Book Blog #212: The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott

Title: The Ninth Hour
Author: Alice McDermott
# of Pages: 247 (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Religious
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: On a dim winter afternoon, a young Irish immigrant opens the gas taps in his Brooklyn tenement. He is determined to prove—to the subway bosses who have recently fired him, to his badgering, pregnant wife—“that the hours of his life belong to himself alone.” In the aftermath of the fire that follows, Sister St. Savior, an aging nun, appears, unbidden, to direct the way forward for his widow and his unborn child. We begin deep inside Catholic Brooklyn, in the early part of the twentieth century. Decorum, superstition, and shame collude to erase the man’s brief existence. Yet his suicide, although never spoken of, reverberates through many lives and over the decades—testing the limits and the demands of love and sacrifice, of forgiveness and forgetfulness, even through multiple generations.
Review: The fact that I didn't realize this was a religious book by reading the title says a lot about how religious I am.

I was uncertain whether I should continue reading this book when I discovered how big of a role Catholicism played in the plot. I have no interest in reading about nuns nor do I necessarily have the same views and values of them. Thankfully, I realized as I progressed through the book, the story was a tale of a girl and mother who's lives inevitably were intertwined with Catholicism because of their residence in Brooklyn. It wasn't a super uptight, wholesome story like the religious stereotype led me to believe; in fact it was the exact opposite. Sally struggles with what she is told is right for her life and what she feels is right for her.

Although the writing itself is well done, Dermott's abilities as a storyteller were lacking. The story jumps across many generations and since it was not always chronological, it made it difficult to follow and stay interested.

I noticed a lot of people fell in love with this book. I just don't think the topic is for me. I wouldn't read it again, but if the synopsis (and perhaps Catholicism) interest you, I would recommend it. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere for a book to pass the time.

Book Blog #198: Walking with Bilbo by Sarah Arthur

Title: Walking with Bilbo
Author: Sarah Arthur
# of Pages: 224 (paperback)
Genre: Nonfiction, Religious, Christian
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: The author of Walking with Frodo takes readers on an adventure of faith with this devotional that relates themes from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to living the Christian life. Unlike the fateful quest Frodo was asked to carry out, Bilbo's journey came as an unexpected adventure. Readers will be reminded that God chooses us to be unlikely heroes in the adventure of life.
Review: I thought this was some sort of spin-off of The Hobbit. If I knew what Walking with Bilbo was really about, I would never have bought this book from that book fair.

I did buy it, without knowing anything about it, and it sat on my bookshelf for years. I was reluctant to read it as it's been a while since I read The Hobbit, but I figured I'd get it off my to-read shelf.

When I realized it was relating The Hobbit to the Christian life, I admit I was put-off immediately. I had no interest in reading about a religious book recreationally, especially since it was written for a Christian audience (the majestic plural irks me). I was ready to give the book away, but since I had already bought it, I cracked it open and gave the first chapter a shot.

To my surprise, this book wasn't some haughty proclamation of The Hobbit being a Christian allegory; the author's voice in the book was casual and merely discussed how the themes found in The Hobbit are similar to the themes found in the Bible.

Yes, Walking with Bilbo IS meant for a Christian audience, so if you are bothered for whatever reason of the discussion of Christianity, this is not the book for you. However, keep in mind that you can still read this with an atheist's mindset and still enjoy this book (after all, religion plays a key part in many respected pieces of literature, and one can find analysis related to religion interesting without actually believing in that religion).

If you are at all interested, YES read it. I don't regret reading it, but going back I would not buy this book because although it was interesting, it is not the type of book I am currently interested in (it's RELIGIOUS and NONFICTION for goodness sake). However, it exceeded expectations and gives you exactly what it says it will.