She is quite good!  She was headed to states this year before the pandemic hit and that is a real shame.  I wonder how swimmers have been practicing, if they have been able to practice?  Breath Like Water is set in the world of competitive swimming.  Anna Jarzab is a great author and I would have read it even if I wasn't already curious about swimming.  She deals with mental health issues in such a real and honest way.  I loved Harry and Susannah so much.  Great, great book.  

The List of Authors Everyone Loves

Rebecca Stead is on that list!  The List of Things that Will Not Change is her latest.  And I did like it.  But for some reason I just can't really get into Stead.  I loved the love.  I heart-broken about Mission.  I thought the relationship between the two main character and her soon to be sister was very real.  I just thought the whole cousin thing wasn't needed.  I am not sure why it just seemed so out of place for me.  But the big secret surrounding Bea and her cousin...it just didn't fit for me and really did a lot of take away from my experience with the book.  

I Do Love

these audible originals.  Second Skin was QUITE good!  It was sad and surprising and smart and keep me wanting to keep on listening.  It most certainly was an original as far as a story goes, too.  And I was surprised by the ending! 

Can a book like this be sweet?

The Getaway isn't sweet.  But it IS sweet.  Kinda.  I mean it is awful.  I mean it is very well written.  But the bad guy is BAD.  There is nothing redeeming about him.  And what he does to his victims is AWFUL.  But is a very satisfying read.   Okay.  So it isn't sweet.  But the way it ended?  It did make me say, "Sweet." 

Gorey!

I think I was first exposed to Edward Gorey's art on the cover of the book The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs.  And then I remember the opening to the PBS show Mystery which I LOVED.  AND THEN I found the book The Shrinking of Treehorn!  It is one of my all-time favorite books and Gorey was the incredible illustrator.    When I saw and read Nonsense!  The Curious Story of Edward Gorey I found out that he not only was an illustrator, but also an author.  Shame on me for not knowing that before this!  The Wuggly Ump was wonderful!  As was Nonsense! 

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.