Friday Five on Monday

Believe me, this is typical of my life these days… Friday becomes Monday...

So, RevHRod wants to know about books! Dangerous question to ask a former librarian… But here goes!

1. What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why?

Wow, this one is actually pretty difficult. I’m trying to remember what I’ve read! Leaving Church, by Barbara Brown Taylor had a lot to say to me. But then, so has Identity and the Case for Gay Rights: Race, Gender, Religion as Analogies, by David A.J. Richards.

2. What is one of your favourite childhood books?

Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle; The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien; The Rising of the Lark, by Anne Moray. I know, you said one. But all of these taught me, in different ways, that life doesn’t always have happy endings, that people who deserve good things don’t always get them; and that while life simply isn’t fair, there is nonetheless value in doing what is right. Which sounds hackneyed, but at the age of 10-14, these are valuable lessons to learn.

3. Do you have a favourite book of the Bible? Do tell!

My favourite Gospel is Luke, followed closely by Mark. In the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, followed closely by Job.

4. What is one book you could read again and again?

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. Coming Out Spiritually, by Christian de la Huerta (and I’m sure everyone is tired of reading that title in my blog! Too bad…). And the “Kristin Lavrandottir” series, by Sigrid Undset. The latter is the life story of Kristin, from the age of 5 or so until her death. She’s on the fringes of major events in Norwegian history, but nothing major. It’s simply the story of her life—her youth, her marriage, her children, the rise and fall and rise again of her fortunes, the mistakes she makes (some huge ones) and the right decisions (some very good ones). And all wrapped in a medieval Norway you can feel.

5. Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?

A daily devotional. I tend to get back into my daily reading and prayers during Lent, stick with it pretty well until the summer, when it falls apart, and make a few feeble stabs at it until the next Lent… I have a Celtic one I like very much.

And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?

I would like my friend Builder in Large Capitol City to write his memoirs. He’s lived an amazing life and has the most wonderful stories to tell—funny, sad, touching, bittersweet, horrifying—and he tells them well. He’s lived through some amazing times, and his stories need to be told.

Oh, you mean what book that I would write? I’ve been mulling a novel about a small-town band… And the jacket blurb should be by kd lang, Eric Clapton, Steve Martin, Bob Seger, Bono, Bishop Gene Robinson, and Archbishop Rowan Williams issuing a joint statement.

And what did you have in your tea after dinner?