I’M READING AS FAST AS I CAN: JUNE 2008 EDITION

Because you all really want to know every single book I’ve ever read.

JUST FINISHED

Shopping For God: How Christianity Went From In Your Heart To In Your Face by James B. Twitchell

Sometimes you find the darnedest things in Christian book stores. I only go in them to keep the bride company, but I do get curious, and occasionally I find something like this. Written by a professor who teaches advertising, Shopping For God is a very interesting take on why Christianity is on the upswing in the US right now, especially as megachurches grow and traditional Protestant church congregations shrink in numbers: basically, it’s all in the marketing. Megachurches succeed because they know how to sell the religious experience – and more importantly, they know how to sell it to guys. The same technique also explains pretty much every religious revival in US history. Fascinating.

JUST STARTED

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami

His second collection of short stories. I’ve read just about everything of Murakami’s that has been translated into English, and whether it’s short stories or novels, his writing is almost always spellbinding and surreal, even when he’s describing something mundane. Two stories in, this one seems no different, though the actual stories are a little hit-and-miss so far. Still, it’s anything but dull.

( Recent titles in the back, ma'am... )

Coast to coast,

This is dF

ANOTHER SUPPOSEDLY FUN THING I'LL NEVER DO AGAIN

When you need a receipt at a moment’s notice, the Internets is there for you.

Behold the Custom Receipt Generator. Sort of like the Church Sign Generator, only it’s cash register receipts.



Pointless, but then isn’t 98% of everything on the Internets? And isn’t that 98% of its charm?

Proof of purchase,

This is dF

WHO ATE ALL THE SHARKS?

Here’s something you don’t see every day: an octopus eating a shark.

Lesson 1: Don’t put an octopus in yr shark tank.

Lesson 2: if you go scuba diving in shark-infested waters, be sure to bring an octopus.

BONUS TIP: Never put a rare sturgeon in the same tank as an edgy barracuda. As Hong Kong recently discovered. Although for all we know, the barracuda was framed by the octopus. A clever octopus would know how to fake barracuda bites, see?

I think I’ll go back to bed now. Yes, I know it’s only 3pm.

Eight arms to hold you,

This is dF