Posts tagged ‘reading’

May 16

Head shift (another one)

Our life in Dodoma has got a pretty good rhythm now. For the time being, I mostly know what to expect. We’re feeling pretty well together and not isolated. There’s tiredness, but no shell-shock.

I’m always casting around for new experiences; it’s part of what drives me. I’m always animated by innovation, exploration, and the possibility of discovery. And, after a couple of months living here in Tanzania, Swahili lost its newness — so I automatically started fishing for something new. I continued with my regular practice of navigating trends in Australia and USA. I continued reading a lot, mostly online, most of it funnelled through social media; most of it, in effect, headlines.

‘Your head’s not really in Tanzania,’ noticed Tamie. Read more

May 4

Historical fiction reviews

I’ve always loved reading fiction and having a Kindle has meant being able to read in a place where books are scarce to find, expensive to buy and bulky to transport. When it comes to historical fiction, I prefer stories which are about ordinary people against the backdrop of great figures, over fictional accounts of famous historical figures. I’m disappointed when I come to the end of a good book, so long is better than short, and series are excellent. Here are three I’ve been reading this year. Read more

Nov 20

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The Books of the Bible (2012 preview)

I’ve just received a new copy of The Books of the Bible! I’ve been making very positive noises about this for a while. It has just become available in Australia, but my mate Kutz has got a couple of copies to give away – if this will be useful to you, let me know in the comments below!

This is my go-to Bible for everyday use, because The Books of the Bible is a reader’s Bible, designed for reading instead of referencing. And that’s a big deal. But I’ve talked about reader’s Bibles recently, and I’ve previously reviewed the original version of The Books of the Bible, so all I really want to do here is give you a feel for it. There are photos below.

Biblica. Go you good thing.

Mar 4

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An Australian evangelical reading list

A friend at church recently asked Tamie about which books would be best to read, so we clapped together this list. In it, you might not find the stuff you’re looking for (or think you’re looking for), but this is a certain sort of list.

It’s an evangelical list. Evangelicals care a lot about the finished work of Christ and the importance of the Bible. But even more than that, if it were possible, evangelicals care about the transformed life. So this list focuses on truth as transformation, leaning towards ethics more than doctrine, leaning towards the ‘godward’ life more than flashpoint issues.

It’s also an Australian list. It reflects the influence of Australian evangelicals and it leans more towards the British tradition than the American tradition.

It’s a short list and an incomplete list, but here it is all the same!

What would you put on your list, and why?

Feb 27

The ‘Grand High Witch’ Sings

Most nights, Arthur reads me to sleep. Most of the time, it’s quite soothing. Other times, it’s too exciting. Occasionally, there’s a particularly stand-out moment. Like this one, when he launches into the Grand High Witch’s song from Roald Dahl’s The Witches.

For those who are not familiar with the story, she’s incredibly evil and is singing a song about using poisoned sweets to turn children into mice. The potion she uses is called Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker.

Dec 9

3 Comments

The Books of the Bible (book review)

What sort of Bible do you own? Perhaps, like me, you own more than one version: different sizes; different translations; perhaps a study or devotional edition. Yet, all of these versions probably have one thing in common: their design.

When you open a Bible, what does each page look like? A number of features are pretty much standard, like chapter and verse numbers, section headings, double columns, and perhaps margin notes or cross-references.

But consider this: what other publications actually look like that? The closest thing to it is probably an encyclopedia or textbook. However we’re using our Bibles, their pages have the feel of a reference book or technical manual — like a mere repository of information. Read more