Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Irreverin

Home
Progressive Christian
Comfort Reading and Cooler Climes…

Comfort Reading and Cooler Climes…

Last updated on: February 10, 2013 at 9:26 am by Erin Wathen

Comfort Reading and Cooler Climes… 2013-02-10T09:26:33-07:00 Erin Wathen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It is officially hot enough to melt your shoes out there, so lots of time to enjoy a good book in the a/c! Or better yet, take that good book and seek higher ground. Curling up in a cabin in Flagstaff sounds just divine right about now…

Last summer I skipped the annual reading list because I was pregnant and re-reading my all-time favorites (crazy hormones send you running for the familiar–for me that meant lots of trips to Hogwarts, Mitford, and Maycomb.)

This year, for all the chaos of moving, mothering 2 small children, and leading a growing and busy congregation, I continue to find time to read books for pleasure. Reading is not an escape for me, but a spiritual necessity. Stories shape our culture and our being, and I always find a great deal of the sacred between the pages. There is so much that we share across culture, age, race, gender and class, and those common rhythms of humanness are found, again and again, in literature. But enough with the preaching! It is summer reading time.

Stieg Larrson’s “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series: just plain fun to read, impossible to put down, and brilliantly layered. If you are not a professional in the field of finance—the second chapter of the first book is full of jargon that will make your eyes glaze over and tempt you to give up on the whole thing. Power through! It’s not important to the story. Skip it and get to the good stuff. Warning: by the end, you will want Lisbeth Salander to be your new best friend. Sadly, she is not real. (even more sadly, the author died shortly after submitting these three manuscripts, so you can’t look forward to the next installment. You can, however, wait for American versions of the movies).

If you like SNL, 30-Rock, appreciate strong women with a sense of humor, or just find Sarah Palin really disturbing, you should read “Bossypants” like, yesterday. If all of the above are true for you, then you have to read it twice. Tina Fey offers a prophetic, spiritual, and challenging memoir that is still, somehow, full of side-splitting hilarity. In many places, being a woman comic sounds a lot like being a woman pastor—and the rules of improv really sound alot (ALOT) like the rules of transforming congregational ministry. (Another blog post to come on that…) A favorite quote: “Ever since I’ve been director of 30-Rock, people are always asking me ‘Is it hard for you, being in charge?’ You know, in the same way they say, ‘Gee, Mr. Trump, is it awkward for you, being the boss of all these people?’” Like i say…sounds alot like being a clergy chic. For instance, people ask me “would you be nervous if i came to hear you preach?” You know, in the same way they say, “Gee, Rev. Fallwell/Robertson/Osteen– It must be scary for you, having to get up in front of all those people! What if your slip is showing?!” —A note about preaching… I am no more nervous about you–whoever you may be–coming to hear me than i am about the other 100+ people who show up each week. And i’d be no more nervous in front of 1000 people, because my 100+ are just as important as the other thousands. Furthermore, any preacher who does not get just a little bit nervous, each and every time he/she proclaims the gospel, is lacking the life-giving humility that makes for a good sermon. But, I digress… All hail Tina Fey!

Silas House is from my hometown, and is an advocate/activist against mountaintop removal, and other things that rob Appalachia of its natural beauty and resources. He’s got a lot of clout in essay and article form, but for my money, nothing reflects “My Old Kentucky Home”–at least my neck of the holler– like his fiction. Start with “Clay’s Quilt.”

I think I’ve already mentioned “The Help,” but I will recommend it again. Even if you’ve read it, you might want to peruse it again before the movie comes out…The scene where Skeeter hears Dylan on the radio for the first time never fails to send a chill all through me, and i’m interested to see if they can capture the power of that moment on the big screen.

Currently, I am in the midst of “Let the Great World Spin,” which my brother turned me onto. I went in with high expectations, and have not been disappointed.

Also in my library pile: Ann Patchett’s “State of Wonder.” I will give it a thumbs up ahead of time, because she is just that awesome. If this is news to you, try her other stuff.

In more church-y sorts of books; I’m looking forward to Parker Palmer’s “A Hidden Wholeness.” Also on my stack is Wendell Berry’s “Bringing it to the Table.” This Kentucky girl thinks that if WB were both Pope and President, the world would be a better place. Silas House could be the VP, and while we’re at it, can we bring the great Nell Harper around to be the boss of everybody having enough and nobody being mean to anybody else? (I guess that would make her, what, Secretary of Defense and Treasury? I’m pretty sure that’s 2 seperate jobs, but if anyone can do it, my money is on her. Or maybe Tina Fey.)

Anyway… truth in fiction, folks. What’s on your list this summer? Read up, and report back! oh, and if you’re enjoying your read in the Rocky Mountains, or the Redwood Forest, or some cabin in Glacier National Park, then i will need to hear about your setting in detail. I am melting here!

desert life

Spirituality in Culture

Glacier National Park

let the great world spin

Redwood National Forest

the girl who kicked the hornet's nest

the girl who played with fire

the girl with the dragon tattoo

the help

tina fey

to kill a mockingbird

vacation

wendell berry

Previous Post

June 20, 2011

Wherein I Decline to Support Cancer

Next Post

July 28, 2011 Going Anyway

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category a good week for progress Advent and Christmas Being a Person desert life faith and community Good News for Progressives Lent and Easter Marriage and Family S*^! Jesus Says sabbatical road tripping Spirituality in Culture Talking to Strangers the "Best Stuff I Ever Ate" diet travel Uncategorized writing Writing Prompt Wednesday

Select a Month January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 February 2011 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What kind of leaf did the dove bring back to Noah?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Grape leaf Fig leaf Palm leaf Olive leaf