A Book Log #1

So many books, so little time! Such is the cry of readers everywhere, especially readers with a to-be-read pile a mile high. But I can't resist. I have to share a few of the wonderful books I've been reading over the past month.

The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium: An Englishman's World

By Robert Lacy and Danny Danziger

This month-by-month account of the year 1000 does not focus on world events or wars or politics but rather on the daily life of ordinary people, those who worked the land, prayed in the monasteries, and sold their goods in the towns. The authors organize their discussions around the Julius Work Calendar (c.1020) and its fascinating drawings (check them out here.) With a Calendar drawing for each month as a starting point, the authors describe everything from the sign language of monks (who were supposed to maintain strict silence but had to communicate somehow) to the July hunger gap (before the August harvest when grain bins were running out and the remaining grain was growing all kinds of mind-bending mold).

The authors delve into the era's system of servitude, in which needy people placed their heads in the laps of their lords and ladies and essentially sold themselves and their families just to get enough food. On the lighter side, though, the discussion of remedies and charms is entertaining and fun (watch out for elves!). Topics like the life of women, religious practices, agricultural habits, money-making (literally), and criminal justice round out the book, which is well-researched and overall an entertaining read.

Island of the Mad

By Laurie R. King

I was looking forward to this book since I finished reading the last Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mystery in 2016. It was well worth the wait. While searching for a friend's missing aunt, Russell actually infiltrates Bethlem Royal Hospital, asylum for the insane (better known as Bedlam), and she does crazy quite well. Holmes joins her later in a mad dash through the world of the rich and famous in Venice as they dodge Mussolini's Black Shirts, end up in outrageous costumes, and generally do what Holmes and Russell do best...solve mysteries.

If you haven't read Laurie R. King's Russell and Holmes series, you're missing out on a real treat. The books are extremely well written, with highly developed plots, characters, and settings. King clearly does her historical homework as she takes her readers back into the 1910s and 1920s with vivid descriptions and fascinating details. Start with The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and read your way through the whole series. You won't regret it.

Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Brontë

Here's a classic that's worth re-reading. Even though this book is filled with messages of strong morality, courage, and perseverance, it never becomes preachy. Jane Eyre is a character to admire and love as we watch her struggle against and conquer adversities and temptations. I've read this book before, but I enjoyed it even more a second time.

Dracula

By Bram Stoker

Even though this book would have been much scarier to its original audience (who didn't have more than a hundred years of vampire cliches to contend with), it's still a fun read. I enjoyed the novel's epistolary style; the story is told through the diaries, letters, and papers of the main characters. The plot is suspenseful enough to keep readers interested, and the characters are highly developed. The book's religious content also creates food for thought as God plays a central role in combating the vampire.

Peter: Keys to Following Jesus

By Tim Gray

I've read many, many theology books, but this one is near the top of my list of all-time favorites. Yes, it's that good. If you want to know more about Peter and his relationship with Jesus in the context of first-century Israel, this is the book to read. Dr. Gray also applies the lessons Peter learned to our own lives so that we can follow Jesus more closely. I'm especially impressed by Dr. Gray's exploration of typology, the Old Testament's foreshadowing of the New Testament, and his attention to historical detail. He discusses, for example, the symbolic name of Capernaum, the meaning of Peter's keys and the office of steward that they represent, and the significance of the rock.

Don't be put off by the idea that this book might be too complex or difficult to understand. It isn't. Dr. Gray writes in an accessible style and punctuates his discussion with points of review to help readers remember what has come before and tie it to what comes after. This delightful book should be at the top of every Catholic's (indeed every Christian's) to-be-read pile.