An American residing in Chicago with two degrees in comparative religions. Lived in India for five years. Currently working in higher education. Always have four to five books in rotation and always up for new recommendations!
Some Favorite Genres: #fantasy #scifi #history #speculativefiction #politics #anthropology #religion #mysteries #philosophy #theology #ecology #environment #travel #solarpunk
Some Favorite Authors: Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury, E.M. Forster, Ursula K. LeGuin, John Steinbeck, W. Somerset Maugham
Currently Cleaning Up my To Read Collection
Find me on Mastodon (mas.to/@seanbala) and Pixelfed (pixelfed.social/@seanbala)
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In previous books, Holocaust historian Timothy Snyder dissected the events and values that enabled the …
Snyder is one of the most lucid, clear eyed historians of his time. Reading this now for no particular reason. ROFL. It is a bit slighter than I would have liked - really more of an extended essay. But it is great food for thought.
1468: A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the …
Heard about this on the "Church Times" podcast. A medieval murder mystery set in rural England. Or is it? To say more would give too much away. Liking it so far but it is not high on my reading priority list.
For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilization, …
I heard about this book on Dalrymple's "Empire" podcast with Anita Anand and I was completely taken in. I've read about fifty pages so far and its is as clear and well-written as I come to expect from Dalrymple. Looking forward to reading the rest!
#India #History #Histodon #AncientHistory #Buddhism #SEA #SouthEastAsia
Christian ethics, writes theologian D. Stephen Long, is the pursuit of God's goodness by people …
I love the Very Short Introduction series and this year I want to read more of them. In grad school I had an opportunity to take two courses in theological ethics and I have since had an interest in Ethics more generally and religious ethics more particularly. Looking forward to brushing up a bit and learning more in 2025!
#Christianity #Christian #Ethics #Theology #Philosophy #Religion #ReligiousStudies
First published in 1937, Genzaburō Yoshino’s How Do You Live? has long been acknowledged in …
This book was my wife’s (@dohappybelove@mastodon.social) Christmas present to me this year. This book is Miyazaki’s favorite book and was a tangential inspiration for his film “The Boy and the Heron.” Enjoying it so far - a nice coming of age story with a philosophical bent.
#StudioGhibli #JapaneseLiterature #Japan #YANovel #Philosophy
Gessen is one of my favorite journalists working today. They have such a sharp mind and clewr vision of the world as it is.
"From the 2015 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Svetlana Alexievich, comes the first …
"Voice from Chernobyl" / "Chernobyl Prayer" is one of my all time favorite books. This sounds like a fantastic read.
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the …
This looks like a lot of fun!
he twenty-one stories in the book are the greatest pieces of fiction written by Ruskin …
I really love Ruskin Bond and this has been a great collection of his short stories so far.
Writer, filmmaker, and organizer Astra Taylor takes a curious, critical, and ultimately hopeful look at …
This is the book version of the author's CBC Massey Lectures. You can find more about them here - www.cbc.ca/radiointeractives/ideas/2023-cbc-massey-lectures-astra-taylor
I love the Massey lectures - I always listen to them every Autumn.
One woman and her pilot are about to change the future of the species in …
I first saw this in my Amazon recommendations. I usually take them with a grain of salt but it seems like a very interesting work from @sbdivya@wandering.shop! Added to the To Read list!
Set in the present day in the rural community of Feathertown, Tennessee, Flight Behavior tells …
I have read a number of her books over the years. I really liked "Prodigal Summer" and "The Bean Trees." I've heard good things about this one and am excited to give it a try!
I am a Weyward, and wild inside.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London …
Saw this on Mastodon through #Bookstodon and it looks good!
Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a …
My favorite of the Earthsea Cycle novels. Deeply atmospheric with endless mysteries.
Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special …