Dare to Desire

This was another cheap, hardly-counts book. However, I've been pretty good so far and haven't even resorted to my backup plan of reading juvenile fiction if I get far behind. This book was a devotional book anyhow, not an attempt to bolster my book count with an easy read.

Dare to Desire is a mini-book by John Eldredge, author of the popular Christian book for men, Wild at Heart. Eldredge loves to extol male stereotypes and enjoys explaining how they connect to Biblical themes and characters. If you are the "stereotypical" male, you will connect to his books quite well. In this book, he also attempts to connect to the stereotypical woman.

I don't think he's trying to be sexist, but if you don't fall into the stereotypical models he shows, then you will not connect to his books. That's me. I don't like violence. I don't need to be a big adventure hero. I hate the movie Braveheart. So I struggle to connect with his books. Others might enjoy his perspective.

My biggest problem with this very trite book is its message: Jesus wants to fulfill your heart's desires. Sometimes, yes, but there's a lot of issues with that kind of mindset. The book comes of as being very self-centered and largely not Jesus centered.

If you like Eldredge, you'll find yourself largely disappointed at this short book that recycles a lot of his previous material. If you aren't a fan, you really won't like this book.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

57/100 books...I'm closing out the month 7 books ahead of schedule!

A Wing and a Prayer

A Wing and a Prayer is the second book we own by Paul Hostetler, and the second one I've read in this challenge. I don't have much to say about it. I can't find an image because at least 3 other books share the same title and are more popular. It's very much like Preacher on Wheels except it is about Paul's life rather than his father's. For the meat of the review, and my criticism of the book, refer to my review for the other book. It's not worth writing about. Not that it's completely awful, it's just almost exactly the same.

Rating: whatever I rated the other book

book 56/100, and still well on track

Simply Christian

I got to read another book by N.T. Wright! I didn't realize my local library had two of his books.

Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense more or less summarizes much of the writing and theology of N.T. Wright. Like the rest of his catalogue, Simply Christian digs deep, although I think this may be one of his most broadly accessible works. 

Wright peers into the misconceptions of many people in modern society, both those who consider themselves Christian and those that do not. He makes a very strong argument for the sensibility of Christianity, but explains that it requires the stripping down of misconceptions about God in order for it to make sense. God, he explains, is not in everything (as in pantheism) yet also is not distant. God resides very near to Earth, and one day heaven will come down to Earth and the Kingdom of God will be upon us. He then goes into a very detailed description as to how this all makes sense.

Wright delves into many different topics throughout the course of the book. He deconstructs worship, vocation, resurrection, the nature of Jesus, and so much more. His arguments feel like a breath of fresh air or a drink of fresh cool water. He paints a picture of Christianity in the way it should be, not in the way that it has been perverted by many in modern society. I can't fully describe the beauty of this type of faith - it has to be read to be understood fully. Some of Wright's ideas will challenge your perspective and your hard-set beliefs, but he makes everything so clear and richly supported by the Bible.

My mind was definitely refreshed through reading this book. I've read so many generic Christian works and have grown increasingly frustrated by the partisan politics played by far too many churches - not to mention the hijacking of the Christian faith by the Republican Party. It's nice to read something (relatively) free of bias. Honestly, the only bias I came across was several pages devoted to the promotion of the liturgy as a form of worship. Wright was, after all, a bishop in the Anglican church. Wright makes a passionate plea for greater unity in the body of Christ. Partisan politics only distract us from the focus: God. And what a mighty God we serve.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would highly recommend this just about anyone. Non-Christians can find a strong argument for the sensibility of Christianity from the pen of an intelligent individual. "New" Christians can find a lot of foundational wisdom in these pages. "Old" Christians can renew and refresh their minds. While not as strong as my favorite Christian "summary of the faith" book (C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity), this is still one of the finest books on Christian theology out there. If you haven't read Mere Christianity, read that first. Then give this book a try - it's a good companion piece.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

55/100 books, still well on track, at least 5 books ahead of schedule!

Spaceland

Rudy Rucker's Spaceland is intended to be a followup to the 1884 novella Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott. Unfortunately, I haven't read that book (and can't for this challenge - it's only 92 pages), but I am familiar with it as it is referenced in every other theoretical physics book written. Flatland explores a world of the second dimension and the interactions it has with the third dimension. Rucker tries to take it to the next level.

Joe Cube is a techie working on a 3D television prototype at the turn of the millennium. After the anticlimax of 1999 turning into 2000, Cube finds himself face to "face" with a four-dimensional "person" named Momo. Momo augments Cube so that he can perceive things in the fourth (physical) dimension. She wants Cube to spread the word about the fourth dimension, and Cube is her man for the task. He, along with his wife, co-worker, and co-worker's girlfriend, attempt to start up a company using 4-D technology. Chaos ensues.

This book succeeds in its depiction of the third dimension from a four-dimensional perspective. I've never seen it depicted so completely. Rucker also does well with his review of the properties of a two-dimensional world. He also does well in describing what happens when the two worlds collide. I've read many books that have attempted to explain the fourth physical dimension and none come anywhere close to this.

Despite this strength, the book fails in almost all other regards. Despite having characters of both the 3rd and 4th dimensions, they all possess 2-D personalities. It seems as if Rucker interacts with few people on a regular basis and has likely never had a serious relationship with a woman. Either that or he's a terrible fiction writer. I know that sounds really harsh but the characters are really truly unlikable and poorly developed. Interactions between men and women, particularly those in relationships, are painful to read and absolutely unrealistic. Finally, the plot is completely inane and so twisted that it's hardly worth the effort to follow it.

Read this book for the most fully-realized depiction of the fourth physical dimension and its relation to the other physical dimensions. Don't worry about the plot or the characters - they just get in the way and aren't worth any effort to follow.

Rating: How can I rate a book like this? 5 of 5 stars for the theoretical physics stuff, 0.5 for the characters and plot.

54/100, and well ahead of schedule

The Great Divorce

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis, falls somewhere in between fiction and non-fiction. It contains a story - or a dream, to be exact - that follows the dreamer's journey through heaven and just a bit of hell. Lewis meant this book to be an allegory. It's the presentation of a notion rather than a theological exposition.

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll keep this review short. In the dream, the dreamer is a hell-dweller on a train to heaven. The dreamer then gets off the train and observes the strange land and its inhabitants. He meets up with his own personal Virgil: Scottish fantasy writer George MacDonald. MacDonald becomes the dreamer's mentor, teacher, and guide throughout the vastness of heaven. 

Lewis makes a few very stunning assertions in this book. Again, I don't want to give away too much - this is a short book that paints several beautiful pictures, and I don't want to spoil that beauty. In this allegory, God's love is so amazingly strong that it can even penetrate the depths of hell. His portrait of heaven is both breath-taking and refreshingly realized. His depiction of human sinfulness and our response to God challenged my own perceptions, as Lewis did in another excellent book The Screwtape Letters.

In short, heaven and hell are not co-dependant (as in a marriage); rather hell is a painful breaking off from God's love (hence the title).

Few writers can write with the mastery of Lewis. Even fewer Christian writers can match his skills. In less than 150 generously spaced and sized pages Lewis composed a revolutionary depiction of heaven, hell, and the relationship between God and humanity. This influential book still inspires people today. I have yet to read Rob Bell's controversial Love Wins, but he from reviews I've read he owes much to The Great Divorce. God's love reigns supreme. I should note, though, that Lewis is not a Universalist (he makes that distinction towards the end of the book).

I loved The Great Divorce. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Even if you are not Christian, you can appreciate the glorious picture Lewis paints. If you are Christian, prepare to be challenged in your perspective on heaven and hell.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

53/100 books...and still on track (by 12 books)

Wayback

Wayback is the first novel of Sam Batterman. It's another attempt for me to find excellent Christian fiction, a genre I think died out with C.S. Lewis. There's some OK and above-average stuff, but nothing great, at least in my searching so far. This book did not change that trend.

Batterman reminds me a lot of Michael Crichton. He has a good ability to create exciting adventure, a good (if misguided) understanding of science, and absolutely no ability to write with any sort of depth.

In Wayback, a team of scientists travels to the past (using wormholes) to try to uncover the secrets behind the makeup and creation of the earth. It was discovered that nothing exists in the timeline of the universe beyond 5-7,000 years in the past. The team, made up of skeptical scientists and adventurers, travels to the time of Noah's Ark. Along the way, they will encounter challenges to their hard-set beliefs, man-eating dinosaurs, giant humanoids, and Nazis. Yes, that's right, this book contains both dinosaurs AND Nazis. Combining perhaps the two most awesome enemies of all times does not make them more awesome. As a side plot, the man behind the time travel has to make his own journey in time to save Israel from a time-traveling Muslim terrorist.

As I mentioned, Batterman has a good grasp on creating excitement. Unlike the awful Left Behind series, I felt compelled to see what happened next. I didn't care much for the cardboard characters, though. I also didn't care much for Batterman's scientific/theological commentary. In addition to being extremely pro-Israel, this book also takes a very literal view of the Bible. In science fiction you usually have to accept some bending of reality. Exploring an earth wrought by creation rather than evolution (although I still don't believe the two are mutually exclusive) is a perfectly fine idea. However, Betterman's way of doing so bothered me.

First, the creation concept is portrayed as actually being true - not just something you have to accept for the sake of the story (such as certain time-travel paradoxes). But fine, perhaps I could get over that - but Batterman wants you to believe in wormholes but not in string theory, that dinosaurs could exist at the same time as humans (and only 5,000 years ago) but somehow missed mention in the Bible, that the great flood was great enough to separate the continents, and that God created the world to look old - but not that maybe God took a little longer than a day to create each layer of our universe and of our earth itself.

I appreciated Batterman's knowledge of science - he obviously has done his reading. Most creationists have no grasp of science whatsoever. This book was better than I expected, but I just couldn't get over dinosaurs being around at the same time as humans. That was one step too far for me.

If you are into Christian fiction, this is a fine entry in that genre. However, if you are extremely opposed to creationism then you may want to avoid this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Still on track, but with school starting up, I may have to start doing the hard math again to keep track of my rate! book 52 of 100

The Bookseller of Kabul

Asne Seierstad traveled to Afghanistan in 2001, covering the war. While there, she met an interesting bookseller and decided that she wanted to write a book about him and his family. With his permission, Seierstad followed Sultan Khan and his family, hearing all kinds of stories and experiencing drama of a level typically found in soap operas. From that, she compiled many of these stories and experiences into a book: The Bookseller of Kabul.

Seierstad weaves these stories together into a pseudo-narrative. At times story, at other times brief history lesson, Bookseller doesn't flow as nicely as other memoirs/narrative non-fiction books that I have read. Each chapter works on its own, but there's some jumping and some odd transitions between chapters. 

On the whole, though, I found the stories in the book fascinating. Through this story you get an inside look into life in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The people and their views are very interesting. Seierstad was able to paint a vivid depiction of Afghanistan's culture, as well as the many tensions that exist in the society. You see arranged marriages that succeed and some that fail, how the justice system works, how women are treated at home and in public, and what daily life is like for the average "middle class" citizen.

The Bookseller of Kabul was an easy yet compelling read. If you like casually learning about other cultures, I would highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

51/100 books...still very ahead of schedule

The Last Word

N.T. Wright's The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture is the American version of Wright's book Scripture and the Authority of God. From what I understand, the books are identical aside from a different preface.

N.T. Wright, for those unfamiliar with his works, is a British theologian famous for quite lengthy volumes containing great analysis of the New Testament. Wright fits neither in mainstream Christian circles nor fundamentalist Evangelical circles. One might describe Wright as a "moderate liturgical Evangelical," if that term even makes any sense.

I love N.T. Wright's writing. He digs into Scripture at a depth that very few modern day writers do. He is not content with the status quo and always seeks new insight and new perspectives to enlighten his knowledge and understanding of the Bible - even though very few living people possess such an overwhelming grasp of Biblical history and theology. His writing requires great focus from the reader, but harvests many rewards for the patient reader. I also appreciate his (relatively) moderate stance. By this I mean that Wright does not allow petty politics (government or church) to inform his study of the Bible. It's a refreshing stance, and one that is largely absent in modern publication, at least in publications that make it on the shelves of major bookstores and libraries. "Liberal" theologians and "conservative" fundamentalists dominate the scene.

This is precisely the point where this book steps in. Wright takes an in-depth look at what the authority of scripture entails. Of course, he quickly points out, "the authority of scripture" is really shorthand for "the authority of God as expressed through scripture." He attempts (and largely succeeds) to express in great detail what this means, and refute popular "liberal" and "conservative" views. Mainstream churches grant very little authority to scripture (and honestly seem to be hardly Christian at all), while conservative fundamentalist churches weigh heavily on certain passages while completely ignoring others. Wright is looking for some sort of middle/other ground where God's authority reigns supreme and all of scripture is held in high regard.

It's nearly impossible to summarize Wright's points in a paragraph or two. He sketches a nearly complete argument over the course of about 140 pages. I also don't want to give away too much - it really is a fantastically interesting book. His approach to studying scripture and regarding its authority is one of balance. However, if you want to know more - you'll have to read the book. It's really quite wonderful.

My only criticism (and the part that keeps this book from its fifth star) is that Wright does show some Anglican bias. Wright held the position of Bishop of Dunham for nearly 8 years within the Anglican church, and his preference for their liturgy shines through in a few spots near the end. It comes off as less genuine than the rest of the book - as if he's saying "I really like these several things the Anglican church does, so they are the best practice for going through scripture." Just a small criticism that really only impacts a few pages towards the end.

If you yearn for scriptural study that goes deeper than your typical book, then you definitely need to check out the work of N.T. Wright. This book is among his shorter works and would serve as a fine introduction to his theology. Be warned, though, that reading this will require great focus and while short, is not an easy read.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

book 50 of 100...halfway there 19 days before my halfway point!

The Life God Blesses

Just finished another short in-between-book devotional. This one was written by the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, Jim Cymbala. The Life God Blesses is a short book that contains inspirational stories, Biblical connections, and brief teaching points. Cymbala's main point is that God seeks to bless you, but you must have God's heart to receive that blessing.

There's nothing revolutionary here. The stories and lessons may very well bless you. I found some of the stories interesting, but I probably would have connected better if I were a member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle or was more familiar with Cymbala's writing. Still, the stories were pleasant and the message decent enough. A nice light uplifting read.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

book 49 of 100...well on pace and almost half way there!

Polaris

Polaris, by Jack McDevitt, follows antiquities dealer Alex Benedict and his assistant Chase Kolpath as they try to make an epic deal for artifacts from the ship Polaris, which had a tragic history. Sent out with a ship full of wealthy influential people, it was later found in space completely empty. Before long, Benedict and Kolpath find themselves in over their heads. A terrorist destroys most of the remaining artifacts from the ship, and our two heroes find themselves on the run as an unknown group of people seek out the artifacts they now possess.

McDevitt writes this book in first person, from Chase Kolpath's point of view. That was kind of weird. I haven't read a first-person fiction book for quite a while. I felt that technique really took away from the book's intensity. When the main character tells the story you know he or she is going to come out of this just fine. A few chapters deviate from this narrative, but only briefly.

I appreciated McDevitt's use of scientific ideas and philosophical debate. Unfortunately, that made up only 1/4 of the book. The rest was the adventure, which wasn't all that compelling. This was supposed to be a light and fun beach read. It was light but not as fun as I hoped.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The Bible Jesus Read

The Bible Jesus Read, by Philip Yancey, bears a deceiving title. This is the second book by Yancey I have read, but I was excited for this one because I thought it might delve deep into Biblical history. No such luck.

The Bible Jesus Read takes the reader on a walk through several texts of the old testament, which would have been (in some form) the scripture Jesus quoted from and was intimately familiar with. After introducing the Old Testament, Yancey goes through Job, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and "the prophets." He summarizes, covers the barest bit of history, mentions how these books might (or did) impact New Testament believers, and tackles some of the difficult questions that arise during one's reading.

I was sorely disappointed by this text. It seemed (from the introduction) that Yancey had only read the Old Testament a couple of times prior to reading it for this book. Seriously. He mentions that prior to this reading he found very little value in the Psalms. He also talks about how the prophets are all to often forgotten by churches. He brings very little to the table that I haven't heard a million times at church. Maybe it's because I go to a church that values the Old Testament, but I still felt like most of his insights and musings were pretty elementary.

If you aren't familiar with the Old Testament, you may like this book. However, if you've read anything substantial or gone to a church that digs into the Old Testament frequently, then skip this.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Go Tell It On the Mountain

Go Tell It On the Mountain is James Baldwin's semi-autobiographical tale of spiritual discovery. It follows John, a fourteen year old boy whose father is a preacher. Home life is harsh under his father's rule, and John struggles with his identity and what it means to be a sinner. His father, after all, thinks that John is a sinner because he likes to hang around white people. True, it was 1935, but that view was still seen as a bit extreme.

The book is told in five sections. The first section follows a day in John's life - his birthday, in fact. We are given a vivid snapshot of the intensity of his home life and then are whisked to a Saturday evening prayer service at the church. At this point, the story shifts to his Aunt Florence's point of view, exploring her past. The third section shifts to John's father Gabriel's point of view as he struggles with temptation while being a pastor. The fourth section follows John's mother Elizabeth as she struggles to find her identity. The final section details John's spiritual awakening.

This was a fantastic book. Baldwin creates remarkable depth to each of these characters. Their struggles, their sins, and their virtues are all at odds - you really truly feel for these characters and find yourself heartbroken when things go sour, which they do at several times. John's spiritual experience in the last section wraps things up well. I found the book difficult to put down, despite a general lack of excitement and adventure. It wasn't always easy to read, but I was completely absorbed by Baldwin's writing.

Rating: Classic! (5+ stars)

46 books, 156 days, still well on pace

This Present Darkness

This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. With this book (and its success), Peretti paved the way for other Christian adventure/suspense fiction writing, including Ted Dekker and the Left Behind folks.  Thankfully, Peretti shares more in common with the former than the latter.

This Present Darkness takes place in the small town of Ashton. Demonic activity has slowly been increasing and spreading in influence, unbeknownst to most people in the town. Newcomers Marshall Hogan, newspaper editor, and Hank Busche, pastor, discover quickly that not all is as it seems. They quickly find themselves in direct opposition of these evil forces and must find some solution before their lives are destroyed. The people who preceded them in their respective positions were run out of town - as well as many other prominent town figures. Hogan is joined by his assistant Bernice Kreuger in a full-fledged newspaper investigation into shady characters. Before long, they are in well over their heads with little hope of success. Busche wants to launch a prayer attack, but how successful can he be when half of his congregation wants him out of the picture? Angels stand ready and armed to battle the demons, but will they have enough prayerful supporters to overcome the growing strength of Ashton's resident demons?

As you might guess, there is plenty of adventure and excitement in this book. It's certainly a page-turner for most of the book, and it has a nice pacing. It still suffers some of the same problems that many popular fiction books do - the characters are under-developed (but not as bad as in the Left Behind series) and the dialogue leaves much to be desired. From a literary standpoint, Peretti is pretty average. The plot is well-developed and complex, though, and flows well from page to page. It maintains a pretty high level of intensity, although the final battle was not quite as intense as I had hoped.

From a theological standpoint, I had few issues, although I know many people take issue with the supernatural angel vs. demon stuff. I believe that spiritual warfare is a real thing that has major implications in the real world, although I don't really see it taking place quite the same way Peretti does. That didn't pose any issues for me, though. Peretti is also definitely fundamentalist, but again, with only two exceptions it wasn't a problem. He went out of his way to label a demon-influenced pastor as being a big animal rights advocate, but it wasn't overdone, so I was able to ignore that jab. Peretti also has an extremely poor view of the field of Psychology, basically equating it with psychic activity and astrology. Again, it wasn't overdone - just mentioned a couple of times - and it mainly focused on a truly nutso professor, so I was able to look past that.

Overall, I found this book fun to read and at least competently written. I will soon read the sequel and I'm kind of looking forward to it. This is a pretty good entry into the rather bleak field of Christian fiction.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

45 books, 155 days, still well on pace.