reviews

A History of the Anglican/Episcopalian Church Author: Bonnell Spencer In between cozy mysteries and bouts of classical literature, I always make sure to be reading one religious/spiritual book to continue building my own faith life. This usually means that I track straight for a C.S. Lewis, but this time I felt that a little history of the church was in order. Having transitioned from a fundamentalist (similar to Southern Baptist) raising in college, I finally meandered into the Episcopal Church several years ago and found myself truly feeling at home. Regardless, I am still an infant as far as church [...]

The Beauty of Winding, Subterranean Galleries Author: Jules Verne In the classic library mode yet again, I decided to go back to one of my childhood favorites: Jules Verne. Mesmerized by his Around the World in Eighty Days in grade school and later enthralled by the mystery of Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I was excited to once again return to a beloved author. The sense of adventure and the vivacity of a pioneering spirit soars in Verne’s work, especially in Journey to the Center of the Earth where three vastly different characters confront natural and man-made [...]

Adventures in corrosion... Author:  Jonathon Waldman Sometimes you can tell a book by its cover. Over a lifetime of reading, I’ve seen it both ways, having enjoyed a book entitled Sand and loathed a book called Dust. Despite my previous mixed experiences with monosyllabically titled geek books, I approached Rust with optimism. Disappointingly, journalist Jonathon Waldman’s exploration of the world of corrosion and metallic decay is about as entertaining as it sounds. You may not realize this as you live from breath to breath, but oxygen is the enemy of much of our civilization. Anytime humans have attempted to use [...]