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261st out of 644 books
—
259 voters
Remembering Isaac: The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp (Remembering Isaac #1)
by
Ben Behunin
Jake Kimball is afraid he agreed too hastily to spend the summer working his way through the mess Isaac Bingham, the old potter-God rest his soul-left behing. As Jake begins his work in the old studio, he becomes aware of a unique collection of mugs hanging from an overhead beam. When friends of the old potter stop by to sip peppermint tea from these mugs and tell their st...more
Paperback, 453 pages
Published
February 1st 2009
by Abendmahl Press
(first published 2009)
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I loved this book! It totally kept my attention and I found myself thinking about it during the day. I want to be a Potter (or at least buy a lot more pottery). And I want to live in Niederbipp. Kind of. Okay, so I don't want to actually live there but I want everyone who does live there to be my friend. :) And I want to visit there. It is a really easy read and purely for entertainment, so this book might not be for some of you. It's not *smart*, if you know what I'm sayin'! I was in the mood f...more
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This was the story of a young Potter trying to fill the shoes of the wise Potter before him. The book is full of symbolism. Isaac, the old potter, was a symbol of the Savior and how he touched and influenced others in the small town of Niederbipp. The Potter shapes the clay into something beautiful--even if there are flaws--just as the Savior can help shape us into something beautiful-even with our many flaws. The book was good at illustrating how to use the Savior's teachings in our everyday li...more
This book is everything that is wrong with self-publishing.
I found the writing to be sophomoric and the plot line and characters all very flat. It reads like a very long General Conference talk, with every moral packed in neatly in its own chapter. I feel that an author should be able to separate at least some of their idiosyncrasies from their books, rather than alienating readers by including too much specialized jargon (it was all too clear that it was written by a Mormon). To me, that demons...more
I found the writing to be sophomoric and the plot line and characters all very flat. It reads like a very long General Conference talk, with every moral packed in neatly in its own chapter. I feel that an author should be able to separate at least some of their idiosyncrasies from their books, rather than alienating readers by including too much specialized jargon (it was all too clear that it was written by a Mormon). To me, that demons...more
I stumbled upon this book in Costco, wondering if it would be a good book for a book club to read. It's been quite a while, and I finally took the opportunity to go through it. It had intrigued me with a few whimsical touches by the artist/author, such as a mini-movie on making a pot that the reader is supposed to provide the sound track for while thumbing slowly through each page. The handwritten notes from Jake Kimball's journal add interest; such as, "note to self--close my journal while thr...more
As a teen librarian, most of my reading concentrates on young adult literature. The "edginess" of most teen books wearies me at times. As a teenager I did not drink, swear, take drugs, or have sex with my boyfriend. (Hey, I still don't do those things!!) So I rarely get to read a book with which I identify.
Thus I was pleased to have a friend loan me this book with obvious Christian themes. It was a breath of fresh air to read about Jake, a potter and new college graduate. Jake becomes the villag...more
Thus I was pleased to have a friend loan me this book with obvious Christian themes. It was a breath of fresh air to read about Jake, a potter and new college graduate. Jake becomes the villag...more
** spoiler alert ** "Remembering Isaac" is a refreshing, easy-to-read (but knowing a little bit of German helps) debut of a closet writer/ professional potter. Something about this narrative without fancy words found in other good books (which require some of us English-as-a-fourth-language readers to keep dictionaries on hand) makes you want to throw in the towel from whatever you're doing, leave your life as you know it behind, and re-discover your suppressed creativity that lives in all of us...more
I thought this was a great book. I wanted to give it a higher rating like maybe 3 1/2 stars, but couldn't quite bring it up to 4 stars. (It's really hard for me to give a book 5 stars - I think it might also have something to do with my current mood.)
I was engrossed in this book from the very first. I loved the sketchbook style, and the pictures. Can one ever get too old to enjoy a book with pictures? I do, however, really dislike those cheap paper covers that curl and roll, it makes handling th...more
I was engrossed in this book from the very first. I loved the sketchbook style, and the pictures. Can one ever get too old to enjoy a book with pictures? I do, however, really dislike those cheap paper covers that curl and roll, it makes handling th...more
Despite some obvious big problems with the writing in this book (tons of annoying typos, everything "told" not "shown," and a whole lot of moralizing/preachiness) I actually really enjoyed this book. I liked the main characters. I liked the town and the setting. I found the pottery-making process fascinating, and it made me totally interested in learning more about it. I loved the handwritten journal-type comments, clay splotches, and the self-propelled "movie" on making a pot.
It's obvious this...more
It's obvious this...more
My mother's book club read this book and she couldn't wait for me to read it. She dropped if off at my house one day when I wasn't home last December with this cheery little post it note: On my way to temple--your tree is beautiful. I didn't know at that time that she would pass away just three short weeks later. She talked about this series of books all the time she was in the hospital. This book has been sitting on my nightstand for a year and every time I try to start it, it brought back sad...more
I read this for a book club, and was a little worried because a friend in another book club said she had started it, but did not finish it because it was "too predictable." I guess it is, but it is also a charming story! Furthermore, it is one of few books where most of the characters are NOT dysfunctional!
Isaac was a potter in the town of Niederbipp, Pennsylvania. After he dies, the new potter--just out of college--begins to learn about the influence Isaac had on everyone in the town. The autho...more
Isaac was a potter in the town of Niederbipp, Pennsylvania. After he dies, the new potter--just out of college--begins to learn about the influence Isaac had on everyone in the town. The autho...more
Went back and forth between a 4 and a 5. I really liked this book but by the end I loved it. But it wasn't one of those books you just can't put down.
I've only met 2 people who both have read this--and both loved it. (I also love reading the works of local beginning authors!) Also, I appreciate how clean the book is (Thank you!)
There are so many great "life" quotes in it--I'm glad I bought my own copy so I can mark it up! I also enjoyed that this book was written with parts of Jake's sketchbook...more
I've only met 2 people who both have read this--and both loved it. (I also love reading the works of local beginning authors!) Also, I appreciate how clean the book is (Thank you!)
There are so many great "life" quotes in it--I'm glad I bought my own copy so I can mark it up! I also enjoyed that this book was written with parts of Jake's sketchbook...more
I was totally unprepared for this book. It was a book club selection so I ordered it from the library. It took three weeks for the book to become available once I signed up for it. That should have let me know the popularity of the book I knew nothing about, but began to read. I couldn't put it down. It seemed to address many of my own experiences trying to find myself. What was my purpose supposed to be in life. If I had only had this book as I struggled through my teenage and young adult years...more
A young man just out of college with a major in pottery answers an ad for a new potter for the town of Neiderbipp (which was founded by 17th century immigrants and still is a quaint, small town with a pottery, bakery, etc.). He is to take over for a wise and joyful potter, Isaac, who recently died. While he adds a sense of 21st century dash to pottery, he soon learns the beautiful tapestry Isaac has helped others weave of their lives. The book draws the reader with its warmth and wisdom, as well...more
I have struggled to choose how many stars for this book. There were so many things that I liked about it, but there were many others that I didn't like. I'd probably give it 3 1/2 stars, but I think I liked the story enough to go ahead and give it 4.
Things I didn't like: He really could have used a better editor (since it's self published, I can see how this would be a challenge! :-) His writing was too sappy at times, choppy in places, and the dialogue drove me crazy because it just didn't soun...more
Things I didn't like: He really could have used a better editor (since it's self published, I can see how this would be a challenge! :-) His writing was too sappy at times, choppy in places, and the dialogue drove me crazy because it just didn't soun...more
A nice story about Jake, a newly graduated pottery major, who applies and gets the job as the potter of Niederbipp, Pennsylvania, replacing Isaac, the former potter, who died two months previously. There are typos, sometimes it gets a little preachy, some of the conversations don't sound like real conversations (speeches of the Jane Eyre type), and it's a bit predictable, but as a whole I enjoyed this book. The pottery stuff was interesting (although never at any moment did I feel the desire to...more
Something must be wrong with me b/c I nearly hated the book. I only gave it 2 stars because I did appreciate the attempts the author made in trying to approach great themes like compassion, commitment, and creating/leaving a legacy. But honestly, I could not have cared LESS about the characters. Completely flat and entirely uninteresting. The whole premise is this newly-graduated potter stumbling on this old town and taking over the shop of the late (and beloved) town potter, Isaac. New-potter J...more
This unassuming story about a village potter inspired me profoundly. The simply woven story drew me closer to the heart of God and then allowed me to rest there. Beautiful!!!
I find it intriguing what other people's reviews express. I saw the same spelling errors, typos, etc. But, I also enjoyed the beauty of the story, in spite of, or maybe partly because of, the small errors in editing or writing. It was a great personal metaphor. The author, Ben Behunin, bravely and humbly displays his own suc...more
I find it intriguing what other people's reviews express. I saw the same spelling errors, typos, etc. But, I also enjoyed the beauty of the story, in spite of, or maybe partly because of, the small errors in editing or writing. It was a great personal metaphor. The author, Ben Behunin, bravely and humbly displays his own suc...more
This was a refreshing book to read. It is the story of a young man who desires to be a village potter. His dream is realized in the small, picturesque town of Niederbipp Pennsylvania. It is a sweet story and one of the cleanest I have ever read! It is filled with great lessons of life that we can draw from to improve ourselves. I look forward to reading the sequel that was just released.
Super Great Book~!
For me this book was so good on so many levels I don't even know where to start. It has been moved to my overall favorite book this year! my friend finished it two weeks ago and just happened to mention how good it was when we were passing in the hall at church. I was determined to get it and read it too. I found it at the library and read it in a week. I couldn't put it down (but sometimes I had to because life goes on). It not only has adventure, suspense and romance (like th...more
For me this book was so good on so many levels I don't even know where to start. It has been moved to my overall favorite book this year! my friend finished it two weeks ago and just happened to mention how good it was when we were passing in the hall at church. I was determined to get it and read it too. I found it at the library and read it in a week. I couldn't put it down (but sometimes I had to because life goes on). It not only has adventure, suspense and romance (like th...more
I vacillated between giving this book two or three stars. Then I realized I was caught up by the story enough that I want to read the next in the series, so...three stars it is. This book was enthusiastically recommended by my darling brother-in-law Gerry. He was so passionate about the fact that hubby and I HAD to read this book...even waving his copy in my face...that I succumbed.
Here's the deal. Ben Behunin (author) has a story to tell, but it's more like an allegory...a spiritual quest. It'...more
Here's the deal. Ben Behunin (author) has a story to tell, but it's more like an allegory...a spiritual quest. It'...more
Jacob, a young but talented potter, applies for a small-town job and ends up inheriting the position of "town potter. One of his jobs as the new potter is to create a bench to memorialize Isaac, the previous potter. Much of the book is spent with him talking to different villagers, learning their stories, and discovering the character traits of this man he never knew, and he is surprised to learn that the previous potter was so influential in the people's lives.
This was a great and inspiring bo...more
This was a great and inspiring bo...more
This is a sweet story that takes its time and drew me in with the peaceful setting. While reading, I wanted to make pottery and have a craft that could be such a joyful drive to my life. I wanted to have a shop where people would drop in and tell me stories of their past lives and current dreams. I wanted to be an artist like Jake and Amy. The doodling that fit with the story was a really fun 'touch' to the book; yet the unrelated drawings were distracting. I loved the thumbnail movie as I read...more
I made accidental eye contact with the author of this book a few weeks ago as he was doing a signing in Costco :) After listening to his pitch, I bought the book. I laughed as I checked out - thinking about how I hoped people would do the same for Roxy or Karyn when their first books are published.
I found out a week or so later that the author's brother is married to my cousin.
I haven't been able to read a thing for over a month (which has been killing me). However, today I started and finished...more
I found out a week or so later that the author's brother is married to my cousin.
I haven't been able to read a thing for over a month (which has been killing me). However, today I started and finished...more
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I really enjoyed this unique book about a man who has just graduated as a pottery major from college. His life's dream is to be a town potter, something almost nonexhistent in the United States anymore, and it is realized when he answers an advertisement of a little town in Pennsylvania.
Although he has mixed feelings about the small town of Niederbipp, he soon finds himself drawn into the life there as he learns about the potter whose place he took. As people come in to share their stories of I...more
Although he has mixed feelings about the small town of Niederbipp, he soon finds himself drawn into the life there as he learns about the potter whose place he took. As people come in to share their stories of I...more
The description of this book led me to believe it was a fantasy book for some reason, but that is really not true. However, if I were to read a more accurate description of this book or if someone were to tell me the plot line in detail, I'm certain I wouldn't even consider reading it... 450 pages of some guy making pots??
However, it has been a long time since a book has moved me quite like this one did. I found myself wishing I had a teacup at the Pottery and that I could have met Isaac before...more
However, it has been a long time since a book has moved me quite like this one did. I found myself wishing I had a teacup at the Pottery and that I could have met Isaac before...more
This was a delightful book to immerse myself into. I love pottery and hope to take a class soon, so I understood and appreciated the story from a potter's eyes. I found this book full of inspiring ideas and stories that taught me so much. This might be one of my new favorite books. I want to read it again, this time taking time to think about how I can apply the stories in my own life.
This book was inspiring and helped me think more about how we all have a story, we all have passed through sorr...more
This book was inspiring and helped me think more about how we all have a story, we all have passed through sorr...more
I'm not sure which side of the fence to choose with this book.
On one hand, it was an easy read with uplifting themes and endearing characters. I wanted to find out their story and was curious how the story line would play out. The little town of Niederdipp sounds beautiful and peaceful and I want to visit it.
On the other hand it ofttimes got preachy and dry. I found myself feeling a bit tired when I would begin a new chapter. It was formulaic and, therefore, a slow read at times.
I liked it enoug...more
On one hand, it was an easy read with uplifting themes and endearing characters. I wanted to find out their story and was curious how the story line would play out. The little town of Niederdipp sounds beautiful and peaceful and I want to visit it.
On the other hand it ofttimes got preachy and dry. I found myself feeling a bit tired when I would begin a new chapter. It was formulaic and, therefore, a slow read at times.
I liked it enoug...more
I picked this up at Costco when the author was there signing copies. He promised that it was a really clean book, and I'm always looking for something new for my eleven year old. Plus, I liked the idea of supporting a local artist and writer (only $12).
My expectations were pretty low, and confirmed in part by the weak editing and predictable plot. However, I liked learning about pottery and it's metaphors. I found myself thinking about the lessons on life and spirituality. It was clean, positiv...more
My expectations were pretty low, and confirmed in part by the weak editing and predictable plot. However, I liked learning about pottery and it's metaphors. I found myself thinking about the lessons on life and spirituality. It was clean, positiv...more
The most surprising thing about this book is that I finished it. It was given me by a friend and I began it out of consideration for that friend. I don't usually enjoy books like this. It is a very solid 1 on my Fiction Scale (see my profile for an explanation). I thought of describing this book as "quaint" but that didn't quite fit. Rather I think it may be accurately characterized as "charming." I'm still trying to identify what aspect of this tale of extraordinarily ordinary lives kept me rea...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| great book | 1 | 9 | Jan 21, 2010 06:33am |
It has long been my feeling that biographical sketches should be written in first person because almost all of them are written by the person they're about anyway, pretending to be someone else so as to make themselves look cool or important enough that someone would care to write something about them. I am neither a great pretender, nor good at writing in third person, but I'll do what I can to m...more
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“There is more to a boy than what his mother sees. There is more to a boy then what his father dreams. Inside every boy lies a heart that beats. And sometimes it screams, refusing to take defeat. And sometimes his father's dreams aren't big enough, and sometimes his mother's vision isn't long enough. And sometimes the boy has to dream his own dreams and break through the clouds with his own sunbeams.”
—
31 people liked it
“We have to bloom where we are planted, enjoy the sunlight while we can, and thank the heavens for the rain that not only beats us down, but feeds us and makes us stronger.”
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11 people liked it
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Dec 31, 2011 08:34am