"Graceland" is the name of my favorite song and album. It's by Paul Simon, but more importantly, it's what "home" sounds and feels like to me. We always listened to this album as we traveled from my home in Tennessee to my parents' childhood homes in Florida. But today, it's also a pretty good snapshot of my theology. Somewhere I really believe that the Christian journey is all about a wild trip to Grace-land. As I see it, Grace-land is the place where God is waiting to meet even us–with all the baggage and brokeness that we tote with us. Grace-land is the place where we will be received with open arms, even though our attempts at “getting it right” have been miserable failures at best. But, I think, every step we take is a step on the journey to Graceland.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Friday Five: Books Edition

In effort to both blog more frequently and to become part of a bigger community, I’m going to start playing along with the RevGalBlogPals Friday Fives. (For non Rev-gals, I’ve copied the original post).

  1. What books have you recently read? Tell us your opinion of them.


I just finished “Falling Home” by Karen White-- which I wound up loving, despite an entirely predictable plot.  Here is my official Goodreads review of  it:

Falling HomeFalling Home by Karen White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For the most part, the plot was entirely predictable (and seemed like a pretty close cousin to "Sweet Home Alabama"). But it was so beautifully written, that I let the author take me there. Even if I saw what was coming, I still wanted to be swept away into the world that White creates. White does "Southern" very well, both aptly poking fun at some of the things we do and yet maintaining the integrity of the things we southerners hold so dear.

View all my reviews

2. What books are awaiting your available time to be read?

I’m currently reading both “Working the Angles” by Eugene Peterson, and “Bread of Angels” by Barbara Brown Taylor.   When I finish those, I’m going to start reading “This Odd and Wonderous Calling” by Lillian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver.

For fun reading, I think I’m going to get lost in another Karen White novel, perhaps “The House on Tradd” street.

3. Have any books been recently recommended?

Oddly, I’ve gotten no recommendations lately!

4.What genre of books are your favorite, along with some titles and/or authors you like best?

I’m not gonna lie, when I’m not reading work-related books, I love a nice girly romance or almost anything southern.   I love Nicholas Sparks, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Jodi Piccoult.  I’ve also, surprisingly, fallen in love with Carol Goodman who writes quasi-crime dramas-- not in the CSI vein, or anything like that.  Wow.  I’m having a terrifically hard time describing her work, but everything I’ve read of hers has absolutely been worth the read.

5. What have you read lately that you have a strong urge to recommend? (or to condemn?)  I love “Searching for Shalom” by Ann Weems-- a book of poetry, but the ways she sees things is beautifully clear and astounding at the same time.  For pastor folks, I’d also definitely recommend anything by Eugene Peterson-- especially “Working the Angles” and “The Contemplative Pastor”
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