JSF News

Well, my Facebook BFF, Jonathan Safran Foer, has just informed me that his new book is coming out on March 5!  Here is a link to a review.  You may recall that I mentioned just over a year ago that I had heard a rumor that he was working on a version of a Haggadah.  It appears that the rumors are true, and this new Haggadah will be out in time for Passover.  According to Wikipedia, a Haggadah is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder, and is read at the Seder table. 

A great book about a Haggadah is People of the Book by Geraldine March, which tells a fictionalized version of how the Sarajevo Haggadah (one of the oldest known to exist) may have survived through the ages.  Based on the review, JSF's book is not about a Haggadah, but is a Haggadah.

As a Presbyterian, I don't need to rush to get this book in time for Seder, but due to my devotion to JSF, I have added it to my TBR list.  Do you think that JSF announced that his book is coming out today as a special birthday present to me?  Somehow, I doubt that, but it is a strange coincidence . .  .

Thinking about reading a traditional text from another religion reminded me of the thought that crosses my mind from time to time that I should read the Koran.  I did some quick Googling, and found an online Koran reading group,  but of course, that took place last year.  I also found some Western Koran scholars who suggested that one cannot just pick up a Koran and read it without explanation. So, as an attempt to learn something about the Koran, without overwhelming myself, I have also added The Muslim Next Door:  The Qur'an, The Media, and That Veil Thing by Sumbul Ali-Karamali to my reading list.

Not that I'm considering making any spiritual changes in my life, but a little knowledge never hurt anyone.  Right?

Still Reading:  Emma by Jane Austen

Still Listening to:  Helen of Troy by Margaret George