News in the religion and spirituality publishing industry today includes author Ros Barber's discussion of her new novel and the distinctions between faith and science. Also, the Bible came in at #6 on the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s list of “most challenged” books of 2015, and Business Insider listed 24 books that can inspire readers.
Devotion, the new novel by Rob Barber, is centered on faith, science, and grief. During a recent Q&A, the author told the Huffington Post that the book explores the connections between each. "I don’t see science and spirituality as mutually exclusive, although I once did,” she said.
For readers in need of inspiration, Business Insider listed 24 books that have a track record of changing lives. Included among the titles is Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment and Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.
The annual list from the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reveals the top 10 most frequently challenged books, including the Bible, which came in at #6 for 2015. Each book listed has drawn written complaints and requests for removal due to content or appropriateness, according to the ALA. Other books on the list that were challenged for reasons involving “religious viewpoint” include I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter.
