Indoor Sojourner: c.s. lewis

10:17 AM

Hey, everyone! I'm pretty excited for July not only because I have some (hopefully) awesome books on my TBR, but also because my birthday is in a couple of weeks! This month, I'll be reading six books that consist of couple classics, a book with a movie adaptation coming out, a new release, and a couple more that have been on my to-read list for far too long.

1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

This will be the third Lewis book I've read, and I'm excited to dive into it! Not to mention the cover art of the edition I have is lovely. :)

2. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

I've read the first two books of the Mistborn trilogy on my Kindle, but I've been coveting the UK box set for months now. Since it's my birthday month, I think I'll treat myself to it and finish the last book in beautiful paperback form!

3. The Martian by Andy Weir

This book is being made into a movie starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig. How could I not read it as soon as possible?

4. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

I just finished reading Vicious earlier this week and loved it, so I definitely want to continue reading more from V.E. Schwab.

5. Armada by Ernest Cline

I really enjoyed Ready Player One and Cline's second novel comes out on my birthday, so why not throw it on my TBR? :D My only problem with it is that it has a pretty low rating at the moment, but that could change once the book is actually released...

6. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This has been sitting on my shelf for months and I'm in the mood for something classic, so hopefully I'll get around to it by the end of the month!

What do you plan on reading in July? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner

2 comments adult books, book series, book to movie adaptations, books, c.s. lewis, classic literature, classics, fantasy, fiction, July tbr, reading, sci-fi, tbr, to be read

Book Review: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

11:00 AM

Rating: 5/5 stars

Published: 1945

Synopsis: In "The Great Divorce," C.S. Lewis's classic vision of the Afterworld, the narrator boards a bus on a drizzly English afternoon and embarks on an incredible voyage through Heaven and Hell. He meets a host of supernatural beings far removed from his expectations, and comes to some significant realizations about the nature of good and evil.

Even though it’s quite short, The Great Divorce tackles lofty subject matter in a refreshing way. In this text, Hell isn’t the realm of fire and brimstone depicted in scripture; it’s a dull, gray city featuring average souls with very human problems. While a few lucky souls get to venture to Heaven for a time, they still have a degree of separation from all that it offers.

When the narrator initially arrives in Heaven, he describes himself and the other visitors as “Ghosts” since they are transparent and unable to change the environment around them. Most of the book consists of the narrator listening to the permanent residents of Heaven (called “Spirits”) attempting to convince the Ghosts to turn away from Hell and accept the Gospel into their lives.

Although it seems as though this text is implying that souls in Hell have a chance of redemption, I interpreted the stories within this book to be allegories of how we on Earth tend to struggle with the battle of our will versus God’s. As a Christian, I found The Great Divorce to be a poignant way of reiterating that God’s love is always available to us, even when we are blind to it. Lewis does a phenomenal job of taking difficult, abstract concepts of Christianity and describing them in a concrete (but not necessarily simple) way. If you’re looking to dip your toes in religion and philosophy, this book is definitely necessary to add on your reading list!

Thanks for reading,

Annie

Indoor Sojourner