In March the book I read off my shelf was The Singer by Calvin Miller. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I meant to read them all, but then found that one was enough for now. I know a lot of people love this book, and I really wanted to, too, but for me, it was just ok. If you're not familiar with the trilogy, it is basically a mythical retelling, written in verse, of the New Testament. Instead of God, Jesus, and Satan, you have Earthmaker, the Singer, and the World Hater. And that's really all I have to say about that one. If you're interested, let me know because I actually have two copies of the first two books. I'll be happy to share.
Continuing on with the theme of biblical fiction, I also read a book of short stories called She Nailed a Stake Through His Head: Tales of Biblical Terror, edited by Tim Lieder. I found this when looking for books by Catherynne Valente. Her story is the only semi-decent one in the collection, but it is the story of Gilgamesh, and even though I understand why it was included, the last time I checked, it's not in the bible. Most of the stories are written by science fiction authors and they are so twisted and gross. Definitely skip this one.
I also finally got around to reading The Shack by William Paul Young. It's the story of a man, Mackenzie, whose daughter is kidnapped and presumed murdered. A couple years after her disappearance, Mackenzie is summoned to the shack where she was last traced and has an encounter with the trinity in the flesh, in order to begin to deal with what happened to his daughter. There are some very moving scenes in this book, and overall, I enjoyed it. There is also a lot of discussion of the trinity, and why God allows bad things to happen and other questions like that for which there are no easy answers. I'm not sure all the author's arguments hold up, but he gets points for trying to explain and for getting people to think.
Now for a fun book - Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl. This book is a charming young adult read, kind of Cinderella meets Pride and Prejudice. Althea, the heroine, is seventeen, beautiful, and very poor. She lives in a crumbling castle with her mother, much younger brother, and two selfish stepsisters. She knows she must marry well in order to save her family and home from ruin, but all her recent attempts to snag a rich husband have failed. Then, some new neighbors and acquaintances move into the estate next door and things start to look up. Very entertaining. Check this one out.
Leaving England, we now head to Egypt for Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. This is the first in a series of books featuring the spunky Amelia Peabody. The story begins in the late 1880s with the death of Amelia's father. She inherits his fortune and soon sets off on a trip to Egypt where she becomes an amateur archaeologist, gets chased by a mummy, and falls in love, among many other things. A fun book. I read it in an afternoon. You should, too. 
Back to seriousness - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This is the story of Charlie, a freshman in high school, who is super-smart, but kind of socially awkward. One of his few friends commits suicide the year before, and he is feeling very alone in his new school. Somehow he makes friend with two seniors, and slowly his life begins to change. This book is funny, heartbreaking, and shocking all at the same time. I think it is often banned and challenged in schools because of the content. I recommend this one, but even though it is a young people's book, it is not for the very young.
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