Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.
Marg has the Mr Linky this week!
Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber –Described as “the memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University”, this got a surprisingly good review in the Washington Post last year and I’d been eager to try it ever since. I read it immediately after picking it up and, have to say, I was not particularly impressed. It sounds intriguing but evangelical cant, terribly-written dialogue and a generally shallow exploration of why Weber was drawn to Christianity (as far as I can tell, a handsome young man started telling her bible stories – which she, a graduate student in literature, had apparently never read before – and that was all it took) made for a disappointing read. On the other hand, the bits about Oxford are nice.
The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire – I loved Essex County and as soon as I discovered (through Ana’s review) that Lemire had a new book out I rushed to place a hold on it.
Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding – I have had a hold on this for ages but clearly it was fate that it arrive this week, since both Iris and Teresa have just posted their reviews, making me even more intrigued to get started.
What did you pick up this week?
The Captive Reader 
Current reading: The Painter’s Apprentive by Charlotte Betts (in a word: wonderful);
To be followed by: The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields
On the back burner, still being read: The Knot by Jane Borodale
Great loot! Enjoy.
That’s disappointing about Surprised by Oxford. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while but it sounds like it’s not really worth it.
Your loot always makes me drool. That Oxford one is to die for.
I found Surprised by Oxford to be disappointing too when I tried reading it earlier this year. I guess I should have let you know it wasn’t that good since you were the one who recommended it to me! Anne Lamott is a much better writer about faith. I couldn’t believe the author of Surprised by Oxford had actually gone to Oxford it was so badly written! 😉