Adam Shields

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

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Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh | [Joseph Conrad]Summary: A superb performance by Kenneth Branagh of the modern classic about the decent into madness brought on by the savage heart of Africa.

The Heart of Darkness is one of those book that I feel like I have to read. Even if it really is not all that appealing initially.

Kenneth Branagh has narrated a version at Audible.com and I picked it up for free.  So I just did not have any more excuses for not listening to it on audiobook.

I have seen Apocalypse Now, and I knew that Apocalypse Now was loosely based on Heart of Darkness.

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Crossway Impact

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Crossway Impact is a reward program from Crossway Books.  There is a one time registration fee (but you choose what that fee is) and then you get 25% off of everything you buy from Crossway.org, flat rate $5 shipping on everything except case quantities) and exclusive monthly offers. Yesterday Crossway added a new ebook benefit. … Read more

Every Day by David Levithan

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Every Day

Summary: A wonderfully unique young adult love story about a teen that wakes up in a different body every day. 

I love original ideas.  And Every Day by David Levithan is an original idea.  The main character, who has named himself “A”, wakes up every day in a different body.  Every day A has to figure out who he is and how to relate.  He has done this from his earliest memory.

Throughout the book A is male, female,a  depressed and suicidal girl, supermodel looking girl, illegal immigrant girl, overweight boy, drug addict, alcoholic, poor, rich, gay, straight, transgendered.  The book clearly is trying to deal with both identity and the way that others perceive you.

What really drives the story is that A falls in love.  And now he does everything he can to fine Rhiannon.  And Rhiannon has to get over the very large hurdle of never knowing who A is going to be, or where he is going to turn up or if a plan that they make will work out.

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Offsite Review: Introduction to Christian Liturgy by Frank Senn

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Introduction to Christian Liturgy by Frank C. SennBy background I am Baptist.  I grew up American Baptist, I worked for a while for a Southern Baptist Association of churches.  But I have moved a bit away from my Baptist roots.  I am more sacramental in my theology these days.  I am less concerned with the method and timing of baptism.  And I am much less interested in the autonomy of the local church.  So it may be odd that I attend a mega-church that never does the eucharist as part of their Sunday morning service, that does not participate in the church year or use the Lectionary for scripture.

Theologically I am more oriented toward a more liturgical church system. But culturally my worship background is low church and my theology of church is oriented toward outreach and evangelism.  So I participate in a church that is organized around having low barriers to entry for those that have left the church or have never been a part of the church.  I do not think everyone should be in churches like mine.  I am thankful that many people are not.

But I do think that many people are resistant to more liturgical churches out of ignorance instead of real theology.

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The Human Division by John Scalzi

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The B-Team: The Human Division, Episode 1 | [John Scalzi]

Summary: A 13 episode serial audiobook (or kindle book) from John Scalzi set in the Old Man’s War universe.

Publishers and authors will never stop experimenting, in part because the technology will never stop changing.

Over the past few years Stephen King tried a pay as you go serial (he never finished the book).  Thomas Nelson tried giving away a digital copy of the book with every hardcover copy sold (they phased it out).  Cory Doctorow gives away his digital copies of his books and relied on paper sales to make money (he now allows you go buy ebooks).  Baen had a large number of free ebooks that were designed to get you hooked and then buy the later books in a series (the free ebooks still exist, but are a fraction of the original list).  Baen also tried to created a store outside the major ebook stores and kept their ebooks for sale only at their site (they are now available on Amazon and all the other major ebook stores.)

There have been many more experiments than this.  But this is a good overview to show that most experiments fail, but some stick.  A lot of people only 5 years ago were predicting Amazon Kindle would fail.  It is still the dominant ebook store.  The iPad has changed the face of computing.  Smartphones are going to be the most common way to access the internet soon.

John Scalzi is experimenting with the serial format.  These are only available on digital formats, Audible.com Audiobook or Amazon Kindle ebook.  The first chapter is available for free in audiobook, but is only $0.99 in either format at full price.

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Marginalia: A Review of Books in History, Theology and Religion

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Last night I saw an announcement for the new Marginalia Review of Books. The About describes the new journal this way: The Marginalia Review of Books (ISSN 2325-8357) is an international review of academic literature from a range of disciplines along the nexus of history, theology, and religion. We publish reviews on the final Tuesday of every … Read more

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

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Les Miserables | [Victor Hugo]

Summary: One of the great classics on grace and the law.

Last spring my wife and I went to go see a student production of Les Mis that her cousin’s daughter was in. It was a very good student adaptation. Then last fall again my wife and I and some friends went to a traveling Broadway production of Les Mis.

It had clearly been updated from the earlier versions that I saw in Chicago. The set and use of video and lights really did make it seems like a new production even though I think it was my third time to see the traveling Broadway show.

Then this Christmas we went to go see the new movie (with the cousin, husband and their daughter that had been in the student version). In spite of some of the problems of the movie (I didn’t like Russel Crowe, but I did like the closeups), I thought it was one of the best presentations of the Christian meaning of grace that I have seen in the theater in a long time; maybe ever.

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