Ignorant Historian

This is actually a hard list, as I hope to read a few books this winter that I’ll receive as gifts…but I haven’t received them yet. But I’m sure that I’ll be able to come up with 10 books that I already have access to:

1. Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer

2. The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther

3. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

4. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

5. The Hidden Reality by Brian Greene

6. Black Wealth/White Wealth: a New Perspective on Racial Inequality by Melvin L. Oliver

7. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

8. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

9. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

10. The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria

I really thought this would be a hard list to come up with. Nope. It was completed in 5 minutes! I clearly didn’t make any distinction between alive and dead. As far as I know, half of these people are alive (Fforde, Card, Bridges, Friedman, and McCulley), and half are dead.

1. Ayn Rand. I’d love to ask her why she couldn’t see that any system built on self-interest would never be in the best interest of the people.

2. Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’d just love to hear more stories of her childhood.

3.  C.S. Lewis. I think I’d be way too shy to ask him any questions!

4. Jasper Fforde. I wonder if he’s as humorous in person as he is in his books?

5. Orson Scott Card. I’d love to hear him talk about Ender’s world.

6. Jane Austen. Mainly because I think it’d be cool to say I had Jane Austen at my Thanksgiving dinner…

7. Corrie Ten Boom. Definitely would be inviting her for her, not her writing. Though I loved The Hiding Place in a hard-to-read way.

8. Jerry Bridges. His writing is so gospel-centered, and I think that would be a welcome addition to any meal.

9. Thomas Friedman. I’m now reading my 3rd book of his. I don’t agree with him on a lot of things, but he’s very astute.

10. Carolyn McCulley. I really respect her and think I have a lot to learn from her.

I’m happy to say that this list is much shorter than it would have been even a month ago!

1. Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby

2. The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther

3. Disciples are Made Not Born by Walter A. Henrichson

4. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

5. The Liberated Imagination by Leland Ryken

6. The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer

7. How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart

8. A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren

9. Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman

10. The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper

and for good measure (because it is the only other book on my TBR shelf!):

11. He Is There and He Is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer

I had hoped to have this list done by Christmas, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. But I’ll be close!

Other top ten lists can be found at Broke and Bookish.

This weekend I attempted (and succeeded) to read for 24 hours over 4 days. I’m glad that I stretched out the traditiona readathon, as it allowed me to read non-fiction almost exclusively. I reached a point near the end of a couple of those days that I was just done with the non-fiction.

My TBR shelf is now beginning to look pathetic, which was the goal. I seriously doubt I get it emptied by Christmas, but it’s getting much more reasonable.

Here’s a few thoughts on the books I read:

I read:

Addictions: a Banquet in the Grave by Edward T. Welch

I highly recommend to anyone who has ever struggled with addiction or any sin habit…meaning everybody.

Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick

I just started this one, but I’m liking it so far. I really don’t think I can read enough books that point me back to the gospel.

The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing edited by Leland Ryken

I haven’t finished this one yet, but it’s an anthology with lots of good points. I hadn’t realized how much of my philosophy of literature and art I’ve picked up from our utilitarian culture and not the Bible or the Christian faith.

The Cross of Christ by John Stott

I had previously started this one, but I finished it this weekend. It’s very thorough and well thought-out.

The Kids from Nowhere by George Guthridge

This is the story of a white teacher from the mainland taking his family to rural Alaska to teach Eskimos who had been previously labelled unteachable.

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

A small book to break up the bigger books. It was short and sweet.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This is a reread for me: or a relisten. I am enjoying it as much this time as the last time I listened to it. I listened to it for about 6 hours this weekend and am nearing the end.

I’ve enjoyed participating in Dewey’s Readathon in the past, but this time around, my participating will look a little bit different, for a couple of reasons.

I’ve mentioned a couple of times this fall that I’m really trying to clear off my to-be-read shelf.  It’s on my 30 before 30 list, and I know it will be more difficult after my shelf gets restocked with Christmas goodies.

I may have over 2 dozen books on my birthday/Christmas wish list. That may need to be pared down a bit…

Also, I have only limited Internet access at home, so I’m not going to be able to update this blog during the Readathon. I can tweet, though.

Finally, I’ve got a bit of a busy schedule this weekend. I had a couple of opportunities that I just couldn’t pass up.

So what does that all add up to?

This Readathon, I’ll be trying to read 24 hours in 4 days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. And I’ll be focusing exclusively on what is already in my reading pile or on my TBR shelf. I know I won’t get too far, but I want to try to do what I can. All my Readathon updates will come via Twitter, instead of on this blog.

So what will I be reading? These are the books I’m currently reading:

And these are the books still on my TBR shelf that I have to choose from:

Don’t they look lonely?

This list was surprisingly easy to write. If you haven’t read these books yourself, I’d recommend them! Find more Top Ten Tuesday posts here.

1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I really liked this the first time I read it, but knowing how it turns out ruined it when I reread it a couple years ago.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Makes for a good reread, but not as stunning.

3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

I do hope to reread this again someday soon. I have a feeling I won’t like it as much, though.

4. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Sometimes you just want to discover for the first time what you’ve already discovered. This was a surprising gem for me the first time.

5. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

I wish I could read it again for the first time, because at its size, it’s probably not worth rereading. But, oh, did I enjoy it!

6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

On second thought, I don’t know that I want to be shockingly devastated again.

7. Red by Ted Dekker

I liked all 3 books of the trilogy, but this one really got me. What would I have thought if I lived in Jesus’ day?

8. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

This book loses a bit of innocence when you realize it’s not quite as innocent as it seems.

9. 1984 by George Orwell

Though the ending will make me cry every time, anyway.

10. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I have reread this, but it’s not quite as powerful as the first time.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I’ve been wanting to re-read this for years. I have the audio book in hand, I just haven’t been listening to audio books the last few weeks. Soon, though.

2. The Harry Potter series

I really enjoyed these when I listened to them in the spring. I try to wait at least a year before rereading books, so I plan on re-listening to these come spring…if I can wait that long.

3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

I have this audio book in hand, too. If you can’t tell, I much prefer listening to a book when I’m rereading it. I listened to this a few years ago, and I want to again.

4. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

Not sure when I’ll get around to this, but I want to. I think I’ve already read these twice, but definitely worth it.

5. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

The fact that I want to reread a 1100-page book of small type says a lot, right? But at least I can get it on audiobook this time.

6. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

This was very insightful and convicting, and I know I’ll want to reread this at some point in the not-too-distant future.

7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I’ve listened to this several times, and it’s about time for another. It’s like going home.

8. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I really don’t like the audio version of this, so I don’t know what I’ll do. But I do want to reread it one way or the other.

9. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I actually stopped listening to this halfway through the last time, as my library took the second half out of circulation. I’m so going to sign up for Audible.com just to get this on audio for keeps.

Okay, I can’t come up with a 10th book. So top nine it is! See more (actual) top 10 posts…

Forbidden was this month’s selection for the Faith and Fiction Roundtable. I really had a hard time getting through this one, as I have with any Ted Dekker book I’ve read since the Circle trilogy. As much as I loved those books, I guess his writing is not my style.

So what thoughts did Forbidden provoke in me? Well, not many. To be honest, I basically forgot everything I read upon closing the book, which was partly what made it so hard to get through.

I really don’t mean to be dissing the book…it’s not bad, just not my thing. Way too fantasy for my tastes.

The concept—a society that intentionally developed genetic mutation to remove all emotions but a mild sense of fear—is interesting. But I thought the implied answer in the book to whether emotions were good or not was, “Duh!”

So what do I think? As someone who has struggled with overwhelming emotions, I once wished I didn’t have them. But for all the pain they’ve been, I’m thankful for them now. They have pushed me through difficult situations to draw nearer to the Lord.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Forbidden for discussion purposes.

Other Faith and Fiction Roundtable Participants:

Amy
Brooks
Carrie
Florinda
Hannah
Heather
Jennifer
Julie
Liz
Nicole
Sheila
Sherry
Thomas
Tina

I’ve had Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp on my shelf since it came out a few years ago.

I guess it was waiting for a time like this.

While I was in Seattle, I started this book. As I may have implied through my “30 for 30″ talk lately, I’ve been in need of refocus. I feel like I’ve stalled out and been content with the status quo.

This is exactly what I needed to read now.

Whiter Than Snow is nothing new. But it is the important stuff, the Gospel. Tripp uses Psalm 51 as a jumping off point to really dig in deep about sin—and where it comes from—and the only One who can do something about it.

Whiter Than Snow is a series of 52 short devotions designed to be read once a week. Obviously, I didn’t follow that plan, but used it as an intense shot of the Gospel.

So am I geared up to work on my goals? Sure, but that’s not the point. The point is that I’ve fallen on my knees before the God whose mercy and grace I desperately need.

I highly recommend this book, to use as the Lord leads.

I tend to shy away from the most popular books, but often cave and read them anyway, if enough people are talking about them.

So, I went on Goodreads to compile this list. It took me almost all the way through the top 50 to find 10 books that I haven’t read (excluding sequels). Here’s 10 books I haven’t read but many people have…

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I’ve considered reading this on a few occasions, but I’ve never picked it up. My SIL told me it was written during NaNoWriMo which is almost enough to convince me to read it.

2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Never has appealed to me. Haven’t watched the movie, either.

3. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Once again, never appealed to me.

4. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Never read Angels & Demons either. I only read The DaVinci Code because it was lent to me by a co-worker. I was really surprised at how poorly it was written given how much ranting and raving I had heard about it. It was about that time I realized that people don’t recognize something isn’t good quality if they’ve never been exposed to good quality books.

5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

I really liked the movie, so maybe I’ll read the book. Didn’t realize it was a book before I watched the movie on a whim.

6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This is another book that I’ve almost picked up a couple of times, but didn’t.

7. Room by Emma Donoghue

This is definitely a book I feel like “everyone” has read but me. Just haven’t been interested.

8. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Of course, I’m not a kid (not that that has kept me from reading kids’ books as an adult!), but I don’t think I would have read the Percy Jackson series as a kid either. Harry Potter is about the only thing that has ever convinced me to try more fantasy.

9. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

This is the first one on the Goodreads list I’ve come to so far that I’m not familiar with. Nevertheless, it’s there, and I’ve not read it.

10. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Yeah, I haven’t read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books. I prefer to avoid paranormal books.