Christopraxis: A Practical Theology of the Cross by Andrew Root

Description from Storygraph: Finding practical theology not always able to present frameworks for understanding concrete and lived experience with divine action, Andrew Root seeks to reset the edifice of practical theology on a new foundation. While not minimizing its commitment to the lived and concrete, Root argues that practical theology has neglected deeper theological underpinnings. Christopraxis seeks to create a practical theology that is properly and fully theological, post-postmodern, post-Aristotelian, and that attends to doctrines such as divine action and justification.

My thoughts: As you might guess this is an academic title. Andrew Root came and taught one of my subjects in my M.Div. over an intensive week as a guest lecturer so I’ve read a few of his books. The course was excellent. This was a fairly theoretical book and I did feel bogged down at times. I found his discussion of practices and ministry interesting. A few quotes:

“Practices … are for feeling our way into reality. Ministry consists in practices that provide the possibility of encountering the act and being of God’s becoming”

“Freedom is not to be free from, but to be free for. This is the heart of concursus Dei; it is the mutual but distinct (asymmetrical) freedom of divine and human agents to be for each other, to participate in and with each other.”

Overall, a 3 star read.

The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

Description from Storygraph: Valancy Stirling is 29 and has never been in love. She’s spent her entire life on a quiet little street in an ugly little house and never dared to contradict her domineering mother and her unforgiving aunt. But one day she receives a shocking, life-altering letter–and decides then and there that everything needs to change. For the first time in her life, she does exactly what she wants to and says exactly what she feels.

My thoughts: I read this for Engie’s CBBC. I enjoyed this so much that I was unable to keep to the reading schedule and read ahead, which of course meant that when it came to the weekly discussions it was harder to participate because I couldn’t remember which things happened in that week. Four star read.

The Little Red Yellow Black Book: An Introduction to Indigenous Australia by Bruce Pascoe

Description from Storygraph: An in-depth introduction to Australia’s rich, indigenous culture, this pocket-sized guide is an invaluable resource for learning about the 60,000-year-old history of the country. Containing everything from history and rarely seen photographs to information on traveling respectfully, the content is written by indigenous people and follows their cultural protocols and ethics. Presented in a nonchronological approach, the guide is ultimately less a mere reference and more a story of identity and continuity.

My thoughts: Some of the content I already knew but this would be a great place to start reading about Indigenous Australia which is the intent of the book. I still learned a lot. The highlight would have to be recognising a friend in one of the photos. Four star read.

Falls the Shadow Welsh Princes #2 by Sharon Kay Penman

Description from Storygraph: This is Simon de Montfort’s story—and the story of King Henry III, as weak and changeable as Montfort was brash and unbending. It is a saga of two opposing wills that would later clash in a storm of violence and betrayal, a story straight from the pages of history that brings the world of the thirteenth century completely, provocatively, and magnificently alive. Above all, this is a story of conflict and treachery, of human frailty and broken legends, a tale of pageantry and grandeur that is as unforgettable as it is real….

My thoughts: This was a reread for me. I loved the characters of Simon and Ellen and wished it could have ended differently, but history had other plans. Five star read.

Broken Heart: A True History of the Voice Referendum by Shireen Morris

Description from Storygraph: In late 2023, Australians voted ‘No’ to recognising Indigenous peoples through a constitutional Voice. Broken Heart unpacks the true, complex history of the referendum, illuminating how an alliance between Indigenous advocates and constitutional conservatives fractured under political pressure, and a proposal conceived in compromise was killed by partisan politics.

Told from the unique insider perspective of a constitutional lawyer who worked closely with Noel Pearson on the Voice for over a decade, this book analyses the mistakes of the government and ‘Yes’ advocates, the fickleness and ultimate intransigence of the right, and the betrayals and lies that led to the referendum’s defeat.

My thoughts: I’m still angry about the way the referendum went down, probably if I had have been aware of this long backstory I would have been even angrier. I know it is the perspective of an insider on the YES side, but GRRR! Dutton is gone now but most the the wreckers are still there. 5 star read.

All Systems Red The Murderbot Diaries #1 by Martha Wells

Description from Storygraph: In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

My thoughts: This was so much fun. I’m looking forward to watching the TV series. Four star read.

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Description from Storygraph: In prose as haunting and beautiful as its setting, Dirt Music confirms Tim Winton’s status as one of the finest novelists of his generation. Georgie Jutland is a mess. At forty, with her career in ruins, she finds herself stranded in White Point with a fisherman she doesn’t love and two kids whose dead mother she can never replace. Her days have fallen into domestic tedium and social isolation. Her nights are a blur of vodka and pointless loitering in cyberspace. Leached of all confidence, Georgie has lost her way; she barely recognises herself. One morning, in the pre-dawn gloom, she looks up from the computer screen to see a shadow lurking on the beach below, and a dangerous new element enters her life. Luther Fox, the local poacher. Jinx. Outcast. So begins an unlikely alliance. Set in the wild landscape of Western Australia, this is a novel about the odds of breaking with the past, a love story about people stifled by grief or regret, whose dreams are lost, whose hopes have dried up. It’s a journey across landscapes within and without, about the music that sometimes arises from the dust.

My Thoughts: this is classic Tim Winton. He really does have a lyrical, but gritty way of writing and his characters are always pretty messed up. This is the second book of his that I’ve read and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more. This is a Miles Franklin Award Winner. 4.5 star read.

Onyx Storm The Empyrean #3 by Rebecca Yarros

Description from Storygraph: After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust. Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

My thoughts: Once again a page turner. I liked the expansion of the world in this installment, and can’t wait for the next book in the series. 4.5 star read.