What I’m Reading

I first heard about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society from Catherine, who has yet to lead me wrong. It was also one of ten novels reviewed in World Magazine for good summer reading. Told entirely through letters written after World War 2, this novel recounts the German occupation of the Channel Islands. It was delightful in every way. It makes me want to move to Guernsey and spend my time writing clever, witty letters to all my friends.

I’ll pause to give my sister a chance to wipe her coffee from her keyboard. I’m terrible about answering letters.

You knew it would only be a matter of time before I would go back to the Puritans. Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices was recommended by Tim Keller in this article on Puritan resources for biblical counseling. As Keller says, the Puritans had a deep understanding of both the human heart and the Scripture, a combination not often found today. But let me tell you, you’ll get a couple of funny looks at the pool if you sit there reading a book with “Satan” in the title. I’m not quite finished with it. I can’t say that I’m enjoying reading a book about Satan’s devices, but it’s helpful. The Puritans are always helpful, and worth the effort.

Speaking of Tim Keller, I ended up buying Counterfeit Gods. I bought it in St. Louis, as there’s not a copy to be had in town. I suspect a local church must be doing a study on it. It’s very good, and would be excellent for a small group book study. It was also a quick read, but after struggling through a 17th century book on the devices of Satan, Tim Keller’s clear writing is bound to feel easy. My only complaint is that I paid full list price for it (20 dollars), and though it’s 192 pages, it’s small in size. Unless you feel this book is pertinent to a current struggle, I would either make sure to get a good price or wait for the paperback.

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