unconditional love

The Kingdom by Tom Hardin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this story. The reader is plunged right into the intersection of fundamentalist evangelical Christianity and the LGBT community. When these two worlds collide within a minister’s family, the real human drama that results is profoundly moving, in both tragedy and in redemption. Having literally walked through many of the circumstances in this story, it felt very real to me. I especially appreciate the authentic humanity portrayed in the characters, and that they are not beyond redemption. The characters are not good and/or evil in themselves. Rather, the systemic evil of Christianity and our society is exposed through real flesh and blood people who choose caring action, unconditional love and relationship over fundamentalist dogma. This story does not have a storybook ending. It will grab the open-minded readers heart, and tears may result. Sadly, this is a story that is being lived out over and over within our nation and around the world. My wish is that by reading it, more painful tragedy can be avoided, and true redemption can occur.

View all my reviews

Thinking in Pictures

Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism by Temple Grandin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Thinking in Pictures" is the inspiring, fascinating, and informative account of the life experiences of Temple Grandin. She shares with candidness and detail her interactions with the world around her as a person with autism. Her insight and knowledge on many subjects have made her an expert on animal psychology and thought, and she has used her knowledge to revolutionize humane approaches to livestock handling. Her methods have enabled humane handling techniques to be used in a large percentage of the cattle and swine industry. Her personal experiences, challenges, and her philosophical pondering are interesting and thought provoking. She shares a viewpoint that many of us can never see for ourselves. I enjoyed this book very much and am looking forward to reading more of her expertise in animal psychology in her book "Animals in Translation"

View all my reviews

Peripheral

The Peripheral by William Gibson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting angle on time travel, technology, and environmental catastrophe from one of my favorite authors. This is a great story, and it was cool to hear Mr. Gibson to read selections from it, and sign my copy at Motorco in Durham :)

View all my reviews