1.
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd
It's about about the author's struggle with gender inequality in traditional Christian settings, and (I assume) her journey to something more feminine or inclusive. I'll have to get back to you on where this journey is going. So far it's all about the struggle.
My favourite part so far is when the author accidentally introduces herself as "Father Sue" whilst attending a monastic retreat. Mostly I liked that part because I think it's hilarious when people (including me) mess up their words*. It turns out to be a pivotal part of her journey, where Monk Kidd comes to the realization that her spirituality and way of being in the world are masculine through and through . . . so, that kind of spoiled the fun. The tone is pretty somber so far and the language is very formal. I'm not sure I'll love it, but I think what she is saying is important.
2.
Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels
This one is about prayer. It's about why it's important and how to do it well. The author isn't insistent on his way as the only way, which is a real rarity in christian books.The thing I like the most is that Hybels balances theory with practical suggestions. For me, that's a real plus. I have no problem theorizing spiritual matters, but I tend to get stuck when it comes to practice, and I rarely experiment with new ways of praying.
3.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I recently finished
Romancing Miss Bronte by Juliet Gael, which is a fictional biography of Charlotte, and it includes stuff about Emily and Anne as well. So now I'm all excited about the Bronte sisters--especially Emily--and I want to get into some more of their fiction. I love
this film adaptation of
Wuthering Heights (hello, Tom Hardy), so I thought I'd give the book a whirl. I'm listening to the audio version instead of actually reading it. For some reason, classics are more appealing to me in audio, especially when they are read with a British accent.
Right now I'm hung up on the fact that Emily uses the verb 'ejaculate' as a synonym for 'exclaim.' It's a great story (even without Tom Hardy), but it's absolutely peppered with ejaculate, and for the life of me, I can't seem to just grow up and stop being stunned/amused. To the casual passerby, it may sound like I'm listening to a medical textbook or some really polite erotica.
4. I got about halfway through
The Quick by Lauren Owen and had to return the book to the digital library.
I'm not as disappointed to part with it as I wanted to be. I got really into the first bit, and then it changed perspectives, and it lost a bit of its appeal for me. It proceeded to change perspectives, sometimes capturing my attention and sometimes not. I'm a bit confused as to whether or not I liked it. I guess I didn't fall madly in love with it, otherwise I would have bought it so that I could finish it, right?
* My mom once referred to a Dr. Macintosh as 'Dr. Apple' -- that one never gets old for me.
