Review: Reading Between the Lines

Reading Between the Lines book cover on blue background

Though this book was first published 34 years ago, the content remains relevant and timely to us as readers today. Reading Between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith Jr. is an engaging book about how Christians can "get more out of their reading."

Book Synopsis

A guidebook for those who want to cultivate literary taste―knowing how to recognize and benefit from books that are spiritually and aesthetically good.

Literary expert Gene Veith helps book lovers better understand what they read as he explains how each major literary genre communicates. Showing how comedy, tragedy, realism, and fantasy can portray the Christian worldview, Veith delves into related topics such as the value of fairy tales, the tragic and the comic sense of life, the contrast between the classical and the Hebraic traditions, and the role of postmodernity (a subject of vital importance to Christians). Introducing readers to writers past and present, Veith helps Christians to influence culture from an educated perspective and get more out of their reading.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

This is a book I've been meaning to get to for some time, so I'm grateful I got to hear it on audiobook as it can read a little more densely like a textbook. That being said, it's a solid treatise regarding literary understanding and how the Christian faith can and should impact reading. I appreciated the logical breakdown of the book into the forms, modes, and traditions of literature, all meant to inform readers on the intended purposes of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, tragedy, comedy, realism, and fantasy. Personally, I found this analysis to be a useful lens in evaluating literature and thinking more critically about it.

All in all, this book is a celebration of literature and the power of the word. The sections on what literacy means to Christians were my favourite, especially as a pathway to better comprehending how faith can play a role in how literature is interpreted and what can be learnt from it. Of value is the final chapter with further information regarding readers, authors, and publishers and the relationships between them. Readers who enjoy reading about reading will find much to mine in this volume as they examine books from a Christian worldview and appreciate just what it means to be readers of words, and ultimately, doers of The Word.

Book Summary

Format of book: 🎧
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Review: The Call of Living Water - Refuge #1

Be still, my missions-loving heart! This is hands-down, one of the best fictional books I've read on this theme, and I cannot gush enough about it. The Call of Living Water by Alexis M. Melvin is a new book that will be released on August 23, 2025 and if I had to suggest a Christian fiction title that could make a difference in your walk with God this summer, it would be this one. Many thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : tribal sacrifices, martyrdom Book Synopsis When the God of Living Water calls, will Suái be willing to risk her life and the lives of everyone she loves to answer? Deep in the jungle of Paraguay, Suái’s tribe worships indifferent gods who withhold the life-giving rain unless their worshippers make costly sacrifices. However, when a missionary arrives speaking of the loving God of Living Water, Suái’s curiosity leads her down a dangerous path. Thrust into a new life with p...

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...

Review: No Stone Unturned - The Bluestocking Society #1

Seeing so many glowing reviews about No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde after it was released, I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to still read a copy while it was available. Not only did the cover captivate me, I'm thrilled that its content was just as engaging as I envisioned it would be. Many thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. In this Regency romance set in rolling hills of West Sussex, two opposing wills discover their fate may lie in the common ground. Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history and antiquities defies most social conventions, even in her small village nestled in the beautiful English countryside. When a local farmer discovers an elaborate mosaic buried in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name and future for herself by excavating the Roman r...