What Are You Reading?: Calley Sivils

What book are you reading currently? (don’t worry—no spoliers!)

I just finished “On Reading Well” by Karen Swallow Prior

What has been your favorite thing about the book?

Her consideration of word choice and passion for literature and its appreciation are woven in every page! It’s obvious that she delights in others delving into literature and mining its depths rather than just skimming for some ho-hum pass time!

How has this book challenged you?

In a society where little thought is given to what is said before it’s said, where words and the message they communicate mean little, and where we’re so completely centered on our own viewpoints, this book challenges us to read well for ourselves to see ourselves in a mirror—to see the bad as well as the good instead of “self as the highest good.”

Readers beware: it will really make you ask if you actually know how to read.

Do you relate to any of the characters/if so why?

This is a non-fiction read about fiction (which, after reading this, I have become a supporter of!) and she walks us through some of the great works of the ages across cultures and centures—the Great Gatsby, Silence, a Pilgrim’s Progress—for the sake of virtue in an age that has all but forgotten virtue. As she walks through the books, her insight makes the characters relatable and, if you’ve read the works beforehand (some of which I had and some of which I had not) really makes you stop and say “did I even read the same book she did? Wow!!!!”

Would you recommend this to your friends?

11/10 do recommend. It’s a unique topic but perfectly placed in our culture and time of shifting mores and values. If you’re a reader, you’ll love it. If you’re not….well, you might come to understand why so many love reading!

Calley Sivils began her journey toward an Advanced MDiv in Biblical Studies at SEBTS in May of 2018, moving halfway across the country from her home state of Missouri. Her passion is to see cultivated in others a thirst for the Word, a passion for solid theology, and a drive to display Christ as returning King in thought, word, and deed. Calley is a member of Restoration Church and is an imperfect woman astounded hourly by the grace and mercy of a perfect God.