Sofa Spotlight - A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson

What surprised me most was that this book was written before the rise of social media. The reason for the surprise is how relevant this book is for our current culture. The premise of the book is about following Jesus for the long haul in a world that is all about instant gratification.

I also think that it is quite an apt book to read during covid lockdowns because it speaks into the hard, drawn out seasons of life. The ones that lack excitement and are about being faithful, even when it isn’t glamourous or thrilling. When no one seems to be watching, and it’s a day by day crawl, those are the days when it can be hard to keep going as a Christian.

Like his other books Eugene Peterson isn’t about spouting knowledge. What comes through his writing is just how much he cares for his readers, and that he wants them to know the joy of being grounded in God’s Word.

This book may have been written decades ago but it is for now as much as it ever was.

Sofa Spotlight - Barnaby Rudge, Charles Dickens

 I think this is one of the most overlooked books by Dickens, which I feel is one of his best. It’s also perfect for reading on a wild autumnal evening as it has a very spooky start and a brilliant dramatic ending.

When Dickens writes, what would have been to him, historical fiction I feel that he is at his best. A Tale of Two Cities is my favourite Dickens of all time but Barnaby Rudge comes at a close second. It’s set during the Gordon Riots of the 1700s and involves a murder mystery, a ghost story and romantic intrigues.

Barnaby Rudge himself is a character who is easily led. The language used to describe him in the book is harsh, but of it’s time. Today we would say he has learning difficulties and his mental age hasn’t progressed much past that of a child. His constant companion is a raven called Grip who can repeat odd words and phrases, but not often on demand.

The Maypole Inn is possibly my favourite setting in a book and there’s something so cosy and pleasant about it. There are both good and questionable characters that inhabit it and they have a major part to play in the story of Barnaby Rudge.

All I can say is that you should find yourself a roaring fire and a mug of hot chocolate and start reading this at once. You won’t regret it.

Sofa Spotlight - John Henry Days, Colson Whitehead

I know that I said that I probably wouldn’t be reading anymore Colson Whitehead this year, but I thought I might just slip another one in. I actually picked it up because I thought it would give me a bit more info on who John Henry was. Having heard a little about him I was curious to hear his story.

Which is why it was good that this book revolves around the many legends of John Henry. The story is about a freelance writer/journalist, J Sutter, who goes to cover a festival about John Henry. J is also creating a legend of his own and his own narrative mirrors that of John Henry, following what is true and how can you find the facts behind the story.

It goes without saying that I enjoy the writing of Colson Whitehead, but it’s not just because he writes well. His work is often thought provoking and stays with me long after I’ve closed the book.

Sofa Spotlight - The Road to Somewhere, David Goodhart

Books about politics are not my first choice of reading material. I wouldn’t normally review them either as I find it a difficult subject to follow. So, I don’t really know what I was thinking in picking this one up, other than I did political history for my a-levels and I had a small amount of curiosity to see where things had progressed to.

My first surprise was that I was able to follow the arguments and kind of understand what the book is about. I think at a basic level it is trying to understand what happened with the Brexit referendum and to predict what might come in future votes, whether that’s referendums or elections. For me it made sense in what had to say about the values of the British people and how that influences their decisions in the polling booth.

Not sure if I would recommend it. I was a bit late to the party on this one and, although it is still relevant, there are possibly other things that are influencing politics right now.

Sofa Spotlight - The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins

I spent the first part of this year re-reading the Hunger Games trilogy so that I could be ready for the release of this book in May. If I’m honest, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the prequel coming out over ten years after the original books. And the original books were so good I thought it would be a tough act to follow. But I thought that maybe if the main character is someone like Finnick or Joanna Mason then maybe it would work out.

Needless to say that I had reservations when I heard that it would be President Snow’s backstory that would be the focus of the book. My worry was that it would be one of those stories where the villain has a terrible experience and becomes bitter and then misunderstood through life. What actually happened with this novel was that Snow’s story was one where Snow’s values, and who he chose to let influence him, were the driving force behind his choices. Those choices were knowingly made and led him down the path to the place where we meet him in the Hunger Games.

The story itself was long and didn’t have the excitement and drama that the original trilogy had, but there were redeeming features. Snow’s mindset and his spiral into intrigue and politics are interesting to watch and you almost hope that he can value something other than his family’s position, power and honour in order to choose a better path. There’s also an insight to the development of the Hunger Games as the book is set early in their history.

To enjoy this book though you would have to be a big fan of the original series, but having said that I’m slightly hoping that there may be another installment out there sometime in the future.

Sofa Spotlight - Apex Hides the Hurt, Colson Whitehead

I think this may be my last Colson Whitehead read this year, but it was certainly a good one to end on. In true Colson Whitehead style this is so much more than what the main narrative would have you believe.

The surface story is about a town that wants to change its name and so hires a consultant to come and give some recommendations. Said consultant arrives and the story follows his experience of the town, its people and its history. He also has an injured toe which he has covered over with an Apex plaster. Which is really what the deeper meaning is about. Apex or the sticking plaster hides the hurt. We can cover over the problems, but they are only hidden, and often fester beneath whatever it is that we have covered them with.

Another thought-provoking aspect to the novel was the meaning of names and qualities we attribute to things on account of their name. It is certainly worth contemplating assumptions we make about people or places based on their name. And that is the point of the story, the people want a name for their town that will make outsiders assume that it is the place to be.

I still think that The Intuitionist and Nickel Boys are stronger novels, but this isn’t far behind and if you’re looking for your next read this should be it.

Sofa Spotlight - The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

I can’t read this and not cry. It’s one of those books, and it’s one of those books that stands up well to a second reading. Some books become works of art in their own right, and it is a joy to wander through their pages and enjoy, not only the story, but the way the narrative is written.

Which I think is what I love so much about this book. The narrator is death and by no means as frightening as that sounds. Death has a very interesting outlook on life and his near neutral perspective gives a slightly different take on what the characters value. If there was a flaw, it was that I overthought his character and was trying to get my head round how he could be in multiple places at once etc.

But this book is about what we value, as opposed to what we are told to value, and also how quickly those things can disappear. Death’s perspective shows a life that isn’t fair, and this is something that Liesel has to come to terms with when Death comes for her brother at the very beginning of the story. It’s in the home of her new family with her new friends, Rudy and Max, that she learns how to survive and enjoy the moments that she has.

Rudy and Liesel are the characters that are really alive in this book. They experience all that they want to and live life on their terms. Whether that’s stealing apples, books or pretending to be Jesse Owens. They meet other characters who are living half lives, such as the mayor’s wife, and they share a bit of their own joy and enthusiasm with them.

I would recommend this one as a different take on WWII, but have a box of tissues handy.