Reading log

[Vlad!]

The popularity of the 'What to read?' and 'What are you reading?' threads and the music/film journals prompted the creation of this thread. It's not limited to books released in a certain year, just books that you have completed recently. After you complete a new book, feel free to add it as a reply--going back and editing the posts makes it hard to respond to new material.

And, to kick this off, books that I've read recently, along with approximate rating and a (hopefully) spoiler-free blurb:

Angelmass, Timothy Zahn: A sci-fi novel set in a futuristic world full of danger and intrigue. Includes all of Zahn's stock character types, including the underpriveliged but resourceful female, the naive but intelligent unwitting political pawn, the valiant-at-heart veteran commander, and the scumbag politician. I couldn't put it down even though I expected it to be ho-hum. The ending felt a bit rushed and didn't really tie anything up, making me hope for a sequel.
Score range: 7-9

The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C. Clarke: High technology meets ancient history as the peaceful island of Taprobane (more-or-less modern-day Sri Lanka) becomes 'the most valuable spot of real estate in the world.' The modern story is interspersed with descriptions of an ancient engineer/artist/king who lived on the same island millennia ago. Excellent, like all Clarke's books. He neither drags it on too long nor cuts it off too soon.
Score range: 8-10

A Fall of Moondust, Arthur C. Clarke: A group of lunar tourists have a much more exciting trip than they expected. Set on a 'sea' of finely-grained moon dust, the relations between the characters show Clarke's basic belief in humanity. It would be interesting to see how he would have written Lord of the Flies.
Score range: 6-8

The Lurking Fear and Other Tales, H.P. Lovecraft: The father of modern horror doesn't need to disgust with endless descriptions of gore or violence, but rather amazes and excites with tales of the unknown and unhuman. Rather than depicting psycho killers thirsting for blood or gigantic monsters desiring to wipe out humanity, his creations are nearly indifferent to humanity, pausing to wipe out an annoying human or two only if they are sufficiently annoyed. Worth reading.
Score range: 7-9

Imperial Earth, Arthur C. Clarke: Late in the 23rd century, one of the leaders of the government of Titan (a moon orbiting Saturn) must return to Earth to participate in the celebration of America's 500th birthday. In his preparations for and participation in this journey, he learns a lot about himself and the universe.
Score range: 8-10

The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age, Pekka Himanen: Modeled after sociologist Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of the Industrial Age, this book discusses how hackers (differentiate from crackers, those who seek to do harm) and the hacker ways of thinking and living are affecting changing our culture. Unfortunately, a fairly dry book that informs but fails to captivate.
Score range: 4-6

[Josh]

House of Sand and Fog
By Andre Dubus III

A gripping page-turner of a novel. Dubus is a master of building and maintaining suspense, and he creates characters here that are hard to forget. I'm not sure if I have ever read a novel that more powerfully illustrates how miserable things become when we live selfishly and neglect to treat others as we want to be treated. A few brief but explicit sex scenes make this one inappropriate for immature readers, but, for those who can handle it, this book comes highly recommended. A-

[enemy anemone]

Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler -- just finished it last night. the main character, Philip Marlowe, has some amusing and snappy dialog but I never could get into the actual plot.

Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy by William Barrett -- the most readable and absorbing book I've read recently. I feel like reading it again.  it's an overview of existentialism and Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Satre.  it touches on Modern Art and sources of existentialism from Hebraism, Hellenism, and Christianity.

The Maltese Falcom by Dashiell Hammett -- boring. neither the characters nor the plot interested me. I do not like Sam Spade.

Stitch 'n Bitch by Debbie Stoller -- This seems to be the knitting bible for the modern knitter, and I picked it up because so many people have referred to the patterns in the book.  

Heretics by G.K. Chesterton -- good stuff, especially after reading Irrational Man.

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton -- ditto, but I think I found Heretics a bit more interesting than Orthodoxy.

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton -- the first chapters were interesting and I really enjoy Chesterton's writing style, but I kind of guessed the end of the story and lost most of my interest in finishing the book. I just sorta skimmed through the last chapters and did not care about what happened to anyone. the difficulty I had keeping track of the two main characters remained to the end.  

[Josh]

Rumors of Another World
By Philip Yancey

In this book Yancey tackles our dual citizenship-- both here and in the kigdom of heaven-- and all the paradoxes that this entails, with his usual warm, easy-to-read writing style. I don't agree with all of his thinking-- indeed, when he discusses the topic of man's free will, he begins to contradict himself and sound like a buffoon, as is bound to happen; perhaps he should have paid more attention to the John Calvin quotes that pop up throughout the book. Aside from a few caveats, though, I thought it was a fairly insightful book. Not world-shattering, but still rewarding. B+

[Josh]

Reformed Worship
By Terry L. Johnson

Absolutely essential reading. This is hands-down one of the best books I've ever read, and, at 68 pages, it can easily be finished in one sitting. John Calvin believed that the single most important part of the Christian life was worship, and Johnson concurs; in this book, he very clearly shows us what it means to worship in spirit and in truth, always citing biblical examples. His definition of worship is totally consistent with the Scriptures, making this book very timely and much-needed in an era when too many churches have lost sight of what worship really is. A+

[Vlad!]

Trigger, Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Kube-McDowell: Set a good ways into the 21st century yet still close enough to our modern time to give some readers pause, this collaborative effort explores a possible result of a device which could turn disarmament from a dream to a reality: a field generator that destroys all explosive ammunition and bombs within its sphere of influence. Delves into politics enough that it could almost be considered a political thriller, but it is certainly more than that. I like books that make one think, and some of the discussions on gun control are more lucid and intelligent than any I have heard in real life. A nice, modern novel.
Score range: 7-9
 

[Josh]

The Mystery of Providence
By John Flavel

Absolutely the most meaningful theological discussion I have ever come across. I have never read a more biblically sound, important reflection on how God works in the lives of His people. This is the kind of book that touches on some pretty deep theological topics, but it never becomes abstract. There is plenty of practical application here; in fact, I dare say that reading it will very probably change your life. A+

[linds]

i usually read 2-4 books at a time, so here's what's on my plate right now:

ORTHODOXY, BY GK CHESTERTON-- i've been told it's a must-read, and i have to admit that i'm inclined to agree.  his early-1900's words of wisdom are very relevant to our postmodern (or post-postmodern) world.

MASTER AND COMMANDER, BY PATRICK O"BRIEN-- i don't know why it's hard for me to admit this, but: i'm completely hooked.  this book is amazing, even if it is just about a bunch of men on a boat.

GODRIC, BY FREDERICK BUECHNER-- i'm almost finished with this guy--maybe twenty pages left.  it's been a memorable story, and i'm excited to check out more from buechner.

EYES WIDE OPEN, BY WILLIAM ROMANOWSKI-- a good book on the culturally minded christian; for all its wisdom, it's not groundbreaking in my mind, not would it be around the phorum. however, i wish more people in the christian ghetto would read it.

[xsuchgreatHEIGHTS]

just finished The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
Now I have to read Jane Eyre & A Farewell to Arms.

I enjoyed The Awakening a lot. At first I had a hard time determing what the purpose was, but eventually I started to really enjoy it. I have never read a book with so much tension.

Jane Eyre is alright so far. Granted, I'm only about 30 pages in. Very descriptive. But I like it.

As for A Farewell to Arms, I haven't started it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

[linds]

Okay, I'm completely addicted to the "Master and Commander" book series.  It sounds pathetic, I know, but they're really, really good!
 

[oneafroboy]

Stockman's The Spiritual Journey of U2.

The prose was weak. And Stockman came off as a fanboy defending his beloved band. The evidence was weak and mostly speculation. The quotes were generally ineffective and overall the book was very uninformative. I finished feeling like I had just wasted a few hours of my time without learning much of anything about U2.

In conclusion, it was a worthless and valueless read.


(Btw, I did find the background information fairly solid. The part about their early Christian lives--the Shalom community, Mount Temple, their teachers--was interesting and probably the best part of the book.)

[Vlad!]

Hammer of God - Arthur C. Clarke:
This book is written in a much different style than Clarke's usual. It jumps around, gives multiple perspectives, and generally presents itself more as a scrapbook than a coherent novel. If you have read Fountains of Paradise, the style is a bit more extreme than you see in that book. If you want a harrowing tale of Earth vs. Asteroid, don't see Armageddon, read Hammer of God.

 

[Josh]

Cat's Cradle
By Kurt Vonnegut

One of the most bizarre, surreal, and enthralling novels I've ever read. It's an odd and sometimes disturbing mixture of realism, fantasy, and satire. The characters are highly memorable, and the humor is often outrageously funny, and sometimes sharply insightful. My only complaint is that there are times when it seems like the author is bashing organized religion and spirituality, but it's hard to tell if he's serious or if that's just part of the satire. A-range

[Josh]

Slapstick
By Kurt Vonnegut

Another strange, surreal masterpiece of creativity from one of my favorite authors. Some will dismiss it as being weird just for the sake of weirdness; personally, though, I can't get enough of Vonnegut's imagination and wit. The ending is a little anticlimactic, which keeps me from giving the book an A-level rating, but it's still a wildly entertaining, and often very touching novel. B+

[Vlad!]

At the Mountains of Madness, by H.P. Lovecraft
Lovecraft was an intellectual. Though he wrote in the thirties and forties, his works often reference the genius of mem like Heisenberg and Einstein and Planck, a genius that we take for granted today. This means, however, that sometimes his books are too cerebral and dry to make truly compelling horror. His characters spend a lot of time telling the reader how scared they should feel, but he doesn't always do a great job of showing the reader what exactly there is to be scared of. Written by a modern master of suspense and horror but with the same plot, characters, and subject matter, At the Mountains of Madness would be a chilling, nigh-terrifying tale of an Antarctic expedition gone horribly wrong. As it is, he spends so much time in mise-en-scene and longwinded descriptions of architecture that it would be a dull reader indeed who does not already expect the otherwise terrifying events when they actually do happen.
Another gripe, and this extends to all his books, is that Lovecraft has several favorite words that he uses over and over. Not just in different works, but in the same ones. These adjectives are archaic (his writing styles shows an antiquity that even other works written around his time do not evidence. He deliberately attempted to appear old-fashioned) and powerful enough that they could evoke the feelings he intends them to, but since they're overused then it grates on the mind and makes one wish he would get a thesaurus.
Over all, Lovecraft and Poe are the early masters of of the bizarre and the horrible, and At the Mountains of Madness is a good example of the former's work. However, this lengthy story actually loses quality along with succinctness, and I think it's no conicidence that his shortest stories are among his best.

Edit: Score range: 5-7

[GusX:]

The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR
Author: Al Ries, Laura Ries

Now it isn't exactly a novel,  but you will have a great kick out of the illustrations, the depth of insight,  and perhaps the overal theme of the book.
8-10

[Josh]

Mother Night
By Kurt Vonnegut

Immediately my favorite Vonnegut novel that I've read, this one isn't quite as imaginitive and humorous as some of his other works, but it's extremely moving and insightful, full of plot twists that will totally catch you off guard and characters that are very real and sympathetic, not just Vonnegut's usual clowns and caricatures. Absolutely a must-read. A+

[GusX:]

Every man's battle - STEPHEN ARTERBURN, FRED STOEKER

Really powerful book on sexual temptation and how to win out..  Even if you disagree with some of it,  it still causes you to think alot about the subject..

Excellent read - not to long,  not difficult.. but very very convicting..  

There are more to the series
"Every womans battle"
"Every young mans battle"
and some other ones that are irrelavent to me...seeing as I am not married..

[Vlad!]

There are more to the series
"Every womans battle"
"Every young mans battle"
and some other ones that are irrelavent to me...seeing as I am not married..

Are you implying that Every Woman's Battle IS relevant to you?

I am fairly suspicious of books that try to generalize the author's struggles to a larger set of people (especially 'every man',), but I've heard praise for this book from many circles. Might be worth checking out.

[GusX:]

Lol - It is helpful to get perspecitves on this issue from both sides  :D      It might be  
"generalizing"  but with a topic like this, I found him to be   A.  quite biblical.  B.  quite true to reality...

and yeah, Its got alot of reviews... Good ones at that...

[Aaron]

Go Down To Silence - G.K. Belliveau.  This is about a Jewish WWII survivor who is planning on reconciling with his song whom he disowned because the son took on a pseudonym to become a famous adventure author.  The book goes back and forth between the main character's life during WWII in Belgium and to his time waiting to meet his son at the airport.  


This book captured my interest right from the start because Belliveau would always switch the eras each chapter.  This really intrigued me and I would read and read for a couple hours.  

On a scale of 10, I'd rate this book at a 8

[dgp11776]

The Tenth Justice - Brad Meltzer

Edit:  Oops...I meant to put it in the "What are you reading" thread.

[RokrantheGreat]

Recently finished 2061: Odyssey Three by Clarke. I must say that the second and third books have been much better than 2001 was...

[Aaron]

Just finished The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  Really good read and easy to get through.  It is probably the easiest C.S. Lewis book to read.  I love the satire and the humor.

[Vlad!]

Twelve Pilgrims -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Less fantastic (i.e. uses less fantasy) than some of his other stories, but these 12 are all incredible in a different sense. He writes with an honesty and a humanity that I think the modern world (including myself) appreciates.

Four Ways to Forgiveness -- Ursula K. LeGuin: Four stories set at approximately the same place and at approximately the same time. Very interesting. LeGuin is very heavy on the psychology of her characters, and as a result they seem like real people, reacting in ways that seem natural given their characters. Although technically science fiction, her stories draw their appeal from their interesting characters much more than from the technology or settings she employs.

The Wind's Twelve Quarters -- Ursula K. LeGuin: Unlike the above, there is no common locality or temporality in these stories. Like the above, however, the characters are engaging and three-dimensional. I found "The Masters" and "The Field of View" to be the best of the collection, but I enjoyed them all wholeheartedly. This collection includes a broad spectrum from fantasy to sci-fi, but whichever genre and milieu she chooses to write in her storytelling is much the same.

[Josh]

Silence
by Shusaku Endo

I've already made a separate thread for discussing this book, but suffice to say that it is one of the most compelling and spiritually exploratory books novels I've ever read. It is such a profound exploration of so many mysteries of faith that it is quite possibly the most affecting work of fiction I've ever read. A+

Wise Blood
by Flannery O'Connor

Extremely dark and troubling, but also comical and very clever, this novel is one of O'Connor's greatest achievements. It's a unique and engaging story, told with her usual flare for dark comedy and exaggeration, and it addresses issues of depravity, grace, free will, and destiny with more insight and profundity than most theologians that I've read. A+

[-TheWanderer-]

I read the America Book by The Daily Show peoples.  It was pretty funny and entertaining

[bloop]

Chronicles Volume 1 by Bob Dylan.  I love that it isn't anything like one would expect out of a memoir, and the way he feels free to take tangents throughout.

[RokrantheGreat]

Just finished Cat's Cradle the other night... a darn good book. Irony, satire, humor... I likee. Beware the Ice-9! And the Hyu-oo-uk-yuh or however they say it!    

[danny316]

Just finished Brian McLaren's "A Generous Orthodoxy". I love it. Partially because he's brilliant, partially because he's hilarious, partially because i happen to agree with him. Great stuff.

[Josh]

Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport
by Richard Mouw

The frivolous title of this book should have tipped me off that this is no work of great depth or profundity. In fact, while Mouw raises some interesting questions about the Reformed faith, he falls short of delivering any substantial answers. In fact, more often than not, he falls back on the theology of ignorance-- if he doesn't know the answer then there must not be an answer! Disappointing, as is the fact that he seems to go out of his way not to offend any non-Calvinists, even though the book's target audience is pholks who already subscribe to Calvinist theology. I say skip this one. C

[Aaron]

I tried to finish Silence by Endo but I couldn't.  It just didn't hold my attention long enough for me to want to know what will happen at the end of the book.  I enjoyed what parts that I did read but it wasn't interesting enough to read it all.  Even though my grade is essentially an Incomplete, the parts that I read were B+ material.

[Josh]

Naked Pictures of Famous People
By Jon Stewart

While it isn't nearly as insightful or as uproariously funny as Stewart's TV show or his America: The Book, Naked Pictures of Famous People is nevertheless a hilarious collection of clever essays, some of them insanely funny, a few modestly entertaining, and one or two a little bit too crass for my tastes. B

[StaceyG]

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Although I wasn't always on the exact same page as the author, he made a lot of points that challenged my thinking, which I always appreciate.  He has some real issues with how Christ is represented by organized religion...Christian Spirituality vs. Christianity.  On a couple of occasions, he basically admits that he is opinionated and his preferences are not necessarily always the answer for everyone.  He rants and storytells using his life experiences and theological discussions.  I found his writing style to be clever and enjoyable.  

[bloop]

Chronicles Volume 1 by Bob Dylan

Now that I've finished it, I can talk a little more about it.  

Mostly observational in nature, non-linear (I had to look up a few albums that he was talking about), and an often insightful look into the private and public life of one of the most important musical figures of our time.  Throughout, he references several artists that phorumers here enjoy like Bono (he describes him as a closet philosopher), who recommends and calls Daniel Lanois, who is responsible for Time Out of Mind's production (although he doesn't cover that album any longer than a brief sentence.  Lanois is brought up in reference to Oh Mercy, which isn't called by name in the book).  He dwells a lot longer on his heroes, which, other than Woody Guthrie and maybe a few others, might be a little more obscure unless you know the 50s and 60s American folk scene, and also on his early life in a ramshackle "apartment" in NYC.  Highly recommended.

(I don't rate books)

[Aaron]

C.S. Lewis - A Grief Observed



wow, amazing, heartwrenching.

[DvChWi]

C.S. Lewis - A Grief Observed



wow, amazing, heartwrenching.

Funny,  I just picked that up from the library this week.  I think maybe it's time to get a good C.S. Lewis thread going.

[Aaron]

C.S. Lewis - A Grief Observed



wow, amazing, heartwrenching.

Funny,  I just picked that up from the library this week.  I think maybe it's time to get a good C.S. Lewis thread going.

I just bought a bunch of his books at a book thrift store of types.  some of the compilation books and his psalms book, and the one i mentioned above. That adds to my collection that already includes Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Problem of Pain, and The Great Divorce.

[Vlad!]

Going along with my usual mad reading spurt over breaks, I read six books over spring break.

The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov: A most excellent science fiction series. He had a galactic empire, a peculiar sect of mentalists, and ships that can travel through 'hyper-space', all thirty years before Lucas' epics. I really enjoyed these short (about 200 page) but good books.

Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov: Thirty years later, Asimov adds on to his incredible trilogy. Unlike Lucas' more recent additions, though, these two are just as pleasant as the first two. He is much more specific about technology in the new books (the vaguely-referenced 'atomics' of the original trilogy have been made into sophisticated computing machines and sleek space ships) and though he cannot resist inserting his favorite robotic character into one of the books (excusable since it takes place in the same 'universe' as the one where said robot existed in his other fiction) I enjoyed these two longer additions to the venerable series.

The Eye of the Heron by Ursula K. LeGuin: LeGuin's science fiction is far different from Asimov's, but it's just as enjoyable. In this book she tells the tale of a primitive society divided by class (rather than race) and the struggles of the lower class to achieve peace with the upper. It is an excellent look at nonviolence and civil disobedience and an inspiring novel, even if it barely does qualify as science fiction.

[Aaron]

The Gospel According to Tolkien - Ralph C. Wood


This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.  Wood carefully explains the correlations between Tolkien's works and the Bible.  While the LOTR series were not allegory (or so Tolkien said himself), there are so many obvious paralells between Tolkien's works and the Bible, specifically certain principles and personality traits.  Wood discusses courage, faith, deceit, good vs. evil, lust, self-denial, armageddon and many other topics that are important in our Christian life.  This book opened my eyes to several different concepts that I missed while reading through Tolkien's works the first time.  I really need to read The Silmarillionbecause I haven't yet and I also need to finish Return of the King.  Then I'll begin on the History of Middle earth series.  

This is a very good book and I recommend it to people who are fans of Tolkien's work and have been looking for a more specific study on the correlation between his works and the Scriptures