So Little Time

I'm always looking for a good book to read, so I thought I'd share some of the books I've been reading this semester, in case anyone else is also looking.

Children
Magyk and Flyte by Angie Sage: So-so. Rip-offs of Harry Potter, but still amusing and distracting.
Noah's Ark by Peter Spier: Excellent. Always a good read (or look).
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Very good. This was my second time through, and I enjoyed it much more this time. I think the fact that I was hyped up on post-partum hormones the first time I read it made me overly harsh towards poor J.K. Now I'm cooking up a paper that uses the character of Severus Snape to explore Bonhoeffer's ideas on guilt, responsibility, and true heroism.

General Fiction
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards: Very interesting story dealing with memory, loss, and hidden betrayal. Also chronicles what it is like to watch your child grow up, which took on a new meaning for me with Z here now.
The Cape Ann by Faith Sullivan: Engaging writer but not much of a story. Doesn't really seem to go anywhere or develop characters much.
Ysabelle by Guy Gavriel Kay: Kay is always good, and this book is no exception, although I wouldn't call it his best.
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay: This is what I'd call his best! I've read this book before, but I'd forgotten how good it is. It has all the right elements of a great tragedy as Kay explores the difficulties of love and loyalty in a world that is broken. If you want to start reading Kay, I'd say start here. The Fionavar Trilogy is also great.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: Bizarre plot but surprisingly good!

Tudor England
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory: Chronicles Katherine of Aragon's story, from her first marriage to Prince Arthur to her second to King Henry VIII
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: Chronicles the story of Mary Boleyn, one-time mistress of Henry VIII and sister to Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife and mother of Queen Elizabeth I
The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory: Chronicles the story of the first two years of Elizabeth I's rule
The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory: Follows fictional character named Hannah Green, "holy fool" to Queen Mary
The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn by Anne Warnecke: Non-fictional study of, yes, the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. Makes the interesting hypothesis that the catalyst for her execution was the miscarriage of a deformed baby boy, giving rise to charges of witchcraft and sexual misconduct. Helpful companion reading for all the above fiction.

Theology and Philosophy
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: I suppose this could be filed under general fiction, but it has whole sections dealing explicitly with philosophical issues and questions. Nathan tells me this is the first truly postmodern novel. A medieval mystery, it explores the nature of reality, of truth, and of religion.
The World's Religions by Huston Smith: If you're interested in a brief overview of the main world religions, this is a good place to start. Smith emphasizes ideas and themes over facts and figures and tries to allow each religion to put its best foot forward.
A History of the World's Religions by David Noss: Not nearly as interesting as Smith's book, but very informative. Heavy on the facts and figures.
Witness: Systematic Theology Vol. 3 by James McClendon, Jr.: Still working on this one, but so far, very intertesting. His interest is in a theology of culture, so he explores themes related to religion, science, art, and philosophy, among others. If you decide to read it, I must tell you to pay special attention to his section on John Steuart Curry who grew up in Kansas in a "Scottish Presbyterian" family. For those of you who don't know, this is a reference to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, which is also my heritage (as is the Kansas childhood).

Well, I guess that's a good enough review for now. If you've read an interesting book lately, please let me know! I'm always on the prowl!