Recent Readings

I find that I've had my nose in several books over the past few months. Even the most frivolous of them seem to have some nugget of truth and crunchy goodness, so I figure it's all good. Here they are in no particular order.

Bishop, Anne. The Invisible Ring. 2000. ROC. New York.

I really enjoyed this book. I was surprised when I read comments online and they were less favorable about this book than Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. Good for me! I'll like them even more.

Vischer, Phil. Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables. 2007. Thomas Nelson. Nashville.

The back story behind what makes Mr. Visher tick and the birth of Veggie Tales is fascinating. The most powerful part of the story is the lessons learned that he shares afterward. If you're comfortable with your worldview and would rather avoid a jolt, you may want to stop before the lessons learned part.

Harrison, Harry. The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat.Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables. 1987. Ace. New York.

There always seems to be room in this world for a likable rascal. And for his sociopathic bride.

Lackey, Mercedes, Mark Shepherd, Holly Lisle. The Otherworld. 2000. Baen. Riverdale, New York.

Elves. Humans. Good and evil. Hang on.

Lackey, Mercedes, Rosemary Edghill. Bedlam's Edge. 2005. Baen. Riverdale, New York.

A collection of short stories with an elven theme written by some of the best new writers in the fantasy genre.

Hammarskjold, Dag. Leif Sjoberg & W.H. Auden, translators. Markings. 1981. Alfred A. Knopf. New York.

Hammarsjold is a former Secretary-General of the United Nations. I first picked this up soon after the 1981 printing. Markings was written in 1961. As the flyleaf says, "the notes made during the 1940s and 1950s reflect a period of constant spiritual growth, self-questioning, and resolution..." For anybody going through a similar journey, here is company and occasionally encouragement. I find something new every time I pick it up.

Calder, Richard. The Twist. 2003. Four Walls Eight Windows. New York.

"The Matrix meets A Fistful of Dollars" says the back cover. Odd little book. Interesting and sometimes compelling, but odd.

Eddings, David. The Belgariad: Pawn of Prophecy; Queen of Sorcery; Magician's Gambit; Castle of Wizardry; Enchanter's End Game. 1982-1984. Del Ray. New York.

I was given this series by my colleagues as I was leaving for new employment. It has sentimental value and really is kind of fun. With five books in the series, it is loooongish, but still a good time.

L'Amour, Louis. Tucker. 1995. Bantam. New York.

I go back to L'Amour's stories again and again. They emphasize strong, positive values and a drive to overcome obstacles. I was raised reading Zane Grey stories, which were more overtly about good versus evil and the hero gets the girl. L'Amour is a step toward reality. He has some beautiful descriptions of nature, nuggets of historical fact for context, and can generally be read in an evening. Ah, quiet and relaxation. I have a box full of L'Amour's westerns waiting on the sun porch whenever I want to revisit old friends.

Here are the books I am currently reading...

Tanner, Robert G. Stonewall in the Valley: Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Spring 1862. 1992. Stackpole Books. Mechanicsburg, PA.

In October, 2007, I got away for a vacation with my wife. We went to a resort near Harrisonburg, Virginia and were met there by my parents. My father is widely read in Civil War history, and the Shenandoah Valley is filled with just that. I bought this book as soon as we arrived and began reading. I'm still reading. It's 483 pages of 10-point type. Fascinating stuff, though. And it's supported by another 100+ pages of appendices and author's notes. I'm looking forward to reading about the entire campaign.

Walton, Evangeline. The Mabinogion Tetralogy. 2004. Overlook. New York.

"Evangeline Walton's Mabinogion Tetralogy is one of the remarkable achievements of twentieth-century fantasy literature: a powerful work of the imagination, ranking with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels and T.H. White's The Once and Future King." Celtic mythology fleshed out into several wonderful stories.

D'Annunzio, Steve. The Prosperity Paradigm: new beliefs that can help you make a greater living by making a greater difference. 2006. White Light Press. Hewlett, NY.

Remember God. Choose Love. Create Value. Live by that credo for a few weeks, then keep coming back to this book. It's powerful.

Frost, Michael, Alan Hirsch. The Shaping of Things to Come: innovation and mission for the 21st-century church. 2003. Hendrickson. Peabody, MA.

To have the greatest affect on the world, Frost and Hirsch challenge worshiping bodies to be missional and incarnational -- taking the message of Christ in a very tangible, loving way to people rather than being attractional -- building a better building, service, program, etc. and expecting the people in need to seek out those worshiping bodies. This book makes me look at the way my church and I have been interacting with our community and ask if we need to change. And how. There is a lot of yellow highlighting going on here.