A few weeks ago, before going on vacation, I ventured over to the library to see what I could find that was not so much theological and give my mind a rest. It seems that my mind seems to track that way anyway and was able to make theological connections with the three books that I read.
My first selection was from Neil Gaiman, whom I have come to admire after reading some of his other works. His imagination and ability to dive into the depths of the human soul are wonderful. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was no exception and he weaved the same mystical magic into it as he does in American Gods. It was a quick read that keeps you turning the pages. Many things are at work in the book as some hot topics are approached, from adultery to the deep down desire to help one another. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is looking to get away for a short period of time and immerse yourself in another timeless tale.
My other two selections were a little older than Gaiman’s offering. In Kelby’s Whale Season, the book revolves around this mysterious man that shows up in Whale Harbor on Christmas Eve claiming to be Jesus. The story unfolds from there and the reader slowly gets to know about this mysterious man and the many other people that get wrapped up into the story. It went in directions that I was not expecting and was both laugh out load funny and sobering at times. While this is the first book from Kelby that I picked up, I would not hesitate to pick up another one of her books.
The cover and inside flap drew me into this book. As I said, while trying to steer clear of the typical pastor reading, I was still drawn to books that had some aspect of God in them. It did take me a while to get into Kyle’s book, The God of Animals, and even at that point I had to strain to keep my attention towards it. As a father and her daughter deal with the day-to-day operations of their horse farm many other aspects come into play. A sister that gets married and leaves and a mother that never leaves the house. While I did want to keep reading to see what happens in the end, for it was still laborious at times. I would not steer people away from it, however, it was not quite in the style of writing that pulls me in.
a mysterious way 