Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

09 June, 2011

Currently reading books

I like to read lots of different things all at once. I don't give them all equal reading times normally... but there's always a couple books I'm chipping away at each month. 

This month: 

I can honestly say this book is changing my life. It's not just the book though, it's the combination of my pastor's preaching and the same themes and convictions echoed in different ways by Chan. This is one of those few books that I can honestly saying that instead of just reading, critiquing, evaluating from a literary or theological viewpoint and putting down; it's actually made it past internalizing and has changed my actions, attitudes and way I approach things. If you're thinking of reading this book- do it. But do not read it fast or you'll whiz past the point of his book: it's not about understanding something new; but DOING it. I'm in chapter 8 now, doing this as a weekly study with my women's small group at Harvest Bible Chapel; my awesome church. 

I love fiction, and I love light reading. I've really enjoyed Harry Potter. The plot is actually quite good, the characters are super, super funny- it's not something I'll give my kids to read until I deem they're old enough- but I love the books. 

I was able to get this book for free from Desiring God online; the goal was to celebrate the books 25th anniversary with online book discussions led by Piper himself. I've heard so much about this book that I wanted to read it, but I've not really enjoyed it. Much of that comes from the theological differences I have with Piper, and also I feel he uses way too many words to say things that are obvious. I'm only in chapter 4 at the moment, but I do plan on finishing the thing. 

I love Ravi. I wish I owned all his books. Working on that part. This one was a Christmas gift; (great gift!) and it's dense, so I'm taking it slow. I love the approach it takes, because it addresses so many comments or reasons (excuses, let's be honest) that people have left the church and rejected Jesus Christ. Ravi is the perfect person to write on this subject. I'm still in Chapter 2 on this one... it's going to take a while to really digest. 




I put this book on hold a month before it was even released, and only today was I able to pick it up at the library. That alone should tell you why I'm reading it.  It was one of the books that had a video intro that lead to controversy and lots of conversations about it; both from Christians and the lost. It's a best seller, many of my coworkers and people I know have read it, and I want to know what it says. I trust many pastors and mentors and their reviews of it; but before I say anything beyond I'm almost sure it's heresy I'll finish the book myself. I haven't read anything but the cover at the moment. 


Are you reading anything fun? Serious? Life changing? New? 

29 March, 2011

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.


This is impossible, so let's just start there. The way I decided my favorite band was to figure out how many albums I had by the same band, and how many times I'd seen different bands live in concert. So, if I use the same system for this- I guess it would be how many times I've read the book, or loaned it out for others to enjoy. I looked at what I'd bother to put down on Facebook- I'll go change that soon, and most of the books listed are non-fiction. I come back to certain books for biblical perspective or reminding myself how much God changes things- me, situations, the world. But at the end of the day, I can't lie, it's not the non-fictions that I always come back to every few years. It's.. Tolkien's world. The hobbit, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Quenta Silmarillion. 



08 January, 2011

Reading Plans.

Hello friends. This post is solely dedicated to my reading goals. Last August I made a facebook status inviting my friends to suggest things to read to me. That's actually my favorite use for facebook: I treat it more like data collection than a valid means of communication between people. I have almost 1600 friends, so taking polls is actually both really interesting and often helpful. (especially noting that I have a lot in common with many of my friends).  So- thank you to everyone!

That being said: Here's my proposed list. I have no time table on it as of now, given that in my circumstance I actually like to read, so if I have the book I'll naturally go from there. 

First: before any other goals, I want to do the daily Read- the Bible in 2011. My church here, which is incredibly awesome, Harvest Bible Chapel, has a fairly standard reading plan. The chance to do this everyday with my husband, as well as many other believers is one I'm not going to pass up. So far it's been day 8, and I'm well on track. 

Pastor James began our series "Get Healthy" with the verse in Deuteronomy, where Israel is commanded to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. It was eye opening to me, because as Piper said-  If any of our means of loving God is decreased, our love for God is diminished. (paraphrase kinda...) THe point being that we need to be healthy: with our will, our emotions, our intellect, and our physical bodies. If any of these areas are not surrendered, and not growing, then we cannot love God as fully as we should. 
So my reading list is diverse: it's best to learn about all different kinds of things. And so I have a bunch of different kinds of reading material. 

As always, please, please, please- add suggestions. 

Biographies:
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: Neil White
Brother Andrew
Hudson Taylor
The Hiding Place
Dietrich Bonhoiffer
Julia Child: my life in france
Hitler
Freud: A Life For Our Time Peter Gay
The Nazi Officer’s Wife Edith Hahn Beer & Susan Dworkin

Fiction
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Neil Gaiman - Smoke and Mirrors
Two Rivers by T. Greenwood 
the pillars of the earth by ken follett
CS Lewis: Perelandra
CS Lewis: Great Divorce
CS Lewis: Til we have faces
CS Lewis: Screwtape Letters
CS Lewis: Chronicles of Narnia
Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment
Dostoevsky: brothers K
Dostoevsky: notes from the underground
Percy Jackson Series: Rick Riordan
Good Omens: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet
Letters from Earth: Mark Twain
Enders Game
1984
Brave New World
Lord of the Flies
Atlas Shrugged
Hitchhikers Guide 
A Canticle for Leibowitz


Non-Fiction
Standing Naked in the Shower by Nathan Bryce
CS Lewis: Mere Christianity
CS Lewis: the four loves
CS Lewis: the problem of pain
CS Lewis: a grief observed
CS Lewis: surprised by Joy
Darwin: Voyage of the Beagle
Malcolm Gladwell: The tipping point
Lewis: abolition of Man

Ravi: Jesus Among Other Gods
Ravi: Has Christianity Failed You?
Ravi: The End of Reason

Ravi: From Oprah to Chopra

Defining Right and Wrong in Brain Science: Essential Readings in Neuroethics (Dana Foundation Series on Neuroethics)
Moral Minds: Marc Hauser


Poetry
Elliot: The Four Quartets
Elliot: Choruses from the Rock