The Book Bully

I think I have always had a special connection with words. I remember when I learned to read in kindergarten, I was immediately taken with books and by the end of the year was devouring novels. I have always liked how the way in which someone arranges words, and which ones they choose to emphasize, can carry an endless number of meanings. I like the process of story. I like it when people can put into words what seems too complex or profound to be anything but felt . I like hearing people's syntax, their phrasing, the nuances hidden behind a sentence or a word. It's one of the greatest gifts God has given humans, I think, the expression of language. But even though there are roughly three-quarters of a million words in the English language, and even though there are no fewer than 49 synonyms for "home run," sometimes words aren't enough. Sometimes words just can't contain all the meaning we need them to. When someone says "My grandmother died," w

A few posts ago, I wrote a tribute of sorts to my friends. I find it hard sometimes to truly express how much I care about my friends. It's socially acceptable, thanks to the Hollywoodization of romantic relationships, to tell people who you're dating or wish you were dating or about to marry or breaking up with how much you love them or did love them or plan to love them until the end of time. And as important as romantic love is to individuals, couples, and the world at large (and I do not deny its importance), friends generally make up the largest percentage of people in your life, thus they are vital to who you are at your core. And I love my friends. I really, really love them. I was talking to my friend Valerie the other day, and we started talking about the idea of chemistry between friends, and how there are people with whom you have chemistry and people with whom you don't. The kind of "spark" that exists between romantic couples also happens between f

People often ask me for book titles and author suggestions. I read a lot, and I think I read a fairly wide variety of genres, and so I've decided to list the top 10 books I think everyone should read. These are not necessarily my favourites, although most of them are. I think a lot of authors can write spectacularly or tell an interesting story, but rarely are they good at both. This list is a set of books and authors that I think write well and tell a great story simultaneously. 10. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson : This book is an autobiography of Winterson's life of being adopted into a strict protestant family, her discovery of her sexuality, and reconciling her life with the God her family says exists and the God she believes loves her. The story is heartbreaking and beautiful, and she writes in pure poetry. 9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett : I received this book as a birthday gift from my friend Stephanie, and she is definitely pro at picking out

B'yz, time for a blog post, I spose! So much for the updating twice a week, like I said I would... Luckily, I have been sticking to my fitness regime. I go to the gym at least 4 times a week, and I try to go for a walk if it's nice out, too. But it's almost never nice out, so that hasn't been happening much. I've definitely kicked up my cardio workout, so I do an hour of cardio a day (50 minutes if I'm not in the mood for 10 minutes of the treadmill), and I lift a few weights every now and then, too. I haven't really cut down much on my calorie intake, but it's coming. Soon I will bite the bullet and say goodbye to ice cream and a begrudging hello to carrots. Other news? Um... nothing? I think if I updated more regularly I might have more to say. The past week and half/two weeks have been pretty much consumed by my online course, which is over on Friday. I had to write two papers a few weeks ago, and this last week I wrote one paper and wrote/edited

I'm re-reading Don Miller's Searching for God Knows What , and I am struck again by how profound and beautiful and true his writing is. Every time I read anything he's written - whether it's a book or an interview or a blog post  - I feel like he and I are sitting having a conversation over coffee, being open and honest about things that are confusing and real. I thought I would share some of my favourite passages from Searching for God Knows What. I love that Don encourages Christians to be vulnerable, to feel small and in awe of God, and to start believing in a God that is bigger than our imaginations. "The very scary thing about religion, to me, is that people actually believe God is who they think he is. By that I mean they have Him all figured out, mapped out, and as my pastor, Rick, says, 'dissected and put into jars on a shelf.' You've got a bunch of Catholics in Rome who think one way about God, and a bunch of Baptists in Texas who think ano