In 2006, in an attempt to avoid graduate school and getting a real job, I signed up to do work in an urban setting for a year. This was the summer after my senior year of college and I had been accepted into Candler School of Theology, but I didn’t want to go to school for three more years. So I googled “social justice mission work” and a program called Mission Year popped up on the screen. Naturally, I applied to this program that promised to send me to an urban area affected by poverty in Chicago, Philly, San Francisco, or New Orleans.

I ended up in Camden, New Jersey.

Camden is outside of Philly, but it is in New Jersey, and it makes Philly look like Mayberry from the Andy Griffin show. Okay, not really, but Camden is Camden. It is one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S., it is one of the poorest cities in the U.S., and it is one of the most hostile cities in the U.S. Needless to say, I fell in love with this city and her people.

I lived in a house with six other people. We were six strangers, brought together, to live in a house in a neighborhood in East Camden. We went to church together, we worked together, we ate together, we shared all of our resources; some of us even shared our clothes! It was an incredible opportunity to live in community. It was an amazing place of vulnerability. If you were dealing with crap, then it was going to come to the surface, because we were always in each other’s faces. It was crazy because it was like this weird marriage of seven different people from all over the United States. We were also all privileged white kids who found ourselves in the midst of a community that did not look like us. Looking back, I think, “What in the hell was I thinking?” but it was a beautiful, chaotic, and messy time in my life.

My housemates and I all volunteered at organizations in Camden. I, the only one with a degree in education, and I ended up working at Urban Promise Academy of Camden. UP has a private high school that was basically a home school for students who had fallen through the cracks at the city high schools. I taught consumer math and 10^th grade remedial English. My students were teenage mothers and gang members, sexually active, and foul-mouthed; and each one of them was beautiful. I mean, sometimes I really was frustrated with them and wanted to fail them all because they could be absolute twits, but they were beautiful nonetheless and they taught me more than I could ever teach them. I had been this naïve white boy who thought he was going to be a savior to all; but I was the one who was saved.

It was during my time in Camden that I picked up a book entitled, Let Justice Roll Down by John Perkins. This book would change my life forever. In order to spare you a book report, I’m not going to delve too deep into the book. However, I will tell you this: The 22 years that I had lived prior to this moment were deconstructed before my eyes and my perfect little world was shattered.

Let Justice Roll Down takes place in Mississippi, and here I was, in Camden, New Jersey reading about incidents that took place in the town where I grew up. Things I never knew. The way John Perkins was treated by the sheriff in town, the same man who was a principal at the same school I grew up going to. I recognized other names of people who did terrible and horrid things towards people of color and John Perkins himself. It was an awakening for me. It is no coincidence that my friend gave me that book. He knew I was from Mississippi, and he also knew that I had never really learned about the civil rights movement in Mississippi. He also knew that there was so much white privilege that I had never confronted in myself. So when I say that a book changed my life, I mean it.

And that is why I love working here at Lemuria Bookstore, because I can sell people books that may change them. My story seems to be a bit more dramatic because of the period of my life I was in. Yes, the book changed my life, but I was also inserted into a place and situation where my life was going to change. However, you don’t always have to be uprooted from everything you’ve ever known to have your life turned upside down. There are books out there that will change you. There are books out there that will challenge you and make you question everything that you have ever known. Books have the ability to make you a better person, so that you can create a better world around you! Why do you think some of the most repressive and oppressive regimes don’t want people to read? Why do you think that so many schools and institutions have banned books lists? Books change people. I’m a testament to that.

After that year in Camden I did go to Divinity school at Duke University. I held Camden deep in my heart, and I told everyone that they needed to read Let Justice Roll Down. I’m sure I was overzealous in my trying to make people read it. All that being said, reading Let Justice Roll Down instilled in me this ethos that all people matter. When we forget that people matter, we turn them into commodities. Black lives matter. Gay lives matter. The lives of women matter. Peoples’ lives matter.

So, this holiday season, when so many of us celebrated that good in humanity, don’t be afraid to pick up a book that might challenge you. And if you want a suggestion, come see me at Lemuria. I’m sure I can help you find a book that will at least make you think!

Written by Justin 

John Williams died when I was 6 years old.  I have read all 4 of his novels during my 26^th year of breathing.  When I try to sell his books to someone, I never know what to say about them, which seems strange because I like them so much.  Subtle isn’t the right word because I understand them.  Clever isn’t the right word because they are straightforward.  Slow isn’t the right word because I read them in hours-long chunks.  But, all of these words could be used by someone else to describe them.  Maybe I’m being self conscious because they seem so personal to me.  Obviously, he is talented (he won the National Book award in 1972), but more than that, his books seems like a private conversation between me and an author that has fallen out of the canon of must-read classics.

All of his books focus on a central character, and makes your heart ache for that person in simple language that says way more than what is on the page.  The subjects of the books themselves pluck at main nerves in my psyche.  An idiotic kid follows his need to experience the raw, painful beauty found in nature.  A farmer’s son has to abandon his parents to chase the true meaning of English literature and all the knowledge it can impart.  I cannot recommend Stoner or Butcher’s Crossing enough, and I look forward immensely to his other works. I will let Mr. Williams have the last word.

“He went free upon the plain in the western horizon which seemed to stretch without interruption toward the setting sun, and he could not believe that here were towns and cities in it of enough consequence to disturb him.  He felt that wherever he lived, and wherever he would live hereafter, he was leaving the city more and more, withdrawing into the wilderness.  He felt that this was the central meaning that he could find in all his life, and it seemed to him then that all the events of this childhood and his youth had led him unknowingly to this moment upon which he posed, as if before flight.”

-Butcher’s Crossing

Written by Daniel 

alien.  tractor beam.  blaster.  death ray.  dystopia.  first contact.  homeworld.  moonbase.  parallel universe.  worm hole.  time travel.  George Lucas.  Star Wars.  Star Trek.  William Shatner.  Captain Picard.  space:  the final frontier.  blue milk.  sci-fi conventions.  nerds.

Nerds.  NERDS.  (Just kidding—I’m a nerd.)

Here’s the thing:  I’m not a sci-fi reader.  I don’t get space travel.  I don’t get the appeal of a good, sensible person wanting to be torn apart by his molecules and be jettisoned across the cosmos to meet a distant alien race.  I don’t want to have to fight for my life by shooting a blaster in the enemy’s direction.  I would die.  I would straight-up die and not by an alien’s death-ray but by snagging my suit on some branch and popping like a helium-filled balloon at a child’s birthday party.

So, needless to say, I am not a sci-fi reader.  My mind just doesn’t get it.

But, give me a character that I can relate to and a storyline that is feasible and you have me.  See, it’s not that hard.

In The Book of Strange New Things, Michel Faber brings all of this to the reader and then some.  [Faber is most known for his second and most commercially successful novel, The Crimson Petal and the White.] The journey that Faber takes the reader on shows the beauty of a strange new world and the juxtaposition of a failing and disaster-ridden Earth.

Meet Peter Leigh, our protagonist who is about to venture into the unknown.  Peter, a Christian pastor, has been selected by a company called “USIC”  to minister to the native population of a newly colonized planet called Oasis.  Peter will be separated from his wife, Beatrice, by light-years.  Peter leaves behind Bea, their cat, Joshua, his church, and an Earth filled with pre-apocalyptic events taking place every time the reader turns a page.

In The Book of Strange New Things, Faber doesn’t try to stretch the reader’s mind too far.  We have a man, a planet, a cryptic company sending and supplying men with whatever materials are needed, a workforce made up of characters who have dark pasts, a previous minister who has gone missing, and a new alien race.  I appreciate that there are no space wars, no blasters, and nothing to distract me from reading.  It’s as if I know I am reading something similar to science fiction but I’m not actually reading science fiction.  I’m only reminded when Peter and Bea communicate via “shoot,” which is USIC’s version of digitalized messaging, and Bea comments on the travesties that are ensnarling the earth both economically and geographically.

Peter is eager to start his mission (no pun intended).  Yet, it seems that Peter is a bit out of his element at the USIC base, which seems to be filled with people who believe his Christian mission is pointless.  The native civilization, which some members refer to as “Freaktown” or more politically correct, C-2, is some 50 miles away from the USIC base.  Having rested a bit, Peter is ready to meet his new congregation with the help of Grainger, a USIC pharmacist with a troubled past.

Farber describes the natives from Peter’s viewpoint, “Here was a face that was nothing like a face.  Instead, it was a massive whitish-pink walnut kernel.  Or no:  Even more, it resembled a placenta with two fetuses—maybe 3-month-old twins, hairless and blind—nestled head to head, kneed to knee.  Their swollen heads constituted the Oasan’s clefted forehead, so to speak; their puny ribbed backs formed his cheeks, their spindly arms and webbed feet merged in a tangle of translucent flesh that might contain—in some form unrecognizable to him—a mouth, nose, eyes.”  The Oasan’s know some English but have trouble with “s” and “t” pronunciations.  This will prove a challenge later when Peter is transcribing passages.  Their voices are not mellifluous rather they “sounded like a field of brittle reeds and rain-sodden lettuces being cleared by a machete.”

Peter’s one and only goal is to minister to the Oasan’s but he finds, with great surprise and relief, that the natives already know about Jesus and are extremely delighted to find out that Peter has “The Book of Strange New Things,” but dare not call it a Bible.  In reality, Peter, now known as Father Peter, only has to keep the Oasan’s happy and take them further into learning about Christianity.

Over time, Peter cannot empathize with the troubles of Earth nor can he relate to his wife, who only sends him distressing news of events back home.  Gradually, Peter all but stops responding to his wife’s concerns.  In addition, the more time Peter spends with the Oasan’s the more he cannot even relate to those he works with at USIC.  Often, he finds himself not being able to stand loud noises, pointless conversation, and the sterile living quarters of USIC.

I enjoyed the character of Peter and how I could relate to him as a reader.  No, I’ve never gone into space to evangelize to aliens, but I do know what it is like to have an overall goal and to feel distant from others because of what my work entails.  The reader can find themselves in Peter and can empathize, if not religiously, with him on many levels (i.e. human struggle, an incomprehensible goal, the struggle of being away from a loved one, etc.)

Naturally, questions are raised throughout the story.  Are the events of Earth pre-apocalyptic?  What will happen with Bea and Peter?  What happened to the first minister?  Does Peter know that the Oasan’s are truly peaceful?  Is a relationship forming with Grainger?  Does Peter have the desire to even return to Earth?

All are answered in Michel Farber’s The Book of Strange New Things.

(And not a single blaster shot or blue milk spilled.)

Written by Laura 

As I said in my last blog, there are many books piling up around me; threatening to cave in and come crashing down upon me if I do not show them the proper attention they deserve- and soon. Luckily all book lovers (or should I say book hoarders) know that there is no shame in having stacks of books around the house. They’re an extension of furniture and decoration; but I can see where it can be a slight inconvenience in a small space like a dorm room (many apologies to my roommate). So let’s raise a book to the piles and endless stacks in your home as we count down the novels I’d like to get my hands on, as soon as possible.

Part Two

Novels, of the Adult Variety:

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Two summers ago a customer came into the store and successfully sold this book to three Lemurians. I am the last of the three who has not yet read it, and it eats me up inside. Hannah can tell you, this book is amazing.

The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

I love the first book in this series, A Natural History of Dragons, and I mean love. Then again, I do love dragons, but there’s more to this book than just mythical creatures. Personally, I think the main idea behind this series is really creative. It’s a memoir of a fictional woman in a fictional world where there are such things as dragon naturalists. Did I mention the action and adventure?

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

HOW HAVE I NOT YET READ THIS?? My life is missing crucial elements and experiences and this book is one of them. One day, Mr. Wilde, I will read this book of yours, hopefully, in the not too distant future.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

While Jane Eyre is not necessarily something Ron Weasley would describe as “a bit of light reading,” (that’s a Harry Potter reference for you crazy kids out there who have yet to read the series) I have always wanted to read this classic. And I think this winter, under the cold and rain-drenched skies, would be an excellent time to start.

The Orenda by Joseph Boyden

If you have found yourself within Lemuria during this past year, then you have most likely heard of this book. It’s even been blogged about before, by Hannah and Andre; and for good reason, it’s amazing. Maybe I’m not allowed to technically say that yet since I’m only halfway through, but who cares? I’m going to say it anyway. IT’S AMAZING.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Have you ever experienced that moment when you come across a book and find yourself drawn to it without knowing anything about it, other than what the cover says, that this is the book for you? Well, that is how I feel about this book. I can’t say whether I will love it or not since I have not read it yet, but there is something inside me that says I don’t have a choice in the matter. Just read this excerpt:

“Once, in my father’s bookshop, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later—no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget—we will return.”

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

This just looks wonderful, if you’re into fantasy, then this is the book for you. When anyone comes into the store looking for something in this genre, it’s one of the first books either Austen or Daniel will recommend.

The Kept by James Scott

I’m not far into the story, just thirty pages or so, but it was interesting enough to get me to buy a copy of the book for myself. Which is saying something, because I am a poor college student who can’t afford to purchase a copy of every book I want to read.

Written by Elizabeth 

Sometime back, around 1996, Willie Morris emceed a dog show and adopt-a-thon right in Banner Hall’s own Lemuria Bookstore. 10 dogs with colorful bandanas sashayed over the green carpet to the easy crooning of our dear Willie, a ham of a performer and a dog-lover himself. Most of the dogs got adopted that day, and mostly to the employees. It was a feel-good event for everyone and for dogs sheltered at the city of Jackson Animal Shelter, located across WLBT at the time (now located at 140 Outer Circle).

It’s amazing how much sheltering and rescuing is going on around this city. Jackson has two no-kill shelters, CARA and ARF. Then we have the Mississippi Animal Rescue League in a beautiful almost new building housing everything from dogs and cats to pigs, birds and horses or anything else brought their way. Of course, there is my own volunteer group, Jackson Friends of the Animal Shelter, the support group for the city pound or City of Jackson Animal Shelter. There is Cheshire Abbey, a foster and rescue group without a building of its own. And if you go to www.petfinder.com, you will find quite a few small groups doing what they can to save specific breeds. It’s totally amazing how many more animals are being saved due to these shelters, the tireless volunteers, the individuals who pick strays up off the streets, vet them and find them homes.

My favorite phone calls are those that go like this: “I’m looking for a dog for my mother who lives alone or for a family whose kids are looking for a four (or three) legged best friend”. It’s a heartwarmer to see a family meet their new best friend at the city shelter on Sunday afternoons when all the volunteers are there from 1 to 3, washing, bathing, playing with, feeding dogs and cats. And the volunteers keep coming, new ones every week. The fellowship is extraordinary.

So talking about Jackson to me is sharing the good news that homeless furry friends stand a much better chance of a second chance than they did, say, just 10 years ago. There’s still a lot to do. And doing it together gathers so many people of all races and ages throughout our city. All for the love of dogs. . .and cats, too.

It’s not too late to give a home to an animal who needs some love this Christmas!

Written by Pat

Jackson: photographs by Ken Murphy is available now for purchase. To order a copy, call Lemuria Books at 601.366.7619 or visit us online at lemuriabooks.com.