The Booking Through Thursday question for today is:

If you’re anything like me, one of your favorite reasons to read is for the story. Not for the character development and interaction. Not because of the descriptive, emotive powers of the writer. Not because of deep, literary meaning hidden beneath layers of metaphor. (Even though those are all good things.) No … it’s because you want to know what happens next?

Or, um, is it just me?

Actually, I love to read for all those reasons. I have enjoyed the character development in some books even when I wasn’t thrilled with the story. I enjoy a writer who has a good balance of “descriptive, emotive powers” — either of those can be overdone, but when they are done well, they add much to the enjoyment of a book. I love deep meanings and metaphor, again, when they are done well and balanced: when they are too subtle or too obvious, they take away from the story.

But of all those elements, I would have to say the “what comes next” is probably what keeps me most engaged. Character development is probably close to equal of that, but the other elements fall a little flat if the story itself isn’t very good, though they may provide pockets of enjoyment.

I wanted to combine BTT with a book game I saw referenced at Deena‘s (just so as not to have too many posts in one day, as I am working on another one after this): Adam at Letters on Pages wants to know what our favorite biographies and religious books are here.

Well, anyone who reads here much knows I love Christian biographies, especially those of missionaries. It would be hard to narrow it down to one, but if I had to, it would be Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank Houghton. And my favorite religious nonfiction book, aside from the Bible, would be Changed Into His Image by Jim Berg. One of my earliest posts on my blog was a list of favorite non-fiction books, here.

The folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the last Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and plan to read. You can learn more about it by clicking the link or the button.

I just finished To Kill a Mockingbird and published a review this morning before seeing this carnival. Over the past few years I have been making my way through some classics I had missed. There was no particular reason for choosing this one at this time — it was just on my mental list of classics to explore.

This month I also read It Happens Every Spring, coauthored by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer, the first of a series, in order to illustrate through fiction some of Chapman’s teachings about dealing with seasons of marriage. I didn’t realize that most of the series had already been published — I had thought this was a brand new book. So I will definitely be looking for the next ones. I picked it up because I had read and enjoyed many of Catherine Palmer’s other books. She’s quite a prolific author and covers a great variety of settings, but for some reason she’s not an author you hear about as much as some others. My review of this book is here.

I am currently rereading Simple Gifts by Lori Copeland, about a woman from a quite unconventional family — raised by two elderly aunts since her parents were both mentally challenged — who, in trying to get away makes some serious mistakes. Though the main character has many serious issues to face, the book is quite funny. I volunteered to review it for another site, but I am ashamed to say I just didn’t get around to it after reading the book, so I am rereading it to refresh my memory. It was my first reading experience with Lori, and I enjoyed it a lot — and am enjoying it again.

Waiting for me are two other books, Thread of Deceit by Catherine Palmer and Home to Hart’s Crossing by Robin Lee Hatcher, that I bought at the same time as It Happens Every Spring. I have also been wanting to reread To the Golden Shore by Courtney Anderson about the life of America’s first missionary, Adoniram Judson. It is one of my missions in life to encourage people to read missionary biographies old and new. I can’t adequately express what God has done in my heart through such books. Due out this month are two anticipated sequels, The Longing, from The Courtship of Nellie Fisher series by Beverly Lewis, and Sunset by Karen Kingsbury, I believe the last in the long series of series about the Baxter family. I am not sure which classic I will explore next: I have been wanting to reread Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, so I may do that.

It’s looking to be a great reading month!

To join in or see what is on other people’s nightstands, go here.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is ostensibly about a white man defending a black man accused of raping a white girl in the Alabama of the 1930s. But it has so many more layers. It is about irrational and ludicrous attitudes of the pre-civil rights south. It is also about one decent man trying to do the right thing and about children discovering the strength of character of their father.

The story is told through the eyes of Scout, the young daughter of wise, warm, and gentle lawyer, Atticus Finch. The events of the story take place from her sixth to almost ninth year, and at first the book seems a memoir to carefree childhood as she and her older brother Jem and friend Dill fabricate new schemes to try to see elusive neighbor Boo Radley or to entice him out of his house. In fact, at first I was tempted to grow impatient with this part of the book, wondering when we were going to get to the “real” story, but I had faith that the author had a a purpose to this section. And, indeed, we are introduced to the family, neighbors, town and culture. Most of all, the character of Atticus is revealed through small conversations and interchanges.

Slowly awareness begins to dawn that trouble is brewing for Scout’s father. When she hears him being defamed, she defends his honor the only way she knows how, by fighting. Atticus tells Scout, “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ’em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change…it’s a good one even if it does resist learning.” She later overhears a conversation he has with his brother about the case, the impossibility of it but the necessity of it, the fact his children are going to have a hard time of it, but he hopes they come through without bitterness and without the prejudices of the town, then he calls to her in her hideout and tells her to go on to bed. She says, “I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said.”Later he tells her, “It’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you.”

So often we want to make things as easy for our children as possible, but I was impressed that Atticus wanted his children to face the coming trials with self-control, and in addition he wanted them to love and respect their friends and neighbors even when they were in the wrong. Fighting injustice, even in people’s hearts, doesn’t justify hating those people.

It was an interesting choice, and a wise one, for the author to tell the story through a child’s eyes, through the gradual unfolding of understanding and conscience. To a child’s mind, a teacher’s denouncing of Hitler’s treatment of the Jews doesn’t line up with her disparaging remarks about black people, and the point is made in all its truth and simplicity without being didactic.

It’s sad that the book has sometimes been banned for its portrayal of black people when part of the author’s intent was to defend black people and to speak against prejudice. Her portrayal is a sketch of how it was, not how it should be. I can see holding off the reading of it for younger people. The themes are definitely for a mature reader. There is a smattering of bad language, the bulk of which occurs when Scout is trying to convince her father she picked up such words at school in the hope that he won’t send her back. I wish that language was not there, both because I don’t want to hear it, and because it is not necessary, and because it keeps some from the book who would otherwise enjoy it. I did grow up in a non-Christian family and I do know some people speak that way in real life, but still I don’t want to put such things in my mind. Normally I avoid books with bad language, but I did want to explore this classic.

For such serious and awful subject themes, there is a lot of humor and warmth in the book. I enjoyed the author’s irony and subtlety. Before reading the book, I could not understand how the title related to the subject, but it becomes clear when Atticus explains to his children why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

I just watched the film for the first time last night. Gregory Peck is perfectly cast as Atticus. Of course, in the limited time frame of a film, many scenes were left out, and, as usual, reading the book is a much richer experience, but I did enjoy the film, too.

(This review will be linked to Semicolon‘s weekly book reviews on Saturday.)