Believe me, it is not hard to get hot under the collar when discussing the topic of the churches and homosexuality, but Australian psychologist Stuart Edser becomes so angry in his book Being Gay, Being Christian (Exisle Publishing) that he probably does more harm than good.
Describing himself as "ex-Catholic and ex-Protestant", he has cobbled together a mishmash of psycho-sexual research findings and some interesting biblical criticism to explain why it is not the Bible that is anti-gay but rather the institutional churches. His solution to how you can be both gay and Christian, therefore, points towards abandoning "big religion" and forming your own sect, which seems to rather dodge the issue.
- Geoffrey Vine
Botswana's favourite detective, Precious Ramotswe, gets a great surprise in Alexander McCall Smith's The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, the latest in his No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series.
Clovis Andersen, the author of the book by which Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi run their detective agency, pays them a visit and even assists them in their work.
McCall Smith maintains his usual tone of gentle tolerance and kindness, and fans will find no surprises here. But after watching the excellent TV series based on the books, I kept hearing the charmingly accented voices of Jill Scott and Anita Noni Rose in my head as I read.
- Janice Murphy
What, no courtroom?
John Grisham might be better known for his legal thrillers but he branches out from time to time, and in the novella Calico Joe (Doubleday) he touches on the great sport of baseball.
It's a yarn about an estranged father and son, and the unforgettable moment that tore them apart.
Baseball fans will dig the insertion of the fictional moment into real-life storylines, but even those who don't know the meanings of pop fly, RBI and three-bagger can enjoy the interesting story.
It's a quick, enjoyable read and there is even a handy introduction explaining the basics to newcomers to America's pastime.
- Hayden Meikle
