Books I Read in May

This felt like a long month, and I'm not sure if that's because I read six books (well, five if you exclude the children's book, which you should, lol), or just because the weather has been weird and I've been anticipating the Memorial Day weekend break? Who knows, but I hope you enjoy these book reviews!

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Environmental, Favorites, History, Science

Review: I've been thinking about how to classify this book almost since I started it. Given the title, you pretty much know what it will be about, but once I dove into it, the content still surprised me. Braiding Sweetgrass was a beautifully written nonfiction narrative that takes history, anthropology, the environment, botany, and deep Indigenous practices and knowledge, weaves them all together, and produces this book. It was like everything I want in a book I pick up for pure enjoyment, and just hadn't known it until reading this.

I really loved and enjoyed Braiding Sweetgrass. The only reason I docked it a star was because it felt ~80 pages too long. By the last section, Burning Sweetgrass, I felt I already knew the purpose of the book, and didn't need to keep reading to understand the thesis/overall points the author was making (I did, but I definitely skimmed a lot of it).

BUT, I appreciated that, in every chapter, Kimmerer really made an effort to tie the reader back to the land. I think, now more than in the past, this book should be read if not to give us a sense of connection back to Mother Earth, than to help us realize how intertwined we all are - with each other, with "plant and animal humans" - realizing that what we take from the land should be done in a respectful and sustainable way, which Kimmerer shows is based on Indigenous practices that helped maintain balance between people and the environment.

This book certainly is not for everyone. Her style of writing is very much descriptive nonfiction. I hesitate to say "flowery," but it's not scientific writing in that she's not dropping Latin terms for most of the things she's talking about (she uses Latin terms, but sparingly) or speaking in a "hard science" language. If you're not into learning about nature or botany, or even philosophical discussions on how our interconnectedness is attributing to life today, you probably will find this a pretty dull read. But, for me, this was a good choice because I knew every time I picked it up, I would a) learn something new about nature and Indigenous cultures, b) be transported, and c) get to relax in the beauty of what nature provides for us. It's a lovely book, and unlike anything I've ever read before. Highly enjoyed it (just, maybe would have TOTALLY enjoyed it had it been a tad shorter, lol).

The Bad Seed (Bad Seed #1) by Jory John

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Children's Literature

Review: Super cute. I think it's important that it pointed out a traumatic event to trace "bad" behavior back to, but also shows that you don't have to be perfect to be considered a good person AND that everyone/anyone can change behaviors. A cute book with a good message!

Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Book Club, Beach Reads

Review: To be clear, this two-point-five-star rating isn't because it was a bad book. It was just because it wasn't my cup of tea. I had picked this up and suggested it for my book club thinking the storyline sounded cute and light, and it was those things. It was just a little too fluffy, a little too cheesy, and a little too predictable for me. The concept of the story was nice, and there were a lot of good life reminders sprinkled throughout (say yes more often, think about the impact you have on other people, be more positive, etc., etc.). The characters were okay - Hannah experienced a little bit of growth throughout, but not a ton. Jonathan experienced the most growth, and it was nice reading that.

In the end, this is a good beach read, a quick read, and one that isn't too heavy - although the book does deal with suicide and grief. It was . . . alright. Not bad. Not great. Just somewhere in the middle.

The Complete Autobiographies of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Memoir-Biography, History

Review: This was a huge undertaking, which I don't think I understood the full extent of until I was in the middle of it. My only reason for docking it a star was because reading them all together, back to back, it gets a little redundant, and I probably would have been better to read one volume and then choose whether I wanted to read the others. While each autobiography gives you something a little different than the others, the main details are the same, and I felt fine with skimming the majority of this all-inclusive volume.

Frederick Douglass was an amazing person, and one of great character and personal strength. His story is inspiring, and also a poignant reminder of the horrors of slavery and racism. The unfortunate thing about reading this as a Marylander and being familiar with the areas he lived in is that not a lot has changed in the people that live, especially, on the Eastern Shore. The mindset is still pretty much the same, and I wonder if any of the residents have taken the time to delve into the area's history with slavery, Frederick Douglass, Harriett Tubman, and the Underground Railroad.

These autobiographies are great works of writing and essential pieces of history. I'm glad I read them, and I feel like everyone should read (at least) one of his autobiographies in their lifetime.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Beach Reads, Favorites, Modern Literature

Review: If no one has noticed, I tend to really enjoy slower paced books, lol. This wasn't what I expected, but I found that I just wanted to keep reading it. The author did such a great job at character analysis and development, and I thoroughly enjoyed the issues she explored and how she explored them in this book. I've often thought a lot about morals the more I age - what constitutes as wrong and right? How? Why? Is it ever a simple black-and-white scenario? Do the gray areas come from life experience, general community experience, overarching themes in history? So, I appreciated that the title of this book really reflected that struggle in every main or secondary character we met in Shaker Heights. Even in the town itself. And it reinforced that every person is complex, that every person struggles to climb their own set of mountains.

I went into this thinking it was a faster paced novel, but was pleasantly surprised at the way human character, desire, and emotions were explored. I'm happy I finally got around to reading it!

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: All-Time Favorites, Religious

Review: **VERY LONG** I feel so fortunate to have read this book when I did. I've felt for a while that my faith was sort of in the midst of a lackluster chapter: life is fine, church isn't my favorite place to be, I'm living my life to the best of my ability. That's fine, right? I knew this book has been out in the world for a long time, but whether it was a lack of courage or conviction, I just didn't pick it up. Thankfully, for the reading challenge I'm doing this year, it was time to read this book, and it seemed to have fallen at the right time. This review is very long because I write the tidbits I want to remember long after reading. If you don't want to read all of that, the next paragraph should be a good stopping point!

A couple of years ago, I did the Bible-in-a-year challenge, and felt much like Rachel did when I read it. I tried conjuring up the lessons I learned in a secular "Bible as Literature" class I had taken in college where everyone seemed more angry at the Bible than open-minded about it. The author touches on these literary elements, but also on contextual and spiritual and historical elements as well. The points she made really hit home for me, and filled up the space I had been yearning to fill since really trying to study the Bible every time I read it. I wanted the context of the times, the spiritual significance, and the historical settings in which these authors wrote these books. I needed to read that these authors wrote, rewrote, and edited stories that were originally oral histories. I needed the permission to "find the voices that help you hear the same songs differently."

Inspired puts the Bible into perspective in the ways I had wanted it to be presented all along without knowing it. While she does recount parts of the Bible in more descriptive, creative ways, I mostly wanted to get to the commentary and meat of the book. Points she made that resonated with me included:

• "Israel's origin stories weren't designed to answer scientific, twenty-first-century questions about the beginning of the universe or the biological evolution of human beings, but rather were meant to answer then-pressing ancient questions about the nature of God and God's relationship with creation."

• "Our most sacred stories emerged from a rift in our relationship with God, an intense crisis of faith. Those of us who spend as much time doubting as we do believing can take enormous comfort in that."

• The concept of the Bible being worded the way it is, without definitive answers, so that discussion can be sparked! I wrote in my notes, "There needs to be a balance of approaching the Bible with reverence as a religious book, but also with the curiosity and bravery that you would any other book you learn from. Heated discussions work as community builders, friendship builders, and act as a tool for deeper thought about what's being discussed. When you approach the Bible with too little inquiry or too much reverence, you lose the opportunity to discuss it as it should be discussed: a learning tool that explores God's nature and His purpose for humanity. The gray areas of life lend themselves to discussion with others, to gain other viewpoints and remain open-minded! That's the point!"

• I appreciated her straight-forward reminders that the Bible should never be used as weapon against anyone. "Anytime the Bible is used to justify the oppression and exploitation of others, we have strayed far from the God who brought the people of Israel out of Egypt."

• Hearty reminders that comfort zones sometimes don't deliver God's best work.

• "Jesus is what the living, breathing will of God looks like. This includes compassion for the poor, esteem for women, healing for the sick, and solidarity with the suffering. It means breaking bread with outcasts and embracing little children. It means choosing forgiveness over retribution, the cross over revenge, and cooking breakfast for the friend who betrayed you."

• Her thought-provoking questions were important to start conversations with myself and how I approach my study of the Bible, such as: "are we reading with the prejudice of God's love as our model, or are we reading with the prejudices of judgment and power, self-interest and greed? Are we seeking to enslave or liberate, burden or set free?" This, paired with the whole emphasis on context, puts Paul's writings into perspective considering much of his letters are quoted as fact today: "Wives, submit to your husbands." "Slaves, submit to your masters." Etc., etc. His letters varied and contradicted each other because they were written to specific communities who needed to hear specific things. Sometimes, women were his equals. Sometimes, telling husbands to love their wives was necessary. He said whatever was necessary to advance the gospel while preserving unity, and that is SO IMPORTANT.

• Her section on war stories was pretty cool to me as she explains how the Canaanites, if completely destroyed during one battle, could be destroyed later. (Ancient trash talk, it turns out.) The authors of the Bible wrote with an agenda! Also, her pointing out that, during these war stories, the women provide a deeper, more complex history of Israel during this time.

• "On the cross, Jesus chose to align himself with victims of suffering rather than the inflictors of it."

• "Wisdom, it seems, is situational. It isn't just about knowing what to say; it's about knowing when to say it. And it's not just knowing what is true; it's about knowing when it's true." "The Bible reflects the complexity and diversity of the human experience, with all its joys and sorrows."

• "Treating Scripture as an owner's manual, based on a few verses here and a few verses there, will leave you more lost than found."

• I appreciate the author addressing grief, frustration, and anger as attributes of some of the Bible's authors. I think the lack of highlighting those issues has led to a lot of Christians not discussing them in general. Negative emotions are things a lot of people struggle with daily, and feeling like we can't discuss them, especially as a Church family, is really damaging. I appreciated her discussion of holding space for grief as well.

• Finally, FINALLY, someone addressed Daniel and Revelation in a way that makes sense. Lol

• "Americans, particularly white Americans, have a hard time catching apocalyptic visions when they benefit too much from the status quo to want a peek behind the curtain. When you belong to the privileged class of the most powerful global military superpower in the world, it can be hard to relate to the oppressed minorities who wrote so much of the Bible." READ THAT AGAIN.

• The author's emphasis on Jesus touching those who society didn't want to touch.

• My mind was blown when she talked about acting like we believe miracles to be true rather than just stating we believed in miracles. When we act in a way that says we believe in miracles, we are then potentially being that miracle for someone else. "Am I including the people who are typically excluded? Am I feeding the hungry and caring for the sick? Am I holding the hands of the homeless and offering help to addicts? Am I working to break down religious and political barriers that marginalize ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities and people with disabilities? ...."

• I had, for a long time, questioned how the Bible could be filled with such a strong message of love and acceptance and yet Christians can be some of the most volatile and hateful people toward "the other." How can we love one another and treat the LGBTQIA+ community the way we do? How can we preach Jesus's message and still be so blatantly and openly racist? The author actually saying, look, you can't pick and choose the first-century Mediterranean cultural assumptions about gender and sexuality and slavery, and apply them wherever/whenever you want to. It doesn't work that way.

• "The Christian life isn't about intellectual assent to a set of propositions, but about following Jesus in the context of actual marriages, actual communities, actual churches, actual political differences, actual budget meetings, actual cultural changes, actual racial tensions, actual theological disagreements. Like it or not, you can't be a Christian on your own. Following Jesus is a group activity, and from the beginning, it's been a messy one; it's been an incarnated one."

• And, lastly, these two quotes: "God meets us where we are, as we are. The Spirit shows up in the thick of it." And, "Those who say having a childlike faith means not asking questions haven't met too many children."

I was blown away by this book, and am grateful to have read it. I'm glad that Rachel Held Evans was able to contribute such a wonderful book to this community in the short time she was here in this life.