2018 Reading Goal

I have set a goal to finish 52 books in 2018.  My goal will include a combination of audio books and traditional books.  The good news is that I finished 7 books in January, so I'm off to a good start.  One key strategy is finishing books I started in 2017, and getting books from the library so that they have a due date.

My January books included:
Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson (audio)
I am tempted to buy this book for a friend who is running her own business and for my sister who is a stay-at-home mom, but always in need of extra cash.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
I loved the main character in this book.  He was a gentleman of character and values and high expectations. 

Jesus is Better Than You Imagined by Jonathan Merrit
I think describing your personal experience with God is challenging.  Merrit tries to do it justice, but I wasn't able to fully connect with his experiences.

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
This book was slow to start, but ultimately dragged me in.  I love historical fiction!

Grit by Angela Duckworth (audio)
One of my majors in college was psychology so I love this era of evolving psychology about success and how we can help children become successful.

Tribe by Sebastian Junger (audio)
This is one of those books that I feel the author has a point he wants to prove and finds data to back up his point of view, but might be leaving out other examples that don't match his thesis.

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light by Brian Kolodiejchuk
I was inspired to read about Mother Teresa's total commitment to God and His purposes for her.  I am amazed by all that she accomplished and her complete selflessness.  What I didn't like about this book is it reads like someone's PhD paper.  The author will quote her letters and then expand on what she says (basically, by repeating what she just said) in order to prove his point.

What Alice Forgot

I really enjoyed this book by Liane Moriarty.  This is the first book I've read by her, but I hear others of her books also have good reviews.  This one is from the perspective of a woman who wakes up from hitting her head and has forgotten the last 10 years of her life. It really made me think about how relationships change and how looking more objectively at very emotionally charged situations can be beneficial.  Over time, we tend to react to others based on assumptions and history.  If we have the opportunity to be more objective and curious about the motives of others, we have an opportunity to really understand others and appreciate them. I liked the characters in the book and their seeming innocence.  I will likely seek out some of the author's other books.

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs

 I wanted to read this book to get a different perspective. I appreciate that Jacobs took a reverent approach to studying the laws of the Bible and attempting to live them out in our modern society.  His thoughts and research helped me think about my faith in new ways.  I was disappointed that he gave much of it up at the end of the year. As a writer, I was also disappointed that he took everything literally, rather than using his knowledge of the different types of writing to actually understand the Bible.  The most helpful books I have read on biblical interpretation focus on ensuring we understand the bible as those hearing it would have understood it, taking into account aspects of prophetic, poetic, narrative, and apocalyptic literature.  It is also important to understand the Bible as a whole and how all the parts fit together.  Jacobs' focus on individual passages does not do justice to the big picture.  He also largely glossed over Jesus and the New Testament.  I felt there were some assumptions made about the knowledge of the reader on the topic and there were definitely barriers for him as someone coming from a Jewish background. He did not allow himself to fully embrace the Bible in its entirety.  Still, this was an enlightening read for me on a topic close to my heart (the Bible).

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

I got this book from the library book sale a few years ago and finally got around to reading it. It was definitely an easy read, and since I tend to love historical fiction, it piqued my interests. I now want to take some time to learn more about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. I had just been raving the other day about how we saved the world and I tend to get irritated when we are always apologizing for being American.  This book helped remind me that we have also made mistakes along the way.  I want to believe that those in power were doing the best they could at the time.  I cannot imagine being in their shoes and trying to protect the people at home while sending thousands of them to die overseas. War is a terrible thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans

Back to blogging

I'm baaack! I finished school at the end of July and I've been reading and cooking and I'm ready to be back to blogging these adventures.

 Most recently, I have finished reading The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander.  She is a psychologist and he is a conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.  The book is published by Harvard Business School Press and is designed to help anyone, but especially leaders, to think in new ways.  The book is segmented into chapters, called practices:

Talking with my dad, he thought this fell into the realm of "the power of positive thinking."  While this might be somewhat true, I enjoy the opportunity to get out of my box and think more positively.  I think it can go a long way in interacting with others.

I was also inspired to listen to more classical music.  Mr. Zander has a powerful way of talking about the music that makes you want to dive in.  Check out his TED talk.

Health Care Economics

I just finished a Health Care Economics class last week and I found it fascinating. I would take more economics classes if I had the time.

One of the books recommended by the professor is this one by David Goldhill:


I just finished reading it and I think it has content that many in our country should read. I had no idea that there was another way to think about how to pay for healthcare other than the current insurance model.  From both the class and this book, I have learned that we treat health insurance unlike any other insurance we buy (ex: we don't expect car insurance or home insurance to pay for regular maintenance) and that because we expect for health insurance to pay for all of our health care costs, it creates waste and increased spending.  I don't know how we're going to get out of the mess we're in, but it looks like it might bankrupt us.  This book is definitely worth a read if you have the time.

And the Mountains Echoed

This book was the topic of my newly formed book club this month.  I was amazed how Hosseini was introducing characters right up until the very end of the book. It was so sad and so real how the relationships and connections did not turn out perfectly, but that there was good in the lack of a fairytale ending. It's not as good as The Kite Runner or Hosseini's other book, but worth a read.

This book will challenge your faith

 
I had heard a lot of hype about this book and it was on the best seller list. I put it on hold at the library and it came available at the end of October.  I am torn over how I feel about it. In the first chapter, the author states that it is difficult to know much about Jesus apart from the gospels, but that he planned to portray Jesus from the standpoint of the historical times.  He then picks and chooses which parts of the gospels to believe as accurate and which parts to see as made up by the authors at a later date to match the theological case they are trying to make. The book has challenged me to think of Jesus in a new way. I have always taken it for granted that the Bible is true. There is still a lot of conflict over the dates of the gospels and authorship.  I have heard many sides including this book and this lecture (https://vimeo.com/58113932 19:39-25:00). One part that I still need to look into is the nativity story and the historical accuracy. I know there are scholars on both sides who want to be right (that Jesus is or isn't God), so I feel it is tricky to tease out the truth. At the library booksale, I got a book containing the extra biblical works written about Jesus long after his death. I plan to read these to supplement my knowledge on what different groups have believed about Jesus over time. I feel I need to research this stuff on my own as it's hard to simply trust someone else's research knowing their biases.

Kabul 24

I completed another fall read lent to me by the leader of my life group. We were talking about missions and fears and doubts and she offered me this book to read by Henry O. Arnold and Ben Pearson.  Apparently, it's also a film.








I was not super impressed with the writing, but the story was good and even more amazing that it is real. I very much admire those who love God and the Afghan people so much that even after being treated horribly and living through such a frightening situation, went back to help the people because they are confident that it is the right thing to do. I am continually amazed at how cruel people can be to other people. It is so frightening.  But I am equally amazed at the courage of some who are willing to follow God's call at any cost.

Inspirational Reading/Apologetics

I finished reading Heaven Without Her which I had been loaned by a member of my Life Group. I really enjoyed reading this book which is basically apologetics (why the Bible/Christianity is true) written in the form of a memoir.  In some ways, I think that God knew this book was something I needed as I need to trust Him and that what He says is true.  The proof is really there, I just have to trust the parts that can't be proven based on the fact that the rest is irrefutable.

Fall reading

I am keeping the fall reading list short in case other things come up (and as there is always Hokie football to capture my attention).  I also need to read through some of the magazines I have lying around the house so that I can finally get rid of them without guilt.

1. Heaven Without Her by Kitty Foth-Regner
This book was given to me after leaving Life Group last week. I had mentioned something about not being a fan of feminism and it triggered the host to hand me this book. I feel obligated to read it so I can return it ASAP. I'm not sure it is one I would have picked up on my own.
2. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
I bought this one at the library booksale this spring.  It has been recommended to me by many friends so I am anxious to read it. I hope it continues to motivate me to do something to help others in poverty.
3. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
This one came from Mom & Dad's. I think they got it for Christmas. I LOVED Pillars of the Earth (I couldn't put it down and the story stayed with me when I wasn't reading) so I am excited to see if I like more of Ken Follett's books.
4. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
This one looks like a quick read (in case I'm getting behind by the end of the fall months). I picked it up at the spring book sale too. 

The last of the summer books

Bell Canto

by Ann Patchett

I have heard that people LOVED this book. Then a friend of mine said she never got into it and never finished it. I felt like I finally became interested in the characters about halfway through the book and then then ending was abrupt and anticlimactic (after being heavily foreshadowed). The last chapter was the most surprising, but the reader is left without much in-depth explanation of the feelings and thoughts of the characters after having spent most of the book in their heads.  The book does a great job of character development, but lacks much in the way of action.  I can't say I loved it or hated it, it's just another book to check off the list as read.