nice guide to one of our favorite roads

Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway: A Guide to America's Most Scenic Drive by J. Scott Graham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a nice general guide to getting the most from your drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of our favorite roads. The book covers a wide range of topics related to the Parkway and is a great resource.

View all my reviews

more details in the second reading

Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My second trip through the amazing epic saga. Lots of great developments in Winter's Heart, and many more details seen in the second reading. It helps to know where things are headed. Great book and series!

View all my reviews

You really want to read this story. Really

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading the graphic novel version of this story, i have been looking forward to reading this original novel version. It did not disappoint in the least. This is probably my favorite of all the Neil Gaiman that i have read. The Graveyard Book is creative and brilliant. And it is as heartwarming as a graveyard could possibly be. I will not say anything else about the tale except that you really want to read this story. Really. Excellent!!!

View all my reviews

Dr. Ehrman at his best

Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Despite being one of Bart Ehrman's first "trade" books published, "Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium" is Dr. Ehrman at his best. The book is excellently written, thoroughly referenced, and is fascinating, informative and engaging from start to finish. The first part of the book lays the groundwork for the ancient sources which are available to be used, and how to weigh them for authenticity of origin and content. What then follows is the meat of the book, an exploration of the human / earthly life of the person known as Jesus of Nazareth in first century Palestine, from his birth to his death. On every step of this way, Dr. Ehrman goes back and uses the sources he has shown to be reliable and authentic (at least in as much as an ancient document can be). What is really amazing is that the portrait of Jesus differs in many significant ways from that portrayed by most Xian churches and denominations. And once again, I am fascinated at how many people who claim to be followers of Jesus don't know the critical facts about who he was and the times in which he lived. This book is a must-read if you care anything about this man who is called Jesus.

View all my reviews

wild and outrageous story!

The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All by Josh Ritter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read and loved "Bright's Passage" by Josh Ritter, which is serious and excellent historical fiction, "The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All" took me off guard. But once i was in, it was a wild and crazy, emotional and moving, ride from start to finish. It is about lumbering (ie. lumberjacks and very large trees in the Northwest region of the US) in the early 1900's. The tale is narrated by ninety-something year old Weldon Applegate recollecting his memories of when he was a 13 year old boy, coming of age in the company of lumberjacks. The story frequently switches the time line, back and forth between 13 y.o. Weldon, an older Weldon, and "present day" ninety-something Weldon. Bringing in the viewpoints of a 13 y.o. boy makes the story larger than life, with some events and characters taking on supernatural status. Even after finishing the story, i'm left wondering what literally happened, and what happened in the mind of the teen Weldon. The wild and outrageous story line reminds me of some of the more famous Vonnegut stories ("Slaughterhouse Five" and "Cat's Cradle"), as well as Heller's "Catch-22". This is a great read that i'm probably going to re-read just so i pick up what i may have missed in the first go around. Another great, albeit different book from Josh Ritter!!

View all my reviews

a powerful story

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Salvage the Bones is a powerful story. It is about struggles, both small and large, both overwhelming and overcome, about family, about love and loss. But mostly, it's about living and life, in all its grit and grime, joy and sorrow. As with Sing, Unburied, Sing, we experience many aspects of being poor in the rural south. The story was difficult to read (not because of the writing, but because of the content) but at the same time compelling, inviting the reader to participate in the struggle, to overcome, or just to survive.

View all my reviews

revisiting C.S. Lewis on Patriotism

I remember being impressed back in 2006 by the section on patriotism in "The Four Loves" by C.S. Lewis. The text can be found here:

https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/lewiscs-fourloves/lewiscs-fourloves-00-h.html
it starts in what they call Chapter II with the paragraph beginning with

"I turn now to the love of one's country. "

through nearly the end of that chapter.

Since it has been many years since i read it, but it made an impression at the time, I'm going to go back and re-read just to freshen my memory and critique it anew.

So i re-read it last night. 

Keeping in mind it is written by a British Christian literary scholar in the 1950s (born 1898), i think it holds up very well in our discussion (of Jesus & John Wayne). If you do read it, you'll see the wisdom that originally drew me to reading CSL back in my progressive Christian days. The writing is not a style that we typically read, so it bears reading slower and more carefully. Anyway, it makes me feel good that what made such an impression on me back in the 2000s, that was written in the 1950s,  still holds up pretty well today.

the end of civilization

 Thoughts on a FB post i saw today:

then i guess the end of civilization comes when individual freedom and expression comes at the expense of others who are vulnerable and need protection. For example, school children and the immunocompromised, etc. In this case the predator is a virus, and in our post-civilized society, it is everyone for themselves. Sad and tragic.😔

Billions and Billions

Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium by Carl Sagan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Billions and Billions is a collection of essays and other short writings on various topics by Dr. Sagan. This was his last book, published posthumously. Topics range from science to the environment to technology to philosophical and moral questions related to humans past, present, and future existence. This book is not a deep dive into any of these subjects, but in true Sagan form, is infused through and through with his vast knowledge and profound wisdom. When we lost Dr. Sagan in 1996, the world lost one of the greatest minds and hearts of the 20th century. The chasm left behind is vast, and so needs to be filled. This is a great collection, and perhaps a great introduction to Dr. Sagan.

View all my reviews

a fool's bargain

Since we are on the subject of Dr. Sagan and right-wing fear mongering, i wanted to share an excerpt from another chapter in Billions and Billions. This is a speech that Sagan gave at the 125 anniversary re-dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery. it apparently is re-dedicated every 25 years. This is a several page read, but well worth it. Most of you are younger than i am and did not grow up during the cold war with its fear of nuclear war and regular civil defense drills in elementary school. The horror that Dr. Sagan is addressing, as we are see in Jesus and John Wayne, is a direct result of the militarism and fear mongering that the evangelical right made into our culture. We can thank the evangelicals, at least in part, for the horror described in this speech. Again, you are too young to have lived through it on a daily basis, not that what we live through now is any less horrid. I was wondering however, as Sagan describes the nuclear arsenal, where are all these nukes now, and in whose control?

the book chapter has the complete speech:
http://digitalcollections.library.cmu.edu/awweb/awarchive?type=file&item=422436

emphasis below is mine

"In 1945, at the close of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were virtually invulnerable. The United States bounded east and west by vast and impassable oceans, north and south by weak and friendly neighbors-had the most effective armed forces, and the most powerful economy on the planet. We had nothing to fear. So we built nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. We initiated and vigorously pumped up an arms race with the Soviet Union. When we were done, all the citizens of the United States had handed their lives over to the leaders of the Soviet Union. Even today, post-Cold War, post-Soviet Union, if Moscow decides we should die, twenty minutes later we're dead. In nearly perfect symmetry, the Soviet Union had the largest standing army in the world in 1945, and no significant military threats to worry about. It joined the United States in the nuclear arms race so that today every one in Russia has handed their lives over to the leaders of the United States. If Washington decides they should die, twenty minutes later they're dead. The lives of every American and every Russian citizen are now in the hands of a foreign power. I say we have made a fool's bargain. We - we Americans, we Russians - have spent 43 years and vast national treasure in making ourselves exquisitely vulnerable to instant annihilation. We have done it in the name of patriotism and "national security," so no one is supposed to question it."

Dr. Carl Sagan
THOUGHTS ON THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
13-SEP-1988

it occurred to me that in more recent times, our school children are still experiencing this horror - traumatized by a deadly threat from current generations - active shooter drills and shelter in place protocols. In this context, the threat is not missiles directed at us, 20 minutes away, but rather our bat-shit crazy neighbor with the arsenal in the back of his pickup truck, perhaps also 20 minutes away, but no less a horror to those precious children in their classrooms.

a man and his owl friend

My Friend Hootie by F Eugene Hester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a nice memoir for kids about a man and his friendship with a barred owl named Hootie. Nice story
cover image that is missing:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71kYOEJQfXL.jpg

View all my reviews

quite an adventure

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This little story is quite an adventure. A lot is packed into this story of a poor fisherman pursuing his dream. It is a story of friendship, hope, luck, perseverance, hopelessness, struggle, victory and defeat. A nice story.

View all my reviews

highly recommended, and brilliant!

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Colson Whitehead really knows how to tell a story!! "The Nickel Boys" is the story of a Florida reform school for boys during the Jim Crow-era 1960s. But it is so much more. It is a story about many of the boys who resided at Nickel, how they came to be there, and where their paths took them after they "graduated" to freedom, told beautifully with depth and feeling. Obviously, there are some very dark parts to this tale, but the story is based solidly on an actual place, the Dozier reform school which existed in Florida, and was eventually closed when investigations into horrific cruelty and abuse pulled back the thin veil. The author tells the tale brilliantly, with prose that flow naturally as it is read. Not surprisingly, Mr. Whitehead won a Pulitzer prize for this story - as he did for "The Underground Railroad". This story is highly recommended, and i'm looking forward to reading more from Colson Whitehead in the future. Brilliant!

View all my reviews

well written and heartfelt story

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I guess everyone in the world has read this story except me. I believe it was assigned reading for both my kids in school, as it was for my wife. Anyway, i ran across a copy used and decided to read it. This is a very well written and heartfelt story of gang life in the 60's written from the perspective of a 14 year old gang member. The depth and perspective portrayed in this first person narrative is amazing, especially considering that the author was 16 when writing it. I was going to give it 4 stars, but it made me tear up the end so i splurged and gave it 5 stars. This is probably a must read. And now i am in search of the Francis Ford Coppola film with the all-star cast, based on the book. I recommend this one. Through parts of it, i kept hearing Springsteen's "Meeting Across the River", and "Jungleland" (side 2 of Born to Run) play in my head. Would be the perfect soundtrack for it.

View all my reviews

enlightening and enjoyable travelogue

Far Appalachia: Following the New River North by Noah Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Far Appalachia is a nicely written travelogue tracing the New River from its source in the mountains of Western NC to its destination in the Kanawha River in West Virginia. In the tradition of a great travelogue, the authors journey describes many interesting places along the way, talking to people, recounting history, giving context, and relating personal experiences. In reading, i found many connections that our family has to the New River that we didn't even know about. For one, a branch of the headwaters runs literally through the campus of the university where one of our children did their undergrad degree. Another connection is that we have driven along side it countless times going to our favorite camping location in SW Virginia. After reading, we want to make a point of exploring more of the New River, especially New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in WV. Far Appalachia is an enlightening and enjoyable tale, in the good company of books by William Least Heat-Moon (the Blue Highways trilogy), Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods and others) and of course John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley.

View all my reviews

here we go!!!

The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh boy here we go!!! the adventure continues!

View all my reviews

Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

cool and creepy story. Apparently a retelling of the story of Snow White from the perspective of the step mother. wonderfully illustrated.

View all my reviews

thoughts and inspiration from Mister Rogers

The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The World According to Mister Rogers is a wonderful collection of quotes, song lyrics, and letters, all reflecting the wisdom and love of Fred Rogers. This little book could be used as a daily reflection text which would enrich each day with grounded and helpful thoughts and inspiration from Mister Rogers. The world would be better for it.

View all my reviews

one of the most important books I've read

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Jesus and John Wayne" is probably one of the most important books I've read in the past few years. To borrow an over-used adjective, this book is a MUST-READ for anyone currently or previously involved, even peripherally involved, in the evangelical church and culture. This is a concise overview into the behind the scenes people and policies which have led us to what the evangelical movement is in the U.S. today. It is ESPECIALLY important for all church leaders, both clergy and lay leaders, to have this information. It will have a profoundly powerful impact on the church and the evangelical movement if this information is known, dealt with, and informs decisions and actions going forward. READ THIS BOOK!!!

View all my reviews

excellent storytelling and writing

A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The saga continues. It is nice, while re-reading this series, to still be surprised and delighted by events forgotten due to the sheer size of this epic tale. Really excellent storytelling and writing.

View all my reviews

a true statesman, gentleman, and servant of others

A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety by Jimmy Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think that Jimmy Carter is probably one of the most erroneously underrated presidents. From his humble beginnings in rural Georgia, he became an American Renaissance man, pursuing and excelling in many, diverse areas. A Full Life is a candid, seemingly honest and fair, reminiscence of a life lived to its fullest. In nearly every chapter is an "oh wow" moment describing a new endeavor, adventure, or accomplishment. And in keeping with the honor and values of Jimmy Carter, he also shares his failures, disappointments, and wrong turnings. This is a must read for anyone interested in the life of a true statesman, gentleman, and servant of others. We desperately need more Jimmy Carters, in our nation and in our world.

View all my reviews

fascinating and compelling, albeit depressing and infuriating

How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America by Heather Cox Richardson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"How the South Won the Civil War" presents a fascinating and compelling, albeit depressing and infuriating look at the background, actual events , and the aftermath of The Civil War. But then, as a follow up (really the meat of the book), the author traces the spread of the same oligarchy, white supremacy, and class struggle, starting from the defeated confederacy, out westward. She shows quite clearly how the same model for class and race discrimination was used to continue the domination over non-white men, women, and immigrants by the wealthy and powerful who funded and exploited the westward conquest and domination of the western part of the continent. The myth of the American Paradox, as practiced by the founders, and then the southern slaveholders, was reworked to accommodate the westward expansion, and to ensure the domination and enrichment of the wealthy white few who held all the power and resources. Then as their worldview and power structure was threatened in the aftermath of the great depression, the myth was re-spun once again to provide the mythical and false narrative needed to rekindle the white supremacist oligarchy in the mid 20th century, and that we are still suffering from today, and that will destroy the U.S. if we can't reverse its course. This is a depressing history, but it offers rational discussion of where we are, how we got here, and perhaps how to recover and proceed.

View all my reviews

amazing reflection on many important issues

Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis by Jimmy Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published in 2005, this book is an amazing reflection on many of the important issues faced by the United States in recent years. Given President Carter's deep religious background, his faith and values inform his discussion of the topics. Even read from a post-evangelical, and even post-religion viewpoint, the wisdom conveyed in this book deserves serious respect and consideration. I highly recommend it, especially for those who have, in the past, been involved in or had interaction with the evangelical movement. Carter has so much intellectual, moral and spiritual depth, and in light of the past few decades, it is remarkable that he was once our president and leader.

View all my reviews

The Umbrella Academy - complex and engaging story

The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: The Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After watching season one of Netflix "The Umbrella Academy", i wanted to read the graphic novel upon which it was based. The graphic novel is an interesting and creative story, with some depth of character, and a dynamic plot line. The series definitely measures up and stays fairly true to the novel, but exceeds it in depth and richness. I will definitely be moving on to season two of the series, but may not read any more of the graphic novel volumes. That being said, the novel deserves respect and credit for setting up this complex and engaging story. Will report back after season two.

 

View all my reviews

Excellent book!

The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America by Sarah Kendzior
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The View from Flyover Country" is a collection of op-eds published by the talented and well informed Sarah Kendzior between 2012 and 2014. She covers a range of topics, describing, explaining, and analyzing many critical issues we face as a nation. Sadly, the issues are as relevant now as they were then, if not more so. The author's keen insight, rich experience, and deep knowledge of the topics shine through in precise and clear essays that cut to the heart of the issue, and then offer meaningful, thoughtful, and knowledgable challenges to solutions. The book is FULL of excellent quotable passages that so accurately encapsulate the issues and solutions. Despite the essays not targeting current events, they are valuable and powerful insight to help us sort through the mess we are in, and shine some hope that together we can work through to solutions. Excellent book!

View all my reviews

a moving and candid memoir by Jared Yates Sexton

The Man They Wanted Me to Be: Toxic Masculinity and a Crisis of Our Own Making by Jared Yates Sexton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The Man They Wanted Me to Be" explores in a clear, concise manner the subject of its subtitle: "Toxic Masculinity and a Crisis of Our Own Making". This discussion is set in the context of a moving and candid memoir by Jared Yates Sexton of his early life, growing up in a southern Indiana small town environment. The members of his family, his schoolmates, friends and acquaintances are all caught up in the social construct of toxic gender roles which had been passed down from generation to generation, and are still being propagated today. In true JYS style, the writing is excellent, and immediately engaging and real. This book should be a "must-read", certainly for all men, but also for their family and friends to both gain insight into this structure that is so common in families, as well as offer hope and true and lasting healing for our culture and nation. Please, please read this book.



View all my reviews

Hiding in Plain Sight - EXCELLENT!

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America by Sarah Kendzior
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

EXCELLENT!!!

Just finished reading Hiding in Plain Sight by @sarahkendzior - EXCELLENT(!!) writing, research, references, summary narrative (albeit very distressing) of the situation - Everyone needs to read this book / get involved in turning this around! and thanks @JYSexton for referral!

Also enjoyed the Missouri insight and angle - spent my HS and college years (@Mizzou) in Missouri, but departed upon graduation in '84 for work - good (???) to get updated on the situation there.

ps. JUST ordered a copy of View from Flyover Country from my local indie bookstore
@RegulatorBooks - can't wait to read it.

View all my reviews