If you don't know I am a book feign. It's a small problem; we have a huge book shelf in the living room (spans 1 wall), 1 small one in the bedroom, and at least 100 books in the closet. This summer we got iPhones and my FAVORITE app is the Kindle. It's amazing, books at my finger tip in seconds. It's actually a little bit dangerous for me! Here's a look at what I've been filling my mind with this year, some good...some bad...some childish...all were enriching in some way shape or form.
1. Twilight Saga: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn - What is there to say, they call the series the "Twilight Saga" for a reason! Drama, teenage romance, rebellion....yup it's all there and I LOVED it.
2. The Year of Rice & Salt - "...a thoughtful and powerful examination of cultures and the people who shape them. How might human history be different if 14th-century Europe was utterly wiped out by plague and Islamic and Buddhist societies emerged as the world's dominant religious and political forces?" So far, this is an excellent book. I love the inside look into eastern culture and how the course of history could be different.
3. The Blessed Child - The story circulates around a small orphan from Ethiopia named Caleb. Caleb, in a tale of daring adventure is rescued from a sure death by a Red Cross nurse and Peace Corps worker. In America, Caleb is placed into the hands of a greedy Priest who upon discovery of his extrodinary powers (raising a man from the dead, restoring sight to a blind boy, and healing a paraplegic) exploits him for personal and financial reasons. His rescuers, the Red Cross nurse and Peace Corps worker, come to his aid once again protecting him from the plans of the Priest and a prominent politician. Bill Bright and Ted Dekker did a great job of writing a gripping story, but underlying it there is such a sweet message reminding us to turn back to the Father. His love for his people is so deep and so often we miss all he has for us because we're "asleep." I really enjoyed the concepts of "walking in the kingdom" and the "unseen" side of life that the authors attempted to put into writing.
4. God of the Possible - "...exceptionally engaging and biblically centered text defends a theological claim that is generating heated controversy among evangelicals: that from God's perspective, the future is partly open, a realm of possibilities as well as certainties."
5. Hot, Flat, and Crowded - "America’s surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11; and the global environmental crisis, which is affecting everything from food to fuel to forests. In this groundbreaking account of where we stand now, he shows us how the solutions to these two big problems are linked--how we can restore the world and revive America at the same time." I have to confess, I read on the WSJ that Obama was reading this book on his summer vacation and that he says, he's been greatly influenced by Thomas Friedman. So I bought the book, I haven't finished it. I'm maybe 1/4 through. I was disappointed. There were some good points, some interesting things to think about, but overall, I thought it was a man on a rant. Kind of lame.
6. The Road - "in a post-apocalyptic blight of gray skies that drizzle ash, a world in which all matter of wildlife is extinct, starvation is not only prevalent but nearly all-encompassing, and marauding bands of cannibals roam the environment with pieces of human flesh stuck between their teeth. But here the love of a desperate father for his sickly son transcends all else." This book reminded me a lot of The Stand, by Stephen King. I really liked it! I will be seeing the movie when it comes out.
7. Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most - "...offers advice for handling these unpleasant exchanges in a manner that accomplishes their objective and diminishes the possibility that anyone will be needlessly hurt." I started reading this book shortly after someone had a conversation with me that...went horribly wrong. I was so hurt by the way this friend approached me/confronted me. This book helped me to understand what may have happened and how I could work to prevent a similar situation from befalling me. It's been a great tool in navigating family relationships, being newly married, and work conflict. HIGHLY recommend it!!
8. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad - Written by a Waris Dirie about her journey from Desert Nomad to American Super model and U.N. Special Ambassador. Throughout the book she speaks loudly on the subject of female genital mutilation and champions environmental causes. Her exceptional story telling "is intriguing, powerful, and unique." If you're even a little interested in FMG I would recommend this book as a first step into learning more.
9. The Shack - It was a re-read for me; but this book always impacts me. I love the way the author portrays the Father's love for his children. Don't read it without a box of tissues and a tender heart.
10. The 13 1/2 lives of Captain Blue Bear - "...an intrepid "seagoing bear" offers his "demibiography." A foundling floating in a nutshell on the Zamonian Sea, the azure-furred Bluebear is rescued by Minipirates, impish nautical geniuses, who raise him and then, after he gets too big, abandon him to live out 13 lifetimes of adventure populated by a dizzying array of eccentric characters." I LOVED this book. The characters, the stories, the imagination, the vast array of new words; it was just about perfect! I will be reading more Walter Moers in 2010.
1. Twilight Saga: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn - What is there to say, they call the series the "Twilight Saga" for a reason! Drama, teenage romance, rebellion....yup it's all there and I LOVED it.
2. The Year of Rice & Salt - "...a thoughtful and powerful examination of cultures and the people who shape them. How might human history be different if 14th-century Europe was utterly wiped out by plague and Islamic and Buddhist societies emerged as the world's dominant religious and political forces?" So far, this is an excellent book. I love the inside look into eastern culture and how the course of history could be different.
3. The Blessed Child - The story circulates around a small orphan from Ethiopia named Caleb. Caleb, in a tale of daring adventure is rescued from a sure death by a Red Cross nurse and Peace Corps worker. In America, Caleb is placed into the hands of a greedy Priest who upon discovery of his extrodinary powers (raising a man from the dead, restoring sight to a blind boy, and healing a paraplegic) exploits him for personal and financial reasons. His rescuers, the Red Cross nurse and Peace Corps worker, come to his aid once again protecting him from the plans of the Priest and a prominent politician. Bill Bright and Ted Dekker did a great job of writing a gripping story, but underlying it there is such a sweet message reminding us to turn back to the Father. His love for his people is so deep and so often we miss all he has for us because we're "asleep." I really enjoyed the concepts of "walking in the kingdom" and the "unseen" side of life that the authors attempted to put into writing.
4. God of the Possible - "...exceptionally engaging and biblically centered text defends a theological claim that is generating heated controversy among evangelicals: that from God's perspective, the future is partly open, a realm of possibilities as well as certainties."
5. Hot, Flat, and Crowded - "America’s surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11; and the global environmental crisis, which is affecting everything from food to fuel to forests. In this groundbreaking account of where we stand now, he shows us how the solutions to these two big problems are linked--how we can restore the world and revive America at the same time." I have to confess, I read on the WSJ that Obama was reading this book on his summer vacation and that he says, he's been greatly influenced by Thomas Friedman. So I bought the book, I haven't finished it. I'm maybe 1/4 through. I was disappointed. There were some good points, some interesting things to think about, but overall, I thought it was a man on a rant. Kind of lame.
6. The Road - "in a post-apocalyptic blight of gray skies that drizzle ash, a world in which all matter of wildlife is extinct, starvation is not only prevalent but nearly all-encompassing, and marauding bands of cannibals roam the environment with pieces of human flesh stuck between their teeth. But here the love of a desperate father for his sickly son transcends all else." This book reminded me a lot of The Stand, by Stephen King. I really liked it! I will be seeing the movie when it comes out.
7. Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most - "...offers advice for handling these unpleasant exchanges in a manner that accomplishes their objective and diminishes the possibility that anyone will be needlessly hurt." I started reading this book shortly after someone had a conversation with me that...went horribly wrong. I was so hurt by the way this friend approached me/confronted me. This book helped me to understand what may have happened and how I could work to prevent a similar situation from befalling me. It's been a great tool in navigating family relationships, being newly married, and work conflict. HIGHLY recommend it!!
8. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad - Written by a Waris Dirie about her journey from Desert Nomad to American Super model and U.N. Special Ambassador. Throughout the book she speaks loudly on the subject of female genital mutilation and champions environmental causes. Her exceptional story telling "is intriguing, powerful, and unique." If you're even a little interested in FMG I would recommend this book as a first step into learning more.
9. The Shack - It was a re-read for me; but this book always impacts me. I love the way the author portrays the Father's love for his children. Don't read it without a box of tissues and a tender heart.
10. The 13 1/2 lives of Captain Blue Bear - "...an intrepid "seagoing bear" offers his "demibiography." A foundling floating in a nutshell on the Zamonian Sea, the azure-furred Bluebear is rescued by Minipirates, impish nautical geniuses, who raise him and then, after he gets too big, abandon him to live out 13 lifetimes of adventure populated by a dizzying array of eccentric characters." I LOVED this book. The characters, the stories, the imagination, the vast array of new words; it was just about perfect! I will be reading more Walter Moers in 2010.
