Haven’t read as much this month as I’d like to have read, but still have been able to pick up a few titles that are worth reviewing. (I’m still reading Take This Bread by Sara Miles — for the second time — and being challenged by it, and just learned she is coming out with a new book in January.)
Here are a few other titles that are worth mentioning:
- Mediation in Political Conflicts: Soft Power or Counter Culture? edited by Jacques Faget — Ran across this collection from the Oñati International Series in Law and Society when researching one of my favorite grassroots organizations in the world, the Community of Sant’Egidio (which is featured in the book). Our world could stand to learn from people and communities that practice the brand of mediation described in this book.
- Serendipities: Language and Lunacy by Umberto Eco — Enjoyed this intellectual history from one of the foremost linguistic experts in the world. I enjoyed what I was able to understand, that is.
- Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today by N. T. Wright — This might at first glance seem like a boring, unimportant topic, but it couldn’t be more crucial to the shaping of personal and corporate identity for those who would follow the way of Jesus. It’s an introductory word on the subject, but a must read, nonetheless. I’m biased because Wright is one of my favorite authors, but he is a widely respected New Testament historian who writes for both scholarly and general audiences.
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón — Started reading this in Spanish when my family and I lived in Barcelona. (The book is set near the studio where I worked!) Have enjoyed this “Gothic” literary mystery/coming of age story much more in English as I’m catching nuances I missed in Español.
