(prepare for a long list)
At long last, friends, here is the virtual book list compiled over the last week. What a treat it is to see which books resonate with you, which ones qualify in your estimation as a book worth recommending. I appreciate so much those of you who provided lists; I know that I've already identified a few new books to read (and I'm moving them to the top of my list). And a special shout-out to Daniel Russell (the only man who braved the heavily female Sweet Communion blogworld and offered his contribution) and to Virginia Tillery (who created the fabuloso Book Feast blinkie ) -- salute.
Now, some of my favorite quotes about books/stories, and then the list:
"Reading is a sage way to bump up against life. Reading may be an escape, but it is not escape from my own life and problems. It is escape from the narrow boundaries of being only me." Gladys Hunt
"[stories] help us see, however, that our own story is not big enough, that the world is larger and more varied than our limited experience. ... They help by calling us into relationship – with other people, with other places and times, with creation, and with God." Daniel Taylor, The Christian Imagination
"One book read thoroughly and with careful reflection will do more to improve the mind and enrich the understanding than skimming over the surface of a whole library. Indeed, the more one reads in this hasty, superficial manner, the worse. It is like loading the stomach with a great quantity of food which lies there undigested. It enfeebles the intellect, and pours darkness and confusion over all the operations of the mind." Hawes
"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book." Henry David Thoreau
"The Bible is so good with chocolate. I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn’t. It is a chocolate thing." Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz
At long last, friends, here is the virtual book list compiled over the last week. What a treat it is to see which books resonate with you, which ones qualify in your estimation as a book worth recommending. I appreciate so much those of you who provided lists; I know that I've already identified a few new books to read (and I'm moving them to the top of my list). And a special shout-out to Daniel Russell (the only man who braved the heavily female Sweet Communion blogworld and offered his contribution) and to Virginia Tillery (who created the fabuloso Book Feast blinkie ) -- salute.
Now, some of my favorite quotes about books/stories, and then the list:
"Reading is a sage way to bump up against life. Reading may be an escape, but it is not escape from my own life and problems. It is escape from the narrow boundaries of being only me." Gladys Hunt
"[stories] help us see, however, that our own story is not big enough, that the world is larger and more varied than our limited experience. ... They help by calling us into relationship – with other people, with other places and times, with creation, and with God." Daniel Taylor, The Christian Imagination
"One book read thoroughly and with careful reflection will do more to improve the mind and enrich the understanding than skimming over the surface of a whole library. Indeed, the more one reads in this hasty, superficial manner, the worse. It is like loading the stomach with a great quantity of food which lies there undigested. It enfeebles the intellect, and pours darkness and confusion over all the operations of the mind." Hawes
"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book." Henry David Thoreau
"The Bible is so good with chocolate. I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn’t. It is a chocolate thing." Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz
“The magical proposition of the gospel, once free from the clasps of fairy tale, was very adult to me, very gritty like something from Hemingway or Steinbeck … Christian spirituality was not a children’s story. It wasn’t cute or neat. It was mystical, and odd and clean, and it was reaching into dirty. There was wonder in it and enchantment.” Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz
THE LIST
Anna
Hannah Coulter, Wendell Berry
Poetry by Philip Larking
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
Daniel
On Mexican Time, Tony Cohan
Debbie
Redeeming Love and Atonement Child, both by Francine Rivers
Nights in Rodanthe and The Choice, both by Nicholas Sparks
A Wife After God’s Own Heart and A Woman After God’s Own Heart, Elizabeth George
Elizabeth
People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Kahled Housseni
Emily
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
Jawan
Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World
When Sinners Say "I Do": Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage, Dave Harvey
Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy, Paul David Tripp
Covenants: God's Way With His People, O. Palmer Robertson
Same Kind of Different As Me, Rob Hall & Denver Moore
The Back of the Napkin, Dan Roam
The Waiting Child: How the Faith and Love of One Orphan Saved the Life of Another, Cindy Champnella
Jenny
Burning Bright, Tracey Chevalier
Virgin Blue, Tracey Chevalier
Memory Keepers Daughter, Kim Edwards
The Night Journal, Elizabeth Crook
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver
Jessica
My favorite book of late is Peggy Noonan's When Character was King, a biography about President Ronald Reagan. Noonan was his speech writer during his first term in the White House and has amazing insight into the who's, what's and why's that made Ronald Reagan the confident leader that he was. The book is filled with personal stories laced with the humor that Reagan was known for. I am not a political junkie, but I loved this book and finished it with a great respect for our country's former leader.
Kathy
Captivating, Eldredge
You Can Hear the Voice of God, Sampson
The Holy Spirit in You, Prince
Boundaries, Cloud/Townsend
Kim
The Book of Lost Things (super creepy, but well written)
Jane Eyre
Laura
Bible Study: Sonship by World Harvest Mission
Autobiography: A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Van Auken
Faith/Crafting: Faith Books and Spiritual Journaling, Expressions of Faith Through Art, Sharon Soneff
Faith: The Path of Celtic Prayer, Calvin Miller
The Pursuit of God, Tozer
Poetry: The Singer Trilogy, Calvin Miller
Devotional: My Luggage Isn't Heavy, by the missionaries of World Harvest Mission
Cookbook: Keeping Good Company, Roxie Kelley
Fiction: People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
Burning Bright: Tracey Chevalier
Wanting to Read: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New E., Brock Clarke
Melissa
My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
Missy
Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks
Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
Twilight series, Stephanie Meyer
Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
Pam
The Painted House, John Grisham
Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Nicholas Sparks books
Rachel
Emma, Jane AustenChrist the King, Anne Rice
The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Brennan Manning
The Reason for God, Tim Keller
The Beautiful Cigar Girl, Daniel StashowerC
hange Me into Zeus' Daughter, Barbara Robinette Moss
All Over but the Shoutin' and Princes of Frogtown, Rick Bragg
Ellen Foster, Kaye Gibbons
Taste and See, John Piper
Evil and the Justice of God, N.T. Wright
Losing Battles, Eudora Welty
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
Odd-Egg Editor, Kathryn Tucker Windham
Selected Writings of Martin Luther and John Calvin
Selected Poems by John Donne
Shirley
Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Honor Roll (some of Laura's all-time favorites)
Hannah Coulter, Wendell Berry
Poetry by Philip Larking
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
Daniel
On Mexican Time, Tony Cohan
Debbie
Redeeming Love and Atonement Child, both by Francine Rivers
Nights in Rodanthe and The Choice, both by Nicholas Sparks
A Wife After God’s Own Heart and A Woman After God’s Own Heart, Elizabeth George
Elizabeth
People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Kahled Housseni
Emily
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
Jawan
Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World
When Sinners Say "I Do": Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage, Dave Harvey
Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy, Paul David Tripp
Covenants: God's Way With His People, O. Palmer Robertson
Same Kind of Different As Me, Rob Hall & Denver Moore
The Back of the Napkin, Dan Roam
The Waiting Child: How the Faith and Love of One Orphan Saved the Life of Another, Cindy Champnella
Jenny
Burning Bright, Tracey Chevalier
Virgin Blue, Tracey Chevalier
Memory Keepers Daughter, Kim Edwards
The Night Journal, Elizabeth Crook
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver
Jessica
My favorite book of late is Peggy Noonan's When Character was King, a biography about President Ronald Reagan. Noonan was his speech writer during his first term in the White House and has amazing insight into the who's, what's and why's that made Ronald Reagan the confident leader that he was. The book is filled with personal stories laced with the humor that Reagan was known for. I am not a political junkie, but I loved this book and finished it with a great respect for our country's former leader.
Kathy
Captivating, Eldredge
You Can Hear the Voice of God, Sampson
The Holy Spirit in You, Prince
Boundaries, Cloud/Townsend
Kim
The Book of Lost Things (super creepy, but well written)
Jane Eyre
Laura
Bible Study: Sonship by World Harvest Mission
Autobiography: A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Van Auken
Faith/Crafting: Faith Books and Spiritual Journaling, Expressions of Faith Through Art, Sharon Soneff
Faith: The Path of Celtic Prayer, Calvin Miller
The Pursuit of God, Tozer
Poetry: The Singer Trilogy, Calvin Miller
Devotional: My Luggage Isn't Heavy, by the missionaries of World Harvest Mission
Cookbook: Keeping Good Company, Roxie Kelley
Fiction: People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
Burning Bright: Tracey Chevalier
Wanting to Read: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New E., Brock Clarke
Melissa
My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
Missy
Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks
Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
Twilight series, Stephanie Meyer
Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
Pam
The Painted House, John Grisham
Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Nicholas Sparks books
Rachel
Emma, Jane AustenChrist the King, Anne Rice
The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Brennan Manning
The Reason for God, Tim Keller
The Beautiful Cigar Girl, Daniel StashowerC
hange Me into Zeus' Daughter, Barbara Robinette Moss
All Over but the Shoutin' and Princes of Frogtown, Rick Bragg
Ellen Foster, Kaye Gibbons
Taste and See, John Piper
Evil and the Justice of God, N.T. Wright
Losing Battles, Eudora Welty
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
Odd-Egg Editor, Kathryn Tucker Windham
Selected Writings of Martin Luther and John Calvin
Selected Poems by John Donne
Shirley
Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Honor Roll (some of Laura's all-time favorites)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
March by Geraldine Brooks
Windows of the Soul, Ken Gire
Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge
Pilgrim’s Inn (aka Herb of Grace), Elizabeth Goudge
books by Chaim Potok
books by Francine Rivers
The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Edith Hahn Beer
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith
The Quantity of a Hazelnut by Fae Malania
The Lenten Tree by Dean Meador Smith
The Bedside Book of Birds by Graeme Gibson
An Egg is Quiet, Dianna Aston
Cook’s Illustrated magazine
Mind’s Eye, Paul Fleischman
short stories by O.Henry
For the Love of Knitting by Kari Cornell
A note on finding books: Melissa asked about where to get books. Obviously, the library is a good source. And often I can borrow one I want to read from a friend who has it. But sometimes there are books you know you'll read again, and these you want to own. Occasionally, I purchase a book I know I want on alibris.com or one of the other online used-book sources. I also check the thrift store, the libraries around town (as Homewood, Vestavia, Hoover, and perhaps others have on-site used bookstores), and used-book stores around town (one, in particular, is near the Whistle Stop Cafe in Irondale). How about you, my blog-reading friends -- any good book sources that you know about?
Well, there you have the list. Hope you leads to many hours of enjoyable, and even life-altering, reading! (If anyone reading this meant to send a list and wasn't able to do so, feel free to comment on this post).
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
March by Geraldine Brooks
Windows of the Soul, Ken Gire
Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge
Pilgrim’s Inn (aka Herb of Grace), Elizabeth Goudge
books by Chaim Potok
books by Francine Rivers
The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Edith Hahn Beer
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith
The Quantity of a Hazelnut by Fae Malania
The Lenten Tree by Dean Meador Smith
The Bedside Book of Birds by Graeme Gibson
An Egg is Quiet, Dianna Aston
Cook’s Illustrated magazine
Mind’s Eye, Paul Fleischman
short stories by O.Henry
For the Love of Knitting by Kari Cornell
A note on finding books: Melissa asked about where to get books. Obviously, the library is a good source. And often I can borrow one I want to read from a friend who has it. But sometimes there are books you know you'll read again, and these you want to own. Occasionally, I purchase a book I know I want on alibris.com or one of the other online used-book sources. I also check the thrift store, the libraries around town (as Homewood, Vestavia, Hoover, and perhaps others have on-site used bookstores), and used-book stores around town (one, in particular, is near the Whistle Stop Cafe in Irondale). How about you, my blog-reading friends -- any good book sources that you know about?
Well, there you have the list. Hope you leads to many hours of enjoyable, and even life-altering, reading! (If anyone reading this meant to send a list and wasn't able to do so, feel free to comment on this post).
2 comments:
On buying books - I love half.com! I often buy hard cover books for $4 - $5. But watch out for the shipping charges they rack up quick.
I really enjoy Robert Morgan's books. Gap Creek, The Truest Pleasure, The Rock. His stories take place in the Appalachian mountains and offer insight into a life that is hard, but often brings out strength of character. The women are usually very strong and overcome great adversity.
I also enjoy the books Sharyn McCrumb writes, hers also are of mountain people and their way of life. The Rosewood Casket and She Walks These Hills are two of them.
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