Name Marriage And Holy Orders Period Directed Reading Guide: Fill & Download for Free

You should stop bringing your homophobia into your beliefs, and start rooting your beliefs in love alone, as the Bible directs.Hi. I’m Christian, and I’m gay. And I know lots and lots of queer Christians, including a number of priests, ministers, and theology professors. Also, I used to be “conservative” on this issue, and it took a long, painful, research-filled time for me to accept myself - a process which deepened my love and understanding of God.I am, here, presuming that your position “against homosexuality” (and the other questions you’ve posted about being against the concept of transgender identity and presumably other gender and sexual minorities (SGM)) are stemming from a Christian worldview, of one flavor or another. If this is incorrect, you should clarify your questions.Firstly, you need to decide, right now, if your daughter is more important to you than your theology. Not more important than God, but more important than any particular idea about what you think God is like or has ordered. Remember that any human attempts to understand God or to understand scripture or a particular teaching are subject to error, both your own error and that of others before you (whether teachers, preachers, theologians, or Bible translators). If your daughter is more important to you than this issue of low Biblical importance (whether homosexuality is or is not a sin is irrelevant to the power of saving grace and the cross), then please read on. If she is not, please let her go in peace out of your hateful, sad, limited, and Spirit-less life.Still here? Fantastic!Now, this issue has just become important in your life. Personal. It’s always been important, since your actions that you have likely taken in the past have hurt others (No, really, they have, even if you had no idea. That’s how subconscious bias works.), but you’ve been able to ignore it. Now, you have to address it head on: God told Job to “gird yourself up like a man” - pretty much the period equivalent of “You wanna take this outside?”, and Jacob was named Israel: “He who wrestles with God”, and the Disciples constantly challenged and confronted Jesus on one thing or another, so if you’re wrestling and fighting with this, you’re in a good and holy space. You need to take some serious time, well outside the scope of a few Quora responses, to really really understand your daughter and the real deep theology around this issue. Her life and wellbeing depends on it. (LGBT Youth and Family Acceptance)Before you go on, remember that Jesus was once asked about the Law. One of the important theological debates at the time was about what the most important part of the law was - a root or basis from which to interpret all the others when you didn’t understand them or how they applied. Jesus told them that the most important commandment was to love God, and that the second was “like unto it” (literally meaning “so close that it’s almost the same level”) - to love your neighbor. St. Paul elaborates when he says to the Galatians “For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, "You must love your neighbor as yourself."” (Gal 5:14 NET), and to the Romans “8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Rom 13:8–10 NIV). The Bible literally tells you how to interpret it: beginning with, ending with, and based on at every moment LOVE. You must understand the Words describing God, and God’s directions for you and your daughter with love as the goal and love as the means and love as the reason.Having that as your base, you can now start by reading. There’s a lot written on the topic, and the greatest substance is on our side. Here are my suggestions for where to start:Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality - Kindle edition by Jack Rogers. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.Dr. Rogers began as a theology professor who was strongly conservative. He was asked to be one of the conservative voices on his church’s national level in a task force assigned to “look into the gay issue”. He initially refused because the question was so “obviously simple” that homosexuality was a sin and that gay people needed to repent. But he was convinced to join. The task force listened to actual LGBTetc. people’s stories about their experiences with their bodies, their souls, their love, their God, and their churches. They read volume after volume of dense theology on all sides of the issues, ancient and modern, from many denominational backgrounds. They read and reread scripture in many languages. They prayed, and they wept. And he changed his mind. Now, he has retired from his professorship and tours the world preaching acceptance and full inclusion in the church for LGBTetc. people. This book is written for lay people, and is very accessible. You might want to have a study bible nearby, or the internet open to a couple of Bible resource websites.Inclusive OrthodoxyRev. Justin R. Canon has a free, downloadable Bible study guide addressing the “clobber passages” that are typically used to exclude, vilify, and justify all kinds of atrocities against LGBTetc. people. His website includes other resources as well, including an explanation of what he means by “Inclusive Orthodoxy”.Coming Out as Sacrament: Chris Glaser: 9780664257484: Amazon.com: BooksA little dated, but Dr. Glasser explains how sacred and holy the act of coming out is, and how it is sacramental much like other actions of the church (like Ordination, Marriage, or especially Confession & Absolution). He intersperses some less-well-written chapters trying to deal with the “not a sin” parts, but he seems to have thrown those in later and they might be skippable if you’ve read the two above. The main text is a good introduction to the idea that queer people already have a place in the life of the church, and bring a unique and experiential insight into God.Radical Love: Introduction to Queer Theology: Patrick S. Cheng: 9781596271326: Amazon.com: BooksWritten by one of my seminary professors, and used in several of his courses as a textbook, Radical love sets a foundation to understanding how a queer Christian reads scripture, and finds themselves loved by God, and loving God themselves. It is rooted in the radical, barrier-breaking love that God has for us and demands we have for each other - the literal foundation of creation.Spend the money and buy these books, used if you have to. Remember who is at stake here. Keep a Bible resource open on your computer, a firm pillow to punch, and a box of tissues nearby because you will be challenged, you will get angry, and you will do some hard and painful soul searching - and repenting - before you are done. You will not finish all at once. Read a bit every day. Start with prayer for insight and a deeper understanding of God’s grace and love. End each reading time with a prayer of thanks for God challenging you, to strengthen your faith and expand your loving-kindness/agape.There’s some movies/films you can watch as well. They serve a different purpose than the books - those are for the depth and breadth of research and theological rigor, but these films will help you better understand the experience of queer Christians:“Anyone and Everyone” http://www.anyoneandeveryone.com/about.html“Connected by having a son or daughter who is gay, parents across the country discuss their experiences in the documentary Anyone and Everyone. In it, filmmaker Susan Polis Schutz, depicts families from all walks of life. Individuals from such diverse backgrounds as Japanese, Bolivian, and Cherokee, as well as from various religious denominations such as Mormon, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Hindu, and Southern Baptist, share intimate accounts of how their children revealed their sexual orientation and discuss their responses. The parents also talk about struggling with the pain of their sons and daughters dealing with not being accepted by relatives or friends, and being ostracized by religious congregations. …”Prayers For BobbyThe true story of a mother in your situation with her gay son. Bring tissues.(On Youtube -“For The Bible Tells Me So” Amazon.com: For The Bible Tells Me So: Gene Robinson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Imogene Robinson, Victor Robinson, Isabella "Boo" McDaniel, Brenda Poteat, David Poteat, Tonia Poteat, Randi Reitan, Phil Reitan, Jake Reitan, Britta Reitan, Jane Gephardt, Dick Gephardt, Chrissy Gephardt, Mary Lou Wallner, Rev. Peter Gomes, Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer, Rev. Dr. Laurence C. Kenne, Rev. Irene Monroe, James Mathers, Kevin Bond, Brian Knappenberger: Movies & TVGets into the church life of LGBTetc. Christians and some of the theology, history, science, and more.After you’ve read the first books you choose and watched some of the films, you can start with the next step: meeting actual gay Christians. We’re everywhere, if you look. Find out if your area has a Metropolitan Community Church, or an Episcopal, Lutheran, or Baptist Church with a rainbow flag/sign/sticker out front, and go to a Sunday service there and hang back and ask the preacher your questions. MCC especially - the others vary from place to place, but the MCC was founded to be the only LGBTetc. accepting church when there were none. Find a PFLAG chapter near you. See if there’s a church nearby with an LGBT bible study/meeting group - Dignity is a well know org in the Catholic Church, and Integrity in the Episcopal Church. There are others, I can help you find them if you ask.Go to your local Pride event, and find a table/person/group with both Christian and supportive stuff, and ask them to help you understand. Ask them what you asked us, and ask them if you can join a discussion or class or something to help you. Meet LGBT people, and just talk with them - not about this per se, but just what’s going on. Tell them you’re straight and trying to understand - ask them what it’s like to be queer. Ask them what they’d like the church to be like. Ask them if they’ve been hurt by religious conservatives. And then believe them. If you have any gay coworkers, ask them to help you understand. Meet them for dinner and ask them for help with your daughter. Chances are they will.Finally, every day, tell your daughter that you love her. No theology worth doing can be done without both love of God and love of neighbor, because the same God trying to open your mind to greater love is - right now - sitting and weeping with people suffering from the lack of love in the world, and won’t have any time for anything less.Peace and prayers, from a brother in Christ.

I strongly feel sad about Indian Muslim’s views & sensitivity on the following subjects;Sense of God & the World:Holy Quran is repeatedly stating to obey Allah (swt), His Prophet (pbuh) & those who know – on the contrary, it is being propagated that God alone is to be obeyed & respected.There are some groups of people who believe in the first and rejecting the remaining two – and some groups believe in the first two and rejecting the third. Holy Quran is stating – do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part thereof? It is equally important for every Muslim to look for answers for the third classification as the first two are self-explanatory.Many commentators of the Holy Quran have touched this subject and clearly opined that obey/respect/regard/consider/admire is not limited to God & His Messengers. There is no second thought on - Almighty is the most-high, creator & the supreme light and His chosen ones are the supreme guides but it doesn’t mean that we should disrespect those who are not aligned to our thought. Say, if I have no issues with Non-Muslims following their path/ belief system/ faith than I am breaching my relationship with God & His Messenger. No, I am not.I have seen Muslims who believe in God, follow basic tenets of Islam have a strong arrogance/rejection/condemnatory/damnatory attitude for people who don’t belong to their set of beliefs. As if they alone are the people who have found God and all others are inferior to them whereas Holy Quran not only stresses to be a good human being but also advises to live a well-meaning life and enjoy God’s bounties & mercies upon you. Islam does not propagate alienation from this world but detachment – and directs to believe/ remember God while fulfilling your worldly duties.The staunch belief in God does not necessarily mean to be hard/ruthless/unloving/disrespecting/heartless rather it increases people’s attention towards every creation of God and when people give its due they attain great satisfaction in their lives.Holy Quran starts with Al Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalimin – All the praise to God who is the Lord of the Universes, it clearly not restricting God by saying Rabbil’ Muslimin – God of All Muslims. God has attributed Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as Rahmatul Lil Aalimin – Mercy for the universes clearly not restricting him to Rahmatul Lil Muslmeen – Mercy for All Muslims. We must understand this.It’s sad to see the highly misplaced sense of God among Muslims and their relationship with God is so fragile that it breaks with any tiny action in life to keep good sentiments around.Sub-standard Clergy:We are often critical to intellectually-challenged Muslim clergy but never ponder on its reasons – Children, who are unable to match the pace of mainstream subjects are forced to gain religious knowledge and become Maulvi/Maulana/Religious Preachers.Those who have no idea of Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Meta-Physics, Geography, Medical Science, Anatomy, Space Science, Mathematics, Philosophy, etc. are teaching religion whereas Holy Scriptures are understood well when blended with modern-world-sciences and other subjects. They remember the Holy Quran by heart in Arabic, but most of them are not well-versed with its translation.Hence, this fraternity knows its limits and preparing a lot of students who can recite the Holy Quran/ Hadith in Arabic only, which has reflects on the Muslim community as well. It’s sad to accept that very few Muslims can tell the meaning of Arabic text recited in Salat (prayer) five times every day. When they have no idea of the basics, how can people expect them to understand the Holy Quran? Preachers have restricted the Muslim community to Arabic-sans-translation, thus Muslims are dependent on their religious decree most of the time.These religious preachers discourage people to ask questions – they don’t entertain people smarter than them – they want people to follow them blindly on religious grounds whereas religion allows them to reason, think, and introspect. They fear of losing grip if people are well-read or informed.How can you expect meritorious results from a failed lot? So, we are responsible for forcing these people to teach religion whereas they never had that acumen. They are forced to choose a career of their disinterest. They too are sufferers as they have peer pressures – they want to live like other people – they want standardized life for their families. This pressure forces them to do the thing we don’t like them to do. After all, they too are humans.It’s sad to see Muslims expecting changes in their fortunes by picking up teachers from the worst lot. And, there is a slight margin for exceptions in my statement.Sense of History:Muslims have a strong sense of lineage to Muslim rulers without knowing that these rulers came to India in small troops. Until Muslims differentiate these rulers on the basis of policy performance – success & failure, it’s very difficult to live peacefully with the people who faced their selective wrath.Muslims must understand that these rulers were not here to expand Islam but to seize & consolidate power on the name of Islam. They took refuge in Islam to expand their geographical limits. People who embraced Islam during their tenure were actually to get rewards, close ties with Emperor, to please Emperor, to get state’s benefits, to get recognition – status – equality, to get closer to power. They took a lot of populist decisions to please non-Muslims to get them aligned to the state. Akbar had four non-Muslims Man Singh, Todar Mal, Birbal & Tansen among his famous nine gems.There is no point treating them as divine guides – they were greedy humans with faults. They had done a lot of mistakes during their tenure. They killed their siblings/family members/relatives/closed people to consolidate power and eliminated people whom they considered threatening. And all emperors are like this only – religion is not their forte. So, it’s advisable to be judicious with historical facts and evaluate them on their sense of justice. It’s sad to see people go overboard on these issues.Sense of Nation-hood:It’s a matter of distress when some Muslims declare slogans/ love for the Nation is not permissible in Islam. It is blatantly wrong. Islam is not against having a love for the motherland. I have mentioned it above that love for nation/ family/friends is not polytheism.All Muslim nations celebrate its National Day – they’ve strong national tradition & culture. Muslim soldiers in the armies of European countries vow to fight on the name of Kings/motherland/fatherland – these slogans/ chanting binds people together. It’s sad to see a few Muslims reject it due to sheer ignorance.Double Standards:Though Indian Muslims preach others to follow Prophet’s (pbuh) footsteps and praise austerity in his daughter’s marriage but they themselves fall prey to big fat weddings laced up with a lot of un-Islamic traditions like Dowry/ Caste & Sectarian considerations. Payment of Mehr remains outstanding in most of the cases whereas it should be paid immediately after the Nikah. Muslim countries in the Middle East & Persia follow the tradition of the groom’s family to bear marriage expenses.Islam allows women a share in inheritance & property but Indian Muslims largely deny them their right of ownership. Islam doesn’t forbid women to get an education & work. Islam provides independence to women to live separately with her husband without any interference of in-laws but most Indian men contradict. Islam advises husbands to care for their wives' needs up to that they must check on their eating preferences, and they must cook dishes of their wives' choice every week. Cooking & other home chores are not wife’s responsibility, these are mutual jobs – if she does, that’s her goodness, and she is under no obligation to do it. Earning a livelihood is man’s job and if the wife earns it is up to her to decide on spending from her income. But, it is sad to say that none of these considerations are seen in most Muslim homes.Islam prohibits usury - though interest payable is unavoidable, I know people, who donate interest-earned. Sad to say that a large section of Muslims is engaged in interest-based lending. Muslims care more about halal food than halal income.Muslims suddenly become pious and God-loving-fearing during Ramzan as if that’s the only period they should opt to be good followers. Sad to see, people paying too much attention to iftar parties, and other stuff rather than heeding on its actual purpose.People rush to perform Hajj repeatedly whereas it is advised to fund those who can’t afford it if you have done it once. There is an urge among people to get validation or superior status in the Muslim community; it is largely becoming religious tourism instead of a spiritual journey. It is evident that Muslims, who pray jointly in Mecca, find their set of a mosque once back home – Sad to see that people have reduced it to a physical exercise, it’s a journey to detachment & attaining salvation.Muslims pay more attention to the size & price of the sacrificial offering on Eid ul Adha (Baqrid) instead of worrying over its successful submission and acceptance by God. There is too much boasting over unimportant aspects that cloud the actual purpose of the event. It’s sad to see them not coordinating with agencies to keep this festival clean, tidy, and aesthetically tolerable.There is a competition among Muslim groups to build as many Mosques possible instead of building Schools/ Vocational Training Centres/ Working Women Hostels/Activity Centres. It is narrated in an authentic Hadith that Prophet (pbuh) advised people to spend money orderly on parents, self/family, poor relatives, poor neighbors/friends and then on Mosques or other community-based institutions. But, it is sad to see that people ignore at least three in the first four options and spend more on building mosques/madrasas. What is the point if your parents/relative/friends are staring at you and you are building mosques?Muslims in India do care about their brothers in faith in other parts of the world but seem little concerned about the people they are living with. Their worry about Muslim war-zones has neither done any good to the war-sufferers nor them. And, their opinion on oppression changes depending upon sets of belief. It’s sad to see them not introspecting on their own state of misery before participating in futile protests.There is interesting research by George Washington University on the Islamic principles prevailing in the countries of the world. They ranked countries on the basis of Islamic principles of Economics, Human & Political Rights, Legal & Governance, and International Relations. And, it is equally stirring to know that New Zealand is ranked on the top in 2016 followed by Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Iceland, and Germany. Great Britain is ranked 14th, America is ranked 17th, Israel is ranked 31st whereas the first Muslim country is Malaysia, ranked 41st, Saudi Arabia is on 67th, Pakistan is ranked 134th and Iran 138th. It’s sad to know that Indian Muslims who vouch for Muslim countries for being Muslim and those countries are way behind in following Islamic principles. Is there any point calling death to America/Death to Israel?Politics:Indian Muslims have no political agenda – they are yet to draft one for their speedy upliftment. Indian Muslims can’t think beyond Sarkari Iftar, Mushaira, and hajj arrangements. They are yet to figure out a plan on educational empowerment, jobs & employment, skill development, other community-based development plans in accordance with governments.Muslims keep on complaining about illegal encroachment on Wakf lands, but it is administered by Muslims only – for petty gains they allow illegal selling/ encroachment/construction. It’s sad to see them - refusing the rights of poor community members. Muslims have largely rejected the politics of Owaisi brothers but they must write to television channels to not allow Owaisis representing Indian Muslims on the National Television. Politics of division & hatred creates counter-polarization and it further damages the social fabric of the country. If they have to protest – protest against Owaisi.It’s sad to see Muslims falling prey to political promises without ensuring political parties to keep their promises when in power.There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

It depends on your choice which books for e.g if you want to read the books on entrepreneurship, fictional books or religious books.10 books which every entrepreneur must read.Good to Great, by Jim CollinsWhy does one company endure while another one fails? What things can you infuse into your company’s ethos from day one that will help you build a lasting business? Jim Collins and his research team set off to find out. Over five years, they studied 28 companies, pouring over data and interviews to identify the key determinants of success and failure.7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. CoveyWith over 25 million copies sold in 40 languages, this one is a classic. Author Stephen R. Covey outlines a habit-based approach for finding and sticking to your “true north” in order to attain your goals.The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy FerrissOverwhelmed? Overworked? Timothy Ferriss’ mega-popular book, which spent more than four years on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list, could help. In it, he describes “lifestyle design” hacks and reframes to help you eliminate 50 percent of your work, make more money, and live the life you want.The Essays of Warren Buffett, by Warren BuffettOne of modern history’s most successful investors, Warren Buffett provides his take on everything from basic business principles to aligning your interests with those of your investors.The Four Steps to the Epiphany, by Steve BlankThis is one of the most influential books in Silicon Valley. Industry leaders praise the book as an excellent framework to help entrepreneurs achieve “product/market fit.” It lays out a series of practical exercises to make sure you’re not making any faulty assumptions (that could later turn costly) and is packed with concrete examples of how to organize your sales and marketing strategies to ensure success.The Innovator’s Dilemma, by Clayton M. ChristensenThis must-read is widely regarded as one of the most valuable business books of our time. Luminaries from Steve Jobs to Jeff Bezos cite Clayton M. Christensen’s work as instrumental in shaping how they think about innovation and managing their companies.Tribes, by Seth GodinMarketing guru Seth Godin dives into why community is so important to a brand’s success. It’s human nature to organize around “tribes” (we’ve done it since the beginning of time). This book explains how to find opportunities to cultivate that sense of community around your business.Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon HillOne of the first “self-help” books (and one of the best-selling books of all time), Think and Grow Rich was published during the Great Depression and still endures. Napoleon Hill interviewed “more than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known” (including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison) to suss out the universal building blocks required to amass a fortune. Then he lays out a six-step guide to applying those principles to your own life.Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal NewportA particularly relevant read given today’s incessant flurry of stimuli (email, social media, push notifications), this book presents four “rules” for cultivating a deep work ethic.How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale CarnegieTo succeed in business, you need to know how to deal with people. This classic is a playbook for how to make people like you and then win them over to your way of thinking without causing resentment.10 fictional booksWhen we read a book, we step into someone else’s shoes, see the world through someone else’s eyes, and visit places we might never otherwise go, whether a tiny village in India or the green fields of Narnia.Books teach us about love, heartbreak, friendship, war, social injustice, and the resilience of the human spirit. Here are 10 must read books especially for novel lovers, and you should read them at least once in your life:1. The Kite Runner (2009)by Khaled HosseiniTold against the backdrop of the changing political landscape of Afghanistan from the 1970s to the period following 9/11, The Kite Runner is the story of the unlikely and complicated friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy merchant, and Hassan, the son of his father’s servant until cultural and class differences and the turmoil of war tear them asunder. Hosseini brings his homeland to life for us in a way that post 9/11 media coverage never could, showing us a world of ordinary people who live, die, eat, pray, dream, and love. It’s a story about the long shadows that family secrets cast across decades, the enduring love of friendship, and the transformative power of forgiveness.2. Number the Starsby Lois LowryThis Newbery award-winning novel tells the story of Annemarie Yohansen, a Danish girl growing up in World War II Copenhagen with her best friend, Ellen, who happens to be Jewish. When Annemarie learns about the horrors that the Nazis are inflicting on the Jewish people, she and her family stop at nothing to protect Ellen and her parents, as well as countless other Jews. Lowry’s novel is a powerful reminder that cultural and religious differences are no divide between true friends and that love shines all the brighter against the darkness of hatred.3. Pride and Prejudiceby Jane AustenThe opening line of this classic novel, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” is one of the most recognizable first lines of fiction. Yet Jane Austen’s most famous work is more than a comedy of manners about the marriage market and the maneuvers of navigating polite society in 19th-century England. Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most enduring works of English Literature not because we find such rewarding pleasure in watching sparks fly between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (though that’s certainly reason enough). Readers embrace the novel because Austen candidly captures the human character with all of its beauties and its imperfections. Pride and Prejudice is a novel about overcoming differences of cast and class, about learning to laugh at life even when it’s grossly unfair, and about recognizing that loving someone often means accepting them in spite of rather than because of who they are.4. The Outsidersby S.E. HintonHinton penned this novel when she was only 16 because she was tired of reading fluffy romances. She wanted a story about the harsh realities of being a teenager in mid-20th century America, and since none existed, she wrote one herself. Told from the perspective of orphan Ponyboy Kurtis, this multiple award-winning young adult novel tells the story of a group of rough, teenage boys on the streets of an Oklahoma town, struggling to survive and stick together amidst violence, peer pressure, and broken homes. The novel reminds us that growing up is never easy and that pain, loss, friendship, and love are universal experiences that both create and dissolve socio-economic boundaries.5. Little Womenby Louisa May AlcottA richly written novel with a cast of memorable characters, Little Women invites us into the warm, comfortable home of a 19th-century American family. Everyone can find a character trait that resonates with them, whether Jo’s temper, Meg’s vanity, Amy’s mischievousness, or Beth’s shyness. The novel is a coming-of-age story that follows four sisters (the March girls) from girlhood to womanhood in Civil War America. Together they learn about the harsh realities of poverty, illness, and death, and how to dream, love, and laugh through it all. This is a heartwarming, timeless classic about the importance of family and the simple, home-spun comfort of never being alone.6. A Single Manby Christopher IsherwoodWhile this is far from a light read, it’s one of the first novels I suggest whenever someone asks me for a book recommendation because it really packs a punch. Right to the solar plexus. The novel looks at a single day in the life of George Falconer, a middle-aged English professor grieving the loss of his partner, Jim. As George struggles against the grip of his depression and wonders what the point of life is any more, he gradually learns, through a dinner with his best friend and a heart-to-heart with a student, the gift of being alive with all its trials and its triumphs. Through the snapshot of a single day in a man’s life, Isherwood reminds us that every moment counts. His clear, direct prose will grab hold of you, snap your head around, and challenge you to stare your mortality in the face.7. Charlotte’s Webby E.B. WhiteOK, let’s lighten things up a bit. Who doesn’t love a novel about talking animals? A Laura Ingalls Wilder Metal winner, E.B. White’s children’s classic about Wilber the pig and his host of barnyard friends from Charlotte the spider to Templeton the rat flings wide the door to imagination and makes us wonder what a world where animals could talk would be like. On a more serious note, it challenges us to ask ourselves how we’d treat animals if they could talk. If they could tell us their joys and their fears, would mankind treat them more humanely? White’s novel is a lesson for children and a reminder for adults of the beauty of nature, the cycle of life, and the importance of remembering that every creature has its place on this earth.8. The Readerby Bernhard SchlinkSet in late-20th Century Germany, this novel boldly confronts long-standing German national guilt over the Nazi war crimes of the Holocaust through the strange, intergenerational relationship between 15 year-old Michael Berg and 36 year-old Hannah Schmitt, an illiterate tram operator and former Auschwitz prison guard. As Michael teaches Hannah to read books, Hannah teaches Michael to read the human character, and he comes to learn about the nuances between good and evil and of living with the consequences of one’s choices. The Reader is a story about personal as well as national guilt, about the consequences of keeping secrets, and about the power of redemption.9. Jane Eyreby Charlotte BronteBronte’s classic novel tells the tale of a young girl’s struggle to make something of herself in the world, from the tyranny she endures as a poor orphan under her Aunt’s roof and the deplorable conditions she lives in at Lowood school to the dark secrets she encounters in her role as Governess at Thornfield Hall, the home of the enigmatic and alluring Mr. Rochester. Strong-willed and resilient, Jane longs for the independence that Victorian England denied women, and her story stands as a timeless example of a woman’s determination to choose her own path in life in the face of hardship and ridicule.10. The End of the Affairby Graham GreenThis is another one of those books filled with nuggets of truth that you might cut your teeth on, but that we all need to learn to swallow. The End of the Affair tells the story of the brief but life-altering adulterous relationship between Maurice Bendrix and Sarah Miles. Set in part against the turmoil of World War II, the personal battles of love, hate, guilt, and the search for truth and redemption are all the more poignant. The story of Maurice and Sarah reminds us that the things we do for love can trigger an inexorable pull of fate that carries our lives on a passionate and sometimes perilous journey and that while love doesn’t always last forever, the lessons we learn from it do.10 Religious book that everyone should read.Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita is the most sacred book in the Hindu Religion. It describes the dialogue between the Lord Krishna and prince Arjuna. It explains the unity of the god can be achieved through karma, bhakti and knowledge. It was written in between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200. It explains that who will you do, will come back to you. Always do good deeds and help others to lead a happy and prosperous life.2. TripitakasTripitakas consist of the basket of Buddhist teaching. It mainly consist of chapters as mahayana sutras and sutta pitaka, vinaya and Abhidharma. It explains the relation between the external soul and the internal soul. It is mainly carried and followed in China.3. VedaVeda is the most scared book for Hindus. It consist of the collection of prayers and hymns and described the real meaning of the god. The explains the relationship between the external body and the internal atman. There are mainly four kinds of vedas that are written in the hindu history mainly the Rig-veda, Sama-veda, Yajur-veda, Atharva-Veda. It is one of the oldest writing in the history religious writing.4. UpanishadsIt is the basic form of religion Hindu and is the final part of Vedas. There are 112 Upanishads that describe the relationship of the pure soul or Brahman with the atman. It also show the importance of the vedic sacrifice and yoga. It came from various source and was written around 19 th century. It is also known as Vedanta and explain the importance of Vedas in the life of humans. All the Upanishads were written in oral tradition.5. Five ClassicsThe four books and five classics were written before 300 BC and is considered as the most religious book in the history of china. it explains the core value and belief systems in Confucianism. It explains the art of living and the condition of kings, heroes and the wars that occurred at that time. Originally it was a chapter of classic of rites and describe the importance of god. the importance was shown and was described by the Zeng Zi’s.6. Tao-te-chingTao-te-ching is the religious text of china and the religion is known as Taoism. It was written around 6th century B.C and its English translation was done around 19th century is widely spread to east Asia and and is among the most translated wok in the history of world literature. When it was first spread it was it was interpreted through the use of Daoist words and concept. It consist of 81 chapters and poems and describe the way of life and the freedom for desire.7. TalmudIt is religious book of Judaism and is considered second after Torah. It referred to as’ shas’ that defines the oral law of Judaism. it consists of tow parts :the first part is Mishnah, the first written description of oral law of judaism and the second part is Gemara which is also known as Talmud. It consists of 63 tractates and has the standard print is over 6200 pages long.8. Old TestamentIt is the first major division of bible and scared scripture of Judaism. It is made up of 3 parts , the first part was law which was also known as Torah or Pentateuch and the first five books named as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books describe the origin of the world, the relation that we carry in this world and the various rules and regulations that govern the religious beliefs and thoughts.9. New TestamentNew testament is the second major division of the Christian Bible. It consists of 72 books that form the basis of the christian belief. It include the saying of Jesus, his life and his work, the lifetime story of the Jesus, death of Jesus and its resurrection of Jesus now celebrated as Easter. It also consist of instruction for nonbeliever for converting their religion and performing rituals, blessing and baptisms.10. RamayanaIf you read this daily, you will be getting blessings of god since the name of god is like fire. Even if you touch fire unknowingly, your finger will burn. Similarly if you read this even unknowingly, you will be getting blessings of god.11. Quran.It is the holy book of Islam. It consists of 114 suras or chapters which shows the impassioned appeals for belief in god. It consists of lessons and teaching that shows moral life, ethics governing the social and religious life of Muslims. This holy book contains the holy and most pure word god and meaning of it. It was written during Muhammad’s lifetime but it was texted and was not produced until A.D. 650. It is considered as the finest peace of literature in Arabic language.