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christianreader2017-02-08 09:18 pm
birdienl.livejournal.com) wrote in christianreader2017-02-08 09:18 pm
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My January reads
Jennifer Worth – Shadows of the workhouse 3,5/5
Jennifer Worth was a midwife and district nurse in East London during the '50s. The popular BBC series Call the Midwife is based on her memoires, of which this book is the second part. In the book, Jennifer describes multiple cases of people she took care of whose lifes were marked by their time in the workhouse.
This was overall a touching but sad book. The cases described in the book are all people who had been through enormous hardships. It's sobering to think how few years ago there was so much poverty and destitution in West Europe. The book is definitely interesting and teaches you a lot about how the workhouse system worked and the development of healthcare in the 20th century. But the book lacks the lightness and character development that the tv-series does have and thus feels much heavier.
Bill Bryson – The road to Little Dribbling 4/5
Twenty years after his first travelogue (Notes from a Small Island), Bill Bryson again treks through his adopted home country of Great Britain. He visits small towns and big cities, famous landmarks and hidden treasures and complains about food and hotels with his trademark dry humour.
This was a enjoyable and educational read. Bill Bryson is in love with Great Britain and this clearly shows in this book. He may grumble and complain, but also always show his readers the loveliest spots and praise many British customs. I certainly got a few ideas of things to visit on future trips to GB. The road... is a funny book, but for some reason I didn't find it as laugh-out-loud funny as Notes from a Small Island. Maybe I got used to Bryson's wit? Or maybe this is more of a love letter than a comedic travelogue. Anyway, it's very much recommended to any fan of travel books or GB in general.
Philip Yancey – Disappointment with God 4/5
As the title says, this book deals with the disapointment Christians can feel about how God acts in their lives and in the world. Yancey takes you through the story of the Bible and asks the questions: Is God unfair? Is God distant? Why is God silent? In the second part Yancey again goes through those questions, this time looking at the answers the book of Job gives. I enjoyed Yancey's writing style, very personal. I felt taken serious by this book and learned a lot. No, it will not give you all the answers (I don't believe any theological book can really do that), but it's a wise book nonetheless.
Books read in January: 3
Books read in 2017: 3
Jennifer Worth was a midwife and district nurse in East London during the '50s. The popular BBC series Call the Midwife is based on her memoires, of which this book is the second part. In the book, Jennifer describes multiple cases of people she took care of whose lifes were marked by their time in the workhouse.
This was overall a touching but sad book. The cases described in the book are all people who had been through enormous hardships. It's sobering to think how few years ago there was so much poverty and destitution in West Europe. The book is definitely interesting and teaches you a lot about how the workhouse system worked and the development of healthcare in the 20th century. But the book lacks the lightness and character development that the tv-series does have and thus feels much heavier.
Bill Bryson – The road to Little Dribbling 4/5
Twenty years after his first travelogue (Notes from a Small Island), Bill Bryson again treks through his adopted home country of Great Britain. He visits small towns and big cities, famous landmarks and hidden treasures and complains about food and hotels with his trademark dry humour.
This was a enjoyable and educational read. Bill Bryson is in love with Great Britain and this clearly shows in this book. He may grumble and complain, but also always show his readers the loveliest spots and praise many British customs. I certainly got a few ideas of things to visit on future trips to GB. The road... is a funny book, but for some reason I didn't find it as laugh-out-loud funny as Notes from a Small Island. Maybe I got used to Bryson's wit? Or maybe this is more of a love letter than a comedic travelogue. Anyway, it's very much recommended to any fan of travel books or GB in general.
Philip Yancey – Disappointment with God 4/5
As the title says, this book deals with the disapointment Christians can feel about how God acts in their lives and in the world. Yancey takes you through the story of the Bible and asks the questions: Is God unfair? Is God distant? Why is God silent? In the second part Yancey again goes through those questions, this time looking at the answers the book of Job gives. I enjoyed Yancey's writing style, very personal. I felt taken serious by this book and learned a lot. No, it will not give you all the answers (I don't believe any theological book can really do that), but it's a wise book nonetheless.
Books read in January: 3
Books read in 2017: 3