I know that it has been way too long since I’ve posted a book review here but nothing I’ve been reading lately has provoked me to blog about it. Perhaps Die Young will break the ice for me.

Die Young is all about the importance, difficulty, and benefits of dying to self. Thus the title: Die Young is written to young adults.

I definitely appreciate the message of Die Young as it really doesn’t take a light and fluffy approach to the Gospel. I think we are doing our youth a disservice when we act like becoming a Christian is easy. In one sense it is (we aren’t doing the work), but in another, we ‘re giving everything we have and are back to God. So before we encourage a youth–or anyone–to take the first steps to follow Christ, we need to encourage them to count the costs.

Will this keep people from coming to Christ? Yes and no. We’ll definitely get less numbers to report: less people “walking the aisle.” Yet the ones who do make a decision are more likely to be sincere.

There were a few nit-picky things that I didn’t like about Die Young. The biggest thing was that I thought that their picture of true contentment was short-sighted. The reason why a Christian can be content with little/nothing (Philippians 4:11-13) is because they’re content in God not in what they have or where they are. When we put our eyes on God, everything else truly does grow dim.

I appreciate books like Die Young for going deeper than traditional youth group material. However, I do think that there is a better book out there on the topic, and I’d recommend Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris first.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy of Die Young in exchange for this review.

1. They Thought They Were Free by Milton Mayer

This book was absolutely worth the trouble it took for me to get my hands on it (I had to use inter-library loan). A good book to talk about what it would have been like to have been an average citizen in Hitler’s Germany and how he rose to power, leading to discussion of how we can avoid a Hitler to arise in our own culture.

2. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Still one of my favorite autobiographies, one that I think about regularly.

3. Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I think dystopian books can make for great discussion.

4. Sister of My Heart by Chitra Divakaruni

I actually did read this for a book club, and we really enjoyed reading and discussing it.

5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

While perhaps this is a little a-few-years-ago, it is a great discussion starter!

6. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Okay, I probably wouldn’t want to discuss this with any book club that really wanted to discuss this (I’d rather not discuss it with people that have totally bought into Rand’s philosophy). Still, I think that Rand brings up some excellent critiques of America and some interesting (although unrealistic) solutions.

7. The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

What an interesting, illustrative tale.

8. Animal Farm by George Orwell

1984 might be my favorite, but Animal Farm would possibly make for a better discussion.

9. “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly Daniel Tatum

This really helped me to think about race issues in a new light.

10. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

An under-appreciated dystopian book that I think is a creative take on the genre.

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit Broke and Bookish

Here are my 10 of my favorite quotes from books. If only I could write this well!

1. “He wondered for a moment if it was Mars he was looking at; then, as his eyes took in the markings better, he recognised what they were–Northern Europe and a piece of North America. They were upside down with the North Pole at the bottom of the picture and this somehow shocked him. But it was Earth he was seeing–even, perhaps, England, though the picture shook a little and his eyes were quickly getting tired, and he could not be certain that he was not imagining it. It was all there in that little disk–London, Athens, Jerusalem, Shakespeare. There everyone had lived and everything had happened; and there, presumably, his pack was still lying in the porch of an empty house near Sterk. ‘Yes,’ he said dully to the sorn. ‘That is my world.’ It was the bleakest moment in all his travels.”

- Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis, p. 96

2. “Arraigned at my own bar, Memory having given her evidence of the hopes, wishes, sentiments I had been cherishing since last night–of the general state of mind in which I had indulged for nearly a fortnight past; Reason having come forward and told in her own quiet way a plain, unvarnished tale, showing how I had rejected the real, and rabidly devoured the ideal–I pronounced judgment to this effect:–That a greater fool than Jane Eyre had never breathed the breath of life: that a more fantastic idiot had never surfeited herself on sweet lies, and swallowed poison as if it were nectar.”

– Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, p. 169

3. “Whereever you are, you should always be contented, but especially at home, because there you must spend the most of your time.”

– Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, p. 294

4. “As a general rule, people, even the wicked, are much more naive and simple-hearted than we suppose. And we ourselves are, too.”

– The Brother Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, p. 17

5. “As will be the case throughout your life, no matter how long or brief [the urge], the choice is, in the end, yours. Simply bear in mind that most every choice will have consequences, and in this instance those consequences would likely be quite grave.”

– Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr., p. 4

6. “I remembered thinking how hard it was to contemplate death from a comfortable chair.”

- The Host by Stephenie Meyer, p. 127

7. “Large numbers of books always depressed her, as did people who liked to read large numbers of books.”

– Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, p. 159

8. “…you must also own Religion in his rags, as well as when in his silver slippers; and stand by him, too, when bound in irons, as well as when he walketh the streets with applause.”

– Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, p. 92

9. “And know this: people who seek only happiness never find it.”

– Blue in Snow by Orhan Pamuk, p. 350

10. “ ‘Ignorance is not a tragedy,’ said Anton, ‘merely an opportunity. But to know and refuse to know what you know, that is foolishness.’ ”

- Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card, p. 91

For more Top Ten lists, visit Broke and Bookish

I think part of the problem is the common misconception that classics are stuffy and somber. Some are, sure, but many are actually quite light and funny once you get past the dusty cover.

Here are the top 10 classics I’d recommend to a newbie. There are others that are my favorites, but they’re not necessarily the most accessible. For instance, I didn’t put Tom Jones, Atlas Shrugged, or anything by a  Russian author on this list, as much as I might like them.

For the sake of this list, I’ll use the word “classic” to mean any book written before 1950. Of course, just because a book is old doesn’t make it good, but if you’ve heard of it, there’s a good chance there’s a reason that it has stood the test of time.

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

There are two 5th grade girls in my life I’m trying to get to read this. I think many adult women have loved and read it, but if you haven’t, you should. It is incredibly easy to get into, and you immediately come to love the characters. I listen to the audio every year or so.

2. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

I really do enjoy Dickens, but he can be a bit much. I tend to find his ramblingness funny, but many just find it annoying. But if you’re going to try Dickens for the first time, this is a good place to start. And though we’ve come to think of Oliver Twist as a children’s story, the book was definitely not written for children.

3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Though this falls under my definition of “classic,” I hardly think of it in those terms. Still, I really enjoy it, especially in audio form. Actually, I recommend all classics in their audio versions.

I’m not sure why I like this so much considering I can’t stand Scarlett or Rhett. Perhaps it’s such an interesting picture of where we get when we allow our selfish desires to rule us.

4. Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier

I only first read this this past fall. I’ve had it on my shelf for years and just knew I would love it, and I did.

5. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

This is one of my favorite classics of all time, and it’s probably for some of the same reasons why I love Gone with the Wind.

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Okay, this is a bit cliché, but there is a reason why Jane Austen is popular today: we relate. If you’ve not seen any of the movies, I’d actually rather recommend Sense and Sensibility, but if you’ve seen Pride and Prejudice, it’d be easier to get into the book.

For a teen, though, I’d recommend Northanger Abbey as their first Jane Austen.

7. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This book is so perfect in its simplicity about a simpler era. It’s easy to see how it was popular during WWII when people wanted an escape.

8. 1984 by George Orwell

Okay, so this is one of my all-time favorite classics, too. Also a frequent re-read. I’ve probably read it a half dozen times, and only this last time was I able to keep myself from tears when listening to the end.

9. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I think the fact that the Frankenstein monster is in popular culture would make this a bit more accessible, but the book is probably nothing like what you’d expect. I hesitated putting it on this list, but I still think it’s a fairly comfortable place to start with the classics though it can get a bit bogged down in the details.

10. The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton

It’s been a couple years so I can’t exactly remember why I enjoyed it so much, but I know I did. As classics go, it’s not too long and it’s a bit more contemporary which makes it easier. This is high on my “to re-read” list, but I’m having a harder time since my library doesn’t have the audio of it.

For more top ten lists, visit Broke and Bookish

I read 134 books in 2011. These are my favorite 10 books that I read for the first time in 2011:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

I can’t believe I waited so long to read these books. This was my favorite, I think (it’s been a few months). I’ll be re-listening to them again this spring/summer and I’m excited to do it.

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

This is either my fave or 2nd fave HP book…will figure that out this spring.

3. My Heart in His Hands: Ann Judson of Burma by Sharon L. James

I highly recommend this biography. It will definitely deserve a re-read at some point.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

An excellent book by someone whose name is so similar to mine. Wish I wrote as well as she did…

5. Prodigal God by Tim Keller

I really liked this that I instantly wanted to read everything he’s written.

6. Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

I’ve had this for years…took way too long to read it.

7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I’ve been wanting to read this classic for years and finally did. So glad!

8. The Christian Imagination edited by Leland Ryken

This probably wins the title for being the book that had me change my thinking the most.

9. Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick

I’m still implementing what I learned in this book.

10. In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson

As a book that simply speaks the Gospel, this is the type of book that I want to regularly be reading.

I received a lot of books for Christmas which adds to my reading excitement!

I really hope that The Journal is on your list of top ten books you’re excited to read about this year. If it is (or even if it’s not!) check out the giveaway where you can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

My book reading doesn’t follow closely to when books actually come out. There are very few authors that I just have to have their latest, and those aren’t usually the type that come out with a new book every 6 months. That’s why most of these books have been out for a while. Regardless, these are the top 10 books I want to read right now:

 1. Die Young: Burying Your Self in Christ by Hayley and Michael DiMarco

I have a review copy of this that I hope to get to any day. It looks really good.

2. The Shackled Continent: Power, Corruption, and African Lives by Robert Guest

I have this on my Nook from the library, so I hope to get to it very soon.

3. Counterfeit Gods  by Timothy Keller

Ever since I read Prodigal God this fall, I’ve been wanting to read more from him.

4. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

I’m going to get this from the library for my Nook soon.

5. Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson

My view of the physical body has definitely not been biblical, so trying to explore the idea more.

6. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Okay, this one is actually coming out in 2012, and I’m excited for it! 

7. Relationships: a Mess Worth Making by Timothy A. Lane and Paul David Tripp

I think this will be a good read to help me think more clearly about what it means to live in community with others.

8. Crossed by Ally Condie

I hope to get this in audio, though I did read a paper copy of the first.

9. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper

It’d be no surprise to most people that I’d want to think rightly about thinking.

10. Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp

You can never read enough Paul Tripp. I actually got this audiobook for Christmas from a dear friend. I laughed at first (look at the subtitle), but this book will be good for me right now as I face some life changes as well as a resource as I minister to others.

The Journal is available in hard copy on Amazon, and hopefully soon will be available at other online retailers as well. Like any other title, it’s eligible for free shipping with a $25 purchase.

You can also download The Journal in any standard ebook format from Smashwords. Even if you don’t have an ereader, this might be an affordable option for you as it’s only $4.99, and you can read the book on your computer.

Hope you enjoy! I appreciate you all for taking the time to read my blog and can’t believe there would be people who would pay to read my fiction.

I couldn’t narrow down what books I wanted to ask for for Christmas, so I didn’t. There are 26 books on my list. Hey, that works out to one every other week, so it’s not that much of overkill, is it?

Since I couldn’t narrow it down then, I definitely can’t narrow it down now. So these are the 10 b00ks on the top of that list (that wasn’t necessarily in any order)…

I also love to receive books as gifts (hint, hint)…

Here are some that I want to (and for the most part, am giving):

1. Mine! Being able to give The Journal for Christmas is why I aimed to have it published this month.

2. Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Great introduction to the Bible.

3. The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte. A little girl I know is going to love this.

4. Driving My Tractor by Jan Dobbins. This one looks cute, too.

5. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol. I loved these as a kids, and I think this is the perfect book for an adventure-loving reluctant reader in my life.

6. Harriet the Spy by Elyse Fitzhugh. Another book I loved as a child that I hope that will also be loved by the recipient.

7. The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker. Giving this to a teenage boy that I hope will read and enjoy them.

8. The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I’m actually saving this for the recipient’s 7th birthday. It was one of the first chapter book series that I read, and I hope they will be hers, too.

9. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I’ve given this in the past. It’s fun to get your friends hooked on the same series you are…

10. Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick. I haven’t read this yet, but I did give it as a gift. I do want to read it for myself, considering how much time I spend with children, even if they aren’t my own.

Here are ten of my favorites from my childhood…I’m not sure they’re the “top” but they’re the top ones that I can remember! But if I can remember them, that says a lot. I can’t wait to share these with the kids in my life. In fact, I already have plans of giving a few of them as gifts!

1. Bill Peet: an Autobiography

2. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

3. Betsy series by Carolyn Haywood

4. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

5. Alexander, and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

6. The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume

7. Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

8. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

9. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

10. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George