November 6, 2011

Book Review: A Swiftly Tilting Planet

I could not remember if I read A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle when I was in middle school or not. I do remember reading A Wrinkle in Time and loving it. Wrinkle… was the first book (of some significant size) that I ever read in a day, one single day. I think that is a feat for most American Teenagers. I remember being parked on our family loveseat for an entire Saturday becoming totally wrapped up in L’Engle’s fictitious world. I loved it.

I loved A Swiftly Tilting Planet as well. I read it in a matter of days. It is easy to do that with books you get lost in. L’Engle subtly saturated this book with biblical stories, stories I think that the average American think are pretty cut and dry. Cain killed Abel and Cain was bad. The end. Right? But through this young adult tale, L’Engle points that that history helps form the today. Brothers have been against brothers from the very near beginning; how would it shape today? History, the “once upon a times” and “long agos,” helps form the “nows” and the “what-will-bes”. That is important for young adults to learn. It is important for everyone to learn!

I am always a sucker for being given pieces of a puzzle and trying to put it together. Charles Wallace travels through time, finding different pieces that mean something but really not knowing how important they are yet. First, he tries to strategically dictate the “Wheres” and “Whens” they must go to. After much struggle with the awful Echthroi because of choices he had forced, Charles Wallace learns to let the wind carry him “Where”-ever and “When”-ever he and his unicorn-friend, Gaudior, need to go. After witnessing heartache, love, and providence, he knows what past “might have been” needs to actually “be” in order to save the world and restore a more harmonious time.

I know. I know. I’m a 23, almost 24, year old reading seemingly ridiculous, young adult fantasy books. But you could say the same thing for 50 year olds getting lost in the Edward and Bella romance, so do not get me started.

Although I am not stingy with how many stars I give a book, I am pretty selective about who my favorite authors are. I have liked Madeleine L’Engle since I was 13 and just realized that I think she is in the top five. The other four I will keep to myself and not disclose now ;)

A Swiftly Tilting Planet ★★★★★

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October 31, 2011

Book Review: The Invisible Man

I should note that the title is The Invisible Man, the novella by H.G. Wells, not Invisible Man, the novel by Ralph Waldo Ellison.

I began reading this book with no expectations. The cover shown to the right is the same cover that is on our copy we have, so that alone should have told me the The Invisible Man was going to be a creepy, crazy, guy.

I also should have clued in that it was written by H.G. Wells and was definitely going to be a science fiction piece. But I did not, so like I said, I began reading this book with no expectations.

Just the right amount of thrill and mystery. I thought the ending was a bit anti-climatic. Griffin is out to kill Kemp, running after him, wreaking havoc everywhere he goes, and then Griffin just dies in a mob? If I were a writer, I would have written something along the lines of having the mob cover up the body to convene elsewhere on how to dispose of him, only to return and find the body missing. But I’m sure many would have been averse to that ending as well. However, H.G. Wells knew what he was writing and this became a classic. I really admire how much science Wells knew (or studied) to be able to articulate how Griffin manipulated the refractive index of objects to make them invisible. Wells’ attention to details was amazing.

I still would like to know what happened to the three books/diaries that Griffin kept? What kind of cypher did he use? How did Griffin come upon the bandages that he used to cover himself? (Or did I miss that somewhere in the book?)

Anyway, great read. ★★★★★

 

 

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October 31, 2011

What’s a Probate?

Me, Brother, Dad

I remember when my brother, cousin and I were younger, though much older than the photo above, we decided to be the ones to decorate my MawMaw’s house for Christmas. I was busy setting up the Nativity scene, using whatever action figures and original Nativity figurines I could find. In the meantime, my brother and cousin were next to me, setting up the small Christmas tree and putting a string of lights around it. In the middle of putting the lights around the tree, my cousin asked my brother to “give him some slack.” My brother responded, “What’s a ‘slack’?” At that moment, everyone around watching us, started laughing. I think we were laughing at the fact that my brother called it “a slack” more than laughing at his not knowing what it was. It was a simple question. I am pretty sure it got a simple answer.

Now, approximately 13 years later (maybe even more), I wish my brother and I were asking those same simple questions that received nonthreating, non-life-changing answers. Going through the process of closing my dad’s estate has been really easy up to this point. My dad’s lawyer has been doing everything, but I got a letter a while back saying that it has been filed for probate and that I will have to go to court soon.

People keep throwing that word around, “probate”. “What’s a ‘probate’?” In this age, I could easily find out. A simple visit to to Google.com or Wikipedia.org could tell me all I want (or do not want) to know. But quite simply, I do not want to know. In my case, “ignorance is bliss.” Eventually I am going to have to know, I am going to have to go through the process of closing his accounts and discontinuing anything in my dad’s name. I already know that it is going to be hard. I do not feel like I need to make it even harder on myself by googling things that will only cause me more worry now. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 ESV

When we were kids, we never really realize how much we will miss the simplicity of being kids, how much we miss being looked after.

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October 23, 2011

Book Review: Money- God or Gift

Money – God or Gift is not one of those books that I have had sitting on our bookshelf for years like the ones I was talking about in a previous post, but I could easily see it becoming one.

We received Money from our Pastor at Sojourn Community Church, which he and our leadership team give to all of our covenant members to stress the importance of giving and why we should give as the body of Christ.

Tyler (My Mister) and I have always been regular givers, but after I read this book, it really made me examine why we give. Do we give out of obligation and routine, lacking praise? Or do we give out of thankfulness, worship, and praise to God for everything he has already given us? There’s a difference and Jamie Munson articulates the difference so well.

Are there some practicals in this book? Yes, but practicals were not the theme (although in one of his appendices he lists other books for further reading, including Dave Ramsey’s works). Munson always kept pointing back at the heart and the “why?” of our giving and used the meat of Luke 12 to support every point.

We can actually do a lot, even manage our finances well, without even asking the Spirit to guide us. The appearance of good stewardship is not enough if your heart reeks of pride and arrogance. The appearance of poverty in the name of Christ is null if we continue to allow our fear of the world to supersede our fear and love of Christ. Are we faithful and wise managers? Or are we financial fools?

Great book, Mr. Munson. ★★★★★

(I should disclose that my star ratings are not as accurate as others. If I like a book at all, it’s going to get five stars. If I didn’t like it, it’ll probably get none. It’s all or nothing :] )

***Update***

This post has been getting more traffic. I should be clear and say that I was not paid to endorse this book. I truly enjoyed it.

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October 18, 2011

Book Review: A Path through Suffering

A super sweet friend lent me the book about a week or two ago, so though I don’t own it, it was the first book I wanted to read on my “read-a-book-a-week” reading plan so that I could return it to her as quick as I could. (Ranting side note: when borrowing books/movies from people, it’s courteous to bring them back at a reasonable time. I will be instituting this library system soon: Knock Knock Personal Library Kit)

While reading this book, I was shown again how perfect God’s timing is. Reading A Path through Suffering coincided with my study of 1 Peter, which is all about suffering as a Christian. Elliot expounded on all those truths as well and it was God, in his mercy, showing me through the various people Elliot has wrote, how possible suffering as a Christian really is.

I love this book. Five stars. Elisabeth Elliot knows suffering so she has articulated how to suffer well and how to share in Christ’s suffering amazingly. She also covers from the little sacrifices to the major heartaches; all count as suffering and all need to be offered up to God. Why? Because you have another chance to die to yourself and to take up your cross, WILLINGLY take up you cross and follow Him. Most of us consider “taking up your cross” as suffering well when suffering comes, but Elliot also displays in various ways that we need to know that it’s coming and take it up, knowingly and willingly, not begrudgingly, when it does arrive.

She also mentions that in the life that we’re living, the life that’s apart from eternity, suffering is going to happen, but we were made and also entrusted with the Spirit to endure and rejoice in it also. We were made to obey God, even through suffering. “[Obeying the will of God is a simple thing but very rarely is it an easy thing.]” I liked how she mentioned that Jesus told us to consider the birds and the lilies and from that her chickadee metaphor: “We rarely consider a bird in his precious simplicity – the chickadee, wearing his little black cap and gray suit, whistling tinily, doing nothing but what he was made to do. I would like to do nothing but what I was made to do.” (p.160)

She has a lot of flora metaphors in the book, at the beginning of every chapter and then riddled throughout the chapters as well. I can honestly say that I really didn’t appreciate them very much really, that is until the very end. She mentions that for a flower to be able to give new life, it has to let go of the seed and die. The flower is just too weak to hold onto the seed, so the seed falls to the ground, hopefully burying itself in soil where new life can begin. We should be the flower, allowing things to fall from, or in some cases fall onto, us. The flower doesn’t disobey and hold onto what it should not. It obeys. It dies to itself. The birth of one thing means the death of another.

I pray that through any and all of my sufferings, I would be able to die to all the terrible pieces of me so that my life in Christ would shine through all the more.

Thank you, Elisabeth, for being faithful and obedient to writing this book. Thank you, God, for the mercy you’ve shown me by sending my friend, Rebecca, to give it to me to read.

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October 8, 2011

Read! Read like the wind!

I just finished reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan, about a year and a half after I bought it. That’s what happens when you lend people books and completely forget about them, but that’s beside the point.
I’m so thankful the Holy Spirit inspired and guided Mr. Chan to write this book. So incredibly challenging and honestly, convicting. I realize that I don’t allow the Holy Spirit to transform me the majority of any given day. Chan’s writing is really easy to read, but I think my most favorite thing about his books are the little biographies he includes throughout. It’s encouraging to hear about what the Spirit is doing through people. I can’t believe I waited two years to pick up and finish this book.
That being said, there are tons many books on my bookshelf that I need to finish reading; some that I have had for years and have completely allowed it to slip through the cracks, like Forgotten God. So now I have a new goal for myself. For the rest of this year I’ve decided that I’m going to strive to read a book a week. Now, depending on the book, this could be completely ridiculous or completely attainable. For the sake of being able to keep this goal, I’m choosing books, similar in size to Forgotten God, that I already have on my bookcase.
Here’s that list:
  1. Oct 9 -15 // The Path of Suffering by Elisabeth Elliot
  2. Oct 16 – 22 // Money by Jamie Munson
  3. Oct 23 – 29 // The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (One of Hubs’ few contributions to our book collection.)
  4. Oct 30 – Nov 5 // A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’engle (I can’t remember if I read this in middle school)
  5. Nov 6 – 12 // The Reason for God – Tim Keller
  6. Nov 13 – 19 // unchristian by David Kinnaman The Reason for God – Tim Keller (After starting this book, I realized how loaded it is. Going to need more than a week.)
  7. Nov 20 – 26 // Searching for God Knows What – Donald Miller
  8. Nov 27 – Dec 3 // Jane Austen by Peter Leithart
  9. Dec 4 – 10 // Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (That’s right. I’ve never read it & I’m going to need a light-hearted book to break the seriousness) Where Has Oprah Taken Us? by Stephen Mansfield (Update: 10/28/2011 – I replaced Charlotte Web’s because I am going to read this current book for a BookSneeze.com review.)
  10. Dec 11 – 17 // Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (Again, never read it. Don’t judge me.)
  11. Dec 18 – 24 // A Meal with Jesus by Tim Chester
  12. Dec 25 – 31 // Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (I cannot tell you how many times I’ve started & stopped reading this book. I will ring in 2012 with this book. Period.)
Now that this is up, let it be known that I’m not going to be strict with the schedule. Charlotte’s Web is extremely short. Catch 22 is considerably longer. I’ll probably finish Charlotte’s Web in a few hours & the next day or two start Catch 22, giving me extra time to go through it.
When I finish a book, I’ll give a short review of it on here. I already do this on a excel spreadsheet on my desktop (nerdy, I know), so it won’t take long to just copy and paste from that.
Anyway, that’s going to be my book reading journey. No more buying books until I’m at least half way through and on schedule with this list. And you can hold me to that..

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September 30, 2011

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

Would it be wrong of me to say that “Wild at Heart” is just a male version of “Captivating”? Or maybe it’s “Captivating” that’s a female version of “Wild at Heart”. I liked reading “Captivating”, I think a lot of women would, but all women are not the same and do not have the same struggles. As for the male population reading “Wild at Heart” I think it would either be a love-it or hate-it type of book. Again, all men are not the same and do not enjoy glorifying God in the same way as this book suggests. My husband does not hunt, never has hunted, and we both come from families that have never hunted. If “Discovering the Secrets to a Man’s Soul” means to go out and enjoy the Great Outdoors, I think many Christian men might feel they fall short. However, I do think that some men would enjoy reading it and, in fact, I do know some men who have enjoyed reading it. As a woman, I can’t really dissect this book in the same way a man can, but I do think that this book will be enjoyed by many (and probably has been enjoyed by many), but I think men should embrace any gift that God has gave them and seek that in understanding themselves and glorifying God.

 

*Booksneeze Review

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