Booklog

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow does a really good job of drawing characters and describing their interactions, with people of different backgrounds and classes interacting. It includes interesting explorations of religion and faith. Several of the main characters are Jesuit priests, others are agnostics, and it is refreshing to read a book where religious and non- or differently-religious people work together and get along, instead of being depicted as fundamentally opposed.

However, I think Christians would get more out of this book than I do —as a buddhist/agnostic, I didn't find myself getting emotionally involved when the characters discussed whether God exists and how/whether God intervenes in the universe directly and if God is good and omnipotent then why does God allow evil to happen.

The Sparrow won the Tiptree award for books that explore gender. On the one hand, I am not especially impressed by the gender exploration per se. ( the rest of the review contains spoilers. The really major spoilers are in rot-13 )

Booklog

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow does a really good job of drawing characters and describing their interactions, with people of different backgrounds and classes interacting. It includes interesting explorations of religion and faith. Several of the main characters are Jesuit priests, others are agnostics, and it is refreshing to read a book where religious and non- or differently-religious people work together and get along, instead of being depicted as fundamentally opposed.

However, I think Christians would get more out of this book than I do —as a buddhist/agnostic, I didn't find myself getting emotionally involved when the characters discussed whether God exists and how/whether God intervenes in the universe directly and if God is good and omnipotent then why does God allow evil to happen.

The Sparrow won the Tiptree award for books that explore gender. On the one hand, I am not especially impressed by the gender exploration per se. ( the rest of the review contains spoilers. The really major spoilers are in rot-13 )

(no subject)

Thanks to the folks who encouraged me to bake bread despite the disasterful bread making class, and to the folks who specifically mentioned "no knead bread," I made my first loaf of bread using this recipe:

http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-no-knead-method/

It came out great and it was really easy. I spent more time going into the kitchen to see if it had risen any more than I spent mixing or working the dough.

( shameless photos of bread and bread eating )

(no subject)

Thanks to the folks who encouraged me to bake bread despite the disasterful bread making class, and to the folks who specifically mentioned "no knead bread," I made my first loaf of bread using this recipe:

http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-no-knead-method/

It came out great and it was really easy. I spent more time going into the kitchen to see if it had risen any more than I spent mixing or working the dough.

( shameless photos of bread and bread eating )