Sheila's Guests and Reviews

  A while ago I read and reviewed Sy Garte's The Works of His Hands :  https://www.amazon.com/Works-His-Hands-Scientists-Journey/dp/0825446074/  I loved it. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3155866467 Faith and science are both a big deal to me of course. Growing up Catholic in England, I was barely aware of any suggestion that they might not be in perfect harmony with each other. After all, weren't the first Western scientists Christians, believing the world consistent enough to be worth investigating because the God they believed in was consistent? Then I came to the US. Suddenly friends in church were asking how anyone could be Christian if they "believed in" evolution. What's to believe in? It's the world God made, revealed in the science that studies what God made. Luckily I was able (I know not how) to convince them that I am a Christian. Meanwhile I also have to convince scientist friends that I'm a scientist - math degree from Cambridge Univer...

What attracts you to a non-fiction book? I was attracted to one of the books in this collection by the fact that the author was a scientist, and by the implication that he enjoyed a more European understanding of the word "liberal." Did it make me love the book--no so much. So, was I attracted by the wrong thing. What makes you less keen on reading a non-fiction book? The same book has a very American cover with stark red sky behind the Capitol, and lightning flash. Knowing it was non-fiction, that made me feel it might be heavily political, and I was right. Interesting... So, cover or blurb? What attracts you and what puts you off? The Liberal Record by Marcelo Brazzi attracted me with its blurb but not its cover. As I read, the author's assumptions about his readers began to annoy me. But he's writing for a particular audience, and perhaps I'm just not a member of that audience. Read me review and see what you think, and then read the book with some bold ...

It was Christmas, and I got lots of books to read. I was eager to enjoy them and share the good news of great reads. But I also had (still have) visitors, and Christmas to enjoy, and trips, and conversations, and cats (not mine) and dogs (also not mine), and family, and friends, and catching up on catching up... And time keeps slipping away. But today I shall start posting a few of those book reviews. Since Christmas is only just over for many celebrants, posting some reviews about "faith" books makes a kind of sense. And here are three about the intersection (no--not division) between faith-and-science. They're not enemies. Seriously, they're not enemies. (And one day maybe my own faith-and-science book will also come out, with the same point of view!) First is  Friend of Science Friend of Faith, listening to God in His works and word by Gregg Davidson , a pleasingly scientific, easily understood book that reveals, very convincingly, that faith and science are no...

Today I'm delighted to welcome Swiyah Woodard to my blog, author of Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm Just In Love With God. She's been touring the internet for a while, so you've probably seen that cool purple cover in many places already. But why would anyone call her crazy? Swiyah lives with and takes medication for her own diagnosis. In this book, inspired by a true story, she invites all who struggle with mental illness or the consequences of mistreatment to see a true way forward. Thank you so much for visiting my blog Swiyah. And now, over to you... Can those with a disability be successful in business? By mental health expert, Swiyyah Woodard Can those with a disability be successful in business? Sure they can. The secret is to find something you love to do, something that you are willing to do for free until you become a professional expert. Start off by volunteering.  There's a such thing as positive stress and negative stress. Negative stress ...

My third novel has come out. It looks gorgeous. It has a cat on the road on the cover. And yes, there is faith in it, somewhere, because there's faith in me. But no, it's not a Christian novel. The biggest question of faith in Subtraction though isn't about God at all, it's about humanity. Can we be trusted? Will we always do the wrong thing? Will the innocent always suffer? A math teacher hides his own hurts - the lives subtracted from his path, the families he's lost. Now he teaches a class full of kids subtracted from regular schooling - misfits perhaps more lacking in hope even than he. Then a girl goes missing, subtracted from class and bringing everything back. Can the teacher forgive himself for losing a child? Can he forgive the world for threatening her? And can he save her? There are some Christian characters in my novel. Faith matters to them and they even talk about it once in a while. But faith doesn't matter to the protagonist. He's not abo...

When I was a kid it annoyed me that so few books mentioned characters who went to church. I went to church. Most of the people I knew went to church. Weren't we worth writing about? I suspect when I was a kid I simply wasn't drawn to, or introduced to, those sweet Sunday school books that would have filled that gap. Perhaps that's just as well. But now I read the Sunday-school-sweet books, all grown up, plus many others where characters do go to church but don't feel the need to tell the world--or is it where authors do go to church but don't feel the need to tell the world? I guess the question still remains, are people like me worth writing about--are we worth reading about? And the truth is, I really don't want to read about me; I want to read about someone interesting, or at least someone in a story that's interesting; I want a fiction to draw me in and make me think before it spits me out. There'll have to be facts in that fiction if it's go...

Pilgrims take journeys, as described in the first of my faith-ish reads from the last couple of weeks. But journeys can be internal or external. They can lead to secrets outside the self, but are best if they lead the self to secrets of its own. And maybe books are the same. Maybe each book read is a pilgrimage, with a destination that inspires, enlivens, saddens, teaches, or more. These four books all involve faith and life's journeys, and they're all different. But are you a pilgrim when you read? Starting with The Pilgrim Journey by James Harpur , this non-fiction book is filled with well-researched details of history, societies, and the implications of changing faith and beliefs. The history of icons and relics weaves into the tale, with saints and sinners, pilgrims and vacationers tracing and recording their different paths. I'm not a great reader of non-fiction, but this book surprised, intrigued and even entertained me, as well as informing me. Enjoy with some eleg...

They have heat ratings for romance novels. Since I sometimes review romances I've been trying to work them out so I'll use the right words. To the best of my knowledge: Burning means vividly graphic detail in sexuality and vocabulary. These ones probably go further than I'd choose to read. Hot means detailed sex scenes with plenty of body parts. They're not my scene either, but I'm happy to read and review them once in a while. Moderate might be moderately explicit, but spares the reader's worst blushes. More about feelings than body parts. More euphemisms rather than intricate detail. Warm emphasizes the feelings even more, letting the action slide under the bedsheets. Subtle stays above the belt (a euphemism I learned at a Christian writers' conference). Soothing closes doors. And cool keeps sensuality on the backburner in favor of unencumbered emotion. (Okay, I like sevens. I had to have seven ratings in my list!) But what about ratings for fa...

Andrew Palau is the son of a world-famous evangelist. I’m the granddaughter of a Methodist local preacher. There’s not much comparison except we must have both grown up around people who talked about God. I reviewed Andrew Palau’s memoir, The Secret Life of a Fool , yesterday, and today, as part of his virtual book tour , I promised to think about what kind of fool being a preacher’s grandkid made me. My granddad began preaching during the Second World War when there was a shortage of people to work in the church since all the young men had gone away. But Granddad was Methodist and I grew up Catholic, so I’m not sure I ever heard him preach.  With a Catholic father and Methodist mother, my faith was never something I could take for granted. I couldn’t answer the simple questions at church and say I believed all the same things as my parents. I couldn’t perform the expected formalities without wondering why someone else didn’t do things the same way. Even hymns had diff...

I'm honored today to welcome John Wijngaards to my blog today. He's the author of Amrutha: What the Pope's Man found out about the Law of Nature. (Click here for my review of Amrutha ) Founder of the website http://www.thebodyissacred.org/ , Dr John Wijngaards draws on his background as a spiritual writer, professional journalist and international college lecturer in this novel, a beautiful tale of spirituality, sensuality and ethics, spanning multiple cultures. I found the whole concept of Natural Law truly fascinating as I read Amrutha and asked the author if he'd be willing to tell us more. So, over to you Dr Wijngaards, with my thanks. Misapplying ‘Natural Law’ . . . John Wijngaards             Natural Law? Why bother about it you may think. And why make it the principal target of my novel AMRUTHA: What the Pope’s man found out about the Law of Nature , as people keep asking me.   Is ‘Natural Law’ not ju...