A walk to the bookstore

This entry does not appear that exciting, but I think that's the point. Little things can mean a lot.

So, to set the scene - I've been sick for what seems like a ridiculous amount of time. Being sick = no exercise + no socializing = bored + lonely.

Enter last Friday. I feel low. I decide, at minimum, I can take a walk. So, walk I did. I walked about 2 miles to a bookstore. A little fresh air does wonders. The simple act of walking and being outside in fresh air changed my mood entirely. A good thing. Then, there's being in a bookstore. I love bookstores!!! Once inside, I spent a lot of time looking at these amazingly illustrated books about sea-life, anatomy and physiology. These books are for children/young adults, but the illustrations are gorgeous and I don't need much more than simple explanations about how cells fight disease to be astounded.

I took this picture to send to my friend who is studying to be a PA (Physician's Assistant) just to tell her now neat I think it is that she is learning all about anatomy, physiology, etc.

I also spent a lot of time reading this book, for obvious reasons: I just don't know much about the Bible. 

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However, I would be embarrassed to read this book in public. So instead, I bought the less conspicuous and less embarrassing book:

It's fascinating. I would like to know not only the exact words of the bible, but the historical context of the peoples who wrote the bible and lived in biblical times.

I learned that 1) the original scripts that became the bible were in Hebrew and Assyrian, then translated to Greek 2) the time period over which the Bible was written was about 1000 to 1500 years, 3) while the Christian bible contains the Old Testament and the New Testament, for Jewish people, there is no New Testament - their bible consists of the same books in what Christians call the Old Testament, 4) our alphabet came from the Phoenicians, who lived in what is now Lebanon. Ancient Hebrew had no vowels, only consonants, and the Greeks are credited with creating the vowel system. 5) there are many versions of the bible including King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), etc...

I know people don't like to discuss religion, but I think the simple sub-topic of bible versions should be safe, right? So, is there a version that YOU recommend?