The more specific you can be (why did you choose this particular book, what especially do you like about it, etc. etc.), the more others can enjoy your contributions–KSH.
The more specific you can be (why did you choose this particular book, what especially do you like about it, etc. etc.), the more others can enjoy your contributions–KSH.
Oh, I’ve been reading a LOT lately, and have just finished a bunch of good books. I’m taking full advantage of my US Public Library’s ebook lending program and loving my Kindle. Gone are the days when after 12 or 15 months straight in Africa with no home leave I’d be pining for some good new books to read!!
Here are some great books I’ve finished in the past two or three months. I’ll post non-fiction books in this comment and then some fiction books in a following comment.
1) Laura Hillenbrand’s [i][b]Unbroken[/b][/i], the story of WWII prisoner of war Louis Zamperini. Wow. So hard to believe it’s a true story. Just incredible what he and others survived, and wonderful to read the story of how faith in Christ changed his life after the war. I’m looking forward to soon reading Zamperini’s autobiography: [i]Devil at my Heels[/i] for more of the details… It encourages me that a book about this true hero is getting such acclaim and being widely read (and soon to be released as a major motion picture, I believe.)
2) Nabeel Qureshi: [i][b]Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus[/b][/i]. A great testimony of a Muslim coming to faith in Christ. Very informative for U.S./Western readers wanting to learn about Islamic beliefs. A bit heavy on the apologetics, perhaps, but he weaves the apologetics into his testimony in a very skillful way, and I learned a few new ideas about how to counter common Muslim arguments against the Gospel.
3) Matt Chandler: [i][b]Recovering Redemption: A Gospel-Saturated perspective on how to change.[/b][/i] A pretty quick read, and on many levels, a very basic review of the Gospel. But it brought the “old old story” alive to me in a very fresh way, encouraging me deeply and particularly helping me understand the deeper roots of some of the sins I battle with, and giving some very good insights on the process of sanctification, vivification and mortification. Don’t be put off by the conversational, contemporary writing style. There is real depth here.
[3b. In fact, having just read that, and been challenged afresh to die to sin, I’ve been reminded of [b]John Owen’s[/b] classic work on the Mortification of Sin, and so I’m about to be digging into Owen. (A huge change in style from Matt Chandler! 🙂 ) I’ve just started reading [b][i]Overcoming Sin and Temptation[/b][/i] which contains the full texts of three of Owen’s best known works on sin and temptation, along with some updating, added footnotes, and commentary by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor.]
4) Amy Carmichael: [i][b]Things as they Are: Mission Work in South India[/b][/i]. I’m nowhere near South India, nor do I work among Hindus but I love Amy Carmichael’s writing, and this book is much more relevant than the title might cause one to believe. This book (a freebie, since it’s in the Public Domain) was originally written in 1903, but it was a “new find” for me. I’d read many of her other works, but not this one. I found it extremely helpful for reinforcing the reality of spiritual warfare and the urgent necessity of strong intercessory prayer. I’d recommend it not only for cross-cultural workers or those who pray for them, but also for others in ministry as there is much self-examination here about our motivations in ministry – the challenge of wanting to appear fruitful and successful – that caused me to do a lot of soul searching and prayer as I was reading.
5) Nik Ripken: [b][i]The Insanity of God[/i][/b], and [b][i]The Insanity of Obedience[/i][/b]. Many people I know have recommended these recently. I just started the Insanity of Obedience last night…. so far it’s gripping and challenging. Perhaps I’ll write more about this in a few days if this thread is still active.
OK, enough from me for now…. I’ll maybe chime in later with some fiction recommendations.
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
[i]Human Trafficking – A Global Perspective[/i] by Louise Shelley. Reading this in an attempt to educate myself about the growing and horrific trade in human beings. A bit dry but deeply researched and profoundly informative.
[i]Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War [/i] by Robert K. Massie.
Making my way through Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor
WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY by Dinesh D’Souza. This book is modern apologetics engaging the culture. I understand that the author has been found guilty of some unfortunate sins, but this is a well written and interesting book. As someone who did not believe in God and experienced a disconnect regarding Jesus’ identity for most of my life, I think this book would have spoken to me even before I knew the Lord.
I just finished Bruce Marshall, [i]Trinity and Truth.[/i].
I have just begun Douglas Knight. [i]The Eschatological Economy[/i].
(These are a couple of books I’ve had on my shelves for awhile.)
I have just discovered the series of Thomas Traherne’s Works that is being published in a multi-volume set, and am now looking at Volume 1.
Reading Ted Kooser’s Local Wonders & In The Wheeling Year. Also reading The Life & Poetry of Ted Kooser by Mary Stillwell. One of my three or four favorite contemporary poets (all but one from the Midwest) – necessary to re calibrate for the fall.
Brother Francis of Assisi by Ignacio Larranaga – I would put it in one of the top 10 most memorable & significant books I’ve ever read because it’s a beautiful life beautifully rendered. Additionally, he has done what was considered impossible in Francis studies: Larranaga has rendered an interior biography, a second naïveté hagiography, most thought impossible (or undesirable) in the new era of scholarship inaugurated by Paul Sabatier. This is Thomas Celano for a post critical age.
Sin & Charity, both by Gary Anderson. He is an amazing exegetical sleuth, helping us to see how words, rightly understood in their contexts, open up whole new worlds of thought.
Since late spring I’ve been working my way through the Aubrey-Maturin series. I finished [i]The Thirteen Gun Salute[/i] the other day and am waiting for the next book in the series, [i]The Truelove / Clarissa Oakes[/i], to be checked back into my local library.
I am enjoying the series very much. I’ve read individual entries before, but have never gone through sequentially. Since O’Brian likes to end with sudden conclusions right at or just after the climax of the action in one book and then pick things up in the next book weeks or months later, reading things through is really giving me an appreciation for the larger plot that I never got just by reading one book here and there in the series. And the characterizations are much more fun.
My reading list, not just for the summer but for the whole year, is dominated by three classic theological works, for which 2014 is a major anniversary year. Heading the list is the grand epic poem, Dante’s [b]The Divine Comedy[/b], first published 700 years ago. Because poetry is so hard to translate, I hope to read it in two different versions by the end of the year.
Since today, August 11th, is the feast day of John Henry Newman, who died on this day in 1890, it’s especially apt for me to report that I’m particularly relishing rereading Newman’s classic spiritual autobiography, his [b]Apologia Pro Vita Sua[/b], which was published 150 years ago, in 1864. I’m trying to read it slowly, savoring it as fully as possible. It is as inspiring and insightful as ever.
If I manage to finish reading those two great classics in time, I hope to go back and reread that highly influential and historic collection of theological essays by about a dozen Anglo-Catholic thinkers at Oxford that was edited by another hero figure of mine, +Charles Gore. [b]Lux Mundi[/b] came out 125 years ago, in 1889.
But I don’t just read old stuff or reread classic works from the distant past. The next book I plan to buy and read is a recently published textbook by another favorite author of mine, Robert Louis Wilken, the eminent church historian. Yale University Press has come out with his [b]The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity[/b]. From the rave reviews I’ve seen about it, it appears that Wilken has produced a short (about 340 pp.), masterful introduction to that immense and complex topic that is intended for a wide audience, not just for other historians. Need I add that Wilken, a former Lutheran, is a deeply committed, practicing Roman Catholic?
Hmmm, obviously 2014 is a year when my reading list is dominated by writers who reflect the catholic dimension of Christianity. Maybe next year I’ll switch back to reading more by evangelical authors.
David Handy+
Won “Sweetness #9” by Stephan Eirik Clark in a publisher’s contest – couldn’t put it down. A novel that touches on some big life questions, bouncing in and out of 20th century historical reference points.
Just finished “Jesus the Evangelist” by Richard D. Phillips. Some good close reading of the Gospel of John and worthwhile theological, spiritual and pastoral insights into the dreaded “e” words. Fresh perspective.
The Kennan Diaries. George F. Kennan as edited by Frank Costigliola. 712 pages by a man with no God who influenced our century.
Christian Books
“Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe,” by Mark Driscoll
and Gerry Breshears, is a pure, unapologetic dissertation on
orthodox Christianity. This is bedrock theology, in language
we can understand.
“What We Believe and Why,” by George Byron Koch, is an
offbeat, unedited attempt to find the areas of common ground
among all Christians. Then he hopes that we can agree to
disagree about that which divides us, and get on with the
important job of spreading the good news.
“Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics,” by
Ross Douthat, reviews the history of Christianity in the past
century or so, played against cultural and political upheavals.
He concludes, unsurprisingly, that we have to get back to basics.
“The Searchers,” by Joseph Loconte, is a charming and poignant
story of those who are looking for godly love in all the wrong
places. He advocates meeting them where they are and leading
them to see the light that Christianity offers.
“One Nation Without God?” by David Aikman begs the
question as to whether the U.S.A, is a Christian nation. Instead,
he traces the religious influence throughout our history. Like
the other authors, he offers hope for rediscovery of our
Christian legacy.
Tim+ thanks for admitting to reading a novel!! LOL! I always feel a bit intimidated about posting that I’m reading popular fiction on these open threads at T19. Folks here read some heavy & deep stuff! I wish more commenters would share recommendations for good fiction. I do read a lot of non-fiction, but I need and love good fiction for refreshment and relaxation.
A few fiction books I’m reading or recently read and would recommend.
1) true confession time…. somehow I think I managed to make it through 50 years of life (including a serious prep school, college & grad school) without reading [b][i]Uncle Tom’s Cabin.[/i][/b] (Probably I was supposed to read it for some class but blew it off???) In any case, I’ve now rectified that glaring admission, and read it and loved it. So glad I didn’t leave this on the shelf. Highly highly recommend it to anyone else out there who may have somehow missed reading this – it’s incredibly spiritually edifying to read of the Christlike love and character of Uncle Tom.
2) Also on the theme of slavery, I just also recently finished Sue Monk Kidd’s [b][i]The Invention of Wings.[/i][/b] Excellent. Had no idea until the end that most of it is based on a true story of the Grimke sisters. I enjoyed learning about the Quaker involvement in the Abolitionist movement, and the interrelationship between the Abolition movement and the early feminist movement. Of course I’m sure all the South Carolinians who frequent T19 have read this since the story is mostly based in Charleston.
3) I enjoy good Biblical historical fiction. (For instance the works of Lynn Austin – especially her Gods and Kings series – are favorites.) I’ve just discovered a series of books focused on OT characters by Mesu Andrews that I’m enjoying. I read her [b][i]Love Among the Ashes[/i][/b] (focused on the story of Job) late last year. Now I’ve just started her [b][i]Love in a Broken Vessel[/i][/b], about Hosea and Gomer. Enjoying it a lot.
4) Thanks to my library’s ebook lending program, I’ve also recently started reading two new mystery series / authors, and have just recently finished the first book in each series. The first author is [b]Ngaio Marsh and her Inspector Alleyn series[/b]. The second author is [b]Jacqueline Winspeare and her Masie Dobbs series[/b]. So far I’m enjoying Maisie Dobbs more than Inspector Alleyn. At least in the first book of the Inspector Alleyn series, I felt there was little connection with the inspector, no background given about him to make us interested in him. Can anyone tell me if the series gets better?
5) Finally, I’m impatiently awaiting the release of a new book in the [b]Mitford series by Jan Karon[/b] in September. I’ve missed reading about Fr. Tim and all the loveable folks of Mitford….!
Killing in War, by Jeff McMahan
The Twilight of the American Enlightenment, by George Marsden
Both assigned to me for review.
As you might expect (given my cyber name) I love the Rita Mae series of books that has two felines as main characters. Just finished one of those novels, The Big Cat Nap.
On to more Anglican topics, I decided to delve into a couple of books. One is The Anglican Way: A Guidebook by Thomas McKenzie. A very nice and balanced introduction to who are Anglicans, the history of Anglicanism and what we do and how we do it. It is not meant to be comprehensive detailing every nuance but a general introduction to Anglicanism. THAT it does very well!
The other is The Thirty-Nine Articles by J. I. Packer and R. T. Beckwith. It has been a very long time since I have given much serious thought to these Articles. It is interesting but one must realize the authors are discussing the Articles of the Church of England. I found especially fascinating the chapters about how and why a certain article came to be – usually in response to something happening. I thought their idea that the Articles should not be *updated* but remain the same ws a different way to approach things happening around the WWAC. Instead the authors conclude that other similar confessional statements should be written to engage certain contemporary happenings. I could not help but think of the Jerusalem Declaration of GAFCON.
I’ve been reading the latest four books in Alexander McCall Smith’s “No. 44 Scotland Street” series, before and after a quick trip to Edinburgh in late July: [i] The Importance of Being Seven, Bertie Plays the Blues, Sunshine on Scotland Street,[/i] and [i] Bertie’s Guide to Life and Mothers.[/i] This past week I read a new biography of John Wayne by Scott Eyman, and F. D. Maurice’s [i] The Word “Eternal” and the Punishment of the Wicked[/i] (1853). This week it has been [i]Writing for Results: An Introduction to Writing in the Real World of Science and Technology[/i] by Kathryn Raign and Heather Huggett and then beginning this year’s re-read of [i]The Lord of the Rings[/i].
I just finished James McBride’s [b]The Good Lord Bird[/b] in audiobook version, wonderfully read by Michael Boatman. The novel won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2013. It’s a telling of John Brown’s rebellion from the eyes of a freed 13 year-old slave boy, mistaken for a girl, who accompanies Brown on his voyage from Kansas to Harper’s Ferry. Frankly, while the book was entertaining, I was a little disappointed – perhaps it had been oversold to me.
I have just started [b]The Lion’s Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Day War[/b] by Steven Pressfield and am enjoying it immensely. Michael Oren’s book [b]Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East[/b] may be the standard, but if you want to read for both pleasure and understanding, especially a poetic look at heroes, go with Pressfield.
Talk about being behind the times. I am reading Alastair McIntyre After Virtue which is hard work for my tired brain. Y’all read it decades ago. Was driven to it by the sense of fractured moral vision in our times, everybody justifying their own choices by saying it seemed right to me. And yet. As I read on and McIntyre argues for a socially embedded moral agent, the current craziness in Islamist circles floats before me where people have what they sincerely consider to be a moral framework and then some. I then wonder whether the socially detached viewpoint that McIntyre criticises is quite as bad as he makes out.
This summer seems to be history & fiction in history. Read “The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt” which got me interested in WWI so picked up “The First World War” by Hew Strachen. It was just what I was interested in – concise, overall look at all theaters of the war. I found it very good as an overview. This led me to an author I did not know, J. Buchan & the novels “The 39 Steps” & “Greenmantle”. I had heard of the movie The 39 Steps but not the novels. Both are set in the WWI time period & are good, quick reads.
On the religious side have recently finished Eugene Peterson’s “Long Obedience in the Same Direction” and am now reading “Sacred Reading” by Michael Casey as I have become interested in [i]lectio divina[/i].
John Owen’s The Mortification of Sin (or Overcoming Sin and Temptation) as part of Tim Challies 14 week plan which he is starting in 3 weeks. “Will You Read a Christian Classic With Me” I admit I was tempted to not read it.
http://www.challies.com/reading-classics-together/will-you-read-a-christian-classic-with-me?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+challies/XhEt+(Challies+Dot+Com)
Pewster, thanks for the link to Tim Challies blog. Since I’ve just started in on John Owen’s Mortification of Sin myself, the timing is perfect! It will be good to read others’ insights and comments as they work through this spiritual classic.
Browsing through Challies’ blog after checking out the link UndergroundPewster posted, I discovered a list of some excellent deals on Kindle books at Amazon, posted last week. Many of these deals are still going on. Some very good books in this list!
http://www.challies.com/resources/kindle-deals-for-christian-readers
Karen B. I too love the Mitford Series by Jan Karon! We are eagerly waiting for the next book about Fr. Tim to be published. I still love those books and there is some tremendous wisdom in them.
I am reading Lawrence Wright’s book “The Looming Tower” (again!) because it is so relevant to the terrorist threat the world is facing today. This book details the record of the formation and financing of Al Qaeda by Osama bin Laden. It is a well-researched book which takes you through the early formation of The Muslim Brotherhood. It also explains how bin Laden’s father acquired the family’s enormous fortune and how his son, Osama bin Laden, used some of it to finance and organize Al Qaeda. The author brings everything together by following the steps of the terrorists who made their way to the United States, lived quietly in American neighborhoods, and took flying lessons so they could fly passenger planes into the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon and other attempted targets with the goal of killing as many innocent people as they could.
This is one of the first audio books that I read/heard and it made a great impression on me, I have since purchased it in traditional book form. It is amazing how consistently Al QAEDA, ISIS, ISIL (or whatever you want to call it) has proclaimed its goals and how consistently U.S. officials have refused to believe their stated goals.