My Bookbag

So as I packed my bag tonight, I actively thought: "Only the essentials, bring no books you will not read at least a little of tonight"

And still, my bag is full.  So I thought I'd share the contents as a way of letting folks know on some level where I'm at:

 - Holy Bible (Constant) - Like a good catholic, my personal bible is the NAB.  Though NRSV can be very useful too - I keep a copy of the Oxford Annotated as a school-academic bible, and use my NAB for personal/spiritual reflection

 - Journal (Constant)

 - Note-book (Constant) - a notebook specifically for taking notes on other books, vs. journaling/doodling, etc.

 - The Desert Fathers, by Thomas Merton (Merton) - I highly recommend this book.  Its a bajillion little snippets of wisdom from the early desert fathers (think 100-300AD) - and they have been so very helpful to me already.  Kind of sucks that it belongs to Swem, actually...

 - Thoughts in Solitude, by Thomas Merton (Merton) - a tiny Shambala Pocket Classic (seriosly, investigate that series, they're all excellent) - which is precisely what its title implies: thoughts (usually only a few pages or less) written during periods of solitude.  And oh are they thought-provoking...

 - Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West (Theology Slot 1) - assigned as penance by Fr. Rob Cole.  Smart man...smart man...

 - Jesus of Nazareth by Joseph Ratzinger (Theology Slot 2) - Benedict XVI's treatment of the Historical Jesus - I can't wait! (Slot 2 means its in queue for when I finish Theology of the Body - which should be in the next three days, God willing...)

 - The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell (Philosophy/World History) - So I'm kind of sneaking in a year of what amounts to Pre-Theology at any seminary at my secular undergrad - and as I'm not that in-depth in the world and history of philosophy, I figured a complete introduction by one of the most well-known philosophers of the 20th century wouldn't be a bad place to start.

 - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Fiction) - Yossarian Lives!!!  I don't quite yet know the significance of that, but I trust that in three weeks or hopefully much less I will.  Good literature is nourishment to the soul.

And this one I don't have with me, but to give you an idea:

 - The Life of Greece, Story of Civilization Series Vol. 2 by Will Durant (World History Slot 2) - oh I can't wait to sink my teeth fully into the Story of Civ series...oh, the drool...it begins already.