June's Favorite Finds

Summer is exploding into bloom. The peonies have disintegrated and now the roses are tumbling over each other and the hydrangeas are looking classy by the front porch. Aren’t they pretty?

Listening:

I loved this episode of Freedom Table podcast which I think really clearly describes the difference between and Old and New Covenant in the Bible and how they do and don’t relate to each other. I know that might sound boring, but it was so good! Even people who’ve been a Christian for a long time lack clarity on this subject sometimes.

Mumford and Sons have released a new album and it’s fire. I can’t stop listening to it. If forced to choose a favorite I’d say this one. But I also like this one, and this one, and this one. Okay, just listen to the whole album!

Watching:

I’m always up for a new Agatha Christie adaptation so I loved Seven Dials. I’ve never read it so I’ve no idea if it stays true to the book or not, but it was delightful!

A few months ago we went to Charleston, North Carolina. Everywhere we went we saw the lasting visages of slavery. From the Old Slave Mart to Sullivan’s Island which served as the gateway into North America for the transatlantic slave trade, slavery surrounded us in ways I don’t see where I live. And whether you were a slave holder or not, it influenced every industry from trade to insurance. When we returned home we bought the memoir, 12 Years a Slave, and also decided to watch the movie by the same name.

It follows the true life story of Solomon Northup who was a free man and was kidnapped and trafficked to the south to work on various plantations. I think it’s particularly moving because we are taken with Solomon and journey through his eyes. He doesn’t know how to act like a slave, and so to survive, he has to learn to hide his independent attitude, his ability to read, and his ability to write.

The movie is incredible and I highly recommend it. It depicts slavery in just about the most authentic way I’ve ever seen. There is violence, but it’s not glorified or used in a way to desensitize us. It’s a powerful story of freedom and hope. Watch the trailer here. I honestly was afraid to watch it, but now I’m glad I did.

Reading:

Theo of Golden got lots of love online but I have to say it just wasn’t a book I enjoyed. I was truly bored. I kept checking the time (I listened to the audiobook). Four hours in and I was wondering how I’d last until the end. It was so lauded I thought I must be missing something. Six hours in, still dragging.

Why did I not like it when so many did? One reason it wasn’t for me was that it’s a very idealized story. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie. And while those types of shows are VERY popular for some, but not for me. So I can see why some liked it.

Secondly, while the story’s main themes are those I appreciate and agree with, I think it was hurt by a lack of editing, plot, and character development. You need either character development OR plot to move a story forward. The plot didn’t really develop until the end. A great deal of the story felt like groundhog day to me. Every chapter was a different “bestowal” for a different person, so we had to get to know a whole new character chapter after chapter for a very long time without really learning anything new about Theo or the other characters that were already introduced. For me, this really bogged down the story.

By the end I was glad it was over. I didn’t shed a tear and I’d already guessed one of the “big reveals.” For a book with similar themes I enjoyed WAY more, check out The Correspondent.

I do cheer the author on for his success as a self-published author! I am loving that so many self-published authors are seeing success like Peter Grainger and Beth Brower of Emma M. Lion (did you know she’s self-published?). If you liked Theo of Golden you may be interested in this article.

What about you, were you bored or did you love Theo of Golden?

However, I LOVED Will the Circle Be Unbroken. I also listened to this on audiobook and I loved Sean Dietrich’s southern drawl. I related to his Southern Baptist childhood and attempt to make sense of his father’s choices. For more details about this book you can see my previous post.