Fall reading challenge
Like usual, I'm about a week late on joining the Fall reading challenge, but I decided I would jump in anyway. I have many, many books I want to read, hope to read, need to read, and could use the extra motivation!
My current goal is to finish one book a week and do a book review of that week's book on Tuesday on my blog. That's the goal and the plan, anyway... we'll see if I can stick to it. I have this terrible habit of starting new books, reading a few chapters, and then starting a new book. It is not a good habit and one I'm working to break. I want to be more than just a good starter with good intentions, I want to be a finisher as well!
Here's my list that I'm hoping to finish before the end of the year:
Biblical Womanhood in the Home edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss - This book looks very good. I can hardly wait to delve into it!
Girl Talk by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre - The book behind the authors of the Girl Talk blog.
Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher - Well, I couldn't resist. Everyone and her sister was talking about this book in the blogworld so I caved and got a copy.
Godless by Ann Coulter - I'm extremely curious to see what I think of this book. I'm not a Coulter fan for various reasons, but I do believe I agree with some of her worldview. So I'm wondering what I'll think of her writing style. Hopefully my biased view won't completely tarnish what might very well be a good book.
Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson - Already a few chapters into this one and though I'm not finding it completely enthralling, it has been encouraging.
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism by Carrie L.Lukas- Almost finished with this one. It's been a very interesting read, even if I wish that the author would push her points to make more concrete conclusions and not leave me hanging waiting for a punch line after sharing startling statistics. Review coming soon.
Queen of the Castle by Lynn Bowen Walker - I rarely read books which seem to be geared toward the modern Christian homemaker/wife. They are usually full of fluff and only seek to promote a wee bit watered down feministic agenda. Something about that just doesn't sit well with me (hmm, wonder why?!) and so I normally avoid this genre of books. However, Queen of the Castle was highly recommended to me by an older woman I truly respect and so I ventured out and got a copy. Wow! I'm glad I did. I've really enjoyed it - especially the first chapter where she makes a very strong case for a woman being a full-time homemaker, wife, and mother. I'm almost halfway through with this one and a more lengthy review will be forthcoming soon!
Feminist Fantasies by Phyllis Schlafly - I've been trying to work my way slowly through this book for almost six months now. It's very insightful but also heart-breaking and I can't seem to read but a few pages at a time.
Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn - I'm nearing halfway through this one as well. As soon as I finish it, I think I need to go back and re-read it a few more times to really grasp and internalize all the excellent information.
The Man You've Always Wanted is the One You Already Have by Paula Friedrichsen - Multnomah sent me a review galley of this book set to be published in January. I've been getting so many emails from women who are struggling in their marriages and thought maybe this might have some insights.
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White - I've been saying I was going to read this for way too long now.
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper - This will be my first Piper book to read. I really enjoy his sermons and am anxious to see what I think of him as an author.
If you haven't gathered, I try to read rather widely. I try to always be reading some books which are mind-stretching, some which encourage me in my spiritual walk, some more on the subject of current events, and have some reading which is more "relaxing" reading. However, I try to be pretty choosy in my reading material and make sure that I am not wasting my time or putting junk into my mind. I think it is important that we be careful not only what we watch, but also what we read. We need to hold all of our reading material up to the light of Philippians 4:8.
What are you reading? Any great book recommendations for me to add to my 2007 reading list? Want to join the Fall reading challenge too?
My current goal is to finish one book a week and do a book review of that week's book on Tuesday on my blog. That's the goal and the plan, anyway... we'll see if I can stick to it. I have this terrible habit of starting new books, reading a few chapters, and then starting a new book. It is not a good habit and one I'm working to break. I want to be more than just a good starter with good intentions, I want to be a finisher as well!
Here's my list that I'm hoping to finish before the end of the year:
Biblical Womanhood in the Home edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss - This book looks very good. I can hardly wait to delve into it!
Girl Talk by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre - The book behind the authors of the Girl Talk blog.
Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher - Well, I couldn't resist. Everyone and her sister was talking about this book in the blogworld so I caved and got a copy.
Godless by Ann Coulter - I'm extremely curious to see what I think of this book. I'm not a Coulter fan for various reasons, but I do believe I agree with some of her worldview. So I'm wondering what I'll think of her writing style. Hopefully my biased view won't completely tarnish what might very well be a good book.
Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson - Already a few chapters into this one and though I'm not finding it completely enthralling, it has been encouraging.
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism by Carrie L.Lukas- Almost finished with this one. It's been a very interesting read, even if I wish that the author would push her points to make more concrete conclusions and not leave me hanging waiting for a punch line after sharing startling statistics. Review coming soon.
Queen of the Castle by Lynn Bowen Walker - I rarely read books which seem to be geared toward the modern Christian homemaker/wife. They are usually full of fluff and only seek to promote a wee bit watered down feministic agenda. Something about that just doesn't sit well with me (hmm, wonder why?!) and so I normally avoid this genre of books. However, Queen of the Castle was highly recommended to me by an older woman I truly respect and so I ventured out and got a copy. Wow! I'm glad I did. I've really enjoyed it - especially the first chapter where she makes a very strong case for a woman being a full-time homemaker, wife, and mother. I'm almost halfway through with this one and a more lengthy review will be forthcoming soon!
Feminist Fantasies by Phyllis Schlafly - I've been trying to work my way slowly through this book for almost six months now. It's very insightful but also heart-breaking and I can't seem to read but a few pages at a time.
Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn - I'm nearing halfway through this one as well. As soon as I finish it, I think I need to go back and re-read it a few more times to really grasp and internalize all the excellent information.
The Man You've Always Wanted is the One You Already Have by Paula Friedrichsen - Multnomah sent me a review galley of this book set to be published in January. I've been getting so many emails from women who are struggling in their marriages and thought maybe this might have some insights.
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White - I've been saying I was going to read this for way too long now.
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper - This will be my first Piper book to read. I really enjoy his sermons and am anxious to see what I think of him as an author.
If you haven't gathered, I try to read rather widely. I try to always be reading some books which are mind-stretching, some which encourage me in my spiritual walk, some more on the subject of current events, and have some reading which is more "relaxing" reading. However, I try to be pretty choosy in my reading material and make sure that I am not wasting my time or putting junk into my mind. I think it is important that we be careful not only what we watch, but also what we read. We need to hold all of our reading material up to the light of Philippians 4:8.
What are you reading? Any great book recommendations for me to add to my 2007 reading list? Want to join the Fall reading challenge too?
posted by Crystal Paine at 10:02 AM
9 Comments:
Crystal,
(Sorry for hounding your blog so much- I am working from home now, and so I have a lot of time on my hands! :0
... if you want a stretch, you really should check out "The Politics of Jesus" by John H. Yoder. It's a watershed in contemporary theology/Scripture studies, and wlll give you a ton of insight. It's a favorite of mine. And more on topic (though I have not read it) check out "Why Not Women?" by Loren Cunningham. He is one of the founders of the modern missions movement, which I know that the VF crew resists to some extent... so it would be FASCINATING to hear what you think! :)
Crystal,
You're going to love, love, LOVE Strunk and White. In my family, it is our Old Faithful. My mom even bought me the illustrated, "coffee table" edition for a gift!
Some people discuss politics or world news or sports at the dinner table, we talk grammar and syntax!
What can I say? We're a family of teachers and librarians! :-)
I am in the middle of about 5 books. I usually can finish my books, but I have been so distracted,lately.
Funny, I am in the middle of Godless and the Politically Incorrect book, too. Ann Coulter is right on in most of her conclusions, but she needs to be nicer (and, according to my husband, needs a hamburger ; )). I agree with you about the Politcally Incorrect book. A lot of the stuff I already knew. I don't see a lot of good analysis. A better book was "Women Who Make The World Worse." I zipped through that in a few days. It was written better. It wasn't as boring.
Besides the above mentioned books I am also in the middle of the following:
"White Ghetto," by Star Parker
"The Lamb's Supper" by Scott Hahn
"Sheparding a Child's Heart" by that guy who wrote it (don't have the book on hand and am too lazy to go upstairs to see what his name is)
"Catholic Mystery" by John Armstrong
I really need to hunker down and finish a book here. I am also trying to read the Bible through this year. This isn't working very well. I need to get focused.
Why is Feminist Fantasies hard to get through? Is it too depressing? I got depressed with Godless and The Politically Incorrect book around the time they were talking about abortion and put them down for a bit. Lately, anything to do with harming children has been really bothering me...more than usual.
"Sheparding A Child's Heart" is really encouraging. I loved, "It Takes A Parent". Anyone read, "To Train Up A Child"? Would they recommend it?
Whoa, Zan! Finish the books you are reading before you think about any others!
Great book list, Crystal! I enjoyed seeing what you have been reading. I seem to be having the same problem with starting a book and not finishing it. I am usually one of those people that read completely through a book cover to cover before I will start the next book. Not so, recently. I have started or am currently reading:
1) Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias (only got through the first or second chapter. I love Ravi's preaching though, so I'm sure I will enjoy.)
2) The Peacemaker by Ken Sande (started reading on my own and now we are reading as a family. Excellent so far, I would highly recommend to any and every Christian, very scripturally based)
3) Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell (very eye-opening to me. I didn't realize there were so mamy scripture passages that spoke to children being a blessing and a lack thereof being considered a curse. It's been a good read to challenge my thinking from the scriptures)
4) Quest for the High Places by Natalie Nyquist (I started this months ago but it was not holding my attention very well and I disagreed with a lot of the premises of the book. Decided to set it aside until later)
5) Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing the People of God? by Keith A. Mathison (Didn't get too far in this one but an intriguing read)
6) Knowing Scripture by RC Sproul (I was trying to follow this one while the men were studying it in church. Need to finish it.)
I am really looking forward to your review of Teaching the Trivium. I have the book now (thanks to your business) but haven't started reading it yet. I am curious about the classical teaching method. It sounds like something I may be interested in doing someday.
I'm glad you are planning on posting some book reviews. I enjoy them. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your reading list. :)
I am still reading "So Much More" and "Created to be his Helpmeet", that I purchased from your website. I am truly enjoying both of them and would reccommend them to everyone. I think I am going to have to add Girltalk to my list. It looks like an interesting read. I LOVE to read! It is my favorite thing to do when I have the time.
Wendy
For an interesting (and much less abrasive) counterpoint to Coulter, I highly recommend "God's Politics" by Jim Wallis. It's subtitled 'Why the Right gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It' and discusses (among other things) the possibility of a consistent ethic of life, as well as a Christian's role in the political sphere.
And for a counterpart to Strunk&White, how about Eats, Shoots, and Leaves?
Have my thoughts turned toward these faith perspectives:
Rediscovering Expository Preaching by John MacArthur, Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry by John MacArthur, Introduction to Biblical Counseling by John MacArthur, Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney, and Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God by C.J. Mahaney.
Have a list of books that have either been proofed a bit or read that need either read thoroughly or reread. Maybe something interesting there(includes minimal audio/video titles) for folks looking for suggestions?
http://www.geocities.com/pbc52003/familyresources1.html
Thanks for joining the challenge, Crystal! I've been curious about Girl Talk, since I frequently read their blog. I look forward to seeing how you like it.
I'm reading...
The heart of anger- Lou Priolo
Power of a praying wife- Stormie Omartian
Biblical womanhood in the home- Nancy Leigh DeMoss
and rereading
Created to be his helpmeet- Debbie Pearl
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