ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain
I honestly thought this was a re-read. However, I either never finished it earlier in my life or I completely forgot the last third of the book because I didn’t remember any of it. I chose to “re-read” it in preparation to read James by Percival Everett. The premise of that book is that it is written from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim in Huckleberry Finn. I know that for many the the dialogue and language in Twain’s book is problematic and harsh to modern day ears. Yet, if you can push beyond that aspect it really is a fascinating read and should remain, in my opinion, as considered a classic. In the end, what you find is that Twain is elevating Huck and Jim, who by society’s standards of the day are the least educated, morally suspect, and almost less than human characters to be seen as actually the most intelligent and righteous characters in the story. Their devotion and care to each other stands out. Their questioning and wrestling of how society works versus what they intuitively feel is right is prominent. I’m glad I re-read (well actually, finally finished) this book.
JAMES by Percival Everett
I am only about 1/3 of the way through this book. It is quite interesting to read it with Huckleberry Finn fresh in my mind. While it is not necessary to read Twain’s book prior to this one, I would recommend doing so if you get a chance. My journey to reading these two books came about because I saw that Percival Everett is scheduled to be one of the authors for the Lenoir-Rhyne Visiting Writer’s series in January of 2026. I am planning to attend that event and wanted to read this book prior to that. I can’t fully review a book I haven’t finished, but I will say that I am enjoying it so far and am looking forward to finishing it.
FREEWATER by Amina Luqman-Dawson
I chose this book to read simply because it was the 2023 Newbery Medal winner and it was available at the library the day I went searching for some books to read. One of my self-imposed reading goals is to read all of the Newbery Medal winners. It has been an interesting journey so far. You can see my progress here: Newbery Winners. I am about 2/3 of the way through reading this book. And I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. Interestingly enough this book too is about runaway slaves. It is the story of a brother and sister who initially tried to escape with their mother. Their mother due to circumstances was left behind and captured. The two young children find themselves taken in by other escaped slaves who have developed a community living in a nearby swamp. Though Freewater, as it is called, is a fictional place the book is “inspired by the Great Dismal Swamp and the enslaved souls who found refuge and freedom within its confines” which stretched “over fifteen hundred square miles” from Virginia to North Carolina. This was a part of history that I had never heard of before. Even though it is a book written with an audience of young children up to the age of 14, I would highly recommend adults read this as well. It is very rich, deep, and informative.
TO LOVE AS GOD LOVES by Roberta C. Bondi
This was an assigned book for one of my Course of Study books for a class on theology. Its subtitle is “Conversations with the Early Church.” And indeed it is. The book’s premise is to be in dialogue with the writings of early church fathers and mothers, many of whom who chose a monastic lifestyle. The book touches on the subjects of Love, Humility, Passions [what we would recognize as the deadly sins], Prayer, and God. It was a really good and informative read that invites one to engage in those subjects in a new way. From the beginning the author states that agreement with the early ancients is not required because our modern day understanding and thinking is going to of course be different. However, their writings still have much truth to teach us and at least spur us to think about things in a different way. The book is both very accessible to an average lay reader but also provides an avenue to topics and thinking for those who want to go deeper in their theological thoughts.
THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS by Robert Louis Wilken
This too was a book assigned for my recent Course of Study class on Theology. Subtitled “A Global History of Christianity,” this may appear at first glance to be quite an imposing (one might say boring) book to tackle. Yet, this one too has a very good balance of deep historical knowledge but is presented in a way that is accessible to most readers. I say most readers only to say that I think one must have at least a passing interest and curiosity into the history of Christianity from its early beginnings to enjoy reading this book. Wilken, like Bondi above, is able to balance a telling of deep rich heritage within a writing syle that is accessible and understandable. Not that it is a light read to take on a beach vacation for light enjoyment. But it is presented in a way that is not overwhelming to a reader who is interested in this subject and ready to engage with it.
To sum up, this is part of what my brain has been engaged in recently. Hope this is helpful to some one. If none of these books spark your interest, maybe my next set of reading material will. I’ll share that when I can. Otherwise, at minimum will you at least take my advice and read something? Please! Society as a whole is reading less and well, I think in many ways it is beginning to show.
Notes from a Book Nerd 