Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible – E Randolph Richards and Brandon J O’Brien From Storygraph: Biblical scholars Brandon O’Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have…

Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E. Frankl From Storygraph: Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can…

In The Margins – Gail Holmes From StoryGraph: Inspired by a real person, In the Margins is the story of spirited book-collector Frances Wolfreston—the woman who uniquely preserved the earliest part of Shakespeare’s legacy.   England, 1647. As civil war gives way to an uneasy peace and Puritanism becomes the letter of the law, Frances…

Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir From Storygraph: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete…

I really need to keep on top of these so that I can record my thoughts while the books are still fresh in my mind. I Who Have Never Known Men – Jacqueline Harpman From Storygraph: “Deep underground, thirty-nine women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, these women have no memory of…

Ekphrasis, Vision, and Persuasion in the Book of Revelation – Robyn J. WhitakerRobyn J. Whitaker demonstrates how a rhetorical analysis of the visions of God in the Book of Revelation reveals the persuasive role of the visions of God and the Lamb in John’s argument against cultic images and worship. If you haven’t guessed this…

Dream Count – Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche From Stroygraph: Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until—betrayed and brokenhearted—she must turn to…

Books Read: 4Pages Read: 1735 Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino From Storygraph: At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced, but reaches for warmth and light. As a child, she…