Books!
A couple of years ago I made a New Year's resolution to finish the books I started reading. I have this terrible habit of reading 1/2 dozen books at the same time and not finishing some of them because they don't hold my interest long enough for me to finish. So in an effort to actually finish the books I've started, I'm writing down all of the books I've read (and will try to finish):
2005
"The Trouser People" - Andrew Marshall -- FINISHED
A witty account of life in today's Burma, Marhall casually weaves relevant political and cultural history
"The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community" -
Mary Pipher -- Started the book, didn't finish; "Anecdotal and moving study of some new arrivals to the United States."
"We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda" - Philip Gourevitch -- FINISHED; "A history of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which longstanding enmity between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes resulted in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus by the extremist Hutu majority. Gourevitch contrasts horrific eyewitness accounts told by Rwandans with the muted responses of the rest of the world. He also assesses Rwanda's prospects for the future and contemplates what lessons humanity can learn from this hellish chapter in history."
"The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky" - Farah Ahmedi and Tamim Ansary -- FINISHED; "Farah Ahmedi is born into the world just as the war between the mujahideen and the Soviets reaches its peak in Afghanistan. Bombs are falling all over her country, and her native Kabul is swelling with hundreds of thousands of people looking for homes and jobs. The sounds of gunfire and fighter planes are as normal to Farah as the sounds of traffic or children playing are to a schoolgirl in America. When Farah steps on a land mine on her way to school, her world becomes much smaller than the dreams and hopes in her heart. She begins to learn — slowly — that ordinary people, often strangers, have immense power to save lives and restore hope. The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky recounts an epic journey. It deftly interweaves a childhood in Afghanistan, where the classrooms are naked chambers with only chalkboards on the walls and are filled with more students than seats (and no books), with an American adolescence, where teenagers struggle to decide whether to try out for school plays, whom to take to the homecoming dance, and where to go to college. In Kabul, they cancel school because of rockets and bombings; in Chicago, Farah might have a snow day. In Kabul, a schoolgirl wears a black dress and a white headscarf; in America, girls need the right jeans and trendy tops. Thanks to a number of good people who crossed her path at critical moments, Farah is thriving. She may be haunted by her past, but she is no longer enslaved by it. She is actively enjoying the realization of her childhood dreams; she's an Afghan American, free to learn, work, support herself, and choose her own path. She'll graduate from high school soon and is being recruited by some of the best colleges in the world. Farah is living proof that not only can the human heart endure, it can also thrive. Even in war, there are miracles. Even when limbs are amputated, we are whole. Even in refugee camps, dreams come true. Even when fathers and siblings die young, there is love. The Story of My Life is our new great American memoir."
"Inside The Kingdom: My Life In Saudi Arabia" - Carmen bin Ladin -- FINISHED; "One of Osama bin Laden's many sisters-in-law speaks out about life within the fabulously rich fundamentalist family. Carmen was an independent-minded daughter of privilege from a half-Persian, half-Swiss family. When she married Yeslam bin Laden, an older brother of Osama, in 1974, she had no idea how much her entire mode of existence would change. Living in Saudi Arabia meant that she was mainly restricted to her home, and was forced to cover her face and body completely whenever she did get to go out. Her three children meant nothing to her husband because they were daughters, not sons. Finally, when she could no longer bear the constraints on both her daughters and herself, Carmen managed to escape to Switzerland with her girls and file for divorce in 1988, only to have her last name become universally reviled in the West after the events of 9/11."
2006
"Waking the Dead" - John Eldredge -- FINISHED; "Eldredge, who helped to redefine the Christian men's movement with Wild at Heart, broadens his scope to offer this more general spirituality title on being "fully alive." Such a state of total animation is achieved only when Christians can integrate all four "streams" of their lives: discipleship, counseling, healing and warfare. (This last part may surprise some readers, but Eldredge insists that awareness of spiritual warfare actually "may be the most critical" aspect of being fully alive.) Throughout, he argues that there is glory hidden in each Christian's heart, an echo of how Christ has "ransomed and restored" every person. The goal, then, is to capture and maintain a sense of liberation from that restoration. Eldredge fans will find that he has not departed much from the formula that made Wild at Heart so successful; he culls examples from popular culture (The Perfect Storm, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz) and tells vivid stories from his own experience. Despite the careful formula, the book rarely feels formulaic; it has an unguarded heart and an opinionated lucidity that may surprise readers. Eldredge is honest about the fact that life can be arduous, confusing and filled with despair, but he also affirms a deep Christian hope. Established Eldredge fans will be pleased with this new offering, and it will gather some new readers, especially women."
"The Kite Runner" - Khaled Hosseini -- FINISHED; "At a time when Afghanistan has been thrust into the forefront of America's collective consciousness ("people sipping lattes at Starbucks were talking about the battle for Kunduz"), Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land."
"Freedom at Midnight" - Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre -- "On 14 August 1947 one-fifth of humanity claimed their independence in India. But 400 million people were to find that the immediate price of freedom was partition and war, riot and murder. In this reconstruction, Collins and Lapierre recount the eclipse of the British Raj and examine the roles enacted by, among others, Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Mountbatten in its violent transformation into the new India and Pakistan. This is the India of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Gandhi and the last viceroy, Mountbatten." -- Currently reading
"A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey " - Brian McLaren -- Took a break from it; "This book is, quite simply, brilliant;” "This is a book that heightens the depths and deepens the peaks. Like all the best things in life, it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and in the fear of a God who is waiting for the church to stop asking 'What would Jesus do?' and start asking 'What is Jesus doing?'" (Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Chair in Evangelism, Drew University, and bestselling author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, SoulSalsa, SoulTsunami, and AquaChurch; coauthor of A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe)"Get ready to wake up your spirit and breath deep. McLaren's A New Kind of Christian is a street-level, lived excursion into this present millennium-a world where ministry by control, condescension, and smug certainty gives way to incarnational faith." (Sally Morgenthaler, president, SJM Management Co. and author of Worship Evangelism)"McLaren's courageous and honest reassessment of our cherished customs and cliches stimulates creative thinking on these vital issues. A New Kind of Christian is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in preparing the church to be vital force in the next generation." (Chuch Smith, Jr., senior pastor, Capo Beach Valvary Chapel and author, The End of the World As We Know It)"...an engaging tale..."
"Fast Food Nation" - Eric Schlosser -- Currently reading
"Through the Gates of Splendor" - Elizabeth Elliott -- Currently reading
2005
"The Trouser People" - Andrew Marshall -- FINISHED
A witty account of life in today's Burma, Marhall casually weaves relevant political and cultural history
"The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community" -
Mary Pipher -- Started the book, didn't finish; "Anecdotal and moving study of some new arrivals to the United States."
"We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda" - Philip Gourevitch -- FINISHED; "A history of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which longstanding enmity between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes resulted in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus by the extremist Hutu majority. Gourevitch contrasts horrific eyewitness accounts told by Rwandans with the muted responses of the rest of the world. He also assesses Rwanda's prospects for the future and contemplates what lessons humanity can learn from this hellish chapter in history."
"The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky" - Farah Ahmedi and Tamim Ansary -- FINISHED; "Farah Ahmedi is born into the world just as the war between the mujahideen and the Soviets reaches its peak in Afghanistan. Bombs are falling all over her country, and her native Kabul is swelling with hundreds of thousands of people looking for homes and jobs. The sounds of gunfire and fighter planes are as normal to Farah as the sounds of traffic or children playing are to a schoolgirl in America. When Farah steps on a land mine on her way to school, her world becomes much smaller than the dreams and hopes in her heart. She begins to learn — slowly — that ordinary people, often strangers, have immense power to save lives and restore hope. The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky recounts an epic journey. It deftly interweaves a childhood in Afghanistan, where the classrooms are naked chambers with only chalkboards on the walls and are filled with more students than seats (and no books), with an American adolescence, where teenagers struggle to decide whether to try out for school plays, whom to take to the homecoming dance, and where to go to college. In Kabul, they cancel school because of rockets and bombings; in Chicago, Farah might have a snow day. In Kabul, a schoolgirl wears a black dress and a white headscarf; in America, girls need the right jeans and trendy tops. Thanks to a number of good people who crossed her path at critical moments, Farah is thriving. She may be haunted by her past, but she is no longer enslaved by it. She is actively enjoying the realization of her childhood dreams; she's an Afghan American, free to learn, work, support herself, and choose her own path. She'll graduate from high school soon and is being recruited by some of the best colleges in the world. Farah is living proof that not only can the human heart endure, it can also thrive. Even in war, there are miracles. Even when limbs are amputated, we are whole. Even in refugee camps, dreams come true. Even when fathers and siblings die young, there is love. The Story of My Life is our new great American memoir."
"Inside The Kingdom: My Life In Saudi Arabia" - Carmen bin Ladin -- FINISHED; "One of Osama bin Laden's many sisters-in-law speaks out about life within the fabulously rich fundamentalist family. Carmen was an independent-minded daughter of privilege from a half-Persian, half-Swiss family. When she married Yeslam bin Laden, an older brother of Osama, in 1974, she had no idea how much her entire mode of existence would change. Living in Saudi Arabia meant that she was mainly restricted to her home, and was forced to cover her face and body completely whenever she did get to go out. Her three children meant nothing to her husband because they were daughters, not sons. Finally, when she could no longer bear the constraints on both her daughters and herself, Carmen managed to escape to Switzerland with her girls and file for divorce in 1988, only to have her last name become universally reviled in the West after the events of 9/11."
2006
"Waking the Dead" - John Eldredge -- FINISHED; "Eldredge, who helped to redefine the Christian men's movement with Wild at Heart, broadens his scope to offer this more general spirituality title on being "fully alive." Such a state of total animation is achieved only when Christians can integrate all four "streams" of their lives: discipleship, counseling, healing and warfare. (This last part may surprise some readers, but Eldredge insists that awareness of spiritual warfare actually "may be the most critical" aspect of being fully alive.) Throughout, he argues that there is glory hidden in each Christian's heart, an echo of how Christ has "ransomed and restored" every person. The goal, then, is to capture and maintain a sense of liberation from that restoration. Eldredge fans will find that he has not departed much from the formula that made Wild at Heart so successful; he culls examples from popular culture (The Perfect Storm, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz) and tells vivid stories from his own experience. Despite the careful formula, the book rarely feels formulaic; it has an unguarded heart and an opinionated lucidity that may surprise readers. Eldredge is honest about the fact that life can be arduous, confusing and filled with despair, but he also affirms a deep Christian hope. Established Eldredge fans will be pleased with this new offering, and it will gather some new readers, especially women."
"The Kite Runner" - Khaled Hosseini -- FINISHED; "At a time when Afghanistan has been thrust into the forefront of America's collective consciousness ("people sipping lattes at Starbucks were talking about the battle for Kunduz"), Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land."
"Freedom at Midnight" - Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre -- "On 14 August 1947 one-fifth of humanity claimed their independence in India. But 400 million people were to find that the immediate price of freedom was partition and war, riot and murder. In this reconstruction, Collins and Lapierre recount the eclipse of the British Raj and examine the roles enacted by, among others, Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Mountbatten in its violent transformation into the new India and Pakistan. This is the India of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Gandhi and the last viceroy, Mountbatten." -- Currently reading
"A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey " - Brian McLaren -- Took a break from it; "This book is, quite simply, brilliant;” "This is a book that heightens the depths and deepens the peaks. Like all the best things in life, it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and in the fear of a God who is waiting for the church to stop asking 'What would Jesus do?' and start asking 'What is Jesus doing?'" (Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Chair in Evangelism, Drew University, and bestselling author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, SoulSalsa, SoulTsunami, and AquaChurch; coauthor of A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe)"Get ready to wake up your spirit and breath deep. McLaren's A New Kind of Christian is a street-level, lived excursion into this present millennium-a world where ministry by control, condescension, and smug certainty gives way to incarnational faith." (Sally Morgenthaler, president, SJM Management Co. and author of Worship Evangelism)"McLaren's courageous and honest reassessment of our cherished customs and cliches stimulates creative thinking on these vital issues. A New Kind of Christian is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in preparing the church to be vital force in the next generation." (Chuch Smith, Jr., senior pastor, Capo Beach Valvary Chapel and author, The End of the World As We Know It)"...an engaging tale..."
"Fast Food Nation" - Eric Schlosser -- Currently reading
"Through the Gates of Splendor" - Elizabeth Elliott -- Currently reading
posted by macbosnia @ 3:12 PM
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