JESUS BEFORE THE GOSPELS by Bard D Ehrman

Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: The bestselling author of Misquoting Jesus, one of the most renowned and controversial Bible scholars in the world today examines oral tradition and its role in shaping the stories about Jesus we encounter in the New Testament—and ultimately in our understanding of Christianity.

Throughout much of human history, our most important stories were passed down orally—including the stories about Jesus before they became written down in the Gospels. In this fascinating and deeply researched work, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Ehrman investigates the role oral history has played in the New Testament—how the telling of these stories not only spread Jesus’ message but helped shape it.

A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman draws on a range of disciplines, including psychology and anthropology, to examine the role of memory in the creation of the Gospels. Explaining how oral tradition evolves based on the latest scientific research, he demonstrates how the act of telling and retelling impacts the story, the storyteller, and the listener—crucial insights that challenge our typical historical understanding of the silent period between when Jesus lived and died and when his stories began to be written down.

As he did in his previous books on religious scholarship, debates on New Testament authorship, and the existence of Jesus of Nazareth, Ehrman combines his deep knowledge and meticulous scholarship in a compelling and eye-opening narrative that will change the way we read and think about these sacred texts. (Goodreads)

MY REVIEW: A brilliant book carefully argued. I found this very enlightening. I also heard Bart Ehrman recently debate an evangelical historian on this book’s ideas and Ehrman, in my view, definitely came out ahead. Ehrman writes with clarity and is very engaging to read. He makes sophisticated concepts easy to understand. Ironically, Ehrman is more respectful of the text as a critical historian than some fundamentalist Christians are when they try to make the biblical books perfect communications from God. If you are looking for a provocative, fresh approach to understanding the way in which the stories about Jesus developed over the decades following his death, check out JESUS BEFORE THE GOSPELS. Highly recommended.

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FREEDOM TO DOUBT by Charles Shingledecker

Freedom to Doubt by Charles Shingledecker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: In his second book, Charles Shingledecker goes beyond The Crazy Side of Orthodoxy \[his first book] to look at the issues confronting all traditions of Christianity. He accompanies fellow believers on an entertaining and informative journey through the Bible, Church history, and the nature of Christian belief.

Narrow is The Way, Jesus said. It is a hazardous path, too, lined with obstacles and roadblocks that lurk in the shadows of naive fundamentalism. Chuck has bumped into many rough spots, surprised at the difficulties he never saw coming in a simplistic faith but also fascinated by the nuances of a more authentic one. Now he offers a candle to help light the way for others, to provide some comfort for those troubled Christians who feel isolated and alone in their doubts.

Chuck has discovered that the life of a Christian need not be plagued by guilt and fear. In this book, he shares his hard-won conclusion, that faith can and should be filled with the freedom to ask tough questions, the freedom to seek truth, and, yes, the Freedom to Doubt.

MY REVIEW: An excellent, radically honest, look at some of the troubling questions that thinking Christians struggle with — and that the author doesn’t resolve. This is not an apologetic book filled with contrived justifications, convoluted reasoning, or simplistic advice to bolster up preconceived beliefs. Shingledecker (what a great name!) is happy to have his readers honestly stare into the face of doubt and embrace it as an essential characteristic of faith. The author writes engagingly, transparently, with warmth and humour along with a deep understanding, drawn from his own experience, to wisely guide the doubting believer. This is a must read for anyone willing to be honest about the difficulties of faith or who has been burdened with guilt by believers who refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of doubt. An excellent read and highly recommended — even for non-believers in Christianity!

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THE CREEPSHOW by Adria J Cimino

The Creepshow by Adria J. Cimino
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Wanda Julienne was the perfect employee. Until she had a baby.
Wanda, a thirtysomething single mother, returns to her job at an international financial services firm after maternity leave and finds her world turned upside down. The colleague who filled in for her made disastrous errors that should have cost him his position. Instead, management pressures Wanda to repair the damage overnight and take on new assignments that are a sure recipe for failure. Add in a dose of sexual harassment and Wanda, who can’t afford to lose her job, feels trapped.
Slowly, she discovers that other colleagues have experienced similar treatment, but no one wants to talk about it.
At home, the situation isn’t much brighter. Wanda struggles to balance her baby’s needs and her tough work schedule. Her best friend, Galina, and the ex-boyfriend Wanda never thought would return try their best to offer support, but the attention only suffocates her.
Wanda turns her back and isolates herself, submerged in a downward spiral, until Galina suggests a way out—but the exit won’t be without drastic consequences. (Goodreads)

MY REVIEW: I received a copy of this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program so didn’t know much about it at all. As I started reading, I thought the themes were significant and contemporary — the treatment of women by employers after they have had time off work to have a child and various forms of oppression and harassment in the workplace. But I was ultimately disappointed in this novel. The book is written in a very simple style with what I would consider a quite low reading level. In the end, the story finished very abruptly just as it had the potential to move into a good legal thriller. The story has great potential that it just doesn’t achieve.

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RANDOM REFLECTIONS OF A LOONEY BIN by Gordon M Kerkham

Random Reflections of a Looney Bin by Gordon M. Kerkham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Gordon Kerkham knows that some people will be offended by the term “looney bin,” but in his opinion, that’s what they were and what they are—and as such, that’s what they should be called. Too many “professional mental healthcare” centres, in his experience, are little more than dumping grounds for the people we don’t want to see or acknowledge in our world—those living with mental illness or intellectual disabilities.
As a nurse, director of nursing, consultant, and head of professional health education at a university, he has earned his opinion of the system. In Random Reflections of a Looney Bin, he lifts the veil that surrounds an area that most people are not willing to explore. Offering passage into a hidden world, this memoir shares his memories of life in a variety of mental healthcare facilities and his work with aged, handicapped, and psychiatric patients.
He writes in what he calls “true myth” style, meaning his reflections represent mostly the truth with some of the folklore and myth that accumulates through time. His aim is to show that these events all happened—and are still happening today in many parts of the “civilised” world. In his own experience and in those shared by caregivers in other locations, he has concluded that regardless of location, these facilities have more in common than most might want to believe.

MY REVIEW: Let me get this out of the way first: this book desperately needs a proper proofread and editing. There are punctuation and grammatical errors throughout that are incredibly irritating and detracts from the positive qualities of this memoir. Having said that, the stories are quite interesting and Kerkham can does a good job of telling them. This volume covers the author's training as a psychiatric nurse in the days when the main focus was on custodial care and up to the time when the transition was starting towards more professional approaches to the care of the mentally ill. The book is easy to read (apart from the poor editing). There are some pretty amusing moments and some pretty questionable staff. Check it out if you'd like a light, fun (and occasionally tragic) look at what mental health care used to be like. Let's hope the editing and proofreading happens in the next edition because, unless it does, I won't be reading the author's next volume about his experiences learning about general nursing.

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THE ZEN OF LISTENING by Rebecca Z Shafir

The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction by Rebecca Z. Shafir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: TV, radio, traffic, telephones, pagers - our minds are bombarded daily by constant noise and clutter. No wonder so many people find it increasingly difficult to listen and comprehend. Simple pieces of information such as names go "in one ear and out the other." Poor listening may have tragic consequences such as the Challenger disaster and the Potomac River crash of 1982, or it can result in smaller tragedies such as lost promotions, stalled marriages, and troubled children.
Rebecca Shafir assures us that we can transform every aspect of our lives, simply by relearning how to listen. The Zen of Listening is grounded in the Zen concept of mindfulness, a simple yet profound way of learning how to filter our distractions and be totally in the present. Rather than a list of tricks, this book is an all-encompassing approach allowing you to transform your life.

Readers will be amazed at how simply learning to focus intently on a speaker improves the relationship, increases attention span, and helps develop negotiating skills. Learn the great barricades of misunderstanding, find out how to listen to ourselves, discover how to listen under stress, and boost our memory. This is a fun and practical guide filled with simple strategies to use immediately to enjoy our personal and professional lives to the fullest.

MY REVIEW: A very good survey of the practice of listening. What makes this book distinct from other books on listening is it’s location within the practice of mindfulness — which is a popular topic at the moment. Full of practical strategies to improve listening and apply mindfulness (meditation and living fully in the present) to this most significant of human activities. Everyone would benefit from reading this book — even if one didn’t wish to take on the meditative aspects. The author is clearly very experienced and writes in an engaging style.

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JOHN THE REVELATOR by Peter Murphy

John The Revelator by Peter Murphy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: A stunningly beautiful tale of a boy, his mother, and coming of age in southeastern Ireland.

MY (BRIEF) REVIEW: Stunning it is not. Some of the writing is quite beautiful but the story just never seems to go anywhere in particular — so I was completely unmotivated to keep reading and gave up on the book.

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DIE TRYING by Lee Child

Die Trying by Lee Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Featuring Jack Reacher, hero of the new blockbuster movie starring Tom Cruise. Jack Reacher, alone, strolling nowhere. A Chicago street in bright sunshine. A young woman, struggling on crutches. He offers her a steadying arm. And turns to see a handgun aimed at his stomach. Chained in a dark van racing across America, Reacher doesn't know why they've been kidnapped. The woman claims to be FBI. She's certainly tough enough. But at their remote destination, will raw courage be enough to overcome the hopeless odds?

MY REVIEW: Very fast-paced, exciting beginning. However, about halfway through, got bogged down in detail and seemed to go nowhere for awhile. I finished the book but, overall, it felt pretty average. This is the third book I've read in this series and will probably leave it and move on to other things.

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