Books I've read lately

The Unseen Realm: Rediscovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible by Michael S. Heiser- I was recommended this book by a Bible translator from another organization working in this same country. Heiser talks about the worldview the ancient readers had as they were reading the Old Testament. Honestly this book presents a lot of ideas I had never been exposed to before. I wrote several of my Bible college or seminary friends to ask them to read it as well and let me know what they think. I encourage you to do the same! Maybe you will think he is way off base, either way I would love to hear other opinions.

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry- I think everyone should read this book sometime before they die. I actually heard about Wendell Berry from interns that came and stayed with us two summers ago. After they left his name popped up in two books I was reading in the same week, what? Berry is a believer and a  farmer/writer who lives in Kentucky and writes beautiful thoughts about the things he knows. I have some of his poetry as well, but I won’t feel guilty if I can’t get into it, because to me his prose is poetry. I kind of love the fact that he has won all this acclaim and all these writing awards, and then he went back to his farm and lives in Kentucky.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge- This was a recommendation by my friend Bethany who has never ever steered me wrong giving book advice. It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  I could not put it down, stayed up late to finish it this weekend.

Binti by Nndedi Oforafor- another Bethany suggestion, Binti lives in the future, kind of a Star Wars feeling future. She is from Earth, from an African tribe specialized in math and equations. But her tribe never leaves its land, she is the first to leave it and go to another planet for university. This short book is the story of her journey there.

Writing Fiction for Dummies by Peter Economy- I actually have a friend who doesn’t buy any of the Dummies books, because he says he is not a dummy. I don’t really think I am a dummy either, but I do want to write a book and don’t know exactly how to start the process. I keep putting off starting and reading other books to help me start or to give me ideas, but then that reading takes my time, it is kind of a catch 22 situation.