I've always wanted to successfully keep a running list of the books I've read and what I thought about them. This blog is my attempt to start that tradition. These are the books I've read since January... minus a few (ie. the entire Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series) that didn't seem worthy of making it onto a list.
The Go-Between God - John Taylor
Okay. This first one is kinda cheating. I read it before January and it took me approximately 4 months to read. It wasn't an easy read but it was completely worth the time it took. It was also probably the only non-class related book I read during my semester in Uganda. I could definitely re-read this book at least four more times and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to think more about the role of the Holy Spirit in their life. I can't say I agreed with everything that was said but I always knew when I picked it up that whether I read one page or a whole chapter I would come away from it with something new to think about. If you're interested in theology you should give it a glance!
The Story We Find Ourselves In - Brian McLaren
This one is written as a conversation/story and in terms of writing style is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Go-Between-God. The story takes place in the Galapagos and provides the backdrop for a discussion on creation and evolution in a way that is easily accessible to non-scientists/theologans. One last thing, if you're picky about the use of parentheses this book will drive you insane.
Worship on Earth as it is in Heaven - Rory Noland
This book brings forth some practical ways to enter more deeply into worship on a daily basis... but I can't actually remember anything that I learned. Maybe I should read it again?
Thinking, Loving, Doing - John Piper
This book is essentially a compilation of essays by various Christian thinkers and because of that it doesn't flow very well... but it was good... once again, that's honestly all I remember.
Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
I came across this book in an English book store in Austria. Not gonna lie, I picked it up mainly because it was cheap, it fit in my backpack, and it was the first book I had found in English in a good long while. It was fantastic. George Orwell's first full-length novel and it is incredibly well-written. The plot doesn't flow all that well but Orwell's descriptions give life to the many vagrants who occupied London in the 1920s. I read it during a two month period of wandering and I connected with this novel more at that time than I probably would have if I read it again after six months of being settled.
Divergent - Veronica Roth
I wouldn't recommend it. It was okay.
Finally Alive - John Piper
I picked this one up in Amsterdam. It was free and it was english. Enough said? Honestly, I think it was good but I don't actually remember anything I learned from it.
Americanah - Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
If you've ever wanted to learn more about racism or the feelings that emerge when two culture collide I would strongly recommend this book. My mom and I both read it a few months ago and it still comes up in conversation every once in awhile. Adichie conveys some interesting ideas about culture without shoving them in your face. This book covers 40+ years, something not many authors can do successfully but in this context it brings depth to a valuable conversation on the role of culture.
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Better than the movie.
The Light Between Oceans - M.L Stedman
Based on the cover I thought this books would be really boring... but it was good! I think the most appealing thing about this book was that all the characters were flawed. This book was set in rural Australia, someplace I have definitely never experienced, yet the characters were easy to sympathize with.
Bittersweet - Shauna Niequist
I cried. In this book Shauna Niequist basically just talks about life. Reading Bittersweet felt a bit like going out for coffee with a good friend. Those dates don't usually end up in anything brilliant but that doesn't make them any less important. Our lives our made up of the day-to-day stuff and sometimes you just have to embrace that shit. From Bittersweet I bring you this quote: "Get up. Create like you're training for a marathon, methodically, day by day. Learn your tricks, find a friend, leave the dirty dishes in the sink for a while. This is your chance to become what you believe deep in your secret heart you might be. You are an artist, a guide, a prophet. You are a storyteller, a visionary, the Pied Piper himself. Do the work, learn the skills, and make art, because of what the act of creation will create in you."
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran
This is now a movie that I can't wait to see! It's a 9/11 story but is completely unique and very well written. I'm glad not every book is written with Safran's style but it was a nice change... and great if you like being completely lost until you're past the halfway point.
Bossypants - Tina Fey
Hilarious... but I recommend the book on tape if you really want to laugh.
Painter of Silence - Georgina Harding
Most beautiful title ever. Just saying. All I can remember is that I didn't like how it ended. I probably didn't like how it ended because the romantic in me likes it when people live happily ever after. Was that a spoiler? My bad.
The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin
This was definitely not a book I would normally pick up. I happened upon it one day on a trip to the library and I'm really glad I read it. Rubin does a great job of incorporating statistical information and quotes from great philosophers and thinkers with her own ideas and experiences. I can't say I'm usually big on self-help type books but I thought this book was pretty good... but then I kinda just like reading other people's thoughts. I wouldn't be brave enough to recommend this book to someone else... but I also wont deny that I did enjoy it.
The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
“Though the setting is the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, this gripping novel transcends time and place. It is a universal story, and a testimony to the struggle to find meaning, grace, and humanity, even amid the most unimaginable horrors.” –Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns
