Don’t forget to fill me in on what books you’ve been reading this summer. And I encourage you to look through the recommendations people have been giving. There are some great books in there. I will be choosing the “winner” in a few weeks. This book will become the September “Book of the Month” as part of the regular Book Club. Everyone will be “required” to read it (of course I use the term “required” very loosely as nobody’s making you do anything here) and there will be questions and discussion and the whole nine yards. Whoever “wins” by choosing the book will get some kind of prize which will be determined later and perhaps tailored to your individual situation. Prize or no, keep the book recommendations coming.
Also, as part of this year’s Summer Reading Club, try to read a book you were required to read at some point in your life, but didn’t. I realize there are a few who this doesn’t apply to . In that case, read that big thick daunting book you’ve been putting off for years. Or the book everybody’s been telling you to read but you’ve been resisting. Are you picking up on something here? I just want you to read something you wouldn’t normally choose to read yourself. And let me know what your experience was like.
You may be wondering what I’m reading during this time. I’ve actually chosen to read a book I was supposed to read in college but didn’t. It’s called The Killer Angels, and was the basis for the movie Gettysburg. I’ve heard so much about it the last few years that I had to check it out for myself.
The bottom line here: read something. And tell us about it…
I'm still at camp (Thank goodness for staff days off!) but I wanted to throw in a book I read here. One of my fellow staff members told me to read a novel called "The Most Important Little Boy In The World", and let me tell you, I cried and cried and cried at the end. I don't remember who wrote it, and I'm not going to go across the street to my cabin to find out, but it is an amazing book. It gets a little monotonous at times, but it'll give you an amazing new look at life and at Jesus.
-Sarah
Posted by: Sarah | July 29, 2005 at 12:06 PM
Sam, there will be no need for the Cliffsnotes on Killer Angels, especially since the movie has already been released.
I walked past a box of books in the basement of my church on Sunday, and I spotted a Methodist Hymnal. This is a strange thing since it's not a Methodist Church. I picked up the hymnal, and underneath was a book called Methodism in Kentucky (c. 1979). Ahhhhh, two of my favorite subjects in the same book! So that's what I'm reading now. I love to read about the history of the Methodist Church in Kentucky. I recently finished a poorly written Autobiography of John Wesley Hughes. Hughes was the Methodist pastor who started Asbury College in 1890.
Although Methodism in Kentucky gives a very brief history of the beginning of the Methodist Societies in Kentucky starting in Perryville in the 1780s (before Kentucky seperated from Virginia to become it's own state), most of the book covers 1845 to 1979. I haven't read the chapter yet, but I think the split in the Methodist Church occurred in 1845 creating the Methodist Church and the Methodist Episcopal South. Reunification happened in 1959, but the church I grew up in was built during the period of the split, and was a Methodist Episcopal South church as could be seen on a stone that was part of the church.
I don't think this book would ever be found on Amazon, and only a very few people in the world (or even Kentucky) would ever be interested in reading about the history of the Methodist Church in Kentucky. I was able to relay to a friend of mine where the name of the Methodist church where he grew up got it's name. He said the Ogden Memorial Church (Methodist) is directly across the street from the Baptist church where he went with his parents while growing up. I was able to tell him about Benjamin Ogden who pastored some Methodist circuts in the Western part of Kentucky starting in 1817. So the book has already proven useful.
Posted by: A Baker | July 26, 2005 at 07:38 AM
Aslan is a metaphor for Christ...you were spot on there. I love the bit where CS Lewis describes the creation of Narnia - as though Aslan was singing a song across the earth - beautiful!
I'm reading a book called "Searching for the God You're Supposed To Know" by Ben Windle. It's aimed at people raised in church - the tag line is "How can you return to your first love when there was never a first?". As far as I know it's only available in Australia, but you may be able to get it through Ben's website www.benwindle.com or even through Koorong (they ship internationally) www.koorong.com
Posted by: Paula | July 25, 2005 at 08:21 PM
Hey Mark!! I just got my list of books
I need to get before school. One of the books is the Killer Angels. Are you enjoying it so far? Let me know how it is. I wonder if Cliffsnotes....?
Posted by: Sam | July 25, 2005 at 07:52 PM
I read the incredibly long "Tale of Two Cities" for the Summer Club....I'm 16 right now....last year we were supposed to read it....but of course i didnt......it is an amazing book.....the characters are very interesting.....contrasting each other perfectly.....the ending reminds me of my relationship with Christ, and how he died for me selflessly
Shawn
Posted by: Shawn | July 25, 2005 at 01:05 PM
Ok.......I finished reading "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". Excellent book! I can't help but corrolate the Lion with Christ. Am I thinking correctly here? It seems like what happened with the Lion is just like a crucifixion. He sacrificed himself to save the others. And yet rose again. Has anyone else gotten that? Sorry to hijack, I just really loved that book! I am now on the reading "The Horse and His Boy".
Posted by: Angie | July 25, 2005 at 09:18 AM
Evidently some geek must have emptied out his basement, because I hit the "quick read science fiction" motherload last week. I am abandoning the intellectual reads for a summer of space ships and atlernate universes. Please, don't think less of me.
http://haystacks37643.blogspot.com/2005/07/are-you-book-snob.html
Posted by: Traci | July 25, 2005 at 08:15 AM
Ah ha, I found it... The book is titled "Lost Love: A True Story of Passion, Murder, and Justice" by George Cooper.
Posted by: Kara | July 24, 2005 at 04:46 PM
I started reading! *gasp* I haven't read "A Tale of Two Cities" yet, but I did read LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring......very good book! I have read "The Magicians Nephew" by CS Lewis. I heard so many good things and kept seeing people talk about The Chronicles of Narnia, that I just felt drawn to read them. I am now reading "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". Very very good book so far! I will then read the third book of the series, and then on to reading the second LOTR book. I could only afford to buy a few of the Chronicles series, and decided to go check out some more Tolkien.
Posted by: Angie | July 23, 2005 at 10:02 AM
Just finished Blue Like Jazz. Miller brings up some interesting points (still chewing on the Unitarian/hippie/love chapter) and some are just wacko. :p Overall, there's a small group of us collegiates that are probably going to disect this book as our next project. (We just spent 6 months on James!)
Currently reading a Civil War love triangle story about a newspaper editor and his divorce and ex-wife's subsequent suitor. Historical books (imho) are the best. The title escapes me at the moment. (It was a thrift store prize at $1.08!)
Posted by: Kara | July 23, 2005 at 04:41 AM
I'm reading a book on the Church and Mental Illness. very very fascinating. i don't remember the exact title, but wiht my luck, it will be "The Church and Mental Illness" i know it's something like htat. i just started it but so far is very good and informative. There are so many people in the church who view mental illness as just a weakness and not something chemical and a disease. I know that i have been hurt by many Christians who claim that i just need to "pull myself out of it" when i just can't. i'm looking foward to finishing this book and will be sure to add more later! woo hoo!
Posted by: Angela | July 22, 2005 at 11:11 PM
Mark & all - I've got a ton of books I've been reading this summer. I'm a bit of a junkie. Well - the One Year Bible is kind of my main stay, as you'll see at my blog. If you could make this your January 2006 Book of the Month selection Mark I'd greatly appreciate it! :) It will get folks in the Word all year! New Living Translation I have been loving.
Okay, onto the other books I've been reading. I actually just finished "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance" by Donald Miller. It is phenomenal! It was the very first book he wrote back in 2000 and it's now out of print. Though you can pick it up super cheap used off amazon.com. Donald is actually re-releasing this book this summer - August 16, 2005 to be exact - under the title "Through Painted Deserts : Light, God and Beauty on the Open Road." I honestly cannot recommend this book highly enough. I loved Blue Like Jazz, but for some reason I liked this book even more - it's more of a straight line road trip story with some great commentary Donald Miller style. This could be a great September book read for everyone. Check out details at amazon here - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0785209824/
Currently I am reading "Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas." This book is fantastic! It's basically a long conversation between these 2 - with Bono's answers being the mainstay of the book. For U2 fans, I cannot recommend this highly enough. One warning though - Bono cusses in this book - but, as you read it you will see why - his Irish dad & upbringing! :) Details here - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1573223093/
Actually, I think probably a better U2 / faith related book that I think the crowd on this blog would love is "Walk On The Spiritual Journey of U2" by Steve Stockman. I actually met Steve in Belfast, Northern Ireland a couple of years ago at a Bebo Norman show he was promoting. Anyhow - Steve wrote this book a few years back - but he just re-released it with some new chapters based on the band's latest album & tour. This could be a great September book for this blog crowd. Details here - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0976035758/
Another great book I read recently was "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren. Very thought provoking! I didn't agree with everything in it - but I appreciated what Brian was trying to do with the book. Good stuff... Details - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0310257476/
Other books in my stack to read - which I will hold off to read until September in case one gets picked - "Girl Meets God" by Lauren Winner, "Traveling Mercies" by Anne Lamott and "My Faith So Far: A story of conversion and confusion" by Patton Dodd.
Hope this is a decent list of book ideas?? :)
Grace!
Mike
Posted by: www.OneYearBibleBlog.com | July 22, 2005 at 09:39 PM
Father Joe by Tony Hendra is great. I would also try out The Princess Bride by William Goldman.
Posted by: Seth Reese | July 22, 2005 at 04:32 PM
I read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. Back in school, the book was banned. I grew up knowing it was a 'bad' book, but got assigned to read it in college. After reading it, I realized that it 'should' be a must read. It was a snapshot into an era, it was beautifully written. It had humor, it made you frustrated, it was tense, it surprised you...and I think it was an incredible book. The only hard part was getting past the 'n' word. But even that, if you understood the era, wasn't used maliciously.
My new goal is to read more 'classics' try and find what made them classics. What makes a book stand the test of time, how does it hold its own?...
Posted by: Pamster | July 22, 2005 at 10:46 AM
Hey, I read The Killer Angels (when I was in college but not for a class). I ended up stealing the book from the library at the university, but I have not idea where the book is now. Oh, I ended up paying the library for the book. Happy reading!
As soon as I can make it to a Christian bookstore, my next book will be The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson (author of Prayer of Jabez). I would absolutely love to go to Africa on his Dreams for Africa project.
Posted by: A Baker | July 22, 2005 at 08:33 AM