I've been reading

Some very quick book reviews.

I've recently read 2 books by Sheri Tepper - sci fi - quite similar to each other - called the companions and the margarets. Both look at an overpopulated Earth interacting with aliens. I enjoyed them because she always does interesting alien cultures. What intrigued me about both these is that in both, humans have been interfered with by malign aliens at an early stage, and this explains why humans have both the capacity for great good (as they were meant to be) and great evil (as a result of the change). As a Christian, this is quite similar in some ways to the biblical view of humans. Except that the Bible says that humans are culpable for moving away from their intended selves, but then tells of forgiveness and a way out. It made me think that this ambiguous and ambivalent nature of humanity is one of the questions that this world sets us. Why are we like this? and is there a solution? I wasn't sure about Tepper's answers, but was very interested in the process of exploring them anyway.

On a different note, I just read the Memory Keeper's daughter (get this! the local library was selling books for a dollar a pop and this was one - I bought 6). A blogging friend recently reviewed this - see here. 2 things that struck me - the destructive nature of secrets, and the importance of every single person. As a twin, this book really got me in - I couldn't even imagine growing up without my twin, as happens to Paul in this book, when his twin sister with down syndrome is sent away. There are all sorts of ethical questions with this book, but in the end it is a book about treasuring people for who they are in their uniqueness. It made me resolve to bring up 2 boys who are radiantly secure in my love, that do not feel that they have to achieve something or be something other than they are. Before I was a parent I thought this was easy to do - but now I know how easy it is as a parent to unwittingly weigh your kids down with your dreams for them.