I polished off Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis" yesterday. I do recommend this one. I'll probably write a bit more extensively about it another time. Good read though, and some challenging things to think about.
I spend way too much money on books to not actually finish reading them. Plus, one of my goals for this year was to broaden my reading, to actually finish books off, and to challenge my abilities to think - basically to not just read "fluff" all the time.
I'm working on a list of the books I need to polish off before I buy too many more. The trouble is that I'm a sucker for a deal, and I basically can't walk into a bookstore without making a purchase. The books just call my name.
Anyway... in the spirit of expanding my mind through reading, I have some questions for my faithful blog readers:
- What is the one book you would recommend that others read, and why?
- What is the best novel you have ever read?
- If you could pick any book to curl up and spend a day with, what would it be, and why?
My answers to come... (along with the list of books that I need to finish reading!)
5 comments:
Answer 1: I know what you mean by this question but the trouble is that I've hit upon a few of these books. Books so important to me that I've gone out and bought friends the book and lent out mine countless times until usually it's lost.
So since I will be one of the few people who posts an answer I'm going to cheat and steal other people's potential posts and list a list:
Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Why: Hmm, hard to explain without explaining the premise of the book. Why, because it will drastically improve your relationships with other people.
A Long Obedience In The Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
Why, because it's very wise and patient, and encouraging
The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman
Why, because it's incredibly fun, and educational.
Developing Your Prophetic Gifting by Graham Cooke (and all his devotional books)
Growing In The Prophetic by Mike Bickle
Why, because the church needs these teachings.
Life Together by Dietrich Boenhouffer (sp?)
Why, because it's so good I've just committed a year of my life and probably longer to living out this lesson.
I'm sure there's many more, but looking at my bookshelves is hard to judge by because as I said, they get loaned out and lost if they're good.
Now onto far more valuable books, novels!
Again I'm going to write a novel of a response:
All of Frank Peretti's books. These books have ruined me because they make other books seem so lacklustre by comparison.
Stephen R Lawhead's Empyrion omnibus(that means two books - like a trilogy only with two). He's written some fantastic historical fiction, revolving around the Crusades, Ireland, Arthur & The Round Table / Merlin, etc.
but my favourite books are his science fiction.
Ben, I can't even tell you who the author is of this book which is quite tragic because otherwise I could purchase it. My mom loved it too. It's about two boys growing up in the church. One is the pastor's son, who has a heart condition, but they get into crazy mischief and cause a commotion every Sunday.
Heaven's Wager and When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker. The first one was great fun and the second one is greatly sad. I have to pick his first two books because after that I continued to enjoy his novels but they all border being incredibly cheesy/predictable/rehashed and I have to choose to enjoy them & take the spiritual lesson contained. Actually I really enjoyed Blessed Child too.
Without Remorse by Tom Clancy. Definitely the saddest book I've ever read. I spent a whole summer reading all his books after this one which was recommended by a friend.
I have to throw in a plug for something by Gilbert Morris. Oh oh! Barney Buck ! I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! Yes yes I read a billion and one of his romance/historical fiction books too (starting in grade 3) but Barney Buck was awesome!
Of course I read a billion and one Hardy Boys books too. And a billion and one Jeanette Oak books, and not even because she went to my church.
Sigmund Brouwer's Winds of Light series was pretty cool when I was a kid. He came to my elementary school.
I'm mentioning children's books because they're so much cooler usually. And because I was actually a bookworm back when I was young. Now books all seem so underpar, probably from overdosing previously and becoming critical. And I like doing stuff with other people now so much more than by myself.
Roald Dahl is an amazing author.
The Hobbit is better than all of the Lord Of The Rings books combined so there!
I liked that book about the kid who is a con-artist genius and makes a ton of money but then eventually gets caught by the FBI and all the fines he gets takes out all the money he made.
The Forbidden Doors series by Bill Myers
Walt Disney's The Penguin that Hated the Cold (about Pablo the Penguin)
The Giraffe Who Went To School
Asterix & Obelix
Tintin
Just let me into Chief Justice Milvain's library and I could find a hundred awesome books.
If I could pick any book - as in any type of book? or as in a book I want to read that I haven't? or as in re-reading my favourite book which would make this question rather redundant since theoretically I should have already listed my favourite book?
Um probably the Ben book or any of the Barney Buck books I don't own.
Nolan, I left a comment on your blog too, but the book title you're looking for is "Saint Ben" and the author is John Fischer, and it would definitely rank high up on my list of great novels to curl up with.
Thanks for responding... I'll have to look for some of these if I ever finish my own list...
So sweet that you own it. I would totally love to borrow it. It's funny that I remembered it while responding and then thought that you would have probably enjoyed it, and appreciated it a little bit more from experience.
I did it enjoy it greatly, and appreciate it a great deal from experience... made me laugh, and cry... the best kind of story, I think! I'll bring it the next time I see you - Sunday night maybe? or Sheri's party on Saturday?
yes and yes, and yes I know they can't both be a yes as to the "next" time, but yes.
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