Weekly Links!

~ LINKS TO SOME INTERESTING READING and listening, FOR WHAT'S LEFT OF YOUR WEEKEND ~


-So, if you read any of these things, read this one: Even the Wind and the Waves Obey Him.


-This was fascinating: The Last Surviving Sea Silk Seamstress.


-A worthy book review: How to Think, by Alan Jacobs.


-So helpful: Rereading Ephesians.


-Theologian Alastair Roberts is doing a sort of AMA over at "Curious Cat," a new-to-me site/app. Good stuff: Zugzwanged at Curious Cat.


-Mere Fidelity is back! In their first podcast of the new season, they discuss the Nashville statement (two of the podcasters signed and two didn't). Edifying and interesting, as always.



I hope what's left of your Sunday is peaceful and restful.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

New article (on American Ninja Warrior!) over at Christ and Pop Culture

illustration by Seth T. Hahne

I'm a little late on announcing this here (though if you follow me on Twitter, you'll have already heard), but I'm delighted to say that I've got an article in the new issue of Christ and Pop Culture.

Here's a snippet:

There’s a different kind of reality show, though, and that’s the kind that invites us to admire virtue rather than to wallow deliciously in vice. This kind of show includes hits like Top Chef and Project Runway. Though contestant fights and foibles are still a part of the plot, the real joy of these shows comes from the simple delight of watching people who are good at something do the something they are good at.

 The issue is currently behind a pay-wall and available only to subscribers, because CaPC is one of those wonderful venues that actually believes in paying their writers. But you can become a subscriber for only $5, so if the contents look interesting to you, go ahead and treat yourself to some good reading! I don't think you'll regret it.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Weekly Links!

The hibiscus on my patio is gorgeous right now.

~ LINKS TO SOME INTERESTING READING, FOR WHAT'S LEFT OF YOUR WEEKEND ~


-This is funny: "Unrealistic Things in YA Books, Pt. 2"


-So is this: "Celebrating the Many Doubtful Looks of Princess Anne"


-This is long, but it kept my attention the entire time: "'Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God," by Brian Zahnd (Long Review)"


-Interesting: "Chemists Say You Should Add a Little Water to Your Whisky. Here's Why."


-This podcast from Writing Excuses was really helpful: "Structuring a Short Piece"


-Finally: "What Brands Are Actually Behind Trader Joe's Snacks?"

I hope what's left of your Sunday is peaceful and restful.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Sabbath Books

Today I'm guest-posting over at Alicia Brummeler's lovely blog, Always Orange, about Sabbath books. Here's an excerpt:

I found that I was reading more and more, and getting more and more discouraged. My heart was worn. The world kept looking uglier and uglier. And reading was…well, reading was becoming work. 

And, actually, it was okay with me that reading was work! Some things are good to know, but hard to read about. Most of the books in the world that are worth reading still have hard parts, or ugly parts, or even downright disagreeable parts. You read them anyway, because it’s worth doing the work of panning away the sand in order to get to those flakes of gold. 

But, friends, I had forgotten: Six days shall you labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest. 

I needed to read books that were pure rest.

Please head over to Alicia's place to read the rest!


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Book Notes: "Quintessence," by David Walton

"Quintessence," by David Walton, is, as the back-cover copy says, set in "an alternate Age of Exploration" where "alchemy is a true science."

And that, right there, was just about all it took to sell me on this book. I'm fascinated by the Elizabethan age, and the metaphysical poets, and Shakespeare, and...and, and, and. In that time period, alchemy and science were sometimes pursued by very similar means, and the only difference between the two is that science ended up working and alchemy didn't.

So positing a world where that turned out differently is interesting from the start. And Walton followed it up with a nicely-paced plot and great description.

This is definitely a book where the setting is the strongest part of the story (and there were a couple of nice shout-outs to Lewis' Dawn Treader, if you keep your eyes open for them), but the characters worked, too. I especially liked that he had religious characters whose beliefs felt real, and integral to their personalities. They didn't all agree--you had Protestants, Catholics, and atheists, just for a start--but it felt like the author was determined to give them each their own best arguments, and not just throw up straw men for his heroes to knock back down.

(One possible exception is the Inquisitor character--but, granted, it's hard to make someone from the Spanish Inquisition sympathetic.)


I enjoyed this one. Walton gave me a new world, with fascinating new creatures, and a plot that kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Recommended if you enjoy the time period, or just like well-written speculative fiction.



Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell


This post contains Amazon affiliate links; if you purchase a book from this link, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price. I will probably use it to buy more books. (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)

Weekly Links - MLMs, costume design, hard work, late manuscripts, and more!

~ LINKS TO SOME INTERESTING READING, FOR WHAT'S LEFT OF YOUR WEEKEND ~


It's been a few weeks since I put a links post together, so this one is LONG. It is also in no particular order. Enjoy!


-MLMs are bad news. We knew that, right?


-However late you've been with a manuscript, I bet this guy was later.


-An interesting philosophical explanation of how miracles can be. 


-On God and Charlottesville.


-A take on why anthology editors reject the stories that they do.


-This article on smartphones might have a click-baity title, but the content is well-researched and fascinating.


-This article on the work it takes to become an author is an oldie, but it was new to me, and I enjoyed it.


-Here is a little gem  of a story about some seminarians and their local pub.


-And here's an analysis of why Belle's dress in the recent Disney live-action remake was so disappointing (from a costume design perspective).


-And finally, why having rules for yourself is a good idea.





I hope what's left of your Sunday is peaceful and restful.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Weekly Links: story-boarding, anti-popes, and more!

Sunset in Reno, where I attended a writing conference this weekend.

~ LINKS TO SOME INTERESTING READING, FOR WHAT'S LEFT OF YOUR WEEKEND ~


-For my fellow writers, a helpful article on how to plot and story-board with Scrivener.


-And for my fellow writers who write poetry, here's an article on how to actually make some money from it.


-And one more writing link, on when to adopt a pen name.



-For my fellow liturgy nerds, here's a helpful and interesting overview of Anglican vestments.


-This is a helpful article, and I especially appreciate the last section, which articulates the positive vision: The Bible and Same-Sex Relationships: A Review Article.


-And speaking of, here's a helpful reminder: The Church Has Always Known Theological Controversy.


-And a moving article from a parent who's further down the road than I am: On Being the Happiest Millionaire: Jane Gets Married. I really liked this part:

[Our daughter and new son-in-law] will go on an exciting trip after the wedding and we will go home, having let them go. If we have done our job well, then now we are honored parents, friends. As a result, sometimes they will choose to come home for Christmas, not out of duty, but because they wish to do so. If we made the parting easy, then the return will be easy as well! The time has come, so far as their lives go, to play a supporting role to their starring turn and this is good.

-And let's end with something funny. I've really been enjoying the D-List Saints column over at Christ and Pop Culture. This one, The Guy Who Just Decided He Was Pope, was particularly good. Here's a snippet:

No, seriously—not only did the guy write large chunks of the Western liturgy, he also straight-up invented the concept of an “antipope.” What have you done with your life?

I hope what's left of your Sunday is peaceful and restful.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell