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

Mysterion 2 Kickstarter

About a year ago, I had a chance to review a really unique book: Mysterion. It was unique both because it was an anthology of Christian speculative fiction (not many of those out there), but also because it didn't have the usual content/language restrictions that Christian publishing usually requires. From my review:

In all, I recommend picking up a copy of Mysterion .... the mix on the whole is quite good, and it has that sharp, strange, interesting energy that real life has, and I really appreciate finding Christian fiction where that is true. 

I love that Enigmatic Mirror Press is providing an opportunity for Christian sci-fi and fantasy authors to write stuff that might not fit either in traditional Christian publishing OR in traditional secular publishing...Mysterion was a really unique collection, and so I was excited to hear from the publisher that they're planning on a second volume!

It's a very particular niche of fiction, but it's a niche I love. If it's the kind of geekery that interests you, too, you can find the Kickstarter for Mysterion 2 here.  The rewards for backers include, quite properly, copies of both the first book and the second. Check it out!


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

P.S. I'm not involved in this project--I really just thought the first book was cool. I totally might submit a story for this second volume though... :)



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.)

Reviews of some Recently-Tried Recipes

Bebimbap!

Nota Bene: I'm only reviewing recipes we liked. Why bother sharing the duds?

-Bebimbap: 

We've made Bebimbap before (using the recipe in this wonderful children's book), but it's such a good dish that I'm always up for trying  a new version. This one was good! I really liked the sauce on the meat.

-Seafood Rice Skillet: 

We had a guest over for dinner the night we had this dish. Partway through the dinner, when I encouraged him to have seconds, he grinned a bit guiltily and said, "I've already had thirds." (Which, by the way, makes him the best kind of dinner guest: the kind that is infinitely flattering to the cooks.) I share that anecdote as proof that this really was a good recipe.

Changes I made: I doubled the amount of seafood (because we're trying to have more protein, and because, well, I like seafood).  I also used saffron instead of tumeric. I know that kind of defeats the "budget" part of this recipe, except that it didn't in our case, because I had saffron left over from another recipe I'd made months ago, and so it was a matter of not wasting what I'd already spent money on.

-Mediterranean Spiced Salmon and Vegetable Quinoa: 

Skipped the salmon spice mix b/c I already had one I liked,but the veggie quinoa was yummy and refreshing.

-Ultimate BBQ Chicken Quesadillas: 

Make sure you keep the diced red onion and the cilantro! Makes all the difference. This was good the night of, and even better the next day, warmed up in the toaster oven.

-Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir-fry: 

Just super-yummy! I've actually made this a couple of times now.

I am a better cook than a food photographer! Trust me that this taste good.

-Blackened Shrimp Tacos: 

You could probably skip dressing the cabbage (it's a bit much), but DON'T skip the lime-smoky-garlic sauce; it's SO good!

-Viking Chicken: 

We all loved the fruit roasted with the veg. I made a simple gravy with the pan juices, and it was nice and sweet. Otherwise, it's basically roasted chicken w/ veg.




What have you enjoyed cooking lately?


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.)