Tammy's Book Nook

Books Read in 2009

2010-12-04T10:51:00.002-05:00

The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis -- review

Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox, 1750-1832 by Stella Tillyard -- review

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne -- review

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer -- review

Atonement by Ian McEwan -- review

Bella Tuscany: the Sweet Life in Italy by Frances Mayes -- review

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul -- review

The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them by Roxanne Coady and Joy Johannessen -- review

Boswell's Presumptuous Task: The Making of the Life of Dr. Johnson by Adam Sisman -- review

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah -- review

The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier -- review

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -- review

Catholicism for Dummies by Rev. John Trigilio Jr. and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti -- review

Catholicism Today: A Survey of Catholic Belief and Practice by Matthew Kohmescher -- review

The Catholic Woman: Difficult Choices in a Modern World by Jeanne Pieper -- review

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman -- review

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell -- review

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus -- review

The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa -- review

Daughter of China: A True Story of Love and Betrayal by Meihong Xu and Larry Engelmann -- review

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller -- review

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert -- review

Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography by Marion Meade -- review

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton -- review

Everyday Life in Imperial Japan by Charles J. Dunn -- review

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer -- review

The Fall of the House of Usher and other stories by Edgar Allen Poe -- review

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat by Jeremy Seal -- review

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley -- review

Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World by Roger E. Axtell -- review

Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination by Pope John Paul II -- review

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor - review

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis -- review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling -- review

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald -- review

Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey by Alison Wearing -- review

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle -- review

Howards End by E. M. Forster -- review

Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope by Shirin Ebadi -- review

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -- review

Josephine: A Life of the Empress by Carolly Erickson -- review

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell -- review

King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild -- review

The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupèry -- review

Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford -- review

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

Middlemarch by George Eliot -- review

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth -- review

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie -- review

Nana by Emile Zola -- review

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith -- review

No Greater Love by Mother Theresa -- review

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson -- review

On Being Catholic by Thomas Howard -- review

Outline of English Architecture by A. H. Gardner -- review

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik -- review

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein -- review

Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser -- review

The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis -- review

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester -- review

Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country by Joe Queenan -- review

The Rosary: A Journey to the Beloved by Gary Jansen -- review

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration by Antonia Fraser -- review

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis -- review

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen -- review

The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- review

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carre -- review

A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- review

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- review

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells -- review

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger -- review

Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle -- review

The Truth of Catholicism: Inside the Essential Teachings and Controversies of the Church Today by George Weigel -- review

The Uncommon Reader: A Novella by Alan Bennett -- review

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer -- review

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller -- review

What Makes Us Catholic: Eight Gifts for Life by Thomas Groome -- review

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris -- review

The World According to Garp by John Irving -- review

She's alive!

2010-12-03T15:44:00.003-05:00

Yes, folks, I am indeed still out there, even though I haven't posted anything for over a year. I have no idea if I still have any readers, but just in case, I thought I'd let you know where I've been and what's going on.

It's nothing traumatic or even terribly interesting. I simply burned out on books and everything to do with them, including blogging. I probably went for 6 months straight months without picking up a single book and, even after that, I've read only rarely. That's the way it usually is with me. I start a project or hobby, go at it full force for a while, and then WHAM!, lose all interest. Most hobbies I never pick up again and I was afraid that was going to happen this time, which broke my heart because I've loved to read my whole life. But I also knew I couldn't make myself get back into it. I had to wait and see if the desire naturally came back and trust that it would. And it has, although very low key. I may have read a dozen books all year, which is a huge drop from where I was. And only this week did I feel any desire to jump back into blogging, so here I am.

Which leads to the natural question (at least for me): what is the plan from here?

1. First and foremost, no more committing to reading ANYTHING in advance. That was one of my major mistakes before, especially with the long-term reading challenges. I'd make up my list at the beginning, and a few months later I couldn't stand the sight of the books I'd picked and I dreaded thinking that I had to read them. From now on, if I feel like reading, I'll read. Otherwise, I'll do something else (like play FarmVille, to which I am now addicted). Which leads to...

2. Not limiting this blog to just books. I'm not going to share all sorts of personal stuff here; that's fine for others if they're comfortable with that, but I'm not. But I'll never blog if all I write about is reading, because this only contributes to making it feel like an obligation. To that end, I'm planning on changing the blog name (again), whenever I figure out what to call it.

That's the extent of my plan so far, which is good because the whole point is to be more spontaneous, so if other things occur to me, I'll go with them. Maybe I'll post cute pics of my beagles, maybe link to things that strike my fancy, who knows? Maybe nobody but me ever reads anything on here. That's okay, too. Thinking of my blog as something written for others fed into the obligation feeling and I've decided to think of it more like a diary that I don't mind others reading.

Weekly Geeks 2009-42: Podcasts

2009-11-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

This idea comes from Dewey's own Weekly Geek idea list which she shared on her blog, and which I, thankfully, swiped before her blog was removed and can now glean from as I ponder new and hopefully fun Weekly Geek tasks.

Dewey worded it this way, "find and review a link to a book podcast." I'm modifying this just a bit and am asking you to share with us a podcast you love, preferably book related, but not necessarily so. Give us the link, of course, and share with us details about that podcast and why you enjoy it so much. If you have a couple or three favorites, share them all!

Then, as the week goes on, check out every one's suggestions, find time to listen to a few, then come back and let us know what you discovered, and if you've found a new favorite podcast.

If you don't listen to podcasts at all, tell us why, or what it would take to peak your interest in them. Perhaps you could do as Dewey suggests, and do a little research (google book podcasts) and find one, then post on your blog what you discover and if you liked it or not.

Be sure to sign Mr. Linky both for the post on your favorite podcast, and the post on what new favorites you discover this week.

Happy listening!

This subject is right up my alley. I use my iPod daily and subscribe to at least 50 different podcasts, many related to books in some way. There's no way I can pick only one favorite, but I'll limit myself to three recommendations.

First is the Guardian Books podcast, put out by the UK Guardian newspaper. It includes author interviews, book reviews, and various other book-related news and events. Part of the reason that I like it is that the participants are so honest with their opinions -- it's not unusual to hear them say things like, "This book/chapter/whatever is really quite terrible, isn't it?" in that British accent that we Yanks love. This honesty is so refreshing, especially in these days of often hypersensitivity and political correctness. Check out the Guardian's books multimedia page here or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here.

A second great one is Slate's Audio Book Club. Each episode is 30-60 minutes and consists of three participants (usually editors, writers, or reviewers) discussing a book at length. The book may be modern bestseller, a classic or anything in between (although they seem to focus almost exclusively on fiction). I recently listened to them discuss Anna Karenina and was blown away by how much I got from the discussion. It's kind of like sitting in on group discussion with the best literature professors you've ever met. The participants can occasionally be a little snarky, but not enough to really affect your enjoyment. Check out the full list of Slate's podcasts (not limited to just the Audio Club, so you have to whittle it down) here or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here.

My last recommendation is PRI's Selected Shorts. This is an hour-long podcast of short stories read by actors live at Symphony Space in NYC and at various locations throughout the US. There's a number of audiobook/story/poetry podcasts out there and this one is by far the best, in large part because the readers are professional actors and therefore know how to read a story aloud. Check out their website here, download it from the NPR site here or subscribe in iTunes here.

TSS - Organization

2009-11-15T14:57:00.005-05:00

I feel like I've been connected to my laptop by an umbilical cord this past week. I've been on it ALL THE TIME. Part of that is due to my becoming completely addicted to the Farmville game on Facebook (for which I'm receiving all sorts of gibing from my sisters, but I keep playing anyway). So, I figured that as long as I was on the computer 24/7 anyway, I might as well organize some of my book-related stuff.

I currently have accounts with both LibraryThing (for books I own) and Goodreads (for books I don't own but want to read), as well as PaperBackSwap (nickname: florida-fan) and BookMooch. I was looking around for a place that my son could trade some video games and signed up for Swaptree. This got me thinking about the books I've listed on PBS and Mooch that I haven't gotten any takers on. Maybe I could trade them on SwapTree? But to do this (and for my general well-being), I'd need to organize and update. So that's what I've started working on today. As an irritating aside to this, my computer has decided to run at snail speed, which makes this project oh so much more enjoyable.

My plan of attack is consists of several steps (some overlapping).

1. Search my LT account for books that can be disposed of. I currently own almost 900 books, but I tag them as read and unread, so maybe this won't take too long.
2. Classify books in my Goodreads account by genre and how much I want them.
3. Make sure I don't still have books listed somewhere that I no longer own.
4. Double-check whether my library has a book I want to read before putting/keeping it on a wishlist.

I don't know how long my enthusiasm for this project will last; I'm a great project-starter but not as good of a project-finisher. We'll see. At least it's something to do while my Farmville crops grow.

Giveaways

2009-11-12T11:43:00.004-05:00

Alyce of At Home with Books is giving away two copies of In the First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Contest open to U.S. and Canada through November 22.

Kristi of Books and Needlepoint is giving away three audiobook copies of What the Dog Saw by Macolm Gladwell. Contest open to U.S. and Canada through December 1.

J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog also has an audiobook copy of What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. Contest open to U.S. and Canada through November 27.

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2009-11-11T12:50:00.001-05:00

Title: Tender is the Night

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

First Published: 1933

No. of Pages: 349

Synopsis (from B&N): "Set in the South of France in the decade after World War I, Tender Is the Night is the story of a brilliant and magnetic psychiatrist named Dick Diver; the bewitching, wealthy, and dangerously unstable mental patient, Nicole, who becomes his wife; and the beautiful, harrowing ten-year pas de deux they act out along the border between sanity and madness.

In Tender Is the Night, Fitzgerald deliberately set out to write the most ambitious and far-reaching novel of his career, experimenting radically with narrative conventions of chronology and point of view and drawing on early breakthroughs in psychiatry to enrich his account of the makeup and breakdown of character and culture.

Tender Is the Night is also the most intensely, even painfully, autobiographical of Fitzgerald's novels; it smolders with a dark, bitter vitality because it is so utterly true. This account of a caring man who disintegrates under the twin strains of his wife's derangement and a lifestyle that gnaws away at his sense of moral values offers an authorial cri de coeur, while Dick Diver's downward spiral into alcoholic dissolution is an eerie portent of Fitzgerald's own fate."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I definitely agree with the statement in the synopsis that this was one of Fitzgerald's most ambitious and autobiographical novels. Whenever I read a novel by an author I've read before, I can't help but compare the works, and I found myself continually comparing this one to The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald's most famous work. I didn't love this novel as much as Gatsby, but in some ways it was a better work. You feel the characters' emotions more closely, so that some parts almost hurt you to read. The author gets more into the core of his characters here than he did in other works. Gatsby is a cleaner, more precisely written novel, but this one strikes closer to the bone.

The autobiographical nature of the book also jumps out at you throughout. I've heard that authors are constantly asked how much of themselves they put into their books and often the readers see more than is really there, but in this case you just know that it's not all fiction. I'm very curious to read more about Fitzgerald's life now and to see what critics have said about this book over the years.

I highly recommend this excellent book.

Challenges: 999 ("1001 Books"); (Another) 1% Well-Read; Guardian 1000 Novels ("Love"); Modern Library 100 Best Novels (#28 Board, #62 Radcliffe); Well-Rounded; What's in a Name? 2

(Another) 1% Well-Read Challenge completed

2009-11-11T12:09:00.003-05:00

The challenge was to read 10 titles from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list (either the original or revised list). Here's what I read:

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne -- completed 3/21/09; review

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell -- completed 6/7/09; review

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley -- completed 9/1/09; review

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle -- completed 3/15/09; review

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -- completed 4/29/09; review

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie -- completed 4/18/09; review

Nana by Emile Zola -- completed 10/11/09; review

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen -- completed 7/21/09; review

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- completed 11/8/2009; review

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells -- completed 4/21/09; review

What's in a Name? 2 Challenge completed

2009-11-11T12:01:00.005-05:00

The challenge was to read one book from each of six categories. I stuck to my original list of choices for all but one book. Here's what I read, with links to my reviews:

Profession: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester -- completed 3/9/09; review

Time of day: Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- completed 11/8/09; review

Relative: Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country by Joe Queenan -- completed 1/21/09; review

Body part: A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat by Jeremy Seal -- completed 8/7/09; review

Building: The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings: Poems, Tales, Essays, and Reviews by Edgar Allen Poe -- completed 1/24/09; review

Medical condition: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling -- completed 7/24/09; review

TSS - Recent acquisitions

2009-10-25T17:23:00.023-04:00

I've been in a reading slump the past couple of weeks, but that hasn't stopped me from adding to my already-overflowing bookshelves. My library had their annual book sale last week; it was the first time I've attended and, although it was CRAZY crowded and therefore difficult to browse, I did end up with 5 new additions. The other newbies I've picked up came from one of our local Goodwill stores. I love book shopping there because you never know what you'll find. Sometimes I walk out with just 1 or 2 items, but other times I get an armload. I like to think of it as a bookaholic treasure hunt.

From the book sale, I got:

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

This title was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2004 and is on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

On Beauty and White Teeth both by Zadie Smith

These are both hardbacks and appear to be brand new. On Beauty was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2005 and nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2006. Both titles are on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass

Probably the best-known work by Grass, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999. The movie version won a number of awards in 1979, including the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The novel was originally published in German in 1959 and is included on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

I got this one from the library a few years ago, but didn't finish it. So many others have read it and loved it, I figured I'd see what all the fuss was about.

The Goodwill produced these gems:

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

The winner of the Man Booker Prize in 1998, this is also one more title from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

One of my favorite Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall movies, the book is (guess what) listed on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Saramago is an author that I've had on my list of authors-to-read for a while, so I was thrilled to pick this one up.

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor

This collection of short stories was published posthumously in 1965. It's one more title from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz

Another title from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list, this book was first published in Arabic in 1947. The Egyptian author won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.

The Sign of Four and The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I actually already have The Sign of Four as part of another collection, but I was missing The Valley of Fear. For $2, I wasn't going to be picky.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The best-known work by the Nigerian author, this title is yet another from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

What are you reading on Mondays? - October 19

2009-10-19T18:58:00.003-04:00

I'm in a complete reading slump this week. I haven't picked up a book since last Wednesday. There's still at least a dozen books I need to finish for my challenges but I'm seriously doubting whether that'll happen. I've let the challenges become a chore and I'm not enjoying my reading very much these days, but I hate to quit a project, especially for those that I'm so close to finishing. Maybe if I read something just for fun and cleanse the mental palate (so to speak), then come back to the others? It's an idea.

Recent completions:

Zip, zilch, nada.

Reading this week: (maybe)

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Up next:

Too soon to tell.

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 9/10
Baker Street Challenge: 2/4
Book Awards 3: 1/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Decades '09: 8/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 5/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 8/10
Support Your Local Library: 34/50
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 70/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 7/9

Booker/National Awards: 6/9

Through the Decades: 8/9

Dewey's Books: 8/9

C.S. Lewis: 5/9

Biographies: 9/9 ***complete

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 9/9 ***complete

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Giveaways

2009-10-16T17:35:00.003-04:00

Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit has 1 copy of The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes. Contest ends October 20, U.S. and Canada only.

Julie P. at Booking Mama has 1 copy of The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini. Contest ends October 30, U.S. and Canada only.

Julie also has 1 copy of You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morning by Celia Rivenbark. Contest ends October 22, U.S. only.

J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog has 1 copy of The Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji. Contest ends October 31, U.S. and Canada only, must be 18 years old.

J. Kaye also has 1 copy of Priceless: The Case that Brought Down the Visa/MasterCard Bank Cartel. Same information as above.

S. Krishna's Books has 2 copies of The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl. Contest ends October 26, U.S. only.

What are you reading on Mondays? - October 12

2009-10-12T20:38:00.002-04:00

I only finished one book this week, but that finished up two challenges. Yeah, me!

I also dropped Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street by William S. Baring-Gould after 50 pages. It was a snooze, too much of a rehash of the Holmes stories.

Recent completions:

Nana by Emile Zola -- review

Reading this week:

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

Up next:

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 9/10
A to Z Challenge: 26/26 ***complete
Baker Street Challenge: 2/4
Book Awards 3: 1/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Decades '09: 8/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 5/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 8/10
Orbis Terrarum: 10/10 ***complete
Support Your Local Library: 34/50
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 70/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 7/9

Booker/National Awards: 6/9

Through the Decades: 8/9

Dewey's Books: 8/9

C.S. Lewis: 5/9

Biographies: 9/9 ***complete

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 9/9 ***complete

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

A to Z Challenge complete

2009-10-12T20:33:00.002-04:00

One of many awesome challenges hosted by Becky at Becky's Book Reviews. As you would guess, the challenge was to read a book for each letter of the alphabet. You could do it by title, by author, or both. I went with author.

Rather than repost all 26 titles and links to my reviews, I'll just tell you to check out my original post here.

Orbis Terrarum 2009 complete

2009-10-12T20:25:00.003-04:00

This challenge was again hosted by Bethany of Dreadlock Girl. You can check out the challenge's dedicated blog here.

The challenge was to read 10 books by 10 different authors from 10 countries (author's country of origin or where he/she lives). Here's what I ended up reading:

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah (lives in Morocco) -- completed 3/25/09; review here

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (born in New Zealand) -- completed 9/26/09

The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru) -- completed 5/3/09; review here

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul (born in Trinidad) -- completed 9/3/09; review

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus (Bangladesh) -- completed 3/22/09; review here

Daughter of China: A True Story of Love and Betrayal by Meihong Xu and Larry Engelmann (China) -- completed 7/18/09; review here

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (born in Zimbabwe) -- completed 4/20/09; review here

Nana by Emile Zola (France) -- completed 10/11/09; review

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (born in Sweden) -- completed 4/24/09; review here

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (Ireland) -- completed 5/10/09; review here

Nana by Emile Zola

2009-10-12T20:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Nana

Author: Émile Zola

First Published: 1880

No. of Pages: 441

Synopsis (from B&N): "One of the founders of literary naturalism, Émile Zola thought of his novels as a form of scientific research into the effects of heredity and environment. He created characters, gave them richly detailed histories, and placed them in carefully observed, precisely described environments, and his readers watch as they wriggle and thrash toward their inevitable destinies.

In Nana, the characters are a prostitute, who rises from the streets to become what Zola calls a 'high-class cocotte,' and the men — and women — whom she loves, betrays, and destroys. Among the novel’s many ironies is the mutual envy felt by Nana and those around her. She yearns for their material possessions, while they admire her apparent independence and sexual self-confidence. And despite the chaos Nana causes, Zola imagines her as being essentially 'good-natured,' a stupid, vain but beautiful creature who can’t help drawing people into her web.

Not surprisingly, Nana’s portrait of a decadent world in which a prostitute amasses great wealth and power provoked protests from 'polite society,' and it became one of Zola’s most controversial works. Today it is regarded as his masterpiece."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I liked this book immensely even though I didn't like any of the characters. They're just so well-written and fully three-dimensional; you can't help being awed by the author's talent, despite the fact that you wouldn't want to spend 10 minutes with anybody in the book. This was hard for me because I always want to like at least the central character, or if not like her, at least root for her. You can't do that here. There's so much wrong with this girl, she's so self-centered and lacking in normal human emotions that you want to slap her. And that makes you dislike the other characters even more when they're fawning all over her.

I can also understand why this book was controversial. Nana sleeps with anyone and everyone, and while the book does describe these encounters per se, it must have been quite shocking to 19th century readers. All of the characters are completely lacking in morals, including the "pillars of society." The author presents an unflattering view of society in general; I can't imagine the author was invited to dinner in certain quarters after this was published.

Challenges: 999 ("Through the Decades"); A to Z (author "Z"); Another 1%; Decades '09; Fill in the Gaps Project; Orbis Terrarum (France)

What are you reading on Mondays? - October 5

2009-10-05T09:15:00.000-04:00

Recent completions:

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor -- review

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller -- review

Reading this week:

Nana by Emile Zola

Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street by William S. Baring-Gould

Up next:

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 8/10
A to Z Challenge: 25/26
Baker Street Challenge: 2/4
Book Awards 3: 1/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 4/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 8/10
Orbis Terrarum: 9/10
Support Your Local Library: 34/50
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 69/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 7/9

Booker/National Awards: 6/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 8/9

C.S. Lewis: 5/9

Biographies: 9/9 ***complete

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 9/9 ***complete

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Ungrateful Daughters by Maureen Waller

2009-10-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown

Author: Maureen Waller

First Published: 2002

No. of Pages: 402

Synopsis (from B&N): "British historian Waller reveals how Mary and Anne slipped the English throne out from under their father James II and delivered it to William of Orange while their infant brother, the rightful heir, was still alive, thus replacing the natural order of succession with an elective monarchy."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: I want to find something good in every book I read, but this one put that intention to the test. I love history and, purely by coincidence, this one continues the story told in Royal Charles, which I just finished. But I found this book very frustrating.

The book begins with separate chapters for each of the major persons involved; since their stories overlap, this results in the author repeating information unnecessarily. Next, there is a great too much supposition as to what a person "must have felt" or what "may have been" without reference to historical documents to back up the opinions. There are some quotes from documents but they are limited to mostly unimportant sections of letters full of terrible spelling (the royal daughters did not receive any education to speak of) and the reader has to struggle to understand what was meant.

And then there is the problem of names. The nobility had surnames but then also had their titles; for instance, one of the King's mistresses was Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth. It was common to refer to them by their title; Louise was generally referred to as "Portsmouth." Here, the author continually alternates how she refers to an individual, causing the reader to have to stop and figure out who she's talking about. This is very disruptive and could easily have been avoided by footnotes explaining that "so-and-so will hereafter be referred to as X."

The story itself reads like a soap opera, full of intrigue, deception, and greed. The current royal family have nothing on their ancestors. But while I found the story highly interesting, this book simply has too many problems. My conclusion is that it is just average and I'll be looking at other authors for books in the future.

Challenges: 999 ("Biographies"); Support Your Local Library

A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

2009-10-04T17:00:00.000-04:00

Title: A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories

Author: Flannery O'Connor

First Published: 1956

No. of Pages: 276

Synopsis (from B&N): "The collection that established O’Connor’s reputation as one of the American masters of the short story. The volume contains the celebrated title story, a tale of the murderous fugitive The Misfit, as well as “The Displaced Person” and eight other stories."

The other stories contained are: The River; The Life You Save May Be Your Own; A Stroke of Good Fortune; A Temple of the Holy Ghost; The Artificial Ni**er (this is not the actual title, but I will not use that word, even in telling the name of a story); A Circle in the Fire; A Late Encounter with the Enemy; and Good Country People

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: These are not stories to make you feel warm and fuzzy. The overarching theme seems to be "People are no damned good" and each story supports that idea in a different way. This is not to say that the stories are not good -- they're very good, they just don't make you feel good. But they're well-written and solid, and the author does an amazing job of capturing ordinary rural Southerners of the time. I grew up in the South and many of the book's characters could have been mirror-images of some of the old people I knew. Their manner of speaking, the actual words used, the way they carried themselves, everything. It's kind of spooky, actually, how accurate the author was, but that also tells you something of how good a writer she was.

Challenges: 999 ("Booker/National Book Awards"); A to Z (author "O"); Modern Library; National Book Award Project (1956 nominee)

Giveaways

2009-10-02T12:20:00.003-04:00

Some current giveaways that are happening:

Alyce at At Home with Books has 4 excellent titles up for grabs in October. Available are Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (paperback advance copy); The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (hardcover); Julie & Julia by Julie Powell (trade paperback); and Alex & Me by Irene M. Pepperberg (paperback advance copy). All are gently used. Contest open until October 29, U.S. and Canada only.

Julie P. at Booking Mama has a copy of The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan. Contest open until October 6, U.S. and Canada only.

Kristi at Books and Needlepoint is giving away 5 copies of Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley. Contest open until October 16, U.S. and Canada only.

My book bucket list

2009-09-29T11:47:00.004-04:00

I read about this on Bibliophile by the Sea and loved it! The original idea from Pam at Bookalicio.us was to list your top 10 books that others should read before they die. Lilly at Reading Extravaganza amended it to list the top 10 books that you haven't read but think you should before you die. I like this better because I cannot limit myself to 10 when it comes to recommending books to others, but I think I can manage just 10 for myself.

My list (three of these are on my Fill in the Gaps project list):

1. The Bible
2. Ulysses by James Joyce
3. the complete works of Shakespeare
4. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
5. Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
6. Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
7. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
8. The Histories by Herodotus
9. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
10. John Updike's Rabbit omnibus

What are you reading on Mondays? - September 28

2009-09-28T18:37:00.003-04:00

I still haven't had time to write my review for The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, but I got a couple of comments last week about it and wanted to say that I liked it tremendously. I highly recommend it.

Recent completions:

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones -- I haven't written my review yet, but I enjoyed this one very much.

No Greater Love by Mother Theresa -- review

Reading this week:

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller

Up next:

Nana by Emile Zola

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 8/10
A to Z Challenge: 24/26
Baker Street Challenge: 2/4
Book Awards 3: 1/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 4/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 8/10
Orbis Terrarum: 9/10
Support Your Local Library: 32/50
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 67/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 7/9

Booker/National Awards: 5/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 8/9

C.S. Lewis: 5/9

Biographies: 8/9

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 9/9 ***complete

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Books available on PaperBackSwap

2009-09-25T13:56:00.004-04:00

In an ongoing effort to clean off some badly-needed shelf space, I listed a bunch more books to my PaperBackSwap account today. If you've noticed a book on this blog and thought you'd like to read it, check out my bookshelf at PaperBackSwap.com and request it. My nickname is florida-fan.

Here's what I listed:

All I Know About Animal Behavior I learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room by Erma Bombeck

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

The Duchess of Windsor by Michael

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

A Fez of the Heart: Travels in Turkey in Search of a Hat by Jeremy Seal

Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki

The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw

Literary Feuds: A Century of Celebrated Quarrels - from Mark Twain to Tom Wolfe by Anthony Arthur

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

The Rural Life by Verlyn Klinkenborg

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre

Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener

What Southern Women Know (The Every Woman Should): Timeless Secrets to Get Everything You Want in Love, Life, and Work by Ronda Rich

No Greater Love by Mother Teresa

2009-09-24T20:35:00.000-04:00

Title: No Greater Love

Author: Mother Teresa

First Published: 1995

No. of Pages: 206

Synopsis (from B&N): "No Greater Love is the essential wisdom of Mother Teresa — the most accessible, intimate, and inspiring book of her teachings. Thematically arranged to present her revolutionary vision of Christianity in its graceful simplicity, the book features her thoughts on love, generosity, forgiveness, prayer, service, and what it means to be a Christian. A passionate testament to deep hope and abiding faith in God, No Greater Love celebrates the life and work of one of the world’s most revered spiritual teachers."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: Mother Teresa was truly one of the most humble people in our world. This is evidenced throughout this book, beginning with the first line.

I don't think there is anyone who needs God's help and grace as much as I do.

Imagine Mother Teresa, felt throughout the world to be a saint, feeling that! In some ways, it makes me feel better about myself to know she felt that, but then I must also acknowledge that her feeling differs from mine. I'm not nearly humble enough and when I think or say "I'm so weak, why doesn't God help me?" it's really self-pity working and not true reliance on the Lord. But Mother really meant it. It was never about her, always about God, which is obvious throughout her writing.

Rather than give a more traditional type of review, I thought I'd share some lines from the book that really stood out for me and why.

Perfect prayer does not consist in many words, but in the fervor of the desire which raises the heart to Jesus.

I've always had a problem with prayer, never feeling that I was doing it "right." This statement from someone who knew so much about prayer makes me feel that maybe my desire to pray counts for something, even if I can't come up with the words.

You will learn humility only by accepting humiliations. And you will meet humiliation all through your life. The greatest humiliation is to know that you are nothing.

The greatest mistake is to think you are too strong to fall into temptation. Put your finger in the fire and it will burn. So we have to go through the fire. The temptations are allowed by God. The only thing we have to do is to refuse to give in.

These are two of the hardest for me. I say I want to be humble, but I sure don't like it when I have the experiences necessary to make me that way!

We do not need to carry out grand things in order to show a great love for God and for our neighbors. It is the intensity of love we put into our gestures that makes them into something wonderful for God.

It is easy to love those who live far away. It is not always easy to love those who live right next to us.

The first quote is so important to remember. The big actions we perform are worthwhile, but how we live our daily life is so much more so. For the second quote, how true this can be! I think this is because loving and showing our love for those closest to us makes us much more vulnerable. Also, it can be so much easier to think positively about those far away, while we view those up close much harsher.

We all long for heaven where God is, but we have it in our power to be in heaven with Him right now, to be happy with Him at this very moment.

How many of us say we want to go to heaven, to be with God, but are unwilling to do what's necessary to be with Him today? I know I do. To be with Him now and everyday means giving up my will, my wants, my plans. That's so hard to do!

Challenges: 999 ("Catholicism"); Support Your Local Library

Two giveaways

2009-09-22T16:52:00.002-04:00

Teddy at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time currently has 2 fabulous giveaways going.

First, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), Hatchette Book Group is giving up to 5 winners a set of 5 books:

Zumba® by Beto Perez with Maggie Greenwood-Robinson
Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante
Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo
Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta
Amigoland by Oscar Casares

Second, Hatchette Book Group is also giving away up to 5 copies of Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley.

Both giveaways end October 15 and are limited to U.S. and Canadian addresses only. No post office boxes. Check out Teddy's blog to enter.

What Makes Us Catholic by Thomas Groome

2009-09-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

Title: What Makes Us Catholic

Author: Thomas Groome

First Published: 2002

No. of Pages: 299

Synopsis (from B&N): "What makes a Catholic a Catholic? According to Thomas Groome, an expert on the essential ingredients of Catholic Christianity, Catholics share certain vital features of life and identity. What Makes Us Catholic explains and illuminates that character, and invites Catholics of all kinds to connect more deeply and imaginatively with their own culture and spirituality."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: I found this book a bit boring at first, but about chapter 4 or 5 it started to pick up and offered a number of beautiful, soul-affirming sentiments. A major theme of the author is that humans are meant to follow God's will and that His will is for us to love Him and one another. Everything else proceeds from love. The author takes that theme and applies it across human relationships - with our family, friends, coworkers, and the world in general. Each chapter discusses a particular concept and then provides three spiritual practices to help the reader develop more fully in that area. All can be adapted to the individual or replaced with your own.

I found this book uplifting and inspiring, and I felt good both while reading it and after. I'll be keeping my copy to use as a reference in the future.

Challenges: 999 ("Catholicism")

Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge

2009-09-21T19:28:00.003-04:00

This challenge is a great idea! It's being hosted by S. Krishna at S. Krishna's Books. Here's the scoop straight from the source:

This is a challenge that is aimed at getting through those books that have been sitting on your shelves for months, even years!

What?

Any non-review books that are on your shelves and/or review copies that have been on your shelves for over six months. This means that recent review copies and library books are not eligible for this challenge! However, that doesn’t mean the book has to have been out for six months in order for the review copy to be eligible.

For example, say a book came out in July, but you received the review copy in January. That review copy would be eligible for the challenge since it’s been on your shelves for over six months.

EDIT: I want to clarify, because it seems like I haven't been clear on this - only review copies have the 6 month shelf life requirement. Books you have purchased/traded for/etc. and are NOT review copies can be from anytime - even from during the challenge!

Crossover with other challenges is welcomed, even encouraged!

When?

This challenge will run from October 1, 2009 – November 30, 2009. This means that it does coincide with Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon, and any books that qualify for this challenge that you read during the Read-a-thon are eligible!

How?

This challenge will work a little differently than other challenges. Instead of picking a set number of books to read during this time period, you will pick a percentage. This means that a certain percentage of the books you read during these two months will have to qualify for this challenge. For example, let’s say you pick 40% and you end up reading 10 books in October and November. 4 of those books would have to qualify for this challenge in order for you to complete it. I am setting a minimum percentage of 20%.

As a result, there is no need to make a list of books prior to starting the challenge, though please feel free to do so if you want to! Your wrap-up post should have a list of the books you read for the challenge, though, so please do keep track of what you read!

I'm choosing 50% as my percentage. Hopefully this will give me an extra nudge on some of my challenges!

What are you reading on Mondays? - September 21

2009-09-21T09:15:00.001-04:00

I've been absent the last couple of weeks, trying hard to finish most of the challenges I'm in, although I'm determined not to sign up for so many in the future. I've managed to finish up 4 challenges since my last Monday post, woohoo!

I'm also behind in my reviews -- I was doing well at writing them as soon as I finished a book, but the thought of the last couple felt too much like an English assignment.

Recent completions:

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul -- review

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth -- review

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration by Antonia Fraser -- review

The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- review

What Makes Us Catholic: Eight Gifts for Life by Thomas Groome

Reading this week:

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

No Greater Love by Mother Theresa

Up next:

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 8/10
18th and 19th Century Women Writers: 5/5 ***COMPLETE
A to Z Challenge: 23/26
Baker Street Challenge: 2/4
Book Awards 3: 0/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Classics Challenge: 6/6 ***COMPLETE
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 4/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 8/10
Nonfiction 5: 5/5 ***COMPLETE
Orbis Terrarum: 8/10
Support Your Local Library: 31/50
TBR Lite: 6/6 ***COMPLETE
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 65/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 7/9

Booker/National Awards: 4/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 8/9

C.S. Lewis: 5/9

Biographies: 8/9

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 8/9

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth

2009-09-20T19:25:00.000-04:00

Title: Morality Play

Author: Barry Unsworth

First Published: 1995

No. of Pages: 206

Synopsis (from B&N): "A medieval murder mystery full of the wonders of the time — and lessons for our own time — by a master storyteller. The author of the Booker Prize-winning Sacred Hunger turns to 14th-century England with a novel of foul doings. Fearing reprisals by his bishop after he breaks his vow of chastity, a young monk joins a troupe of traveling players. But when they come to a small town in the dead of winter to stage a morality play, the group is soon caught up in a drama of a different kind - one that involves murder."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I couldn't put this book down. I got so caught up in the story that I finished the entire thing in one day. The author does a superb job of bringing the medieval setting to life, down to the smells one would have found in a common village of the time. The characters are completely believable, even though we're not given much backstory to flesh out most of them. By choosing to set the story in a period so long ago, the reader can't bring as many preconceived notions to it as one can to a modern story; while at the same time, the setting is so different from our own as to be almost a character in itself. The plot is also believable and the author has the acting troupe play the part (no pun intended) of unintentional detective, a way of presenting the story that is both unique and inspired. For one who enjoys murder mysteries, this one is definitely outside the genre norm, while the excellence of the writing will win over even those that would not normally enjoy a mystery.

Challenges: 999 ("Booker/National Award"); A to Z (author "U"); Complete Booker (shortlist, 1995); Support Your Local Library

Nonfiction 5 Challenge complete

2009-09-19T18:25:00.002-04:00

Trish from Trish's Reading Nook hosted this challenge. I thought I might not complete this one, but I managed to finish the final book just in time. Here's what I read:

Josephine: A Life of the Empress by Carolly Erickson -- completed 5/21/09; review here

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert -- completed 7/5/09; review here

Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox, 1750-1832 by Stella Tillyard -- completed 5/12/09; review here

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration by Antonia Fraser -- completed 9/19/09; review

Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle -- completed 7/25/09; review here

Royal Charles by Antonia Fraser

2009-09-19T17:39:00.003-04:00

Title: Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration

Author: Antonia Fraser

First Published: 1979

No. of Pages: 524

Synopsis: Charles II of England (1630-1685) was the eldest son of Charles I, who had been overthrown and eventually executed in the English Civil War. Following the death of his father, the country was ruled by Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate until Charles was restored to his throne in 1660. During the Protectorate years, Charles and most of his family were forced to live in exile, virtually penniless and with no guarantee of ever being able to return home. Following the death of Cromwell, the English Parliament requested Charles to return. He did so and continued to reign over the country until his death.

Charles married Catharine of Braganza, daughter of the Portuguese King. The couple had no children. Charles had a number of mistresses over the years who presented him with a total of twelve illegitimate children, all of whom he accepted as his own and cared for, including presenting them with titles. Due to their illegitimacy, none of these children were eligible to succeed the king. Since the king had no legitimate children, the throne would rightfully pass to his brother, James. This, however, presented a problem, as James was Catholic. The country had been beset by internal religious struggles since Henry VIII had broken with the Catholic Church, and discrimination against Catholics (occasionally culminating in hysteria and death) continued throughout Charles's reign. The idea of a Catholic King was anathema to many, and combined with the lack of legitimate children, led to questions of the rightful succession throughout the king's reign.

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: This book was both interesting and in-depth. The author does an excellent job of presenting both the public and private man. On the public side, the book goes into great detail to explain the political situation of the time and the actions of the various important individuals. On the private, the king's relationships with his family, girlfriends, and friends is explored in equal detail. Both his virtues and failings are presented objectively and a well-rounded portrait of a real person results.

Challenges: 999 ("Biography"); Nonfiction 5

BBAW

2009-09-15T17:42:00.007-04:00

It's one of the most wonderful times of the year -- Book Blogger Appreciation Week!!

There's currently some 140+ giveaways happening through BBAW. Here's just a couple:

J.T. Oldfield at Bibliofreak is giving away 5 prize packs of book-related goodies, one per day.

Alyce at At Home with Books has 6 different book giveaways happening, including The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose and a combo of Cleopatra's Daughter and The Heretic Queen, both by Michelle Moran (one winner for each book).

Julie at My Own Little Corner of the World is also giving away copies of Cleopatra's Daughter and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran.

Lesley at Falling Into Words is giving away My Name is Will by Jess Winfield.

If God Were Real by John Avant

2009-09-12T09:15:00.001-04:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

John Avant

and the book:

If God Were Real: A Journey into a Faith That Matters

Howard Books (July 7, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

John Avant is the author of Passion Promise and Authentic Power, as well as numerous national articles. A pastor of a 7000-member Baptist church, he has served as vice president of the North American Mission Board and has been deeply involved in missions and church development around the world.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Publisher: Howard Books (July 7, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416587799
ISBN-13: 978-1416587798

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

1

If God Were Real ... the Illusions of Ordinary life Would Be Shattered

We all need illusions. That's why we love movies.

Monica Bellucci

Shattering the Illusion That Christian Life Is Boring

Who doesn't love a great movie? All of the most exciting and wonderful parts oflife are right there on the screen to be enjoyed. Romance? Just come to my house anytime my wife, Donna, is watching television, and there's a pretty good chance she'll be watching Sleepless in Seattle. I thought the movie was kind of touching the first time I saw it. But Donna still cries, even now that she has the lines memorized.

As for me, I'll take a movie with raw, masculine courage every time. Nothing beats Gladiator or Braveheart for making you glad to be a man. Or how about pure adventure, like the Indiana Jones films? What could be more cool than watching Indiana get out of every trap-and along the way eat monkey brains, defeat evil, and get the girl?

Yes, movies are one of life's pleasures-even though we know that what they show us are just illusions. Could it be that we love movies because they allow us to experience, if only for a little while, what we'll never really have? Or what we aren't sure we can ever really be?

But what if life is meant to exceed even the best of what we see on film?

What if we are meant to live out the greatest romance of all?

What if we are designed to be powerful and courageous?

What if life could actually be filled with suspense and adventure and we really could live happily ever after?

Well, shouldn't we expect all these things to be true if God is real? If the One who created this vast universe with a word really did come and live as one of us, die and rise again for us, and promise to fill us with his Spirit, why would we not expect all that and more? Especially since Jesus himself said he carne so that we "may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

Yes, things don't always go smoothly in the movies. In fact, a movie with no tension is boring. As Christians, we know that we won't live happily ever after until we get to heaven. In this world we will have pain and difficulties-but not boredom! Not if God is real.

The movies that seem so exciting to us might be boring when compared with the real lives we are meant to live.

If we actually lived as though God is real.

My friend Gary Witherall calls this kind of life "adventuring for God." Gary is one of those Christians who really believes in God. He has definitely traded in practical atheism for authentic faith. Gary and his wife, Bonnie, put their authentic faith into action as missionaries in Sidon, Lebanon. Regardless of the personal risk involved in taking their Christian witness to a place where many are hostile to Christianity in general and especially missionaries, Gary and Bonnie sought to show God's truth through their authentic, caring lives. They deeply loved the Palestinian people they served.

The following was written on the website of Operation Mobilization, the mission agency with which Gary and Bonnie served: "Some people talk about being on the cutting edge; some actually live there. Fewer choose to live on the bleeding edge of humanity, where nothing is humanly certain except great need, where risk defies other definitions, where light shines the brighter for the enveloping darkness. Sidon in Lebanon is such a place, and Bonnie and Gary Witherall were some of those few."

Gary's belief has been tested in the most extreme ways. In fact, Gary and Bonnie's life should be made into a movie. It already has been written as a book. Total Abandon is the story of Bonnie's murder. Bonnie, a nurse, was shot by a terrorist as she entered the clinic where she cared for Muslim women. The authorities quickly got Gary out of Lebanon. Less than a month after Bonnie's murder, Gary wrote the following in his journal: "Nothing remains and yet I have everything. I lost my wife, my ministry, my beautiful apartment overlooking the Mediterranean, my friends there, my Arabic classes, and three classes a week studying Islam. The little Honda we drove on the bumpy roads through the crazy traffic. The warmth of Bonnie lying quietly asleep next to me. I was robbed but have been found today steadfast, strong as a piece of steel yet completely broken. Lord, sustain me."!

Those were not just words in a journal. Since those days of crushing loss, Gary has returned to Lebanon many times, including once with my own daughter. He has stood in front of the place where Bonnie was murdered and preached forgiveness and love to the same culture that killed his wife. And then he sang with my daughter and the others there, ... "Blessed be the name of the Lord ... You give and take away ... My heart will choose to say, ... 'Lord, blessed be Your name.'"

Those who know Gary watch him live in boldness, forgiveness, joy, and service to others-even to those who would kill what he loved most. Who lives like this? Only those who believe God is real!

That's what it's like to believe in God. Gary is living, breathing, weeping, laughing evidence that God is indeed real. If God does not exist, Gary has done an incredible job of inventing God's impact in his life!

I've gotten to know Gary well since Bonnie's death. I have laughed and cried with him, counseled him, and received counsel from him. And I had the privilege to help officiate his wedding to Helena, his beautiful new wife (and the granddaughter of a martyr).

God is real to Gary. This man believes it-and then actually lives as though he does. This has not led to an easy life, but it has led to the adventure of real life. Gary has known passionate love, tragedy and heartbreak, terror and suspense, renewal and new love, courage, danger, and adventure. All of the things we flock to see in the movies are his in real life.

Living for God shouldn't be boring. When we live as though God is real, the true adventure begins. So maybe, after all, living a boring Christian life is a conscious choice, not an inevitable state. Perhaps for most of us the issue is not whether God is real but whether we really want the life that results from living like he is. Perhaps "adventuring for God" is a little too dangerous and risky for most of us. So the question may be, is it worth it to live as though God is real?

Shattering the Illusions of Religion

I've served as a pastor for twenty-seven years and served in a mission agency for two years. I have had the opportunity to see many lives like Gary's-enough to convince me that only God could be responsible for what I have seen in them. But I have to admit that I've also seen a lot of the opposite-lives of those who believe in God, who love Jesus, but who have just settled into lives that are nothing like the adventure of following the real God. Most of these are not bad people. They love their families and friends, try to live decent lives, and serve in their churches. But something is missing. Many of them are just overwhelmed with the stuff oflife. They're too busy trying to figure out how to afford a third car payment or how to get their son's grades up to think much about such "deep" things. They may never have stopped to wonder if there could be something more to their experience of God-something that could dramatically impact those allconsuming daily struggles.

Now, living a life of adventure is not, in itself, evidence that God is real. Some people live lives of reckless adventure without God. But my point is that if God is real, there's no need to live a boring life! We are meant for more. You can live a life of temporary adventure without God, but you cannot be an authentic follower of the real God without adventure. And why would you want to?

Many people do want very much to experience more than what they currently know of God. Every pastor hears regularly from those folks who want to "go deeper." I want a deeper knowledge of God too. In fact, I can't think of anything I want more. But my experience has been that many who want to go deeper are actually afflicted with an insidious spiritual disease I call Deeper-Sleep Syndrome. They make the mistake of thinking that going deeper means getting more knowledge about the Bible, having more Bible studies or worship services, or learning some spiritual mystery that they've somehow missed all these years. But as they dive into these things again and again, they're in danger of going so deep that they end up in a deep spiritual sleep, unconscious of what God really wants. That's DeeperSleep Syndrome.

The cure is actually quite simple. If God is real, surely he wants us to know him and to know him deeply. In fact, he says he has already told us all we need to know. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3). Knowing more about God is a good thing; but acting on what we know is the real answer. James 2: 17 says, "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

So if we were to begin to really live out the teachings of Jesus, we would find ourselves in the middle of an incredible spiritual adventure.

Can it be that simple? After all, isn't that what Christians are already doing? Or at least something close to it?

I'm not so sure. When I examine my own life, I wonder how much I'm really seeking to follow Jesus, to do exactly what he said. Am I just a part of a church system that does its best to reinvent the words of Jesus to make what he said more palatable for our modern sensibilities, more in sync with the ways we really want to live? Maybe the nineteenth-century philosopher S0ren Kierkegard had it right: The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. ... My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I get on in the world?

Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.2

Wow. I don't think I would be quite that hard on scholarship, but he has a point. If God is real, he has told us what we need to know and what we need to do. Could it be that it's time to take what we know ... and do it?

I think we need to be prepared for the ramifications of this. We could be talking about a complete reshaping of how we have "done" our faith. But wouldn't that be worthwhile if it resulted in the kind of movement that changed the world, the very course of history, through a little group of peasant nobodies in the first century?

So where do we start? First of all, start with hope-wild, fan-tastic hope that your life could be worthy of the big screen. That all that captivates us while we sit with our popcorn and Cokes may not be just an illusion.

It is time to be "dis-illusioned."

I stumbled upon a website that fascinates me. It's called "The Joy of Disillusionment: A Resource for Those Leaving Christianity,"3 and it chronicles the journey and the thoughts of David P. Crews, who has moved from being a committed Christian, a selfprofessed believer in the God of the Bible, to being an atheist. Crews says, "This site is primarily directed to a select group ofpeople-those who are somewhere in the process of leaving their Christian beliefs behind them and moving forward into an unknown realm of rational, non-theistic thought and life."4 In other words, he writes to those who once lived as though God is real but now are on a journey to live as though he is not. I found that ironic and intriguing, since I'm writing to people who may not live as though God is real but are on a journey to live as though he is.

I find Crews' writings to be honest and fair and even instructive in a strange, backward kind of way. He writes: "For those of us who have come out of a religious life to the acceptance of disbelief and of a rational world view, the word disillusionment is uniquely appropriate, but in a new and positive way. In fact, it is the perfect term for us. When we dissect this word, the root is, of course, 'illusion.' To be 'dis-illusioned,' therefore, is to not be deceived by the illusion. Finally, it is to reject the illusion in favor of what is real."5

Strangely enough, I find this to be a great description of how Christ followers need to live if we believe God is real. We must come out of the current religious life we've been languishing in. We must "disbelieve" it. It is not a rational worldview to live in bland uniformity and creative vacuity if we believe what we say we believe. It is time to leave behind that illusion-to reject it in favor of what is real, the God on whom we have staked everything.

Crews goes on to give us a good prescription for living the "disillusioned" life. "When we replace illusion with reality, we step out of our cavern of myth and take a deep breath of the air outside-brisk and with a tang of scents unknown. It is the real world we are inhaling and it enlivens us to move forward and to value who and what we truly are."6

Yes! This atheist has just about nailed what life as a Christ follower ought to be.

But I don't know what I find sadder, the fact that David Crews has concluded that God is an illusion or the fact that we so often and so tragically live as though he is. It is time for us to step out of our cavern of myth-in which we live as though we were godless-and breathe the air God made in the same awesome, exhilarating way he made us to breathe it. Or else get honest and follow Crews into a life of less hypocrisy that simply discounts God altogether.

If you're ready to be "disillusioned"-if you are determined to live a life that is genuine, a life that embraces the reality of God rather than the illusion we seem to have made him-I affirm your path. I respect David Crews. In fact, I suspect I would like him. But I believe he is wrong, and desperately so. Our hope is valid. It's intellectually defensible. It's philosophically sound. But it's rarely lived.

So let's begin to live! All the romance and adventure of the most thrilling movies may actually be your birthright as a child of God. The curtain could be lifting, and the screenplay of your life could be about to come alive in a way that would make every flick you've ever seen a B film that can't even begin to measure up.

Shattering the Illusion That Hollywood Must Be Our Enemy

If we truly lived adventurous lives that reflect the reality of God, maybe Christ followers would make all the movies. No, I'm not talking about some battle plan to boycott Hollywood until the purveyors of on-screen smut go broke and Christians take over. (The fact that some have tried things like this fits the sad caricature of Christians the world thinks is true of all of us.) I'm saying that if we made movies that resembled the lives we are actually meant to live, the movies would be so good that everyone would want to see them!

All right, I know I'm being naive. We would leave out the sexual content that draws many people, and not everyone would flock to see our films. But the fact is that many of the best movies actually are about spiritual truths. It almost seems that the world is trying to write our stories for us. I am astounded at the prevalence of spiritual searching evident in movies today. Sometimes the world seems more interested in the wonders and possibilities of God than his followers are.

Tom Hanks seems to bring elements of the gospel into just about every film he stars in. He's the one who lays down his life for another in Saving Private Ryan. He's the simple man, Forrest Gump, who just can't get away from the amazing plan and purpose woven throughout his life. Gump is a simpleton, yet he confronts the atheist with a profoundly faith-filled statement: ''I'm going to heaven, Lieutenant Dan." And then he witnesses Dan's transformation. Hanks is the lost man in Cast Away who experiences the worst we might imagine life could offer and, in the end, sees that there's a plan by which all things work together for his good.

You just can't get away from God and his mysteries in the movies. And even when it's not blatant or intentional, many films seem almost like a retelling of the gospel.

I recently saw the blockbuster movie I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. When the film ended, I walked out of the theater thinking, Well, they did it again! They just made a film that directly parallels the gospel, and they probably had no idea! (Spoiler alert! If you haven't seen the movie and don't want to know the ending, you might want to skip ahead to the next paragraph-or better yet, go see it and then keep reading.) A man-made virus has virtually destroyed humanity. Those not killed by the disease have been devoured by the horrific creatures that those infected by the virus became. Will Smith's character is a doctor, the only survivor in New York City. He spends his days seeking a cure that will transform the monsters mankind has become back into what they were created to be. At the end he sacrifices his life to save others and, ultimately, the entire world. And what is the means of this salvation? Blood.

Hello? Does anyone have any trouble seeing the gospel reflected in this story? A savior comes and sheds his blood to save and transform the human race, which has been infected by sin. It seems that God's plan is so hardwired into our souls that it leaks out everywhere, even when it may not be intentional.

Does it not seem strange and sad to you, though, that many people who claim to be Christians spend most of their time fo-cusing on the internal issues of church life that almost no one outside of the church cates about, i.e., the style of music and minor doctrinal disputes, while the world scrambles to write our story? And when the creative work of a follower of Christ actually does make the screen, most of the time the world flocks to see it! Films based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Natnia ate perfect examples.

The bottom line is, followers of Christ have a compelling story to tell. In fact, if we live like God is real, we have the story of all stories to tell! And we are made to tell it. The foundation of all our stories is that we were made in the image of God-in the image of the Creator. So we were designed to create. The spatk that lit the match of the universe ignites our souls.

Yet we seem to think that being a good Christian means pouring water on that spatk so it doesn't flame up and get too wild. After all, we have to be reverent, don't we?

What does that even mean? I've heard the "irreverent" criticism used hundreds of times to justify the squelching of creativity within the church. The critics don't always use the words reverent or irreverent. They may just criticize the music for being too loud or worldly, or the methods of the church too contemporaty. But it all seems to come back to the same thing: they want their Christianity to be neatly packaged, safe and quiet-reverent.

My problem is that Jesus' behavior as recorded in the Bible doesn't seem all that reverent to me. He condemned the teachers of the law and Phatisees-the most reverent of Jews-called them names like snakes and vipers, and chose to spend most of his time among big, loud crowds of peasants. He chose rough fishermen and embezzling tax collectors for his followers. He ran those in the religious business out of the temple with a whip.

Jesus calls us to passion, not boredom. Maybe it is time to reject cold "reverence" and join a "wild" crowd. And tell a "wild" story. My "wild" daughter is a theater actress in New York City. Maybe she can help us understand the story we are meant to tell; the real-life adventure we are meant to live; what the screenplay can look like when we choose to follow Jesus with passion in the real world.

Acting Out God's Love

CHRISTI AVANT WATSON

Rehearsal studios in Manhattan commonly smell of sweat and bare feet-not an altogether appealing aroma, but one I am familiar with nonetheless. Actors file into this pungent building, chatting excitedly. We are in the ensemble of a play going up at a rather prestigious off-Broadway theater. None of us has any lines. We sing only one song in the show. Nevertheless, we are buzzing like honey-starved bees, knOWing that after this production, we can place the name of this theater prominently on our resumes.

We hope the next casting director we see will observe this credit, jump for joy, and call us in for every project he has. Most likely, this will not happen; but we hope. After all, we are a people of crazy hope, illogical dreams, and gritty passion. An average person may go to five or six job interviews in a lifetime; we go to five or six a week. If one produces any results, even a follow-up phone call, we celebrate. Halfway through rehearsal, a presence enters the room, and all eyes turn in her direction. Dressed head to toe in the quintessential New York hue-black-the acclaimed playwright has joined the lowly ensemble players. In the middle of the room, she stands on a chair and warmly greets us. "I grew up in a strict evangelical home/' she says, "then I went to Berkeley, and I began to accept what is so acceptable today-that evangelicals are morons, idiots, and that they are ruining our world. However, after I moved to New York, I began to realize that to lump all of these people together is abit simple-minded. I decided to do an experiment, to write the church service-and the characters in that service-that would interest me as an atheist; and that is the history behind the show you are in." If I was buzzing before, now I was spinning out of control with anticipation. The only thing I love as much as singing or delving into an intriguing character is working with and knowing artists who are aggressively, and in this case publicly, searching for truth. Creative people, whether or not they follow Christ, have tapped into the remnants of God left in every human heart, and I absolutely love surrounding myself with that.

For two years I have been here, pursuing this absurd profession alongside New York's progressive and wonderful culture. I have had the privilege of performing allover the United States, even in Alaska. Every day is not a good day. Some days I feel like I have been thrown into a boxing ring, gloveless and in five-inch heels, and been pitted against a heavyweight champion. On those days I focus on the relationships I have developed that would never have taken root within the walls of a church. Although my friends are very spiritual, they tend to fall somewhere along the playwright's path. Either they have been wounded and are angry or they simply feel that the Christian church is irrelevant.

Often the church has not helped matters. Sometimes the church sings "Just As I Am" and then demands that others be just as she is.

Every day I pray that I can be a part of reversing the tragic flow that has left the state of the Christian church such that this is its impression on the world-or at least that I can follow Jesus Christ closely enough to heal the pain people feel.

Eric Bryant, one of the pastors at a "flow-reversing" church in Los Angeles, says that "Love is the best apologetic." After all, was it not love that drove Jesus Christ to hell and back on our behalf? No other force is powerful enough to turn the tide, and as ambassadors of that love, we have an amazing opportunity to alter the future.

Perhaps I'll never grace a Broadway stage or a big screen. Perhaps I'll never again get paid to do what I know I was born to. These thoughts are paralyzing sometimes, but all adventures come with great risk. In the end, the faces of my friends who have allowed me to share in their spiritual journeys are what matters. It is not the grandiose feats you accomplish but the people you actively and intentionally love who will take you on the great adventure available to every follower of Christ. If you restrict your love to those like you, those you understand, those who make you feel comfortable, you will be pretty bored. If you dare to open your life to one person who needs a friend, you just might find yourself in an adventure of eternal proportions.

Since we have the most compelling and interesting story to tell, and since it seems even those who don't believe our story want to tell it for us, maybe it's time that we actually begin to tell it ourselves-and even more important, to live it ourselves. To live like God is real.

The screenplays of the movies of our lives will be full of emotional ups and downs, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. Like Gary and Bonnie Wither all's missionary service in Lebanon, like my daughter Christi's missionary service in the theater district of New York, authentic life in Christ will not always be easy, pleasant, or predictable.

But it will always be an adventure.

Trading Illusions for a Compelling Faith

I walked past the television the other day and stopped in my tracks when I heard a voice say, "I have been told you will not have a person of faith at your house .... Is that true?" The voice belonged to talk-show host Glenn Beck, and his question was addressed to comedian and illusionist Penn Jillette, who is well known for his controversial atheistic ideas. Jillette confirmed that Beck was correct and went on to explain why he would not allow Christians or other people of faith to visit in his home. He said that he did not use alcohol or drugs and would not allow people who did into his home to influence his children. He also did not want what he had seen in Christianity to influence his children in any way.7

Is it possible that while we Christians have been busy fighting the culture war and protecting our families from evil influences, we have done such a poor job of living out an intelligent, provocative, and compelling faith that people like Jillette now feel they must protect their children from us? Mter almost thirty years of ministry, I'm not sure he has it wrong. I've been fortunate to spend my ministry among loving people who helped my children to grow up seeing much of the good that is the church. But honestly, I've seen more children alienated from God and from the church by the actions of Christians than by anything atheists have done. I've lost count of the number of pastors I know whose children want nothing to do with the God of their parents, because they watched what people who claimed to love God did to those parents. Even I want to protect my children from some Christians.

In a different interview, with NPR, Jillette said, "Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O, and all other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have."8 Now that's funny. And also profoundly sad. For I believe the responsibility lies squarely at the feet of the church for allowing an illusionist like Penn Jillette to spend his whole life seeing only an illusion of what it means to follow Jesus, never the real thing. For offering so little ofJesus to the world that a man like Jillette can really think that all those things he mentioned, from his family to his Jell-O, are better off without God, without purpose, without hope of anything except utter annihilation, and without any contact from Christians. It's time that we change that, for Jillette's sake and for millions of others'. It's time to become the kind of people everyone wants to have over to his house-if nothing else, just to hear our stories, to explore the mystery of our lives, to try to understand what it is about us that draws them to us, even in their disbelief It's time to get the messed-up movie we've made of Christianity out of the theater and put a new show on the screen.

One that is worthy of the Producer.

So take a step toward that hope's becoming reality. Decide to take the risk of living like God is real, whatever that may mean and wherever that may take you. Perhaps the only way you'll be sure that God is real is to live as if he is and then watch what happens. Get ready, though. In the next chapter we'll see just how enormous that change may be.

Religion Saves + Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll

2009-09-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Mark Driscoll

and the book:

Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions

Crossway Books (June 30, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He is president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and is the author of several books, including Vintage Jesus.

Pastor Mark preaches on Sunday, trains pastors, and writes curriculum. Mark is married to his high school sweetheart, Grace, and they enjoy raising their three sons and two daughters.

Visit the author's blog and church website.

If you wish to view any of the sermons that Mark has done on the subjects of Religion Saves, go HERE.

Product Details:

List Price: $19.99
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books (June 30, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1433506165
ISBN-13: 978-1433506161

AND NOW...An Excerpt:

QUESTION 3: DATING

How does a Christian date righteously, and what are the physical, emotional, and mentally connecting boundaries a Christian must set while developing an intimate relationship prior to marriage?

The past one hundred years have seen an incredible upheaval in male/female dating relationships.1 In 1896 the word dating was introduced as lower-class slang in reference to prostitution. “Going on a date” was a euphemism for paying for sex. By the early 1900s, “calling” was the primary means of marrying. Calling involved a young man, a potential suitor, scheduling a time to meet a young lady in the parlor of her parents’ home in the presence of her parents. These meetings were carefully overseen by the parents.

Expectations for everything from formality of dress to food served and length of the meeting were spelled out in various books that defined proper courting. Such a process protected young people from danger (e.g., abuse, rape), ensured the involvement of the entire family in the courtship of a young woman, allowed her father to keep away the wrong kinds of young men, minimized opportunity for fornication, and kept marriage as the goal of such relationships rather than such things as cohabitation.

The major downside of calling was the expense, which made it impossible for many people in the middle and lower classes. They simply could not afford a sitting room or parlor designated for calling, complete with a piano, along with formal attire to wear and specific food to eat. In the early 1900s young women were discouraged from going out alone with any male, even relatives, for fear of getting a bad reputation.

That kind of cultural conservatism began to wane as women’s magazines hit the shelf (e.g., Ladies’ Home Journal had over 1 million subscribers by 1900). These women’s magazines began to inform women about men, and an entire industry of beauty products, clothing styles, and social norms was birthed, thereby weakening the influence of parents over young women.

By the 1920s, urbanization provided social outlets for meeting outside the home. Rather than calling at the woman’s home, singles were now able to go out together at places such as restaurants, movie theaters, and dance halls. This began to create new social networks for single people away from their homes and parents and opened up mgreater opportunities for such things as casual dating and inappropriate sexual contact.

Everything changed dramatically in the 1930s. At that time the automobile became widely available, thereby providing a new freedom for younger people to gather away from their parents’ home. This transition took the woman out of the home of her parents and into the world, where she was driven around by the man to places where temptations to msin from drunkenness to fornication were stronger than ever. Not surprisingly, by the 1930s dating overtook calling in prevalence, and money became the means by which a man could pursue a woman, taking her out on expensive dates. This altered the nature of male-female pursuit so that the best men were those with the most money (symbolized by which kind of car they drove) and therefore the most able to afford the nicest dates, and the most prized women were the most outwardly beautiful and sexual who could serve as the best trophy.

By the 1940s the prevalence of dating caused an economic view of male and female dating relationships that was, in principle, akin to prostitution in some ways. Since men were required to make good

money, purchase a car, and treat a woman for a date, men began expecting sexual favors in return for spending money on her. Men often pressured women for sexual favors in exchange for an expensive date. Those women who refused such requests were often no longer asked out on dates, and looser women became more popular dates. The 1960s saw one of the greatest social upheavals in the history of singleness in the Western world. The feminist and sexual revolutions of the day pushed for sexual anarchy of every kind (e.g., orgies, casual sex, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality) in conjunction with a widespread

drug culture that only fueled recklessness, resulting in increased perversion and disease. In the 1960s Playboy was the first pornographic magazine widely published and was kept behind the counter at select

stores. Also in the 1960s the birth control pill was made widely available, thereby encouraging even more sexual sin without the same levels of fear about out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

By the 1970s Playboy was taken from behind the counter at selected stores and displayed on the shelf alongside Penthouse, which was an even harder version of pornography. In 1973, abortion was legalized

so that those not wanting to assume the responsibility that came with their sexual activity could legally murder their child. In 1974, no-fault divorce was legalized so that some of the legal difficulties and social stigmas associated with divorce were diminished. The result? A cataclysmic alteration of sex, dating, marriage, and children. No longer were these seen as connected, or even related, issues.

COHABITATION

The sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s radically altered the sexual landscape of our nation: One of the most important consequences of this revolution in sexual behavior and beliefs is that the institution of marriage is much less likely to govern and guide the expression of sexual intimacy between adolescents and adults. More specifically, abstinence before marriage is now the exception to the behavioral and attitudinal norm when it comes to sex.2 For the first time in America’s history, there are more single adults than married adults, and the number is expected only to rise. Still, more than nine out of ten people will eventually marry. In our culture of hook up, shack up, and break up, the expectation is that they will cohabit prior to marriage. From 1978 to 2008, the number of cohabitors in the U.S. rose from 1 million couples to 5 million couples. By simple definition, living together—or unmarried cohabitation—is the status of couples who are sexual partners, not married to each other, and sharing a household.3 Others who are not cohabiting by definition because they have two residences still sleep over enough to qualify, even if the statistics do not count them. It is estimated that about a quarter of unmarried women between the ages of 25 and 39 are currently living with a partner, and about half have lived at some time with an unmarried partner (the data are typically reported for women but not for men).4 Over half of all first marriages are now preceded by cohabitation, compared to virtually none earlier in the century. The most likely to cohabit are people aged 20 to 24.5

However, the evidence actually challenges the popular idea that cohabiting ensures greater marital compatibility and thereby promotes stronger and more enduring marriages: “Cohabitation does not reduce the likelihood of eventual divorce; in fact, it is associated with a higher divorce risk.”6 Virtually all research on the topic has determined that the chances of divorce ending a marriage that was preceded by cohabitation are significantly greater than for a marriage that was not preceded by cohabitation.7 Studies almost always find that cohabitation is associated with an increased divorce risk, with estimates ranging from as low as a 33 percent increased divorce risk to a 151 percent increased risk of dissolution.8

In addition to missing out on many of the benefits of marriage, cohabitors may face more serious difficulties.9 Annual rates of depression among cohabiting couples are more than three times what they are among married couples.10 Women in cohabiting relationships are twice as likely as married women to suffer physical abuse.11 Two studies found that women in cohabiting relationships are about nine times

more likely to be killed by their partner than are women in marital relationships.12

Furthermore, couples who have sex before marriage, especially couples who cohabit, are more likely to experience difficulties in their marriage.13 For instance, a study of 2,034 married adults found that those who had cohabited prior to marriage reported less marital happiness and more marital conflict, compared to similar couples who did not cohabit.14 Conversely, abstinence before marriage is linked to greater marital

stability.15 Studies indicate that men and women who marry as virgins are significantly less likely to divorce.16 For instance, men who marry as virgins are 37 percent less likely to divorce than other men, and women who marry as virgins are 24 percent less likely to divorce than other women.17 Thus, adults who remain abstinent until marriage are more likely to enjoy a satisfying and stable marriage.18

Adults who waited to have sex until they married, and who have remained faithful to their spouses since they married, report higher levels of life satisfaction, compared to adults who engaged in premarital sex or adulterous sex.19 Furthermore, “Those [adults] who have ever had sex outside their marriage also report notably low happiness scores.”20 The reason why all of this is important is that people are prone to think their experience is normative. Singles today were born into a world that is unlike any other time in history, and it is peculiarly perverted. It seems normal to them because it is all they have ever

known, but it must be evaluated in light of history and Scripture for perspective.

The bottom line? Satan is still a liar, and God’s plan is still the best. That plan is chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage.

I pastor a church where about half the people are single, and most of them are walking as Christians with Jesus for the first time in theirlives. I am deeply sympathetic to the pressures and temptations that single Christians face. In a culture where people have “friends with benefits,” where men are into scoring and not marrying, where the entire singles’ scene from clubs to bars is built to oppose a life modeled after Jesus’ singleness, and where Craig’s List and other online portals in cities like mine have fifteen hundred people posting daily for a “casual encounter” (which is code for free sex), those wanting to honor Jesus in their singleness have nothing short of a war on their hands. Add to this the fact that both men and women are waiting later than ever to marry (men around twenty-six to twenty-seven and women around twentyfour to twenty-five), and the opportunities for sexual sin multiply. When you consider that there are between eleven and thirteen million more women in church than men and acknowledge that the average man wants to attract the youngest and hottest wife he can afford, then Christian women—particularly older singles, divorcées, widows, and single moms—are at a distinct disadvantage and are tempted to settle and sin. My wife, Grace, has a particular heart for women in these situations and, as a result, a quiet aspect of our ministry is trying to help serve these women. I will spend the rest of this chapter sharing with

you what my wife and I tell single men and women whom we love and minister to.

THE GIFT OF SINGLENESS?

First, there must be a biblical understanding of marriage. Biblically, singleness is not ideal,1 marriage should be honored by all,2 and it is demonic to teach against marriage.3 Practically, however, there are seasons and reasons that provide exceptions to the rule of marriage for some people, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 7. This section of Scripture is widely misunderstood and has been throughout the history

of the church. Indeed, singleness is not bad, as exemplified by Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul.

Still, singleness is neither normative nor superior to marriage. The too-often popular misconception that singleness is ideal and superior to marriage is in fact rooted in worldly wisdom and not in Scripture.

Ancient non-Christian Greek philosophers such as Plato and the Stoics taught that the physical part of existence is innately evil so our immaterial spirit is purer. The result was a disdain for the body and its pleasures, along with a bizarre asceticism, so that sex was seen as only for procreation, and celibacy was preferred. The early church fathers and mothers were greatly steeped in this kind of thinking. Examples include Tertullian and Ambrose, who preferred extinction of the human race to ongoing sexual intercourse. Origen not only allegorized the Song of Solomon but also castrated himself. Chrysostom taught that Adam and Eve had no sexual relations until sin entered the world. Gregory of Nyssa taught that until sin entered the world, Adam and Eve did not have sex; rather, she was able to conceive through a special kind of vegetation that grew in Eden.

By the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church forbade priests to marry and regulated not only the sexual positions of married couples but also the days on which they could be intimate; eventually half of the year was forbidden for married sex. In the Victorian age, modesty became so extreme that long tablecloths were put over tables to hide the table legs for fear that men would see them and think of women’s legs and

then lust.

My point? In our day of sinful sexuality, there are still many Christians overly influenced by pagan Greek thought who somehow think that only less holy Christians capitulate to marriage and sex rather than live a varsity life as a celibate single. To justify themselves and their viewpoint, such thinkers often take Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 7 out of context.

Be Holy

“To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”4 Here Paul speaks to singles who were already in sexual sin. Besides, Paul urges them to marry rather than burn in their lust and burn in hell. Today, the consequences of the sexual revolution can be seen in changes in sexual behavior and beliefs about sexual behavior among adults and teens. We have seen almost a complete reversal in sexual behavior and morals.

Therefore, Paul’s words are as true and timely as ever. For those called to singleness for a season, or for a lifetime (desires can and do change), their calling will be accompanied by a diminished sexual appetite so that remaining pure and chaste is not as difficult for them as for the person not called to singleness. Further, since most people are failing to remain chaste and holy in their singleness, most people should put their energies toward the goal of one day being married. I was one of these people, which explains why I married at the age of twenty-one, between my junior and senior years of college.

Be Wise

Now concerning the betrothed [virgins], I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.5

Chaste, single virgins were encouraged to remain single because of the “present distress,” which may have included the coming bloody persecution at the hands of Nero and/or a deadly famine that had been prophesied in Acts 11:28. Singleness is often preferable in some seasons (e.g., persecution, famine, grave illness, war). Those who are able to refrain from marriage until a crisis has ended will save themselves and any children they might have birthed many heartaches and hardships. But if someone is married, Paul says, such a crisis is no excuse for a divorce, and if someone is married, he or she has not sinned. It is important to remember that Paul is not elevating singleness as generally preferable, but preferable only for some people and some circumstances. In this way, some people are called to remain single to serve Jesus in ministry; still others are called to be married, and their marriage is their ministry for Jesus. Anyone who is married will tell you that while it does restrict some ministry opportunities, it is in itself among the most difficult and important ministries.

Good reasons for remaining single in our day include living in a season of life when pursuing a potential spouse is unwise, such as experiencing personal illness, unemployment or underemployment, suffering through a traumatic life event such as the death of a parent, or undertaking education, work, or ministry in which the demands upon one’s time are so severe that a relationship is not practically possible.

Be Devoted

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.6

In typical times, when there is not a major crisis, many of the issues in a church are best dealt with by married leaders.7 This is because many of people’s issues are related to marriage and parenting, and people with experience in those areas are generally best suited to serve as models and mentors. But in times of crisis or when ministry results in danger, single people are able to do more ministry work because their time and possessions are more easily freed up. Ministry is, in comparison, more complicating for, say, a pregnant woman or a man who is the sole provider for a large family. Therefore, in the circumstances Paul is addressing, singles are being called upon for vital ministry, though this call is not a restriction.

Obviously, Jesus Christ is the perfect example of someone who remained single for the purposes of living in poverty and suffering for the cause of ministry in a way that he could not have if he were a husband and father. In this way, those gifted with singleness, like Paul and Jesus, also often have a particular ministry calling that requires poverty or danger. A friend of mine who is working as a quiet evangelist in a closed Muslim country believes he will die for his faith and has not married as a result. Those who are simply selfish or irresponsible and therefore choose not to marry are not whom Paul is speaking of in the

context of his words and life’s example.

Be Considerate

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.8

With the “distress” of that day, men who were engaged to older virgins were considering backing out of their wedding. Paul counseled that men are free to do as they wish but must consider all the theological and practical variables surrounding their potential marriage.

IDOLS IN SINGLENESS

Having now cleared up some of the confusion around Paul’s words, we can establish a biblical foundation for marriage. The first thing God called “not good,” even before sin entered the world, was Adam’s solitary state.9 God’s answer was to create Eve as his wife, lover, fellow worshiper, helper, and friend. In so doing, God established that a marriage is one man and one woman10 in a covenant11 that is sexually consummated12 and is intended to last a lifetime.13 There are two opposite errors about marriage into which a Christian single can fall. Idols that serve as functional saviors underlie these errors.

The first idol is independence. When the idol of independence is worshiped, committed relationships, in general, and marriage, in particular, are dismissed or even disdained. Underlying this idol can be fear from a past hurt, the unhealed trauma of suffering through a parental divorce, or simply good old-fashioned selfishness, whereby someone does not want to make any life adjustments to accommodate another person. When heaven is conceived of as independence, and hell is conceived of as interdependence, then singleness is worshiped as a functional savior.

The second idol is dependence. When the idol of dependence is worshiped, then having someone to date is essential, being single is a crisis to be averted, and marriage is worshiped as the central guiding principle of life in which the longings for identity, joy, and relationship are to be satisfied. Underlying this idol can be a fear of being alone, a codependence that needs someone to lean on to an unhealthy degree, or a weak relationship with God so that it is not the primary defining and satisfying relationship in one’s life. When heaven is conceived of as a couple, and hell is conceived of as being single, then a dating partner or spouse invariably becomes the functional savior that is worshiped to get us out of our hell and into our heaven.

A FEW THINGS TO PONDER

Before we discuss the various ways in which a Christian can date, it is important for us first to repent of any sins and idols that are guiding our desires. In this way we can then be open to what God has for us, which is always best. Therefore, a few questions are worthy of pondering here.

First, how is your relationship with Jesus? Is that relationship strong, maturing, and growing, and is it your first priority above all other relationships? Do you need to wait to date someone until a time when your relationship with Jesus is stronger? Is your goal to meet someone with whom you can grow in your relationship with Jesus?

Second, are you believing cultural lies? Are you taking your cues not from Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and godly friends but from magazines, talk shows, the media, pornography, and godless acquaintances? Are you feeding sinful thoughts and desires that need to be repented of fully before you are fit for any serious Christian relationship?

Third, do you accept that marriage is for holiness before happiness? People who believe that marriage is meant to complete them or make them happy are invariably depressed in marriage. Why? Because when

two sinners marry there will be struggles and pain. Those who rightly understand that marriage does have happiness but is first for our sanctification and holiness are in a much better theological frame of mind to marry and be able to lovingly serve their spouse and think more about we than me.

Once our relationship with Jesus is healthy and our view of marriage is biblical, we are ready to consider principles that are intended to guide Christian dating relationships.

SIXTEEN CHRISTIAN DATING PRINCIPLES FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN

1) Maximize your singleness for God.

While you are single, accept that you are in a season of life that affords some freedoms and benefits you will not have if and when you marry. It is a good season to finish your education, increase your theological knowledge, travel to serve in missions, give time to your church, work long hours to establish your career, and pay off any debt you may have accrued. In short, invest your single years in a way that they later pay a

great return. Do not waste them.

2) Do not pursue a serious relationship until you are ready to marry.

There are many reasons why people should, for a season, devote their energies to something other than finding a spouse. Getting biblical counseling to overcome a habitual sin such as pornography or substance abuse, maturing as a Christian if they are a new or immature convert, or simply moving out of their parents’ home and taking on adult responsibilities are all good reasons to delay a serious relationship until a better season of life. Basically, until people are mature enough to marry, they should not be in a serious romantic relationship but should use their energies to mature.

3) Be reasonable.

Do not set your expectations too high or too low. If you set your expectations too low, you may marry and be miserable, having made the biggest mistake of your life. If you set your expectations too high, you may never marry, or you may marry the person you think you want but who may not be the one God would consider best for you. As a practical matter, I discourage Christian singles from having too long a list of what they are looking for in a spouse. The truth is that most of these lists are simply idolatrous because they are comprised of the seekers’ resume and what they like and do, as if the goal of marriage is to find someone just like them rather than someone different from them so that together they can learn to love and serve one another.

Few men are looking for a widowed, broke, and homeless gal from a family noted for incest who is a recent convert with a bitter mother-in-law in tow. But her name is Ruth, and Boaz was blessed to marry her, and through her came Jesus.

4) Do not be legalistic about dating.

There is a difference between a date and dating. A date can be two people spending time together, going out for a meal or coffee after church to get to know one another in a non-sexual manner. Dating as is practiced by non-Christians is not acceptable for Christians. Still, the word dating is not worth quibbling over, as Paul tells us not to quarrel over words.14

Whether we call it “a date” or something else, time together does not need to be considered a dating relationship. In 1 Timothy 5:1–2, Paul tells Christian single men to treat Christian single women like sisters. Thus, since adult brothers and sisters talk to one another, enjoy one another’s company, and occasionally enjoy a meal together, it is not a sin for two single Christians to enjoy time together, getting to know one another, so that they can see if there is the possibility of a more serious relationship that leads to courtship and marriage.

5) Do not have any romantic relationship with someone who is a non-Christian.15

The reasons here are almost limitless. Since you cannot marry a non- Christian, getting emotionally involved is pointless and only leads to sin and/or heartache. Since Jesus is at the center of your life, a non- Christian will not even understand who you are. Because you submit to Scripture and unbelievers do not, your relationship with one has no court of arbitration in which to resolve your differences. An unbeliever is not in covenant with Jesus, so he or she has no covenantal framework for any relationship with you. If he or she is not a Christian, you have no means of dealing with sin that will come between the two of you, because you do not both believe in the gospel of Jesus’ death for sin.

Indeed, you can have non-romantic evangelistic relationships with non-Christians, but if the parties involved are single, the odds of attraction are high, and it is usually best to introduce the non-Christians to

your Christian friends of the opposite gender so that an evangelistic relationship can form.

6) You should be in a romantic relationship with only one person at a time.

Ultimately, the goal of a Christian not called to singleness is not to have a boyfriend or girlfriend but to have a spouse. It is cruel to date multiple people at one time, having them compete for your affections.

Furthermore, it is better preparation for adultery than it is for covenant marriage.

7) He should initiate and she should respond.

Because the Bible repeatedly states that the husband is to be the loving and leading head of the family,16 any romantic relationship should begin with the man taking initiative to kindly and respectfully request

an opportunity to get to know the woman better. Too many Christian men are too timid and need to have more courage to risk rejection in their pursuit of a wife. Any woman who is not interested in, say, a group outing or a cup of coffee need simply say no, and the man should respect that answer.

8) You need to look at who God puts in front of you.

Too many singles are looking over people in their church and life who do love God in pursuit of a mythical person, who does not exist. Yet, in God’s providence, good potential spouses are right in front of them. Furthermore, while a woman should not chase a man, she can wisely put herself in front of him. This is precisely what happened in the story of Ruth and Boaz. Although God providentially put Ruth at work gleaning for food in the field of Boaz, Boaz did not consider her a potential wife until Ruth took the counsel of the older woman Naomi and got dressed up and went to the same big party as Boaz, where she did not chase him but did get in his way. The result? One of the greatest love stories in the Bible.

9) Feel free to use technology wisely.

While a Christian single should be careful not to troll Web sites and chat rooms where sexual sin is encouraged, there is nothing wrong with using online dating services. In the world of social networking, it

is simply a new way for God’s providence to bring people together. Some Christians retain a stigma about compatibility surveys and Internet Christian-dating sites, but they should not. Many singles attend churches where there are few possible spouses, and with the confusion and perversion that persists in the greater culture, they should not feel bad for using technology to find someone who loves Jesus and with whom they are compatible. As a pastor, I could tell you of dozens and dozens of wonderful marriages that began online at a Christian dating Web site.

10) Invest in a romantic relationship only with someone you are entirely attracted to.

This means more than the usual goal of finding someone rich and hot; attraction must be to the whole person. Are you sufficiently physically attracted to envision marriage to that person? Are you mentally attracted to him and enjoy talking with and learning from him? Are you spiritually attracted to her and her love for Jesus? Are you financially attracted to him so that you both agree on what lifestyle you will have? Are you “integrity attracted” to her and can see the Holy Spirit at work through her character? Are you “ministry attracted” to him and appreciate how he serves God in his ministry?

11) Only date someone who agrees with you on primary theological issues.

It is not enough simply to marry a Christian; for the sake of peace and unity in your home, you need to have the same theological convictions on primary issues. For Grace and me, this means we agree on the Bible as God’s Word and our highest authority; we agree that God is Trinity and that Jesus died as our sinless God in our place for our sins; we agree on a Reformed Protestant view of the gospel. Our agreement extends to gender and family roles, and without this we would have an acrimonious marriage. We both believe that the husband is called to lovingly and sacrificially lead the family, that children are a blessing, that the wife should stay home with the children when they are young, and that solely qualified male elders should govern a church. If we disagreed on these things, even though we are Christians, we would not be able to build a life together, because we would disagree on the blueprint and spend our time fighting over which one of us is right. As it is, there is great peace, unity, and cooperation in our home because we agree on primary and secondary theological issues, and as a result we are allies, not enemies.

12) Guard your heart.17

Getting to know someone takes time. If you give your heart away too quickly, you will find yourself either pushing to make the relationship work or being heartbroken when it falls apart. It is good to want to give your whole heart away. However, you must wait until you are in the covenant of marriage to do so, or you risk lots of heartache and trouble.

13) Be careful of legalism and libertinism.

Legalists love to make lots of rules in addition to what’s found in Scripture to govern male-female relationships, but they are simply man-made and unnecessary. I know a dating legalist, a woman, who

would date only in groups, and as a result no man ever got to speak with her one-on-one, which explains, in part, why she is still single. I know a man who considers the purpose of every conversation with every Christian woman to be courtship, so that he comes off way too strong way too early and likewise remains single.

Libertines love to make themselves the exception to God’s rules that govern male-female relationships, and in so doing act like their own god. Examples of dating libertines include those who cross physical

boundaries, those who will date anyone who believes in some nebulous “god,” those who fail to care about finding evidences of spiritual maturity, such as regular church attendance and Bible study participation, in a potential mate, and those who have snuggle sleepovers that they swear include no sexual activity but are beyond the scriptural bounds of the Song of Solomon, which repeatedly tells us not to arouse or awaken love until the time of marriage.

14) Marry someone who will be a fit for every season of the life that awaits you together.

As I’ve mentioned before, Grace and I met in high school, married in college, and then graduated to start Mars Hill Church together a few years later. She then quit work to stay at home and be a mother to our now five children, and we recently celebrated our sixteenth wedding anniversary and a total of over twenty years together including dating.

So far, together we have been through high school, college, ministry, and parenting. One day our five children will be grown, and we will grow old together. Grace does not get to travel with me often, but when she does, we talk frequently about how great our current season of life is but also how fun it will be when the kids are grown and we can travel together for ministry and also enjoy our grandkids. Marriage is about getting old and serving one another in every season of life. So marry someone with every season in mind.

Too often, Christians marry only with children in mind and do not consider that one day the kids will be gone, but the couple will be together all the time; as a result, when the kids leave home, crisis hits the marriage because the kids were the glue that held things together. We love our children, but we also love being together and growing old together.

15) Pursue only someone you love.

The Bible says that husbands should love their wives18 and that wives should love their husbands.19 It is grievous when people marry who are not truly in love or willing to work on safeguarding and growing their

love. Proverbs 30:21–23 says that the world cannot hold up under the weight of despair that is wrought by a married woman who is unloved. If a man and woman do not love one another and are not radically devoted to that love lasting a lifetime, then they should not marry.

16) Do not have any sexual contact until marriage.

As noted earlier, single Christians are prone to ask where the line is. That question is sinful because it is asking how to get closer to sin rather than closer to Jesus. The Bible says, “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.”20 Paul says elsewhere that a single man should not touch any woman in any sexual way.21 The issue is not where the line is, but, as Song of Solomon often says, when the time is. That time is the covenant of marriage. Until then, the New Testament repeatedly says to avoid porneia, that junk-drawer term for all kinds of sexual sin. As my friend John Piper often says, by God’s grace and the Spirit’s power, “theology can conquer biology.” A marriage must be built on the worship of God so that spiritual intimacy can enable all other intimacy, such as mental, emotional, physical, and sexual, without shame and without sin.

SEVEN CHRISTIAN DATING QUESTIONS FOR MEN

1) Are you overlooking good women?

Examples include single mothers, widows, shy women, and those divorced on biblical grounds. Sometimes a woman’s character is so sanctified and shaped through hardship that she is, in fact, more prepared than the average woman to be a devoted, faithful, resilient, and thankful wife.

2) Do you enjoy her?

Ecclesiastes 9:9 says, “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun.” Much of your life will be spent working your job, cutting your grass, paying your bills, and dealing with sin and the curse. But if you have a wife you enjoy, life is better. I praise God that I enjoy my wife. I enjoy being at home with her, I enjoy traveling with her, and more than anyone else she is the friend with whom I enjoy having fun. This one fact has made my life satisfying.

3) Is she modest? 22

An immodest woman may be fun to look at, but do you really want awife who dresses immodestly so that everyone else can lust after her? Do you really want your daughters to grow up and be immodest?

Sometimes a single man is attracted to a woman because she is immodest; meanwhile, more godly and modest women do not catch his eye as readily. A wise man knows that there is a difference between a good time and a good life with a good wife and patiently waits for the latter.

4) Will she follow your leadership?

Since the Bible calls you to lovingly and sacrificially lead your family, you need to have a wife who follows your leadership. This means she agrees with your theology, trusts your decision-making, appreciates the other men you surround yourself with for counsel, and also respects the way you seek her input and invite her counsel as you make decisions. If she does not naturally follow your leadership, you can be sure that if you marry, there will be frequent conflict.

5) Does she have noble character? 23

Is she a woman whom you want your daughters to be like (because they will be)? Is she the kind of woman you want your sons to marry (because they will)? Would you consider yourself honored to be with her because of how she speaks, carries herself, prays, worships God, makes decisions, serves others, works, and interacts with other men?

6) Can you provide for the lifestyle she expects? 24

If you meet a woman who will not be satisfied with the level of income and lifestyle that you can provide, then she is not the woman for you. Since it is your responsibility to provide for the material and financial needs of your family, you must have a woman who will not grudgingly live at the level of provision you can give. So long as you work hard, tithe well, invest smartly, and save prudently, you need not feel guilty for not making a great deal of money. You will want a wife who appreciates how you can provide rather than one who is continually dissatisfied and, therefore, discouraging.

7) As you stand back and objectively consider her, is she like any of the women that Proverbs warns against?

Is she a nagging woman, likened to a dripping faucet?25 Is she a loud and overbearing woman who would be exhausting at home and embarrassing in public?26 Is she the kind of temperamental and quarrelsome

woman that makes it better for you to camp on the roof alone than share a home with her?27 Is she a gossip?28 Is she an unfaithful woman prone to flirt with other men and likely to be an adulteress?29 Is she disgraceful?30 If so, quickly but graciously extricate yourself from any relationship with her.

SEVEN CHRISTIAN DATING QUESTIONS FOR WOMEN

1) Do you want to help him and join his course of life? 31

Since you are made to be the equal and complementing helper to your husband, you must share the direction in life he is going and be willing to join it if he is to be your husband. If he wants a career in sales or the military, where he is gone much or most of the time, and you are not okay with that, then he needs another career or you need another man to marry. Any woman who marries a man hoping to fix him, change him, or redirect his life course is with the wrong man. If she likes who he is and where he is going and wants to be a good life partner helping him to be and do what God has for him, then she may have found a man she is suited for.

2) Is he tough enough to remain strong in tough times? 32

I am talking about a man who is tender with you, but tough for you. If you marry him and have children, will he be the kind of steady rock the family needs when times are tough? If hard economic times come, will he, for example, work two jobs to care for his family? If you have a hard pregnancy and find yourself bedridden, will he step up to do what is needed to care for his family? Too many men wilt under pressure or cave under crisis, and if you marry a man and entrust yourself and your children to him, you need to be certain that he will be there to lovingly lead the family in God’s purposes, no matter what.

3) Will he take responsibility for you and your children? 33

As the head of the home, a man must take responsibility for his family. This is what Jesus does by involving himself to help us in our life and with our sin. Any man who does not want to take responsibility to ensure that his wife and children are well loved, encouraged, and served is not going to be a good husband and father. In particular, if you are dating a man and you have to push him to take responsibility for himself nor look after him as if you were his mother, he is nowhere near ready for marriage, and you should move on from being serious with him.

4) Is he considerate and gentle with you? 34

Any man who does not consult with you, make decisions with you, ask what you think, and inquire how you feel is a selfish and inconsiderate man. Furthermore, any man who is harsh or in any way abusive (verbally, emotionally, sexually, physically), will only get worse once you are married. Do not kid yourself—when you are dating a man, he is on his best behavior, and if he is inconsiderate or harsh with you then, any future with him will be very painful.

5) Will he be a good father? 35

A man might look at you as more than just a baby machine, but does he love children? Does he consider children a blessing, as Scripture says? The only way a man can be a good father is by being unselfish.

If he is into his buddies, his hobbies, his activities, and the like, he will be a terrible father. Why? Because once a man decides to walk with Jesus as a faithful church member, to love his wife as Christ loves the church, to raise his kids as pastor-dad, and to work his job wholeheartedly unto the Lord, he will have little time for much of anything else. Yet he will be happy if the deepest desires of his heart are the things that are taking his time and energy. If you want to be a mom who stays home with the children, then you must have a man who will be a great daddy and longs for that role. Further, since your daughters will marry men like their daddy, and your sons will grow up to be men like their daddy, make sure to marry a man whom you want imitated for generations.

6) Is he a one-woman man? 36

Church elders are to set the pattern as one-woman men for all God’s men. Therefore, he should not be the porn guy, the flirt guy, the haslots- of-female-friends-he-calls-buddies guy, the cheats-on-you-when-

you-are-dating guy, the dates-multiple-women-at-a-time guy, or the compares-you-to-other-women guy. If he is to be your husband, his heart, hands, mind, eyes, wallet, and life need to be solely devoted to you. If you have to keep trying to make him faithful or if you question his loyalty, he is not fit for marriage.

7) How valuable are you to him?

As a pastor I often see men who want to marry called to overcome some obstacle that, in God’s providence, separates them from union with the woman they love. I believe God does this to test the man’s devotion and to reveal to the woman how devoted he is to her. Too many women make it too easy for a man to catch them and, while not playing hard-to-get, a woman should not go out of her way to make it easy for a man to have her; he needs to earn her hand. I had to work two jobs from 5 pm to 9 am nearly every day for the entire summer before I married Grace. I often slept in my truck just to make enough money so that we could finish college without her having to work and go to school at the same time. One friend of mine had to wait a few years for his wife to be able to move legally to the U.S., and he faithfully waited for her because he treasured her. In Genesis 29:20 we read that Jacob worked fourteen long years (seven for Leah and another seven for Rachel) for the cruel and crooked Laban for the right to marry Rachel, “and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” A woman needs to know that she is valuable, cherished, and treasured, and if a man does not labor to marry her, it is doubtless he will labor to keep her.

DATING METHODS

In this final section, we will examine two dating methods that Scripture permits for Christians. Some people will find it curious that I speak of methods instead of a method. There is quite a conflict between various Christians on this issue, and I find that each position has biblical merit for certain people. There is simply no one correct way for people to work toward marriage, although, as I have tried to explain in this chapter, there are principles that guide all Christians in their romantic relationships prior to marriage.

1) Prearranged Marriage

Many of the marriages in the Old Testament were prearranged by the parents. It was not uncommon in Old Testament times for women to marry in their early to mid teens. This process is described but never prescribed in the Old Testament as the way all God’s people for all time in all cultures should be married.

Today in the Western world this form of marriage is not likely to catch on for a multitude of reasons. However, in some parts of the world it remains a common means of marriage. To be honest, I was incredibly skeptical of this method until I developed a close friendship with a very godly pastor from India. He and his wife were in a prearranged marriage that had been established by their parents with their approval.

Having spent time in their home in India and knowing them for over a decade, I can attest to the fact that they are one of the most loving and beautiful Christian couples I have ever known. When I asked my friend

why his prearranged marriage worked, he said that in our culture we choose our love, but in his culture they love their choice. Admittedly, I am not arguing for a movement of prearranged marriages. Still, with the devastating statistics in our own culture regarding adultery, abuse, and divorce, we certainly have no moral high ground to criticize parents in other cultures who know and love their children well and, as a result, help to direct their spousal choice.

2) Courtship

Courtship is similar to calling in that a man pursues a woman under the oversight of her family. Biblically, the repeated refrain is that a man takes a wife, and a woman is given in marriage.37 This principle of a man pursuing a wife under the loving oversight of the woman’s father and family is illustrated in the traditional marriage custom where a father walks his daughter down the aisle and gives her in marriage. This is illustrated in the Old Testament. One example is given in Deuteronomy 22:13–21 where a father is held legally responsible for the chastity of his daughter until marriage. If she was found guilty of being sexually active prior to marriage and lying to her husband about it, she was to be put to death on the doorsteps of her father’s home because he was held legally responsible for her virginity. While this was rarely practiced,

it illustrates the importance of a daddy taking responsibility for the life of his single daughter in that culture. Another example is given in Numbers 30:3–5. There we see that if a young woman tells her suitor that she will marry him but her father does not approve, the father has the legal right to nullify the engagement and protect his daughter from a marriage he does not believe is good for her.

In addition to the oversight of the father and mother, the Old Testament also speaks of the role of other family members in overseeing the courtship of a young woman. In the Song of Solomon the woman’s

father is never mentioned, which might indicate that she was raised by a single mother.

In Song of Solomon 8:8–10 we discover that there are two kinds of young women. Some are “doors” that welcome boys in, and others are “walls” that keep them away. The woman in that book was a wall, and her brothers said that because she was a wall, they would help to preserve her chastity, but had she been a door they would have stepped in to be proverbial walls and keep the wrong guys away from her. The principle is that even brothers can be helpful in looking out for their sister(s) and should help ensure she is not romantically ensnared with the wrong guy. Similarly, there is an extreme example in Genesis 34 in which Dinah is raped by her boyfriend, and in response her brothers murder not only him but also the entire city of men of which he is a part and plunder everything.

Fathers and Daughters

I am the very happy father of two beautiful daughters and three sons. In our home there will be courtship. Any male wanting to spend time pursuing my daughters will do so only with my approval, under my

oversight, by my rules, and most often in my home. I adore my daughters and, as the pastor of maybe a few thousand women who were sexually abused, I want to do all I can to ensure the safety and sanctity of my lovely daughters.

I began taking my daughters on daddy dates when they were little. I get lots of time one-on-one to love and cherish them. I snuggle with them. I read the Bible with them. I pray with them. I escort them to the car. I open doors for them. I treat them as priceless treasures because they are. Grace and I often talk with them about boys, men, marriage, and what we and Jesus want for their future.

As I write this chapter, God brings to mind two memorable experiences with my oldest daughter, Ashley. The first happened when she was perhaps three or four years old. We were at Disney World, and although it was her bedtime she wanted me to take her swimming in the Mickey Mouse pool. So we went swimming. When we returned to our hotel room, I stood her up on the bed to dry her hair with a white towel. She took the ends of the towel in her tiny hands and held it like a white veil, looked me in the eye, and asked me if I would marry her. I lost it and started tearing up at the thought of the day when I would officiate the wedding of my little girl. I vowed to her that day that one day she would marry a man who loves Jesus and her, and I prayed over her and her future husband.

The second memory concerns an event that occurred some years later when I was in another pool during a summer vacation having fun with my five children. A teenage girl showed up at the pool with two boys. She jumped in the pool and shared a passionate kiss with one of the boys, and then swam to the other end of the pool where she passionately kissed the other boy. Ashley was perhaps ten years old, and Alexie

was perhaps three years old, and they both saw what happened, made eye contact with me, and swam over to discuss it with me. Ashley asked me, “Daddy, did you see that girl kiss two boys?” I said, “Yes. What do

you think of that?” She said, “I think she has a very bad daddy.”

Too many daddies take too little responsibility to lovingly remain connected to their daughters as they mature into women. Too many ill-intentioned young men have access to such young women because daddies, as well as mommies, are not doing all they can to lovingly walk with their children through the rough waters of hormones, dating, and marriage.

So at our home my daughters will be courted. My sons will court by respectfully pursuing their future wives in the context of honoring their families, particularly the women’s fathers.

I have seen some families become extreme and legalistic in their application of this principle. I am not advocating that kind of abusive application, where a father rules over his daughter at a distance rather than lovingly leading her through a close relationship built over years in which she trusts him and speaks to him from her heart because he has won her affection by being what my girls call a “poppa-daddy.”

Of course, this kind of arrangement works only when both the courting man and woman are from godly Christian homes that agree on how marriage should be pursued. In my church, where there are a few thousand singles, very few have Christian families with any wisdom to offer. Tragically, I have often seen women who desire godly oversight of their dating relationships be counseled by their so-called Christian father to just live with the guy and not be so worried about getting married.

There is hope for those couples in which one or both lack godly families. They can lean on biblical wisdom for counsel and support. First, in a practical way, the church is a sort of additional family by new birth in

which older men are to be like fathers and older women like mothers. This means that a healthy and biblical church should have godly older Christians, including pastors and their wives, who can lovingly help younger couples wisely make the important decision of whether to marry. For example, we now have a thorough premarital process for the few hundred couples who marry each year at Mars Hill Church, and our goal is to help ensure people are marrying the right person in the right way at the right time for the right reasons and then help them keep their covenant vows after the marriage.

I need to stress that courtship becomes abusive and legalistic when it is imposed on people apart from loving relationship, such as when some system is put in place so that spiritual mothers and fathers are forcibly assigned over adult couples. Grace and I have served many young couples at their request simply by giving them ongoing, specific counsel regarding their courtship and have greatly enjoyed serving in this way. In the end, this is all I’m advocating.

Second, throughout the Song of Solomon the woman’s friends repeatedly give their opinion of her relationship.38 Likewise, in the book of Ruth it is Ruth’s older godly friend, Naomi, who gives her counsel regarding her relationship with Boaz and also gives her approval of their love. Therefore, godly friends should be involved in the courtship process. Any time a dating relationship causes one of the two involved to disappear from godly fellowship, there is reason for concern. If a dating person has godly friends, those friends have every right to get to know the person their friend is dating and give their opinion of him or her out of love for their friend. Too many Christians say too little until it’s too late.

OLDER SINGLES

The first two methods of Christian dating are generally designed to serve younger women. What about a godly older woman, established in her career, who has lived on her own for many years and has family that lives far away or is not Christian or is deceased? Does she need to be courted in her father’s home or in the home of some man assigned to her in a fatherly role? No.

Speaking of an older single woman, 1 Corinthians 7:39 says, “She is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” The principle here is that the circumstances of some older women are exceptions to the guidelines given to younger women. The basic requirement is that if a man who loves Jesus also loves a woman and wants to marry her, she can marry him if she wants to; the decision is hers to make.

One of my wife’s dear friends, a godly virgin woman in her forties, was successful in her career. She served others in ministry and deeply loved Jesus, and she had always wanted to be married but was never

pursued by a godly man. Then she met a godly man through a Christian Internet dating service. Wisely, she had him meet her friends and family and sought counsel, but in the end she chose to marry him, and they are doing great, by God’s grace.

Ultimately, it is the heart and the principles that matter. The methods are important, but without hearts that are devoted to Jesus above all and lives that follow the principles of Scripture, it does not matter which method is used for dating; things will not go as well as God would desire.

1Gen. 2:18; Matt. 19:4–6.

2Heb. 13:4.

31 Tim. 4:1–3.

41 Cor. 7:8–9.

51 Cor. 7:25–31

61 Cor. 7:32–35.

71 Tim. 3:4–5; Titus 1:6; 2:3–5.

81 Cor. 7:36–38.

9Gen. 2:18.

10Matt. 19:4–6.

11Prov. 2:17.

12Gen. 2:24–25; 1 Cor. 7:3–4.

13Mal. 2:16a.

141 Tim. 6:4.

152 Cor. 6:14.

16Eph. 5:22–32; Col. 3:18–21; 1 Pet. 3:1–7.

17Prov. 4:23.

18Eph. 5:25.

19Titus 2:3–4.

20Eph. 5:3 (niv).

211 Cor. 7:1.

221 Tim. 2:9.

23Prov. 31:10–31.

241 Tim. 5:8.

25Prov. 27:15.

26Prov. 7:11; 9:13.

27Prov. 21:9; 25:24.

28Prov. 11:13; 16:28.

29Prov. 2:16–19; 5; 7; 11:22.

30Prov. 12:4.

31Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor. 11:9.

322 Tim. 2:3.

331 Cor. 11:3.

37Num. 10:30; 13:25; Judg. 21:1, 2, 7; 1 Sam. 18:17, 20, 27; 25:44; 1 Chron. 2:34–35; Ezra 9:2, 12;

Ps. 78:63; Prov. 18:22; Jer. 16:2; 29:6; Dan. 11:17; Matt. 24:38; Luke 20:34.

341 Pet. 3:7.

35Ps. 127:3–5; Eph. 6:4.

361 Tim. 3:2.

38Song 1:4b, 8; 5:1a, 9; 6:1, 13; 8:5, 8–9.

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

2009-09-07T21:31:00.006-04:00

Title: The Sign of Four

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

First Published: 1890

No. of Pages: 85

Synopsis (from B&N): "Who is sending the beautiful Miss Morstan a rare and priceless pearl each year? Holmes and Watson pursue Indian treasure and murders whose ominous trademark is "'he sign of four.'

When Sherlock Holmes is commissioned to investigate the meaning of this odd message, he and his trusted Watson have little idea of the scope of danger and intrigue they have been recruited to deal with."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: Once you've read a Sherlock Holmes story, there's not much new to say about subsequent ones. The main characters stay true but aren't fleshed-out in much more detail; but then the point of these stories isn't really character development. As a mystery, this one won't keep you up at night but will hold your interest (although if the London police were ever as inept as they're made out to be here, no crime would ever get solved). A quick and generally satisfying read.

Challenges: Baker Street; Guardian 1000 Novels ("Crime")

A Bend in the River by V. S. Naipaul

2009-09-03T23:10:00.002-04:00

Title: A Bend in the River

Author: V. S. Naipaul

First Published: 1979

No. of Pages: 278

Synopsis (from B&N): "In the 'brilliant novel' (The New York Times), V.S. Naipaul takes us deeply into the life of one man — an Indian who, uprooted by the bloody tides of Third World history, has come to live in an isolated town at the bend of a great river in a newly independent African nation. Naipaul gives us the most convincing and disturbing vision yet of what happens in a place caught between the dangerously alluring modern world and its own tenacious past and traditions."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I found this to be a wonderful book, but I'm having a difficult time putting into words just why. One thing is the author's minimal style -- many times I had the same reaction I have when reading a short story, where every word is carefully thought over and what isn't stated is as important as what is. The interaction between the characters and their emotional reactions felt spot-on accurate, and the physical descriptions of the main location brought the town to life. But the main reason that I liked this book, and the thing that's the hardest to explain, is that I just felt good reading it. Not because it's a feel-good story, because it's not (although it's not a downer, either); and not because it contains an important message. I guess it's just because the whole book feels so real and is in the hands of a master storyteller.

Challenges: 999 ("Booker/National Book Award"); Complete Booker; Fill in the Gaps 100 Books Project; Guardian 1000 Novels ("State of the Nation"); Modern Library 100 Best Novels (Board #83); Orbis Terrarum 2; Support Your Local Library

TBR Lite Challenge complete

2009-09-01T14:40:00.000-04:00

Participants in this challenge had 3 options to choose from. I went with option B: read 6 books in 12 months ~ you CAN change your reading list throughout the year. Here's what I read:

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley -- review

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle -- review

Howards End by E. M. Forster -- review

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -- review

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein -- review

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen -- review

18th and 19th Century Women Writers Challenge complete

2009-09-01T14:35:00.000-04:00

This challenge was hosted by Becky from Becky's Book Reviews. The goal was to read no fewer than four and no more than twelve books written by women who lived and wrote between 1700 and 1900. Here's what I read (years indicate when first published):

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (1853) -- review

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818) -- review

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847) -- review

Middlemarch by George Eliot (1873) -- review

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811) -- review

Classics Challenge 2009 complete

2009-09-01T14:30:00.000-04:00

This challenge was hosted by Trish of Trish's Reading Nook. I did the classics entree level (5 books) plus the bonus round of a future classic. Here's what I read:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -- review

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells -- review

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen -- review

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton -- review

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley -- review

Bonus round: Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer -- review

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

2009-09-01T14:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Frankenstein

Author: Mary Shelley

First Published: 1816

No. of Pages: 211

Synopsis (from B&N): "Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering 'the cause of generation and life' and 'bestowing animation upon lifeless matter,' Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but, upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: Like many people, I was already familiar with this story through the movies. I've seen a couple of adaptations, one of which stuck right to the book (I think it starred Kenneth Branagh). So I wasn't really reading for plot the way I normally do.

I have to say, I was underwhelmed. I understand the story's importance to the history of the genre, but as a stand-alone work, I wasn't all that impressed. I found much of the dialogue overblown and the monster completely unbelievable. He's supposed to be filled with rage at his rejection, and yet he's incredibly eloquent and self-aware when talking to Frankenstein. How is it that he can look at himself so objectively and be so well-spoken on his condition, and yet he can't control his emotions in the least? It just didn't ring true to me. I also got quite annoyed with Frankenstein on several occasions -- for such a smart man, he was incredibly dense sometimes. Plus, we aren't given enough information as to why he created the monster in the first place. I would have preferred that part of Frankenstein's character to be more fully explored.

I don't feel that I wasted my time with this one -- as a story, it held my interest, and the author's style, apart from much of the dialogue, is quite good. I know that there's been quite a bit of scholarship done on this book and maybe I'd appreciate it more if I studied some of that. But I can't classify this one as one of my favorites from the period.

Challenges: 18th and 19th Century Women Writers; 999 ("1001 Books"); Another 1% Well-Read; Classics; Guardian 1000 Novels ("Science Fiction"); TBR Lite

What are you reading on Mondays? - August 24

2009-08-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

I've decided to go ahead and throw in the towel on The Brothers Karamazov. Just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll give it another shot in the future, but for now there's too many other books waiting to be read, so it's time to move on. I only finished two books this week, which is somewhat disappointing, but it did allow me to finish up the Summer Vacation Reading Challenge.

Recent completions:

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller -- review

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer -- review

Reading this week:

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration by Antonia Fraser

Up next:

The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 7/10
18th and 19th Century Women Writers: 4/5
A to Z Challenge: 22/26
Baker Street Challenge: 1/4
Book Awards 3: 0/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Classics Challenge: 4/6
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 3/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 5/10
Nonfiction 5: 4/5
Orbis Terrarum: 7/10
Summer Vacation Reading: 6/6 ***COMPLETE
Support Your Local Library: 29/50
TBR Lite: 5/6
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 58/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 6/9

Booker/National Awards: 2/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 8/9

C.S. Lewis: 4/9

Biographies: 7/9

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 7/9

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

2009-08-24T18:55:00.001-04:00

Title: Everything is Illuminated

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

First Published: 2002

No. of Pages: 276

Synopsis (from B&N): "With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man -- also named Jonathan Safran Foer -- sets out to find the woman who may or may not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war; an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior; and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: This is a difficult book to get through and one that requires the reader to go slowly, but you will not want to do so. The tale is so engrossing and entertaining that you'll have to force yourself to slow down and get the full meaning, and even then you'll probably need to reread sections to be sure you didn't miss something, or just to luxuriate in the language.

One of the things that make this book so enjoyable is the way it jumps around in time, so that you get the backstory woven into the modern story. In a way, you're getting a story-within-a-story, or I could even say three stories in one. First, you've got Jonathan's (the character, not the author, although maybe they're one and the same?) family story (told in 3rd person omniscient); then you've got Jonathan's journey (told from Alex's point of view); and you've got Jonathan's friendship with Alex (told through Alex's letters to Jonathan). With each, you wonder about possible bias from that section's narrator, which leads me to the second great thing about this book, which is the theme of the reality/perception/desire for truth. Sometimes this is obvious, as when Alex acknowledges his "not-truths." But sometimes it's more nuanced. For instance, is Jonathan's family story true or only a story? You often feel that it's part of Jonathan's life story and all the parts could be arranged chronologically; other times, you wonder if it's only made-up, which led me to consider how much of our own family histories are true and how much made-up, and does it make a difference? And can there be more truth in stories than in reality?

I won't go on in that vein, but I'll state the obvious and say that this book will make you think. Parts will make you laugh, parts will strike you as truisms and parts will make you question if they are truisms that you never knew were true. All told, a great book.

Challenges: 999 ("Dewey's Books"); Classics (future classic); Guardian 1000 Novels ("War and Travel"); Support Your Local Library

Summer Vacation Reading Challenge complete

2009-08-23T16:05:00.000-04:00

This challenge was hosted by Molly at My Cozy Book Nook. The goal was to read either 3 or 6 books between May 22 (just prior to Memorial Day) and September 7 (Labor Day). Books could be from any genre, but they had to allow you to "travel" to a locale that you would like to visit. I love to travel and I love reading about traveling, so I was thrilled to join this challenge.

I chose the Globe Trotter option. Here's what I read:

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller -- completed 8/21/09; review here

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert -- completed 7/5/09; review here

Everyday Life in Imperial Japan by Charles J. Dunn -- completed 6/7/09; review here

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat by Jeremy Seal -- completed 8/3/09; review

Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey by Alison Wearing -- completed 6/12/09; review here

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik -- completed 8/15/09; review here

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

2009-08-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood

Author: Alexandra Fuller

First Published: 2001

No. of Pages: 301

Synopsis: The author recounts her childhood growing up in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), Malawi, and Zambia.

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: One thing that this book has convinced me of, and that's that I never, ever want to live in Africa. I'll admit it, I'm a spoiled Westerner who loves all the comforts of "civilization" too much and I can't imagine living without constantly available electricity and running water. I also can't imagine the necessity of an armed convoy just to go shopping; the heat and bugs (and I live in Florida, so I'm used to heat and bugs); the animals that can kill you being close enough for you to hear them breathe. The author doesn't sugar-coat it and you get a clear picture of all the discomforts and dangers.

It was difficult for me to feel empathy toward the author's family. In spite of all their hardships, they just don't strike you as likable people, at least in the beginning. No, I take that back -- they never became likable to me, but I did warm to them after a bit. I also had to keep reminding myself not to judge them too harshly; who knows what kind of person I'd be in their circumstances?

At times, I didn't care for the author's writing style, particularly her use of incomplete sentences, and at times I wondered I wondered about her sincerity. This was due less to the general cynicism now felt toward memoirs and more due to the author's manner of expression. But to be fair, the parts that bothered me the most could just as easily be the result of the feelings felt by a child and attempting to be expressed through adult eyes.

Challenges: Summer Vacation Reading

What are you reading on Mondays? - August 17

2009-08-17T09:15:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that The Brothers Karamazov has been on my Reading This Week list for several weeks now. The book is a chunkster, so it's going to take me a bit. But it doesn't help that I didn't actually start reading it until two days ago. And I have to say that so far, I'm not impressed. I've previously read Crime and Punishment and didn't care for it either; maybe Dostoevsky just isn't for me. I'm going to keep plugging away at this one, though, and hope for the best.

Recent completions:

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis -- review

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik -- review

Reading this week:

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Up next:

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration by Antonia Fraser

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 7/10
18th and 19th Century Women Writers: 4/5
A to Z Challenge: 22/26
Baker Street Challenge: 1/4
Book Awards 3: 0/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Classics Challenge: 4/6
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 3/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 4/10
Nonfiction 5: 4/5
Orbis Terrarum: 7/10
Summer Vacation Reading: 5/6
Support Your Local Library: 28/50
TBR Lite: 5/6
Well-Rounded Challenge: 2/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 57/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 6/9

Booker/National Awards: 2/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 7/9

C.S. Lewis: 4/9

Biographies: 7/9

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 7/9

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

2009-08-15T18:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Paris to the Moon

Author: Adam Gopnik

First Published: 2000

No. of Pages: 338

Synopsis (from B&N): "The comic-romantic adventures of an American family in Paris is penned by the New Yorker writer and author of the magazine's popular Paris Journal column. The private story is rooted in the sentimental reeducation of a weary American through the experience of his son's childhood in France."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: My favorite sections of this book were those involving the author and his son. The family moved from New York to Paris when the child was not yet one and the differences that the author finds (or doesn't find) between a French and an American childhood are highly interesting. I also enjoyed the insights into French culture and felt that the author did a wonderful job of giving cross-cultural reference points to make the insights more understandable. An example:

"Yet the government underestimated the extraordinary hold that the word student has on the French imagination, a little like the hold the word farmer has on Americans. In fact the phrase student movement has in France much the same magic that the phrase family farm has in America, conjuring up an idealized past, even for people who never took part in a student movement or lived on a family farm."

One of my favorite sections discussed soccer and completely captured the average American feelings toward that sport. I have to share this little snippet, which I found both funny and so much what I feel watching a game that I could have written it myself.

"The other, more customary method of getting a penalty is to walk into the 'area' with the ball, get breathed on hard, and then immediately collapse, like a man shot by a sniper, arms and legs splayed out, while you twist in agony and beg for morphine, and your teammates smite their foreheads at the tragic waste of a young life."

The book is not perfect, however. Some of the chapters felt not out of place exactly, but almost as though two books had been shuffled together and this is the result. You feel as though a few of the sections could have been magazine articles, such as the 20-page chapter entitled "The Crisis in French Cooking." I suppose I felt this way because these chapters are less about the author and his family than an overview of a cultural subject. Another example is the 15-page section on high fashion that would make anyone's (other than a dedicated reader of Vogue) eyes glaze over, especially during the detailed descriptions of the clothes. I generally enjoy fashion writing and I found this chapter a bit too much.

Challenges: Summer Vacation Reading; Well-Rounded Challenge

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

2009-08-14T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title: The Great Divorce

Author: C.S. Lewis

First Published: 1945

No. of Pages: 80

Synopsis (from B&N): "What if anyone in Hell could take a bus trip to Heaven and stay there forever if they wanted to?

In The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis again employs his formidable talent for fable and allegory. The writer finds himself in Hell boarding a bus bound for Heaven. The amazing opportunity is that anyone who wants to stay in Heaven, can. This is the starting point for an extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment. Lewis's revolutionary idea is the discovery that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside. In Lewis's own words, 'If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.'"

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I loved this book! This more than made up for the disappointment of The Abolition of Man. The synopsis above nicely sums up the plot of the story, but doesn't go quite far enough in stressing what it terms the "revolutionary idea" -- i.e., that no one and nothing keeps us in Hell except ourselves, and that the only way to enter Heaven is to let go of ourselves. Lewis makes this point wonderfully well by displaying various human faults in individual characters. We're shown pride, insecurity, and power, as well as faults that may not always appear as such; for instance, the desire for knowledge that becomes an end in itself, so that the seeker is no longer interested in the answers, only the questions. The key to overcome all faults is, of course, faith. Faith in God, which is the same as faith in pure, unselfish love, will overcome all human weaknesses and is the one and only path to Heaven. A wonderful way to present moral truths. Along with The Problem of Pain and The Screwtape Letters, this is another of Lewis's works that I'll be rereading as soon as I can work it in.

Challenges: 999 ("C.S. Lewis")

How well read are you?

2009-08-11T21:10:00.003-04:00

Well, at least how well read are you as according to the BBC? The BBC believes that most people will have only have read 6 out of the 100 books on the list below.

I got this from Becky at One Literature Nut. Instructions: Copy this and put an 'X' after those you have read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (X)

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (--)

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (X)

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (X)

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (X)

6 The Bible (--)

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (X)

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (X)

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (--)

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (X)

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (X)

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (X)

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (X)

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (--)

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier(X)

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien (X)

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk (--)

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (X)

19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (X)

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot (X)

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (X)

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (X)

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens (X)

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy (X)

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (--)

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (X)

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (X)

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (X)

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (--)

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy (X)

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (--)

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis (--)

34 Emma-Jane Austen (X)

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen (X)

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (X)

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hossein (X)

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres (--)

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (--)

40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (--)

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell (X)

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (X)

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (X)

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving (--)

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins (--)

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery (--)

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy (--)

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood (X)

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding (X)

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan (X)

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (X)

52 Dune - Frank Herbert (--)

53 Cold Comfort Farm (--)

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (X)

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth (--)

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (X)

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (X)

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (X)

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon (X)

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (X)

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (X)

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov (X)

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt (--)

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (--)

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (X)

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac (--)

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy (--)

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding (X)

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie (X)

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville (--)

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (--)

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker (--)

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (--)

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson (X)

75 Ulysses - James Joyce (--)

76 The Inferno – Dante (--)

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome (--)

78 Germinal - Emile Zola (--)

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray (X)

80 Possession - AS Byatt (X)

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (--)

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell (--)

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker (--)

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (X)

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert (X)

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry (--)

87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White (X)

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom (--)

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (X)

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton (--)

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad (--)

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (X)

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks (--)

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams (--)

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (X)

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute (--)

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (--)

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (X)

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (--)

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (--)

My total is 55; more than 1/2, not bad. There's also a number on my bookshelves that I haven't gotten around to yet.

What are you reading on Mondays? - August 10

2009-08-10T09:15:00.011-04:00

I survived my vacation (see my post here) and even got in some reading. I didn't finish enough to complete any challenges, but everything I read counts for something, so I'm still making progress.

Recent completions:

The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis -- review

Catholicism Today: A Survey of Catholic Belief and Practice by Matthew Kohmescher -- review

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton -- review

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat by Jeremy Seal -- review

Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination by Pope John Paul II -- review

Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford -- review

Reading this week:

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

Up next:

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration by Antonia Fraser

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 7/10
18th and 19th Century Women Writers: 4/5
A to Z Challenge: 22/26
Baker Street Challenge: 1/4
Book Awards 3: 0/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Classics Challenge: 4/6
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 3/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 4/10
Nonfiction 5: 4/5
Orbis Terrarum: 7/10
Summer Vacation Reading: 4/6
Support Your Local Library: 28/50
TBR Lite: 5/6
Well-Rounded Challenge: 1/5
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 57/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 6/9

Booker/National Awards: 2/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 7/9

C.S. Lewis: 3/9

Biographies: 7/9

Travel: 9/9 ***complete

Catholicism: 7/9

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***complete

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford

2009-08-08T23:50:00.000-04:00

Title: Madame de Pompadour

Author: Nancy Mitford

First Published: 1953

No. of Pages: 308

Synopsis (from B&N): "When Madame de Pompadour became the mistress of Louis XV, no one expected her to retain his affections for long. A member of the bourgeoisie rather than an aristocrat, she was physically too cold for the carnal Bourbon king, and had so many enemies that she could not travel publicly without risking a pelting of mud and stones. History has loved her little better. Nancy Mitford's delightfully candid biography recreates the spirit of eighteenth-century Versailles with its love of pleasure and treachery. We learn that the Queen was a 'bore,' the Dauphin a 'prig,' and see France increasingly overcome with class conflict. With a fiction writer's felicity, Mitford restores the royal mistress and celebrates her as a survivor, unsurpassed in 'the art of living,' who reigned as the most powerful woman in France for nearly twenty years."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: I found this book to be one of the most readable biographies I've come across. The lives of royals and their hangers-on always intrigue me and this one is as full of intrigue and scandal as any other. A key difference is that the reader actually likes this royal mistress. She was intelligent, kind, loyal, and honest -- not at all how you expect to find one in her position. She seems to have truly loved Louis XV and did not use him for wealth or advancement. The author obviously likes her as well and does not shy away from allowing her own opinions to come out. My only complaint is that the author chose not to present the story chronologically, but instead grouped incidents by subject. This can be a bit disconcerting for the reader; for instance, the death of an individual is told in one chapter and a succeeding chapter then discusses the education of that same individual. But overall, I found this book very enjoyable and worth reading.

Challenges: 999 ("Biographies"); Support Your Local Library

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

2009-08-08T17:00:00.002-04:00

Title: Ethan Frome

Author: Edith Wharton

First Published: 1911

No. of Pages: 93

Synopsis (from B&N): "Ethan Frome, a poor, downtrodden New England farmer is trapped in a loveless marriage to his invalid wife, Zeena. His ambition and intelligence are oppressed by Zeena's cold, conniving character. When Zeena's young cousin Mattie arrives to help care for her, Ethan is immediately taken by Mattie's warm, vivacious personality. They fall desperately in love as he realizes how much is missing from his life and marriage. Tragically, their love is doomed by Zeena's ever-lurking presence and by the social conventions of the day. Ethan remains torn between his sense of obligation and his urge to satisfy his heart's desire up to the suspenseful and unanticipated conclusion."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: This is a beautifully written book and a departure from Edith Wharton's other works, in that its characters are not of the upper classes. But their problems are essentially the same -- do you do your duty or follow your heart? The reader connects with these characters on such a deep level, both through their words and actions, and even through the descriptions of the surrounding countryside and weather. I could almost feel the sting of the winter air and the corresponding coldness of Ethan's wife made me wince.

I made two mistakes with this book, though. First, I listened to the audiobook version over too great a time period. This is a book that should be completed in one sitting to get the full effect. Second, the lady who did the reading gave Ethan's wife the most irritating accent. She sounded just like Fran Drescher, which was totally off-putting and inappropriate. However, neither of these issues should detract from the value of the book itself. It was wonderful and I'll definitely be reading it again.

Challenges: 999 ("Dewey's Books"); Classics Challenge; Fill in the Gaps 100 Books Project; Modern Library 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe #60); Well-Rounded Challenge

Catholicism Today by Matthew Kohmescher

2009-08-08T16:25:00.000-04:00

Title: Catholicism Today: A Survey of Catholic Belief and Practice

Author: Matthew F. Kohmescher

First Published: 1980

No. of Pages: 243

Synopsis (from B&N): "This volume is a revised [as of 1990] and substantially enlarged edition of a book published in 1980. It presents the major elements of Catholic belief and practice and the principal trends found in the Catholicism of our day."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: I found this book to be okay overall, but not nearly comprehensive enough for either the Catholic or non-Catholic to get a true and complete overview of the faith. Granted, the book is intended to be and is even titled as a survey; however, the Catholic faith is so old and there is simply so much information that even a basic survey of the faith should be more in-depth than found here. I also had problems with the manner in which the author presented information -- he was very good at stating conclusions, but did not provide any support. This is acceptable occasionally, but occurred too often here. This work has value as part of a more extensive study of the Catholic faith, but I would not recommend it to someone looking for a basic understanding from just one work.

Challenges: 999 ("Catholicism")

The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

2009-08-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Abolition of Man

Author: C.S. Lewis

First Published: 1943

No. of Pages: 41

Synopsis (from B&N): "C. S. Lewis sets out to persuade his audience of the importance and relevance of universal values such as courage and honor in contemporary society."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: This review will be absolutely worthless, as I must admit that after reading this book, nothing sticks out for me. Both while I was reading and after I finished, all I could think was "huh?" I really have no idea what I read or what the author's arguments were. I do recall feeling that a lot of what he wrote was over my head. To be fair, I read this while on vacation, so it's entirely possible that my brain just wasn't up to handling it right then. I have loved the other C.S. Lewis books I've read, so I'll probably give this one another try, but as of today, I have to say that it is my least favorite of his works.

Challenges: 999 ("C.S. Lewis")

A Fez of the Heart by Jeremy Seal

2009-08-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

Title: A Fez of the Heart: Travels Around Turkey in Search of a Hat

Author: Jeremy Seal

First Published: 1995

No. of Pages: 334

Synopsis (from B&N): "Inspired by a dusty fez in his parents’ attic, Jeremy Seal set off in 1993 to trace the astonishing history of this cone-shaped hat. Soon the quintessentially Turkish headgear became the key to understanding a country beset by contradictions."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: This is one of the more unusual travel books that I've read. First, the majority of the book focuses on the history of Turkey, rather than on the author's traveling. I previously had no knowledge of Turkey's history, so this was an interesting introduction to the subject. Second, the author's use of the fez as the central theme around which all the history and travel revolves is unique, but appropriate once the reader understands the importance it played in the country. Third, this is the first travel book I've read that has made me NOT want to visit the place. I've wanted for many years, and continue to want, to see Istanbul, but this book has not encouraged me to be in a rush to see the rest of the country. It's not that the author is disrespectful or puts down the country; it's simply that he strives to show it in a realistic light which, unfortunately, is not a flattering one. However, given that this book is now 14 years old, it's entirely possible that the author's view would differ if he were to visit today.

Challenges: 999 ("Travel"); Summer Vacation Reading

Gift and Mystery by Pope John Paul II

2009-08-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

Title: Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination

Author: Pope John Paul II

First Published: 1997

No. of Pages: 144

Synopsis (from Amazon): "In a personal spiritual testimony, Pope John Paul II describes his journey to the priesthood, discussing his childhood, education, the years of Nazi occupation that led him to dedicate his life to God, and his ministry within the Catholic Church."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: This book provides the Pope's first-person account of his childhood and early years as a priest. It's quite interesting and helps the reader to see this figure of international importance as a human being just like the rest of us. I was especially taken by the humility evidenced by the Pope throughout the book -- he continually gives the credit for everything good that ever happened to him to others and shows how important our human relationships truly are.

Challenges: 999 ("Catholicism"); Support Your Local Library

Back from vacation

2009-08-08T14:39:00.006-04:00

We made it back in one piece after 10 days on the road. Everyone had fun, even though we're pretty worn out. We spent the beginning of the trip in Pennsylvania and New York, staying first with friends and then several days at a resort on one of the Finger Lakes -- it was beautiful! We swam, fished, rode horses, visited a winery, and went to a demolition derby. We also visited the Corning Museum of Glass, which is an amazingly cool place. My son got to make his own glass sculpture and he won a piece made at one of the live demonstrations:

Then my son and I flew to Orlando and saw Green Day in concert (one of the best shows I've ever seen), spent the day at Wet 'n Wild water park, and went to Medieval Times, a medieval-themed dinner theater, complete with jousting. Here's the kid being knighted by the King:

I also managed to hit a used bookstore and picked up 6 new books for my collection:

Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Nana and Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

During my time away, I completed 5.5 books and I should have the reviews up pretty quick. I'm a little disappointed because I hoped to finish more and knock out a couple of my challenges, but we were having too much fun to spend all my time with my nose in a book.

On the road again

2009-07-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, folks, it's that time of year again when the thoughts of Americans turn to spending long hours on the highway in quest of fun and adventure. As a Florida resident, my trips differ from those of many -- I head north, away from sand, umbrella drinks, and Mickey Mouse. This year will find me and mine in the great states of Pennsylvania and New York, doing outdoorsy-type things and hoping not to get Lyme disease. Despite razzing from the teenage son, I will be taking numerous books with me and hope to be able to report several completions upon my return. I will probably be without Internet access for most of the trip (I can already feel early withdrawal symptoms), but I look forward to catching up on everyone's posts when I get back.

What are you reading on Mondays? - July 27

2009-07-27T09:15:00.004-04:00

Vacation time is here! We leave tomorrow and I'm so excited. I'm taking a whole pile of books with me (see Reading This Week), oh how I wish I could read in a moving vehicle. We'll be on the road at least 15 hours. Maybe I'll get some motion sickness tablets and give it a try. It makes me cringe to think of all that reading time wasted.

We won't be back until after next week's posting, so there might not be one of these posts next week, depending on my Internet situation.

Recent completions:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling -- review

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen -- review

A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- review

Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle -- review

Reading this week:

The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Catholicism Today: A Survey of Catholic Belief and Practice by Matthew Kohmescher

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat by Jeremy Seal

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination by Pope John Paul II

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Up next:

Whatever I don't finish while gone.

Challenge progress:

1% Well-Read: 7/10
18th and 19th Century Women Writers: 4/5
A to Z Challenge: 22/26
Baker Street Challenge: 1/4
Book Awards 3: 0/5
Chunkster: 2/3
Classics Challenge: 3/6
Decades '09: 7/9
Elizabeth Gaskell: 1/2
Fill in the Gaps 100 Books: 2/100
George Eliot: 1/2
Guardian's 1000 Best Novels: 4/10
Nonfiction 5: 4/5
Orbis Terrarum: 7/10
Summer Vacation Reading: 3/6
Support Your Local Library: 26/50
TBR Lite: 5/6
Well-Rounded Challenge: 0/5 ***NEW
What's in a Name 2: 4/6

999 Challenge (overall): 51/81

999 Subcategories:

1001 Books: 6/9

Booker/National Awards: 2/9

Through the Decades: 7/9

Dewey's Books: 6/9

C.S. Lewis: 2/9

Biographies: 6/9

Travel: 8/9

Catholicism: 5/9

Dewey Decimal: 9/9 ***COMPLETE

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog.

The Woman Who Named God by Charlotte Gordon

2009-07-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Charlotte Gordon

and the book:

The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths

Little, Brown and Company (July 28, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charlotte Gordon graduated from Harvard College and received a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in History and Literature from Boston University. She has published two books of poetry and, most recently, the biography Mistress Bradstreet, which was a Massachusetts Book Award Honor Book. From 1999-2001, she taught at Boston University’s School of Theology. Currently, she is an assistant professor of English at Endicott College.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $27.99
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (July 28, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031611474X
ISBN-13: 978-0316114745

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

2009-07-25T18:05:00.005-04:00

Title: A Study in Scarlet

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

First Published: 1887

No. of Pages: 94

Synopsis (from B&N): "In the first of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson, discharged from military service after suffering wounds, is at loose ends until a chance encounter leads him to take rooms with Sherlock Holmes. When Watson is drawn into the investigation of a bizarre murder in which Holmes is involved, he is unaware that it is the beginning of the most famous partnership in the history of criminal detection."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: Like all the Sherlock Holmes stories, this one is an intriguing mystery that is quite easy to read. I'm doing better with each story in picking up on the clues and reaching the correct deductions, which makes me feel pretty good. At only 94 pages, this one is a quick read -- I read it in one day. It would have been more of a short story were it not for the inclusion of the story behind the crime. It was especially interesting to learn how Holmes and Watson became a team.

For those interested, I've also recently discovered the joy of listening to the old Sherlock Holmes radio show starring Basil Rathbone. It's available as a free podcast through iTunes and I highly recommend it.

Challenges: Baker Street; Guardian 1000 Novels ("Crime")

Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle

2009-07-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

Title: Toujours Provence

Author: Peter Mayle

First Published: 1991

No. of Pages: 241

Synopsis (from B&N): "Taking up where his beloved A Year in Provence leaves off, Peter Mayle offers us another funny, beautifully (and deliciously) evocative book about life in Provence. With tales only one who lives there could know — of finding gold coins while digging in the garden, of indulging in sumptuous feasts at truck stops — and with characters introduced with great affection and wit — the gendarme fallen from grace, the summer visitors ever trying the patience of even the most genial Provençaux, the straightforward dog 'Boy'—Toujours Provence is a heart-warming portrait of a place where, if you can't quite 'get away from it all,' you can surely have a very good time trying."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Nonfiction

Comments and Critique: This is a light and delightful read. With the exception of the occasional French phrase, it doesn't require anything from the reader except to relax and enjoy. Each chapter focuses on a specific activity engaged in or person known by the author. For instance, he tells of attending an open-air concert by Pavarotti; learning about pastis from a local restaurant owner; and attending the local dog show. There's a lot about eating in here, including more than one chapter dealing with truffles, and the descriptions of the food will make your mouth water. I'm glad I waited until the summer to read it -- it fits in perfectly with the slower days and desire for less demanding books.

Challenges: 999 ("Travel"); Nonfiction 5

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2009-07-24T18:07:00.011-04:00

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Author: J.K. Rowling

First Published: 2007

No. of Pages: 759

Synopsis (from B&N): "It all comes down to this - a final faceoff between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve. Do you stay the course you started, despite your lack of progress? Do you detour and follow a new lead that may not help? Do you listen to your instincts, or your friends?

Lord Voldemort is preparing for battle and so must Harry. With Ron and Hermione at his side, he's trying to hunt down Voldemort's Horcruxes, escape danger at every turn, and find a way to defeat evil once and for all. How does it all end?"

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: Wow! What an ending! I just finished the book in the last hour and I can hardly put my thoughts into words, which is made even harder since I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read it (there's got to be someone out there besides me, right?).

Overall, the book was quite good. There were sections early on that dragged a bit and a few that were beyond depressing, but the last parts really picked up. I know I read the end much too fast, I just couldn't wait to find out what happened. The author stayed true to the characters throughout the series and made them come alive. My biggest complaint with this last installment is that it has much less of the humor found throughout the others. Since the characters age throughout the series, maybe this was done intentionally as representative of how adults often lose the humor in their lives.

Now that it's over, I almost want to start the whole series over again just to spend more time in that world. A definite classic that I can't wait to share with my nephew and niece in a few year's time. We're going to see the newest movie this weekend and I can't wait to see the last two (from what I understand, the last book is being made into two movies). If they're half as exciting as the final book, it should be awesome.

Challenges: A to Z (author "R"); Chunkster; What's in a Name? 2 ("Medical condition")

New books!

2009-07-24T10:59:00.002-04:00

Barnes & Noble is having a sale and I couldn't resist. Between their sale prices and my B&N membership, I got 7 books for $20! And all but 1 are hardback. Here's the newest additions:

Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra

Dear Pussycat: Mash Notes and Missives from the Desk of Cosmopolitan's Legendary Editor by Helen Gurley Brown

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz (I've read several of his other books, highly recommended)

Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman

Get a Life by Nadine Gordimer

About Alice by Calvin Trillin

The only problem now is where to put them -- my bookshelves are already bursting at the seams. There's got to be someplace in my house for a new bookcase...

The Attitude of Faith by Frank Damazio

2009-07-24T09:15:00.002-04:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Frank Damazio

and the book:

The Attitude of Faith – Saying Yes to God’s Power in Your Life

Whitaker House (July 7, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Frank Damazio is known worldwide as a “minister to ministers” and for his volumes of written work including 30 books. Together with his wife Sharon he serves as pastor of City Bible Church, a thriving multi-site, multi-cultural church in Portland, OR. Pastor Damazio holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Oral Roberts University. He serves as president of Portland Bible College and vice president of Ministers Fellowship International, a network of pastors and missionaries from 45 countries.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Whitaker House (July 7, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1603741143
ISBN-13: 978-1603741149

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter 1

Yes to Expectation

Two men walked through an empty field. One saw exactly what he expected to see--nothing. He waded through tall weeds toward a desolate orange grove, thinking, What a useless wasteland! The other man bounced over the weeds with excited expectancy. ÒThis is it! This is the place! This is where my dreams come true! Can you see it? Over here is going to be a merry-go-round and over there I will put a roller coaster. This is what I have always wanted!Ó

The second man knew beyond the shadow of a doubt exactly what was going to happen with that empty field and its surrounding orange groves. He could not see it with his physical eyes, but he knew inside what it was going to look like, and he knew what it would take to make it happen. He could not see the dream; he could not touch it, but he lived with expectation for the day when it would become reality. It was a wild expectation that his friends laughed at, but today, that wild expectation is a multimillion-dollar theme park called Disneyland.

Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she has wild expectations. If Walt Disney had been willing to settle for a small dream, not only would Disneyland never have happened, but neither would have Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Resort Paris in France, or Tokyo Disneyland in Japan.

Have Great Expectations

What are your expectations for your life? Do you have high expectations or low expectations? Or do you not have any and not care? Are you excited about your future, or are you facing it with deep apprehension and perhaps with fear?

Say yes to expectation. Expectation determines what you will have in your life and future, but it also represents what you are willing to settle for. Are you going to settle for an empty field, or are you going to expect the fulfillment of the lifelong dream? Expectation is a very powerful force in your life, and you must learn how to cultivate it fully. If you believe that whatever you expect with faith and certainty will enter your life, then you will examine your expectation level and cultivate it to its highest potential.

Expectation is the power to have an idea that becomes so real that you see it and feel it before you can hold it. It is like a giant magnet that attracts what you expect into your life. Expectation empowers you to think the unthinkable and do the undoable, and it turns uncertain hoping into certainty.

Everyone has expectations, and these expectations come in a variety of sizes. Some are huge, such as the dream job, the business you hope to create, the person you dream of sharing your life with, or the family you hope to raise. You may have expectations about how you will live life, about your health, about your happiness, or about your level of success.

Expectation can be defined simply as fixing your eyes on the promised blessing with an eager anticipation of its arrival. An expectation is a strong desire that is filled with anticipation and confidence about obtaining what is expected. To live with expectation is to live with hope, dreams, imagination, and desires.

Desire Is a Strong Feeling with an Intentional Aim

Desire is more than just wishful thinking. It is the passionate and resolute determination of the will to achieve that which is sought. When you desire something, you long for it and crave it. You have a passion for it, yearn after it, and strive to obtain it. A desire is a concentration of deep feelings, and it often implies strong intention and aim. It is not simply a bland wish but a desperate yearning that will give anything to obtain that which is desired. Desire is a longing for something that saturates the entire soul.

Psalm 20:4 encourages us, ÒMay He grant you according to your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose.Ó God can grant you your heart's desire. The thing you long for--that which you earnestly and passionately reach for--God can give to you.

The famous evangelist D. L. Moody reportedly spoke these powerful words of expectation to his sons from his death bed: ÒIf God be your partner, make your plans large.Ó God is our partner, and our plans can and should be large. Will you allow the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see what God has in store for you?

Desire Is Focused in Christ

Psalm 37:4 says, ÒDelight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.Ó Desire is a God-given purposefulness for your life that is first fulfilled when you surrender your life to Christ and allow Him to take control. When you surrender to Jesus, you belong to Him, and He has the keys to your life's fulfillment. As you allow Him to be the Lord of your life, and as you walk in obedience to Him, He will direct your path, focusing your desires into alignment with His will for your life. He will give you the strength and ability to see those desires become reality.

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ÒAnyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.Ó
(Mark 8:34-35 msg)

The disciples made the decision to walk away from their own desires and to follow Christ's desires. We scarcely lack desire; we just focus it on the wrong things. Pure desire to follow Christ cannot be achieved until your desire for self is extinguished. Make a decision to focus your desire on loving and serving Christ; then, God will take your life and fill it with the desires that bring true success and true satisfaction.

Desire is anticipation that is founded in God, an attitude of the soul that believes in the greatness of God's will and in His work yet to be done. It is the cry of the soul as heard in Jeremiah 33:3: ÒCall to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.Ó You cannot know God's desires until you know Him and He reveals them to you.

You have a choice. You can slumber and sleep your way through life, or you can wake up and live life to the maximum. Life is meant to be filled up with all the great things God seeks to do for you, in you, and through you. Expectation is best received and lived out as you align your total life to God and His Word, living with abandonment to His desires for you and setting yourself to be in agreement with God. Jeremiah 29:11 declares,

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Expect Good Things from God

This is the part of your life I hope to help you change. I want to see you begin to grasp--or recover--real, heart-felt expectation. I want you to recover your will to desire. Without the power to desire something good, you will have great trouble nurturing expectation for your life.

Proverbs 10:24 says, ÒThe fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted,Ó and Proverbs 13:12 states, ÒHope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.Ó

Hope by itself does not bring expectation. Desire by itself cannot bring expectation. It is the desire to see the promises fulfilled, fueled by faith in God, that brings a sense of expectation. The power to hope comes from a faith in God and a belief that He is good and that He will be good to you.

May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
(Romans 15:13 msg)

The Best Is Yet to Come

A story is commonly told about a terminally ill woman who had three months left to live. She was the last person you would expect to have hope, but hope is exactly what she had. She sat down with her pastor and discussed her own funeral arrangements--her favorite songs to be sung, the Scriptures to be read, the dress to be buried in, and finally, the most important part of the funeral arrangements: ÒWhen you place me in the casket, put a fork in my hand.Ó

The pastor sat there, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to respond. Was she beginning to lose her mind?

The woman smiled at him and explained, ÒWhen I was a little girl and we had guests for dinner, I always waited with bated breath at the end of the meal. Sometimes, my mother would simply clear the dishes, and the adults would sit around and talk. But sometimes, my mother would say, 'Keep your fork,' as she picked up the plates. Then, I would get excited, because I knew that the best part of the meal was coming. It could be my grandmother's deep-dish apple pie or my mother's velvet chocolate cake, but it was always the best part of the evening.Ó

Her eyes glistened with joyful tears as she continued, ÒAs my family and friends come to my funeral and see me lying in the casket with the fork in my hand, I want you to give them a message from me. Tell them that I said I'm keeping my fork because the best is yet to come.Ó

As you read Romans 15:13 again, I want you to reach out and take hold of it in faith, knowing that the best is yet to come.

May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! (msg)

What Are God's Thoughts toward You?

Before you read any further, think about that question. What are God's thoughts toward you? What does He think about you? What does He have planned for your life? What desires does He want to plant into your heart? What does He want you to expect?

You have been called to greatness. You must grasp how good God is and how great His thoughts are toward you. Right expectation is rooted in God's thoughts, intentions, and purposes for your life. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God tells you what His thoughts are toward you.

ÒFor My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,Ó says the Lord. ÒFor as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.Ó

You have been called to walk through doors of opportunity that you have not yet seen. God said He has plans for your future, and they are good plans. Expect good things from God. Expect Him to open new doors for your life. As you travel on your personal Christian road, God will set doors of opportunity in front of you for your personal life, your family, your business, your relationships, and your church. In Revelation 3:8, Christ declared,

I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Let me paraphrase this verse. ÒI have set before you an open door, and it will remain open until you are able to enter it. You will enter in sooner than you think, and when your moment of opportunity comes, your strength will not be wasted in efforts to make the conditions favorable. You will enter in at once because I have opened the door!Ó

Expect to open new doors of faith adventures that will necessitate getting out of your comfort zone, the area where you feel the most comfortable trusting God. Getting out of your comfort zone requires a leap of faith. When the door is open, move through it. Take a risk. Move into the unknown. To find bigger oceans, you must not be afraid to lose sight of the shore.

What doors might the Lord open for you if you expect some new doors? What doors have you ignored or fastened with a ÒNo EntranceÓ sign, even though you could hear God saying, ÒGo through the doorÓ? Expect new doors. Knock on doors of opportunity and keep knocking.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7 nlt)

Personal Testimony

Mark and Jennifer,
Married Couple in Their Thirties

Since our courtship time, we knew that God would lead us to adopt. We decided that we would have three children and then adopt a fourth. After twelve years of marriage without children and the disappointments and heartbreaking effects of infertility, it seemed that our dream of a family would never happen. That is when the Lord told us in a very clear way that we should start the adoption process, so we did. In our quest for the rest of our family, we faced even more heartbreak.

While we waited, we even built a four-bedroom house to have room for our children, knowing for sure that they were coming. We didn't expect this new season of adoption to be even harder than infertility! We were to adopt twin baby boys, and we waited excitedly for their birth. The day they were born, the fifteen-year-old birth mother changed her mind, and our hopes were crushed. We knew all along that God wanted us to have children. We just didn't know when, who, or how, so we pressed on in what seemed to be an uphill battle, trusting and believing that the Lord was the one who would form our family.

After we had spent two years of looking for our children, God gave us a set of four--yes, four--siblings. They had been in foster care for two years, and we were chosen as their placement family. What a joyful day it was when we brought them home! A couple weeks after they arrived, we found out that one of the birth parents was trying to get our four-year-old back! After several months, he decided to relinquish all parental rights. We are now a family of six, with a house reverberating with noise and overflowing with love.

Expectation Requires Faith

Cultivate an optimistic faith outlook based on God's desires for you and His commitment to you. Psalm 37:23 promises, ÒThe steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.Ó Tell yourself, ÒMy steps are ordered by God Almighty. My life and future are in His hands. I expect good things to happen, and I declare the greatness of God to be released upon my life. The same God who has supported me in the past, who met the needs of those in Scripture, who faithfully takes care of other people today, can do the same thing for me.Ó

Faith is an exceedingly hopeful perspective of confidence and trust.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Expectation moves us to pray for great things from God. This is the attitude that is constantly diligent in fully expecting God to do the impossible. Remember: if God be your partner, make your plans large.

How is your expectation right now, today, at this precise moment? How filled with faith and expectation are you about your future? Do you have a heart that throbs with deep feelings of hope and a great outlook on the future? Do you believe Psalm 16:6? ÒThe lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.Ó Do you believe Ephesians 3:20? ÒNow to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in usÉ.Ó

The Enemies of Expectation

Natalie's dream was to become part of the Olympic swim team. She spent hours training and preparing, expecting to make the team. At age sixteen, she barely missed qualifying for the 2000 Sydney games but knew that she could make the 2004 games. But in 2001, she was hit by a car, crushing her left leg.

If you had known Natalie, which of the following two responses would you have given her? The first option is, ÒDon't give up. You can still expect to qualify for the Olympics. You still have a chance.Ó The second is, ÒThat's one dream that has died. Such a shame. She gave her whole life to one dream and then had that dream crushed in a few short seconds. What a waste! She will never know what she could have done if she had not had that accident. She will never reach her full potential or come close to realizing her dreams.Ó

Expectation doesn't just drop into your lap without a fight. When you begin to look to the future with faith, when you begin to step through new doors of opportunity, there will be challenges and adversaries. In 1 Corinthians 16:9, Paul stated, ÒA great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.Ó

Natalie had many adversaries. Her first adversary was her physical limitations. She was a swimmer with only one leg. Her other adversaries were her own doubts, fears, and the negative words that others spoke to her, telling her that her dream was over. Her expectation should have been crushed with her leg, but it was not. She refused to give up. She continued working out, doing physical therapy, and eventually began to train again. In 2008, she qualified for and went to the Beijing Olympics.

Expectation is willing to take on the adversaries that lie in wait at the doors of new opportunity. In The Message Bible, 1 Corinthians 16:9 reads, ÒA huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. There is also mushrooming opposition.Ó The Amplified Bible says it this way: ÒA wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries.Ó

The Hebrew word for adversary contains the idea of someone who fights against you and endeavors to shackle you and push you into a tight and cramped place where you have no way out. Your adversary hates you and is determined to defeat and overcome you. He is your enemy. What adversaries stand between you and your open door? What adversaries endeavor to bind and limit your opportunities? What is it that tries to defeat you and prevent you from seeing your expectations become realities?

1. The Enemy of Expectation Is Fear and Worry

Walter Chrysler, founder of Chrysler Motor Company, had a box sitting on his desk. Every time he worried about something, he would not deal with it then but would write it down and put it in the box to deal with the following week. When he opened the box later, he would find that most of the worries from the previous week had already resolved themselves without any ongoing concern or attention on his part.

The word worry can mean Òto choke or strangle.Ó The idea is to harass by tearing at or disturbing repeatedly. It is a nagging persistence that drains you of energy. The things you worry about and the fear you bring upon yourself must not be allowed to have power over your life or rob you of expecting great things from God.

What are the things that persistently whisper in the back of your mind? What are the nagging worries and fears that eat at you? Peter tells us, ÒGive all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about youÓ (1 Peter 5:7 nlt).

A farmer was sitting on his porch and looking at his fields when a friend stopped by to visit. Any conversation between two farmers inevitably comes around to their crops, so the friend asked, ÒHow's your wheat?Ó

The farmer replied, ÒAin't got none. Figured the weevils would get into the wheat and ruin me, so I didn't plant any.Ó

The friend nodded his understanding and asked, ÒSo, how about your corn?Ó

ÒAin't got none,Ó was the reply. ÒDidn't plant any because I was afraid the crows would eat it and ruin me.Ó

ÒWell, what about your potatoes?Ó

ÒAin't got none of them, neither. Was afraid to plant 'em because the 'tater bugs will get to 'em, and I'd be ruined.Ó

By now, the friend was perplexed. ÒWell, what did you plant this year?Ó

ÒNothing. I just played it safe.Ó

Don't allow your worries to determine your future! If you play it safe, you will have nothing. So throw all your hopes and all your fears into God's hands and know that He cares about you.

2. The Enemy of Expectation Is Negativity

Expectation can be drowned easily in our lives by tragedy or disappointment. A sense of hopelessness or failure can kill the desire or ability to expect things to change. Deep inside, a voice whispers, ÒYou want to be somebody, but it's not going to happen.Ó In the inner place of your soul, deep in your heart, a war rages against expectation with thoughts such as, You don't have a chance. It's just not going to happen. Life is against you, so give up. You can't recover from this. People like you should never have dreams like this. Why expect anything when you know you will be disappointed?

Proverbs 4:12 promises, ÒWhen you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.Ó Do not let pessimism hinder your steps from fulfilling your God-given expectations. Dread and fear feed a pessimistic attitude that seeks to make God smaller than your problems. Pessimism makes it easy for you to visualize a negative outcome for your life and then live in a way that fulfills that negative outcome.

Say no! This is not what God desires for your life. Make a concrete decision to remove the negative spirit, attitudes, and thoughts from your life. The mind-set that says, ÒGod is not for me,Ó is destructive and is an expectation killer. Do not allow yourself to become a doom and gloom forecaster of your own life. A negative outlook builds a wrong mind-set that dominates your thinking and results in a negative belief that your expectations cannot and will not come to pass. Compare the size of your problems to the greatness of God. The size of your God must grow!

3. The Enemy of Expectation Is Apathy

Another adversary of expectation is an apathetic mind-set that resists change and is content with the status quo. The attitude that thinks expectation costs too much thinks things like this: It requires breaking habit patterns that are impossible to stop. It requires change--and maybe the cost won't be worth the reward. It is safer not to dream, not to hope, and not to expect good, because you will be disappointed. Instead, be satisfied with where you are today, and do not expect anything better for tomorrow.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the primary crop in Alabama was cotton. As you traveled across the state, cotton fields stretched out as far as you could see. Then, in 1915, the boll weevil immigrated into Alabama from Mexico and began a rampage of destruction. By 1918, farmers were losing entire crops and going bankrupt.

A man named H. M. Sessions refused to give up and determined that the success of his small town depended on finding a new crop to plant. After research, he determined that peanut farming would restore the town's agricultural success. The problem was that the local farmers had planted cotton their entire lives, their fathers had planted nothing but cotton before them, and their grandfathers had planted cotton before their fathers. They did not want to take the risk and try something new. It took Sessions a year to find someone who was willing to buck the status quo and plant this brand-new crop. One year later, those who had followed Sessions had paid off their debts and were in the black. All of the other farmers quickly followed suit, and not only the town but the entire county was saved from bankruptcy.

All people have boll weevil times in their lives. Things are at a dead end, and the problems facing them are huge. It is easier simply to give up than to expect that something better is ahead. It is easier to keep doing what you are doing than to risk something new to discover God's best.

If you are in a boll weevil time, you must remember that you were created for more than this! God has a plan for your life, and it is a plan for a good future--a future of hope and fulfilled expectations. (See Jeremiah 29:11.) God promises that hope placed in Him is hope that will not bring disappointment. It is hope fulfilled.

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(Romans 5:5)

Abraham Overcame Discouragement

Be like Abraham. In Genesis 13, Lot had just turned his back on Abraham and walked away. Abraham had treated him like a son and had given him everything, and Lot had washed his hands of their relationship and walked out. Abraham could have given up. He could have cried out to God, ÒOh God, I'm so discouraged. My family has left me all alone in a strange country. I have nothing to show for it. Maybe I should just go back to Ur, where life was easier before You called me out here to this strange land.Ó What did God tell Abraham during this time?

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: ÒLift your eyes now and look from the place where you are; northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.Ó
(Genesis 13:14-15)

Lift up your eyes and look out from the place where you are. Do not wait for things to look perfect before you begin to develop hope and expectation. Start now. Look from where you are right now. Look north, south, east, and west from right where you are, because that is the land that God is going to give you.

By faith Abraham, while he was being called, obeyed to go out into a place which he was about to be receiving as an inheritance, and he went out, not troubling his mind as to where he was going. By faith he lived as a foreigner without rights of citizenship in the land of the promise as in a land not his own, having settled down to live in tents with Isaac and Jacob, joint-heirs with him of the promise, the same one, for he was constantly waiting for and expecting the city having the foundations, the architect and builder of which is God.
(Hebrews 11:8-10 wuest)

Abraham had an expectation that God was going to fulfill His promise and that the land was going to belong to him and his descendants. Hebrews says he was Òconstantly waiting for and expectingÓ the fulfillment of the promise. Abraham did not allow fear of the future, worry about the present, or regret about the failures of the past deter him from that attitude of faith and expectation in God.

Abraham knew that his chances of becoming a father were diminishing as he got older, but he persistently held to the promise God had given him of being the father of many nations. Even though he had walked away from a land of comfort and ease, Abraham knew in faith that he would see the promise fulfilled. And Scripture never shows him looking back to the land of his forefathers. Instead, he always looked ahead for the city whose Òarchitect and builderÉis God.Ó

Life is filled with expectation robbers--people and circumstances that seek to steal your expectations. Fear and anxiety grip people's minds with uncertainty and fear of what may happen, overshadowing hope. One of the great challenges of life is to lift yourself out of your current circumstances and rise up to the level that your expectation can take you.

Jabez Overcame Negativity

Jabez had an excellent reason to have low expectations. When his mother named him, she did not give him a name that indicated she had great hopes for his future. She named him for pain, sorrow, and affliction. (See 1 Chronicles 4:9.) He was not reminded of who he could be; instead, he was constantly reminded of the pain he had caused. Yet Jabez was not content to live within those low expectations.

Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ÒOh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!Ó So God granted him what he requested.
(1 Chronicles 4:10)

Jabez had large expectations that God could surpass the stigma placed on him by others. He believed that God would bless him and use him to be a blessing to others.

God's blessings for us are limited only by ourselves--not by His resources, power, or willingness to give. Refuse any obstacle, person, or opinion that restricts your expectations for your future. There are great, God-given opportunities before you, great open doors, and great rewards lying within your reach. Stretch. Expect. Believe. Persist. Possess.

The culture around you says, ÒDon't get your hopes up. You may be disappointed. Aim low and be safe.Ó You have to break away from the autopilot of the masses that settles for the ordinary life, the no-hope life, the aim-low-and-be-happy life. This is not the expectation that God has for your life. Think of yourself as the pregnant mother who expects only the best from her pregnancy. With her imagination, she is able to live the result in magnificent detail until, eventually, the baby is born and she physically holds her ÒexpectationÓ in her arms.

You do not need a high IQ, special skills, or an amazing education to raise your expectation. You simply must make a decision to partner with God and His Word and to believe what He says about you and your future. Lift your vision to match God's vision for your life. Decide. Expect. Change. Lift your vision and take the limitations off your life.

Ruth Overcame Apathy

When Naomi's husband and sons died, her two daughters-in-law were faced with a difficult choice. If they stayed in their homeland, they returned to the security of their families, but it was security with a limited future. They were widows, but they were widows with family who would care for them. If they chose to go with Naomi, they risked losing everything.

When Ruth chose to follow Naomi back to Israel, she walked away from a life of security into a life of the unknown. As a widow in a foreign land, she had no husband, no family, and no protector. There was no security for her future and no reason for her to expect anything other than an arduous and lonely life.

Ruth refused to give in to apathy and reluctance to change. She declared to Naomi, ÒYour God will be my GodÓ (Ruth 1:16 nlt), and she walked into the unknown with the confident expectation that she had all she needed for a full life. In so doing, she walked into a future that extended past her present-day fulfillment of a life with a rich and good man, Boaz, and into the fulfillment of being the great-grandmother of the king of Israel and part of the lineage of Jesus.

Simeon Overcame Prolonged Waiting

Luke 2 tells the story of Simeon, who expected to see the Messiah before he died. He waited for years with an attitude of expectancy for the fulfillment of that promise. He did not give up, but he persevered in waiting, expecting, and knowing that God would fulfill His promise.

When he finally held the child Jesus in his arms, he said, ÒLord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvationÓ (Luke 2:29-30). He had waited for years, faithfully coming to the temple, knowing that if God had told him this was going to happen, it was as good as done. There was no doubt, no questioning, no fear--only a simple faith that God would do all He had promised.

Don't Give Up

Abraham could have spent his life looking back at Ur of the Chaldeans in regret for what he had left. Ruth could have looked back to the life that she could have had in her home country. Simeon could have looked back at a long and happy life and been satisfied with settling for the blessings he had already received. But none of these people was content to settle. None was willing to give up his or her expectations. They set their faith in the God who does not change, who promises and fulfills every word. They set their hope on His words and lived lives of expectation, alert and waiting for the fulfillment of all that He had spoken.

Whatever your situation is today, whatever you fear in the future, whatever you regret from the past, lay them aside and fix your eyes on God. Set your hopes on Him. Place your faith in His Word. Focus your life and your desires on Him. The best is yet to come.

Prayer of Expectation

Lord, I believe that You are good and that You desire to release into my life wonderful, unimaginable, miraculous, great, and mighty things. Today, I pray with large expectations by the power of the Holy Spirit. Enlarge my vision. Increase my faith. Secure my future. Amen.

Booking Through Thursday: Preferences

2009-07-23T11:11:00.004-04:00

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers – we’ll do more detail at some later date)

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Serious
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Doesn't matter
Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Nonfiction
Poetry? Or Prose? Prose
Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Biographies (not enough objectivity in an autobiography)
History? Or Historical Fiction? History
Series? Or Stand-alones? Stand-alones
Classics? Or best-sellers? Classics, all the way
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Straight-forward (the phrase "lurid fruity prose" makes me snicker)
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? Plots
Long books? Or Short? Doesn't matter, as long as the book is good
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? Non-illustrated
Borrowed? Or Owned? Owned
New? Or Used? Used

(Yes, I know, some of these we’ve touched on before, and some of these we might address in-depth in the future, but for today–just quick answers!)