What I've Been Reading

My friend, Lisa, had Silence by Shusaku Endo on her reading list for this year.  I'm not sure if I want to recommend this one or not (Lisa loved it if that changes anything).  I found myself thinking about it for days afterward.  It was certainly not a book I couldn't put down, and yet it was complex and thought provoking.  It describes persecution of the Christian church in Japan.  The ending surprised me.....that's always nice.

You should definitely add this one to your reading list...and then call me so we can discuss it.  "In his compelling new book, Radical, David Platt delivers a powerful picture of the church in America today that, on key points, stands in sharp contrast to what the Bible shows us about the person and purpose of Jesus Christ. David challenges Christians to wake up, trade in false values rooted in the American dream, and embrace the notion that each of us is blessed by God for a global purpose—to make Christ’s glory known to all the nations! This is a must-read for every believer!”
—Wess Stafford, president and CEO, Compassion Intl.

One point that stuck out to me was if you make more than $50,000 a year, you make more than 99% of the people in this world.  99%!!!  What are we doing with the awesome responsibility God has given us with our wealth?  I found this book challenging, but not in an everyone should sell everything and move to Africa tomorrow kind of way. 

I just finished a Dorothy Sayers mystery, The Nine Tailors.  It was good, but again, not one I couldn't put down.  I figured out "who done it" earlier than I normally do in mysteries.  Just like Sherlock Holmes, this is just fun-to-read detective work without any horror or real terror in it.

My friend, Krista (who writes excellent book reviews, BTW), recommended Half Broke Horses.  Since I read Jeanette Walls' childhood memoir, The Glass Castle and loved it, I thought I may enjoy this one too.  I did!  Wow.  Walls tells the story of her grandmother's life.  I was absorbed in this story.  Get this one!






Brave New World was suggested by our book club selection committee last year, and Patrick insisted recommended that I read it.  It is a science fiction novel written in the 1930's.  It is uncanny how some of the concepts parallel our society today.  Basically, Aldous Huxley creates a society engineered for "happiness."  There is always prosperity, people are content, and they are programmed to love everything and everyone around them.  There is no free will, no room for passion or true love (because that could lead to heartache).  Apathy, self-absorption, and mindless activities are all pieces that prevail in this society....sound familiar?  Great book to get you thinking...or for a discussion.