Em: Books

I just finished reading three good books in the last couple of days. One is called The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, who is a British author now living in the Twin Cities. The Graveyard Book is a take-off on The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling, and Gaiman puts his own magical/fantasy twist to this novel for children. A boy named Bod (short for Nobody) is raised and educated by a graveyard of ghosts after his parents and sister are murdered when he is a toddler. He evades the murderer, and lives in safety in the graveyard, but the murderer keeps searching for Bod. I don't want to give anything away, but eventually they meet up again under certain circumstances, and Bod has to accept the fact that he is alive, all his friends and family are ghosts, and he must join the living out in the world. It all sounds a bit dark, but it's a very touching story, and the universe that Gaiman has created is wonderful. Any kid (or adult) who likes books like Harry Potter would find Neil Gaiman's books enjoyable. He can write a really good scary, suspensful and hilarious story.

The second book I finished was Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, by Lutheran theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. I found it very interesting, although I cannot possibly explain everything that he says. I often find myself trying to translate Theology Language into Em Language, and not always coming out with an answer. But he is a very social justice-oriented person of faith, which I can identify with right there. Living in Detroit in the 1920's, he was an outspoken critic of the working conditions at all the car factories and things. In his collected journal entries he talks about the difficulties and joys of being a pastor and the positive role religion can play in our society. I first heard about him when I was at Augsburg College in MPLS for a week of theology-delving with other youth (WAHOO!). We were studying the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Niebuhr happened to be one of his seminary professors in New York. Sounded like a cool guy. 'Twas a very cool book.

The third and final book I have conquered is Tears of the Giraffe, by Alexander McCall Smith. It's one of the books from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I love how Smith writes about Botswana, where he was born, and how it is not a doom and gloom African story. It doesn't ignore the fact that there's doom and gloom in parts of Africa, on the contrary, Smith talks a bit about the white people's philanthropy philosphy through the character of private detective Precious Ramotswe, about orphans, disease, and equality. At the same time though, it's still a light hearted, amusing--but smart-- mystery story. I always enjoy his books.