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June 20
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Joel
marked as to-read:
Peace Like a River (Paperback)
by Leif Enger
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Joel
is currently reading:
So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel (Hardcover)
by Leif Enger
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Joel
gave
to:
To Kill a Mockingbird (Mass Market Paperback)
by Harper Lee
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended to Joel by:
Katie Shelt and Christine Bassett
read in June, 2008
Joel said:
"I generally review all the books I read. The exceptions are sometimes books I am conflicted about, but mostly the exceptions are the classics. I typically think I don't have much to add than has already been said, and then of course there is the addi...more
I generally review all the books I read. The exceptions are sometimes books I am conflicted about, but mostly the exceptions are the classics. I typically think I don't have much to add than has already been said, and then of course there is the additional struggle to write something short when theses don't suffice to cover the depth, the quality of many of these books.
I forego my typical review exception to say this much and no more: To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the best books I have read. It is not only profound and rich in content, but also hard to put down. I cannot believe it took me 25 years to finally pick this book up. If you haven't read it, you simply must find a copy. I'm sure every library in the States has one. It is a masterpiece of American fiction....less
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June 12
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Joel
marked as to-read:
Three Short Novels (Paperback)
by Wendell Berry
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Joel said:
"I'm reading each short novel separately, putting the book down between stories, so this will move between currently-reading and to-read, so you know.
Nathan Coulter, the first of the three, surprised me. I had to work to stay with the book through...more
I'm reading each short novel separately, putting the book down between stories, so this will move between currently-reading and to-read, so you know.
Nathan Coulter, the first of the three, surprised me. I had to work to stay with the book through the beginning, but after that, Berry drew me in to the story and I finished more quickly than I expected. The story revolves around the Coulter family through the perspective of Nathan, who is traversing his formative years. Berry uses everyday experiences in compelling ways: working the land, fishing, trips in to town, conversations, fights. The family dynamic shifts and shapes and molds, and through the Coulters we weigh themes of community,the land, religion and God, finding meaning in faithfulness. A good read, with some stunning lines scattered throughout.
...less
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Joel
is currently reading:
Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (Paperback)
by Bob Kauflin
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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June 11
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Joel
gave
to:
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity and Why It Matters (Hardcover)
by David Kinnaman
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Joel said:
"This is a perspective book, a book for those immersed in the Christian community to step back and realize there's a big world out there, and how we live greatly affects their view of the religion we say we're about. I feel the book is a bit over-word...more
This is a perspective book, a book for those immersed in the Christian community to step back and realize there's a big world out there, and how we live greatly affects their view of the religion we say we're about. I feel the book is a bit over-worded, easily could have been compressed, but Kinnaman's research on current views of Christianity from "outsiders" and "insiders" is important. More than that, it is very important. We must stop denying it accept where we're at before we can move forward and cause any large scale change for the best. ...less
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June 13
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Joel
marked as to-read:
Hymn-Writers and Their Hymns (Hardcover)
by Faith Cook
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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May 30
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Joel
gave
to:
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality (Paperback)
by Donald Miller
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in May, 2008
Joel said:
"I was pretty hesitant to pick up this book, after years of hearing how incredible it was from so many different friends. I worried that it was all hip, all trendy Christianity. I worried that people were getting sucked in by style, not by substance. ...more
I was pretty hesitant to pick up this book, after years of hearing how incredible it was from so many different friends. I worried that it was all hip, all trendy Christianity. I worried that people were getting sucked in by style, not by substance. I didn't want myself to be sucked in by style instead of substance. A few years later, I picked it up off of a friend's bookshelf on a whim and began to read.
I guess the first thing I should mention is that it took me days to get through the book. Days, not weeks. Miller is a good writer, draws the reader into his life, his circle of friends, his personal thoughts on Christ and Christianity. There are a few sections I thought particularly good. There were a few sections that frustrated me pretty thoroughly. But Miller always engaged me. This has a lot to do with his appeal to readers, I think. There are people who don't read at all who flew through this book.
I really enjoyed the chapter on sin being thought of as self-absorption. I liked it because it goes beyond our far-too-narrow idea that sin is physically choosing to break a rule. Self-absorption is a heart set, a mindset, that flows into actions, not the other way around. I really liked the chapters on loneliness and then community, showing both the highs and the lows of each.
Some of the things I struggled with were his stream that flowed through the book that Christianity is something that is felt, not comprehended, something that is experienced, not rational. I think this idea is terribly inaccurate and is a hindrance to thinking people. I struggled with his concept of church too, because it didn't deal with the church being imperfect, that in some ways it is always going to fail us. It seemed fairly subjective (i.e. church should be what I want it to be), which is an outflow of Christianity being a felt-religion, not a thought-religion. I enjoyed and struggled with his chapters on love, because again they focused on love as a feeling, which seems to be portrayed as love disconnected with thought (i.e. the Unitarian Church, among other things). Yes, we feel Christianity, it is experienced. But if experience isn't rooted in truth, in actual reality, the next wave of feeling, the one that tells us something of a different paradigm of the truth of Christianity, what will we do with that?
Anyway, that paragraph is too expansive. I enjoyed the book. It was interesting to read Miller's thoughts on Christianity. It is important to know that they are thoughts. I don't remember a time where he goes to the place God speaks to us (the Bible) once for his thoughts, so it is important to take Blue Like Jazz for what it is: thoughts, reflections. It isn't authoritative. Some of his thoughts are brilliant. Some are less so. But it is definitely worth the read for the profound sections, and for the interesting communication of those thoughts. ...less
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May 23
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Joel
gave
to:
Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer (Paperback)
by Eugene H. Peterson
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in May, 2008
Joel said:
"Eugene Peterson always engages me. In this concise, rich look at the Psalms, he takes broad strokes at the themes, the regular features, the movements of the Psalms. I love the title "Answering God," for prayer is speaking to a God who has ...more
Eugene Peterson always engages me. In this concise, rich look at the Psalms, he takes broad strokes at the themes, the regular features, the movements of the Psalms. I love the title "Answering God," for prayer is speaking to a God who has already spoken to us. The sections on metaphor, liturgy, enemies, and Memory are all exceptional thoughts. Now to actually pray the Psalms... ...less
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