Review: Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus

Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus by James Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another book that I read for a Christian Education series at church. It was a good choice, I must say, but, then, I really do like Father James Martin as a writer, so that was kind of a forgone conclusion. It is also an ideal Lent book, which is why we did it, with the added twist of getting some speakers to reflect on the words on their own as well.

This book originates in a series of reflections which Father Martin made on the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ, during his crucifixion. The seven words (or sayings) are dispersed through Matthew, Luke and John as statements of Christ from the Cross. Martin reflects on them and applies them to various aspects of the Christian life. I know that that sounds pretty flat as a description, but the reflections are touching, occasionally funny and often profound. I appreciated Father Martin's insights and really enjoyed reading them.

This is a book to read slowly and reflectively. It is, as I said, ideal for Lent or Holy Week. And it is really quite short. Take your time with this and I think you'll see the benefits.

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Review: The Time of Troubles I

The Time of Troubles I by Harry Turtledove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the start of a re-read of a Harry Turtledove Videssos series from the 90s. It bundles The Stolen Throne and Hammer and Anvil together in a story set in the Empires of Videssos and Makuran, which are basically the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires with working magic. The names are changed, of course, but we're talking about the crisis in Byzantium and Persia just prior to the Islamic invasions, when Byzantium was ruled by Heraclius I and Persia by Chosroes II.

The points of view are interesting when compared to the other Videssos series. The first half (The Stolen Throne) is based in Makuran instead of Videssos, and follows the adventures of a minor noble, Abivard, who, unexpectedly, gets involved in royal politics and emerges as the brother-in-law to the king. The second half (Hammer and Anvil) focuses on the minor general, Maniakes (a character in the first novel), who returns from exile from the back end of beyond to overthrow the tyrannical emperor of Videssos and then to try to restore the mess that that tyrant created.

The result is very, well, Harry Turtledove. The heroes are standard Turtledove fare- honest to a fault, thoughtful, politically savvy, clever. Yet, it is put together in aa convincing way as we see the two heroes navigating their (forgive the allusion) byzantine court politics. I enjoyed back in the 90s and I am enjoying it again. And, of course, I got the second book....

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Review: By Way of Grace: Moving from Faithfulness to Holiness

By Way of Grace: Moving from Faithfulness to Holiness by Paula Huston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this is my third Paula Huston book inside of a year, which is a good thing mostly. I really do enjoy her writing and I enjoyed this book as well. It is written with that blend of personal reflection and theological connections which I enjoy.

The premise of the book is centred around the theological virtues and intersperses personal reflections on the virtue in question and theological discussion of the virtue. In this book, those two sections are really clearly marked, which is different from the other two books which interweave them more organically. The insights are still good and the theology is as well, but I found the more clear lines between the two experiences of virtue a little jarring at times. Both are valuable, but the transitions felt a little sharp at times.

This is only a minor criticism and I wonder how much of it is influenced by the rather rapid immersion I did with this author. I do that sometimes- discover a writer and then read everything quickly. That has its benefits, but it does mean by later in the process, I start going 'ah, that story', not dismissively, but as a little too much shorthand, which inhibits my ability to listen. So, I wonder if I was listening well to this book. A break and a re-read may be in order.

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Review: The World Encyclopedia of Archaeology: The World's Most Significant Sites and Cultural Treasures

The World Encyclopedia of Archaeology: The World's Most Significant Sites and Cultural Treasures by Aedeen Cremin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an odd review because I don't know a lot of people who read encyclopedias, but, then, apparently I do. And, really, while this is clearly a reference work, it is a good encyclopedia to read, given that it has a pretty narrow focus (ish, it is world archaeology, after all). That is, it's pretty comprehensive within a fairly narrow disciplinary focus.

The format is pretty straightforward. The guts of the encyclopedia are the entries on various of the most important archaeological sites in the world, along with short articles on various archaeological foci important to some of these sites. They are grouped geographically by region and represent a pretty thorough sampling of the most important sites and topics in archaeology from the paleolithic to the modern era. They are, of course, thumb-nail sketches, but they are written to address the main issues and questions which the reader can follow up on.

For anyone interested in archaeology, this is a very good book and well worth reading to get some familiarity with the archaeologies of various cultures and regions, as well as given the big picture look that we sometimes miss.

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