Hotel Abandons Bibles in Guest Rooms for Something More...Fun

Whenever I travel and stay at a hotel, I always look to see if there is a Bible in the room. Not because I actually want to read it but because I just want to know if it is there.

In a country that claims religious freedom, it bothers me tremendously that so many hotels still employ such a practice. If you really want to be nondiscriminatory, you'd need to have every religious text in the room, not just that of a single sect. Or even better, don't put any in there. If people feel strongly that they require a Bible on a trip, they should bring one with them.

Alas, it is not a perfect world.

One hotel owner in England, however, is trying to make it closer to perfect by swapping out every Bible in his hotel for....50 Shades of  Grey, according to Overhead Bin on NBC.com:

Bibles in nightstands are a familiar amenity for hotel guests, but travelers seeking to read their favorite verse at one establishment will be in for a big surprise.

The Damson Dene Hotel, which touts itself as the perfect destination for a “peaceful break away from it all” in England’s picturesque Lake District, is making quite a noise for replacing the Bible with “Fifty Shades of Grey” in its 40 guest rooms.

The steamy novel — part of a trilogy by author E.L. James — has become a worldwide blockbuster thanks in large part to the graphic sex scenes that have its main characters engaging in bondage, sadomasochism and other exploits.

Damson Dene owner Jonathan Denby, who bought the hotel from a Methodist group 10 years ago, said he had been pondering for a long time what to do with the Gideons Bibles that had been placed in the rooms by the previous proprietors.

He decided that in a modern secular society it was “wholly inappropriate” to keep a religious book in people’s private bedrooms, so the search was on for a replacement.

“I was thinking originally of putting in a book by Ayn Rand — ‘Atlas Shrugged’ was my first thought,” Denby told NBC News.

“(But) because everybody is reading ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ we thought it would be a hospitable thing to do, to have this available for our guests, especially if some of them were a little bit shy about buying it because of its reputation.”

The choice to offer “Fifty Shades of Grey” was done purely for fun and just because the novel is so popular, not for any deep philosophical reason, Denby added, noting that he himself has not read the book.

The switch was made earlier this month, prompting cheers, jeers and lots of media attention.

Not surprisingly, the local vicar has been an outspoken critic. The Rev. Michael Woodcock — the parish priest at St. Mary’s Church in Crosthwaite, where the hotel is located — declined to comment for this article, but he told British media that the hotel’s decision is just a gimmick.

“It is a great shame that Bibles have been removed from rooms and very inappropriate to have been replaced by an explicit erotic novel,” Woodcock told The Westmorland Gazette.

“The Bible remains a source of comfort and inspiration that many people do find helpful.”

The hotel has also received plenty of public feedback criticizing the move, most of it from the United States, Denby noted. The Gideons Bible isn’t as common in England as it is in the U.S., he added.

“People in the States feel much more strongly,” he said. “We’ve had quite a few e-mails quoting the scriptures to us and suggesting that it would be a good thing to put the Bible back.”

Still, most guests “have loved” discovering “Fifty Shades of Grey” in their rooms, Denby said. The hotel is also accommodating those who want to read the Bible, updating its guest handbooks to let travelers know that copies are available at the reception desk.

“We’re not disposing of the books. We’re keeping them and if people want to borrow them, then they’re very welcome to,” Denby said.

Read the original post HERE

Book Review: "Can I Get An Amen" by Sarah Healy

Sidenote: This cover is pretty awesome.

With blurbs like "A fabulous debut!" from Emily Giffin, "An absolute treat!" from Janet Evanovich, "Touching, funny, and full of heart" from Lisa Scottoline, I was stoked when I received a review copy of Sarah Healy's debut novel, Can I Get An Amen? (June 5, 2012) from the good people at NAL. A story about a woman whose life is crumbling before her very eyes--infertility, divorce, being laid off, and more--and how she picks up the pieces and finds the strength to go on? Yes, please! Not a very original concept, I'll admit, but I'm a sucker for empowering fiction like that.

I must also admit though, I was a little worried when I cracked the spine and read the acknowledgments, as I always do. Being in the publishing industry, I noticed one name in particular--a relative of the author's who I know is a high-powered editor at a major publishing house. And who just so happens to edit authors like Janet Evanovich, Emily Giffin, and some other of Healy's blurbers. Seeing that--and knowing sometimes how this business works in that regard--I was instantly disappointed. What I'd been hoping would be a fabulous read suddenly became shifty in my mind's eye and I questioned the accuracy of the quotes when regarding the actual book. But as I read--and enjoyed--the novel, I thought to myself, "What a wonderful coincidence," and left it at that.

Anyway, jumping back to my little analysis here, not only am I slightly masochistic in the sense that I love reading about people whose lives are just as messy or more so than my own, my personal crisis of faith (mainly that I don't know what mine is or if I even have one) drew me to the novel easily. I'd hoped that perhaps it might help me figure out my own beliefs in some subtle sort of way. Books have a tendency to have that power with me. I found, however, that Healy's novel is much less about religion and faith than one might think. At least it was for me. There is, of course, a strong thread about Christianity in Ellen's mother's devoutness and essentially obsession with being "born again" and religion itself is frequent discussed/enacted through the concept of church, but Ellen's own faith and belief system were almost entirely disregarded. Yes, she recognizes that no one ever asked her what she actually believes--she's just always been the religion she grew up with, like so many people. But recognizing that fact and exploring your actual feelings on the matter are two entirely different things. I would've liked to see her open up more in that sense, to make some stride in trying to address her own crisis of faith.

I admit, though, I related to Ellen in a number of ways and Healy's writing is funny and quick-paced, the exception being the first few chapters, which read much like a memoir instead of a novel. I had a difficult time engaging with the story at first as a result, but I'm glad I powered through. Though predictable in almost every single plot point (granted, I am pretty darn good at guessing what's going to happen next in a novel), I still enjoyed the read greatly. It was by no means the highest quality book I've ever read, but it was interesting and touches upon a number of different themes that a reader can understand.

Despite its lacking in the aforementioned areas, I found the most impressive aspect of Can I Get An Amen? to be the characters. At times smelling of caricatures, the people within the pages were well-rounded and complex, even in their simplicity. They were charming, really. I could see them in my mind, interacting and yelling and laughing and all of the things. They were very real to me, which is one of the hardest things to do--to make your characters jump off the page so much that the reader actually cares about them. A+ there, Sarah Healy!

The Last Word: An engaging and entertaining beach read. Just don't expect your mind to be blown.

Philip Pullman: Religious controvery in the guise of YA entertainment

Philip Pullman is cooking up religious controversy once again with his upcoming novel, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

Pullman first enlivened readers with the His Dark Materials series: The Golden Compass (Knopf, USA, 1996), The Subtle Knife (Knopf, USA, 1997), and The Amber Spyglass (Knopf, USA, 2000). The coming-of-age fantasy trilogy was marketed as a young adult novel, but also caught the attention of many adults. Hidden just barely beneath the surface of Pullman's trilogy, is a thinly veiled religious challenge, specifically against organized religion and, even more specifically, Christianity.

According to guardian.co.uk:

[Pullman] enraged America's religious right with his portrayal of God as a senile old man in the His Dark Materials trilogy, and now Philip Pullman is set to court more Christian controversy – this time with a novel about "the Scoundrel Christ."

The book will provide a new account of the life of Jesus, challenging the gospels and arguing that the version in the New Testament was shaped by the apostle Paul. By the time the gospels were being written, Paul had already begun to transform the story of Jesus into something altogether new and extraordinary, and some of his version influenced what the gospel writers put in theirs," said Pullman, who last year pronounced himself delighted that the His Dark Materials trilogy was one of the most "challenged" series in America's libraries, boasting the most requests for removal from the shelves because of its "religious viewpoint."

Read more of the story HERE

I was pleasantly surprised when I read this article this morning, having loved the His Dark Materials trilogy myself. Pullman brilliantly crafts his heroine Lyra's tale, not only as an engaging and thought-provoking religious challenge, but as a purely phenomenal fantasy novel with all the delicious elements of adventure, imagination, emotion, and a shocking aura of believability.

I'm intrigued to see what Pullman does with this new novel, as its premise doesn't allow for an easy separation from its controversial undertones. But Pullman promises that:

"Parts of it read like a novel, parts like a history, and parts like a fairy tale; I wanted it to be like that because it is, among other things, a story about how stories become stories." (guardian.co.uk)

Now, while Pullman is sure to drudge up even more debate about religion, that concept of storytelling is one I think any reader can get on board with--no matter what his or her faith.