July

I read a lot this month (three is a lot for mee) -- mostly because I had a couple of reports to write for class and was procrastinating so badly. =P

The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God
Written by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow was introduced to Eric by a Jesuit brother -- he gave him a photocopy. Eric enjoyed the book so much that we scoured the various bookstores in Metro Manila for a proper published version to no avail. A good friend based in the US finally sent him a copy as well as the sequel to the book.

It's a bit of sci-fi fantasy (exploration of another planet) but what really got to me were the issues on spirituality that lay just under the surface. The various questions raised in The Sparrow sufficiently jarred me that I was afraid to pick up the sequel. It took awhile for me to recover enough to read Children of God, and I'm glad I did. The second one picks up from where The Sparrow left off and although it tackles the same issues, it takes a different route and helps bring closure to the uncertainties of the previous book.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Written by J. K. Rowling

We've had this book ever since it first came out, but didn't read it because we were always too busy (at least a year in storage). A friend slept over and when she left the book was gone! It drove me nuts! I don't mind lending books out, but this girl and I have a history with these things. I finally got the book back, read it, and sent her the e-version to keep her happy.