The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The Complete Persepolis is the first work that I have read from an Iranian author. Satrapi tells her life story as a graphic novel and in the process, explains what it was like to grow up in the shadow of the Islamic Revolution. She covers a wide range of themes and provided a new context from which to consider contemporary Iran.

"The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself: 'Are my trousers long enough? Is my veil in place? Can my makeup be seen? Are they going to whip me?' No longer asks herself: 'Where is my freedom of thought? Where is my freedom of speech? My life, is it livable? What's going on in the political prisons?' It's only natural! When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictators' repression. Showing your hair or putting on makeup logically became acts of rebellion" (302).

One of Satrapi's most consistent themes is family. This is a photograph of me and my fiancé; we are already family.

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

Is it so wrong to laugh when you think about faith? Or to consider that God's standards of loving you are incredibly low (mostly it's about showing up and trying)? Or realizing that you aren't the only person who thinks this way? I found this book at Burke's Bookstore last Saturday afternoon, tucked away in a corner of the theology section waiting for me. It got me through my paper writing, exam grading week and a half with some light-hearted humor, introspective prodding, and the reminder that this too shall pass.

If you have never read any of Anne Lamott's more spiritual work, I highly recommend it. Start with Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith; Plan B is its sequel. If you have book borrowing privileges with me (which is pretty much everyone; I fear I may be too trusting with my books), feel free to ask for a loan.

I took this photo with my new Diana lomo lens. The plastic lens distorts the light and makes colors more vibrant. Like Lamott, I find the outdoors to be one of the easiest places to have a conversation with God.

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto "Che" Guevara

The little that I knew about Che before reading his autobiographical account was certainly colored by the context in which I was learning (that context being the post-Cold War United States). I wanted to give Che a chance to speak for himself, and what struck me the most is how similar we are. He made the notes that became this book when he was 24, loved to travel, and was still full of his youthful idealism. Without delving into my own politics (because I do not feel they have any place here), suffice it to say that I understand the spirit that motivated him.

Thanks to Chris Peterson for the loan.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I thought this book was going to be supremely hokey. Supremely, extremely hokey in fact. I could not have been more wrong. Spiritual autobiographies are unique beasts, and Gilbert makes it very clear that what works for her will not work for everyone. However, I too find myself compelled by her desire to find what is best in multiple types of spirituality and combine them into what works. I am not sure what my combination is yet, and I have no plans on abandoning my faith. Nevertheless, I can say with certainty that I no longer believe being a "cafeteria Catholic" is a bad thing...and I really believe God feels the same way.

The picture is of Smathers Beach in Key West, Florida.

Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World by Catalina de Erauso

With a title like that, how could you not pick up this book? Dr. Herrera at FSU gave me this memoir as a "door prize" for coming all the way to Tallahassee. Catalina's story is intriguing for many reasons. She escapes a convent, goes to the New World, kills her brother, and meets the pope all in the early seventeenth century, a time when women NEVER did such things. The modern translation is good, but the colloquial English can be a bit distracting.