Monday, June 16, 2008

Capote in Kansas, Irresistible Revolution, Glass Castle, Narnia, Jesus for President

It's been too long! Life has been a little crazy so I haven't read much, and I've also been on the lazy side. But since the last post, I've read these.

Capote in Kansas by Ande Parks
A friend let me borrow this, I think based on the assumption that I like Harper Lee. Which I do. and I loved reading In Cold Blood. But this is a graphic novel, which means... well, for the uneducated it means it looks like a comic book, but isn't all superheroes and stuff. I do like graphic novels and have found a few I like (including Craig Thompson's stuff), but I rarely search out graphic novels to read. So it was nice to have this handed to me. I liked the story. The author admits to not following it all very factually, but it is about Capote in Kansas and his writing of the In Cold Blood. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable.

Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
I read this last summer, and I read it again to remind myself of all the things I loved about it. I believe it an essential for a Christian in the 21st Century. I go into detail, but more about Shane below.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls
If you thought your family was crazy, then this is the book to read. The daughter of an alcoholic dad, a self-absorbed mother, Walls lived a childhood of unrest and premature responsibility. It's amazing to think that these types of families exist, but Walls proves they do, and in turn requires you to rethink what you assume about families in poverty. Walls never asks for your pity, but rather writes to inform and I was impressed with her resilience and her motivation to fight for her siblings. She's a wonderful writer, I was never bored.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I had a set of these books given to me as a child, but I was never into fantasy worlds like my brother was. I was more interested in real-life contemporary fiction such as the Baby-Sitter's Club or Anastasia books (as mentioned below), or even historical fiction by great authors like Lois Lowry or Hahn. Anyway, I was never into the same books I brother was (like his obsession with Brian Jacques or Lewis or Tolkien).

I think I had read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before, but I read it again after seeing the movie (I know, horrible). So I read it and I liked it, although I found some of the writing a little mundane and it's not exactly my cup of tea. However, I do want to finish the series, so that will be forthcoming. I cannot deny the allegories to Christianity and so I want to see where this goes. Yay Aslan.

Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne
Well, I like what Shane Claiborne has to say, frankly, so I liked this book and I recommend it and ... I don't have much else to say. Oh, except that the title is a little misleading. While Claiborne does explore the implications of serving two masters (nation and Lord), I found so much of the historical content very, very informative and interesting. How come I never learned any of this growing up? My God and my Jesus are incredibly more interesting and revolutionary than I was ever led to believe.