Skip to main content

What should I read?

I usually read one fiction book and one non-fiction book at the same time (ok, not the same time, but you know what I mean.) My 'to read' pile of non-fiction is neverending. But I'm out of ideas for fiction books. Suggestions? I listen to lighter fare as books-on-tape when I'm driving, so I prefer the more thought-provoking for before-bed reading. Any genre is fine. Help me out!

Comments

Anonymous said…
recommending Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham.

b.
These are good novels:

The Milagro Beanfield War, by John Nichols;

The King Must Die, by Mary Renault;

Victory, by Joseph Conrad
Anonymous said…
The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

Rainbow Boys (Alex Sanchez)
Anonymous said…
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, which is the latest in the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency series. If you haven't read any in the series yet, you might as well start with the first book in the series, which is lovely and in paperback.

Or if you'd like something weightier, you could try The Historian.

What an excellent idea for a blog post! It reminds me of the time when I had a "pop quiz" (actually just a way of giving credit for attendance, but that was against university regulations) that only had two questions:

1) What is your name?
2) Optional additional question: what's an album or musical artist that you suspect I don't know about but you think I should listen to, and how would you describe the music and what I'd like about it?

I got a lot of very good musical tips, and I got to know my students better too.
Anonymous said…
Beth,

You probably had to read this in your formal college work, but just in case you haven't I recommend The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. It is one of my three favorite books.

Keith
Anonymous said…
Hey Beth
Have you read the Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner? A great read.
I am reading John Irving's Until I Find You right now, because I read everything he writes, but this one is a disappointment.
Dean
John said…
The Man Who Folded Himself by Gerrold.
Anonymous said…
I have recently been reading Aundhati's 'the God of Small Things' - ace!

I love anything y John Steinbeck

Am planning to reread George Orwell's '1984' although I am no longer sure it counts as fiction
Anonymous said…
I would defininetly reccommend "Breathing Space" by Heidi Neumark. It is the true story/"blog" (before blogs) of a young female pastor ministering and being ministered to in the South Bronx, NYC. Heidi also preached at our Bishop's installation and told him to go to hell, to go reach out to those places where Christ is needed. Heidi has both a passionate and prophetic voice coupled with a deep spirituality.
Beth Quick said…
hey all, thanks for the suggestions - i'll have a good list for some time! the only thing on here i've actually already read is the god of small things

not sure where to start. I guess with whatever i see first at the library!

alas, keith, i never have read pilgrims progress...

Popular posts from this blog

Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent, "Hope: A Thrill of Hope," Mark 1:1-8

Sermon 11/26/17 Mark 1:1-8 Hope: A Thrill of Hope             Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Is the glass of life half empty, or half full? My mom and I have gone back and forth about this a bit over the years. She’s wildly optimistic about most things, and sometimes I would say her optimism, her hopefulness borders on the irrational. If the weather forecast says there’s a 70% chance of a snowstorm coming, my mom will focus very seriously on that 30% chance that it is going to be a nice day after all. I, meanwhile, will begin adjusting my travel plans and making a backup plan for the day. My mom says I’m a pessimist, but I would argue that I’m simply a realist , trying to prepare for the thing that is most likely to happen, whether I like that thing or not. My mom, however, says she doesn’t want to be disappointed twice, both by thinking something bad is going to happen, and then by having the bad thing actually happen. She’d rather be hopeful, and enjoy her state of

Sermon for First Sunday in Lent, Year B, "Jesus in the Wilderness," Mark 1:1-4, 9-15

Sermon 2/18/18 Mark 1:1-4, 9-15 Jesus in the Wilderness             You’ve heard me say before that the gospel of Mark is my favorite gospel. Part of the reason I love it is because of Mark’s brevity. I don’t love that he’s short on details, exactly. I love that he seems practically breathless in getting the good news of Jesus to us, and that he seems to believe that the news is so good it isn’t even going to take very many words to convince you of his message! His frantic style strikes me as showing both how important and how convincing he believes Jesus’s message to be.             But, then we arrive at a Sunday like today, and I find myself a little frustrated perhaps, or at least a little challenged by Mark. In the lectionary, the series of the first Sunday in the season of Lent always focuses on the temptation of Jesus – his time in the wilderness, where he confronts Satan, and commits to God’s path rather than the flashy alternative Satan presents. This is the fo

Sermon for Second Sunday in Advent, "Peace: All Is Calm, All Is Bright," Isaiah 11:1-10, Mark 13:24-37

Sermon 12/3/17 Mark 13:24-37, Isaiah 11:1-10 Peace: All Is Calm, All Is Bright             “Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon’ virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.”             This week, I read news stories about North Korea testing a missile that perhaps could reach across the whole of the United States.             This week, I spoke with a colleague in ministry who had, like all churches in our conference, received from our church insurance company information about how to respond in an active shooter situation. She was trying to figure out how to respond to anxious parishioners and yet not get caught up in spending all of their ministry time on creating safety plans.             This week, we’ve continued to hear stories from people who have experienced sexual assault and harassment, as the actions, sometimes over decades, of men in positions of power have been