Books: February 2017

February has been a lighter month for reading. I'll admit that I caved a lot more to Parks and Recreation that I did to the (good!) books that were on my stack for this month. Despite my relative February laziness, I enjoyed most of the books that I read and am looking forward to getting back into the habit of reading again instead of watching TV.


Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty 
Ramona Ausubel

I discovered this book in my local library in the sweetest way. I first heard about it on one of my favourite podcasts and because the host and I have almost identical taste in books, I wanted to read it at her recommendation. Cut to a couple of months after I first heard about it and I was forlornly perusing the shelves at my library. A few different things had caused it to be a rough week and I was in desperate need of a pick-me up. For some reason, this particular title crossed my mind and just as I was debating whether or not to go and look it up (I had no idea who the author was), I spotted it on the shelf right in front of me. This little incident of God reading my thoughts was honestly the highlight of that week. 

Despite the sweet circumstances in which I discovered this book, the story itself was a bit of a disappointment. Ramona Ausubel has a really unique writers voice and there were some sentences in here that I really wanted to underline because they were so beautiful. I loved the character of Cricket, too -- of all the plights of all the characters in this book, hers was the most believable and the one that made me want to keep reading the most. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for Cricket's parents, who, after finding out that their family fortune is gone, unravel in ways that have a significant impact on one another and their children. I know my own background has influenced a lot of my thinking on money, and mine is such that I have never really been able to sympathise with the problems of the very rich. Some things I understand, sure: heartache and illness (both physical and mental). These things don't discriminate. But problems caused by the mismanagement of large amounts of money? These I do not understand. Maybe it's because I can't sympathise with this particular kind of character that I need to keep reading books in this genre ... or maybe I just need to leave it alone altogether. I have to say, this book definitely has me leaning in the latter direction.

Silence
Shusaku Endo

My pastor referenced this book in one of his sermons in January and since then it has been cropping up everywhere on my social media feeds. I was fascinated by the historical aspect of the novel; I had no idea that Japan had such a large Christian population in the 1600s. I guess this is something of a testament to the good job Japanese powers did in squelching Christianity entirely. I found this book to be beautifully written, poignant and incredibly pertinent. The story follows a young Catholic priest, Sebastian Rodrigues, who travels to Japan to care for the needs of the growing Japanese Christian population. Through all of his experiences, good and bad, the priest grapples with one overwhelming question: how can God be silent in the face of the agony of his people? Though I have never even come close to being persecuted for my faith, it's become impossible to avoid seeing suffering all across the world through media. Like the priest in this book, I wonder sometimes how long God will allow it to happen. I know that affliction is temporary and that earthly troubles purchase for the saints glory beyond their comprehension (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), but sometimes that can feel like a far-off comfort for an immediate horror. I closed this book feeling both encouraged and heavy-hearted; may God comfort the valiant saints who persevere for His name and glory, and may He come soon and put an end to all our suffering.

The Reason For God
Timothy Keller

Yes, I am continuing on my Tim Keller kick, and friends, this one was truly excellent. I've had it sitting on my shelf for almost two years and I'm so glad that I finally got around to it. The book is for seekers and sceptics but as someone who has been a Christian for a long time and who sometimes struggles to answer the complex questions people have about faith, I found it to be enormously helpful. The first section of the book provides answers to a few big questions that people often have about Christianity and the second is devoted to providing reasons for faith in Christ. One thing I always love about Tim Keller's books is that I am introduced to so many other men and women of faith when reading them. C.S. Lewis and Flannery O'Connor featured heavily in this one and they, along with many others, help Keller build his very compelling case for faith. I have to say, too, that although I initially bought this book in the hopes of being able to help my non-Christian friends understand my faith, I cannot overstate how much this book ended up helping me. I got to revisit the sweetest, simplest truths of the gospel; truths that can sometimes feel simplistic when you've been a Christian for over half your life. But that't the crazy thing about the gospel, isn't it? It's mind-blowingly simple. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great saviour. What a message that is!

The Girls
Emma Cline

Of all the books I read this month, this was the one I felt most conflicted about. This was my book club's second pick for the year; a book that received a lot of hype surrounding its release last year. I was intrigued by the premise -- it's the story of a girl who gets caught up in a Manson-esque cult -- so I was eager to find out for myself whether the book was worth all the hype. The verdict: maybe. At first I was quite annoyed by Emma Cline's writing style; she doesn't follow typical writing conventions all of the time and it took me a little while to get used to it. Her prose can also be quite flowery (unnecessarily so at some points, but that's just this girl's opinion) so initially that was a strike against her as well. After getting through a decent chunk, though, I got used to the style and started enjoying the story. Evie is a typical fourteen year old girl trying to figure out her place in the world in a body and being wracked with insecurity. She (perhaps stereotypically) falls in with the 'wrong crowd' as she's trying to figure things out, although in a more sinister twist, the wrong crowd turns out to be a commune with a charismatic psychopath at its centre. The plot builds compellingly to a climax and I shut the book thinking that Emma Cline knows how to tell a good story. That being said, some of the ideologies promoted in the book, along with my frustrations with Evie for making such bad choices didn't leave me feeling euphoric about the book overall. So, Emma Cline knows how to tell a story, but does it while promoting some questionable ideals. Worth the hype? I think it's best for you to read it and decide for yourself.

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On my stack for March: a biography of Amy Carmichael's life, some C.S. Lewis and Shauna Niequist's latest book, Present Over Perfect. What are you reading this month, friends? As always I'd love to hear from you!