Categories
Reviewer

#EmptyShelf19: September

This month I have read:

Ticking Off Breast CancerTicking Off Breast Cancer by Sara Liyanage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have connected with Sara online over the past couple of years, as she was ahead of me on the ‘breast cancer journey’ (we’re not a fan of that phrase), and had lots of great advice to pass on. I also used her website quite a bit, so really happy to see that she has put all the work together into a book, that’s very easy to read, has helpful lists to help you think through things you may need for (primary) breast cancer… mixed in with a whole lot of gentle humour and insights into everyday life (because, if you’re of working age/a parent, that doesn’t stop for cancer). A really useful book for those who are going through treatment (especially the newly diagnosed and their friends/family who would like to know more).

Too Much Information?: Ten essential questions for digital ChristiansToo Much Information?: Ten essential questions for digital Christians by Andrew Graystone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the interests of openness, I’ve known Andrew for a long-time, and this book was dedicated to me (which I didn’t know about until I received a copy of the book). I’ve had excellent conversations with Andrew over many years on all kinds of topics, including Christianity and digital (as we both work in this area). I read this book in (almost) one sitting on a train journey (and worried Andrew by turning down many page corners). There’s lots I found interesting, lots I recognised from previous conversations, and I think it’s a really accessible set of insights into important material that the church needs to grapple with. In trying to think over the book, I think there’s lots of material that I’d agree with, but Andrew has possibly come out into a slightly different place from me (and we’ve had conversations about this too before – including two years at MediaLit where Andrew felt that I wasn’t really ‘there’ because I was sharing content with Twitter, and the second year said he got what I was doing). A lot of my emphasis is on things are different, not necessarily better/worse, whereas much of Andrew’s emphasis is still on the face-to-face being the ‘best’ form of interaction… and don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to have no face-to-face and very much value those conversations! I have yet to sit down and go back through the turn down pages and make notes (the drawbacks of not having read it as an e-book), as I intend to reference this book in future – and I think it will start a great number of conversations that need to be had within the church.
Also see below!

The Affair: An enthralling story of love and passion and Hollywood glamourThe Affair: An enthralling story of love and passion and Hollywood glamour by Gill Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, I enjoyed this book as a charity shop pick-up/beach read. Found the historical detail interesting (outside of my era of expertise) and the characters well rounded… although the drugs story less enticing than the interpersonal intrigues!!

View all my reviews

And as a special extra, this was super special:

By admin

Dr Bex Lewis is passionate about helping people engage with the digital world in a positive way, where she has more than 20 years’ experience. She is Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University and Visiting Research Fellow at St John’s College, Durham University, with a particular interest in digital culture, persuasion and attitudinal change, especially how this affects the third sector, including faith organisations, and, after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, has started to research social media and cancer. Trained as a mass communications historian, she has written the original history of the poster Keep Calm and Carry On: The Truth Behind the Poster (Imperial War Museum, 2017), drawing upon her PhD research. She is Director of social media consultancy Digital Fingerprint, and author of Raising Children in a Digital Age: Enjoying the Best, Avoiding the Worst  (Lion Hudson, 2014; second edition in process) as well as a number of book chapters, and regularly judges digital awards. She has a strong media presence, with her expertise featured in a wide range of publications and programmes, including national, international and specialist TV, radio and press, and can be found all over social media, typically as @drbexl.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.