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Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533081
This place is SOOO quiet. I need something to keep me awake. What are people reading? Any good recommendations?

This summer I'm reading two book with my 13yo daughter, 'Do Hard Things' by Alex & Brett Harris, and also 'This Changes Everything' by Jaquelle Crowe. If you have kids around this age, I couldn't recommend these books enough.

It's taking me a while, but going through 'The Deep Things of God' by Fred Sanders. Incredible book.

I just finished 'Peak' by Anders Ericsson. Really interesting book on expertise, but much longer than it has to be.

Up on my list:
'Gardens of the Moon' by Steven Erikson
'Union With Christ' by Rankin Wilbourne
not sure what else, I have a growing stack that will take me years to get through.
#533086
Thin Places by Bob Laurent. Sorta Frank Peretti-ish
Just read Michael Sweet's autobiography
Random Sci Fi/Alternative History stuff
By ATrain
Registration Days Posts
#533091
So Far in 2017:
Wanderlust by Elizabeth Eaves
World's Rim: Great Mysteries of the North American Indians by Hartley Burr Alexander
Readings for Meditation and Reflection by C.S. Lewis (essentially a collection of chapters from various works)
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Currently reading: Hidden Cities by Moses Gates
On the list:
Deep South by Paul Theroux
The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain and The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis
The Other Civil War: American Women in the Nineteenth Century by Catherine Clinton
One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson
You Had Me At Woof by Julie Klam (no Purple, its not about that Scruff app that you use)
The Four Seasons by Laurel Corona
The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
#533096
Part of the instant gratification generation. I don't read books. I just can't immerse myself into another world like that.

Instead I thrive on clicking random on Wikipedia, though that normally sends you to some obscure small towns page. I see it as irresponsible to have the totality of human knowledge at my fingertips and not to use it and learn that way. Plus some Fail Army and cat videos.

Y'all stay smart! I wish reading were an old habits, but it's a chore for me.
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#533097
Class of 20Something wrote: I don't read books.
Maybe the saddest thing I've ever read on this forum. :cry:
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#533103
I student ministry at our last church did their retreat based on this book and then built out curriculum for another month or so. Very cool inspiration for kids and adults as well.

I am reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan on our family road trip. But when I noticed the authorized biography of Desmond Doss on the book shelf at the vacation rental where we are staying, I admit Francis has been put on hold. The book is essentially a recruiting tool for the Seventh Day Adventists. But it has some cool additional material on Lynchburg's war hero.
#533104
Cider Jim wrote:
Class of 20Something wrote: I don't read books.
Maybe the saddest thing I've ever read on this forum. :cry:
If it softens the blow, the desire for knowledge remains. It's just the media and volume of it that's the issue for me.
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By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#533119
I wish I had more time to read. Every summer this thread starts up I think that.

I did get a free book at church this past Sunday. Maybe I'll read that. It'll probably take me a year. Haha
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533123
Purple Haize wrote: Random Sci Fi/Alternative History stuff
Check out 'Stories of Your Life and Others' by Ted Chiang. The movie Arrival is based on one of his short stories, and this book is a collection of several. It's one I plan to pick up sometime soon. He's considered one of the better sci-fi writers out there, with a little alternative history mixed in.
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533124
thepostman wrote:I wish I had more time to read. Every summer this thread starts up I think that.

I did get a free book at church this past Sunday. Maybe I'll read that. It'll probably take me a year. Haha
Mind you, this is advice I need to take as well, as I'm VERY lazy in my reading. It takes me a while to get through a book and I go through long dry spells without reading anything, but...
This is from John Piper, skip to the last paragraph for the important bit.

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/adv ... youre-busy
Since wisdom is found in the Word of God, we must apply ourselves in study and meditation to know the Word and do it. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalm 19:7). Therefore, we must devote ourselves to know and understand the testimonies of the Lord. And here I commend not only faithful Bible study, but also regular reading of great books on theology and biblical interpretation, books that distill the wisdom of the greatest students of the word over the past 1900 years.

Now, I know what you are thinking: I don't have the time or the ability to get anywhere in books like that. So I want to show you something really encouraging. When this was shown to me about four years ago by my pastor, it changed my life. Most of us don't aspire very high in our reading because we don't feel like there is any hope.

But listen to this: Suppose you read about 250 words a minute and that you resolve to devote just 15 minutes a day to serious theological reading to deepen your grasp of biblical truth. In one year (365 days) you would read for 5,475 minutes. Multiply that times 250 words per minute and you get 1,368,750 words per year. Now most books have between 300 and 400 words per page. So if we take 350 words per page and divide that into 1,368,750 words per year, we get 3,910 pages per year. This means that at 250 words a minute, 15 minutes a day, you could read about 20 average sized books a year!
Add to this all the time we spend each week just waiting on something, and staring at our phone. It's not about time for me, it's about motivation and discipline.
#533126
ALUmnus wrote:
Purple Haize wrote: Random Sci Fi/Alternative History stuff
Check out 'Stories of Your Life and Others' by Ted Chiang. The movie Arrival is based on one of his short stories, and this book is a collection of several. It's one I plan to pick up sometime soon. He's considered one of the better sci-fi writers out there, with a little alternative history mixed in.
I'm not really a short story guy. I used to be but now not so much. I DID like Arrival so that puts it on the list.
I do recommend Thin Places highly. Written by a former college Prof of mine.
#533139
ALUmnus wrote: 'Gardens of the Moon' by Steven Erikson
pack a lunch but its pretty amazing
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533151
RubberMallet wrote:
ALUmnus wrote: 'Gardens of the Moon' by Steven Erikson
pack a lunch but its pretty amazing
I've been staring at it for months on my side table, too scared that I don't have the mental capacity to give it my full attention. But, on the plus-side, the series is complete, no waiting for the next book to be written.
#533161
its alot to follow, like 10 races, gods, warrens (portals where they call upon their magic) and it follows a bunch of different groups of people (similar to ASOIAF) but its not super complicated to read. long though.

I still haven't started the 3rd book.

i took a break and read 6 of the mistborn books. another tremendous series. sanderson is awesome.
By phoenix
Registration Days Posts
#533234
Reading the Bible Supernaturally by John Piper. I previously read Saving the Bible From Ourselves by Glenn R. Paauw, which is pretty good, but ends up skewing on the side of reading the Bible as a purely human book (even though he tries really hard to NOT say that). The Bible is both a very human and a very supernatural book, and this book by Piper is kind of balancing out Paauw's book.

The Loyal Son by Daniel Mark Epstein, about Ben Franklin's Loyalist (and illegitimate) son, and their conflict.

Just finished Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer. I was afraid it would be a "look at how these people ruined VeggieTales" thing, but it turned out to be a really great book. You have to wade through a lot of technical animation and computer stuff (which I found fascinating), but the book is worth it for the end, when we learn the lesson God taught him. AND it's only a buck right now if you get the Kindle version.

Also just finished American Kingpin about the guy who created and ran the Silk Road. Really fascinating story - written as if the author is pitching it as a made for TV movie.

AND I'm reading the Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery series. I'm not far into it, and I'm withholding judgment so far, but it's falling a bit short of expectations. The series seems to change authors half-way through, so I'll see if it's just this author I don't like.

I've also been re-reading Scott Sigler's GFL series, hoping that book 6 comes out soon. I've heard it described as The Godfather meets Star Wars on the football field, and that's really an accurate description. Fun books, and a pretty easy read (I've been finishing a book each day).

I've got a bunch of theology/philosophy on the Kindle, but most of that I got as reference (commentaries and stuff like that).
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533244
Does anyone on here use Goodreads to catalog their books and reading and whatnot? I use it, despite it's occasional bugs, and have found it useful. For me it's like combining a reading journal and an Amazon wish list. I can record what I've read, catalog what I own, and keep a list of what I want to read before I forget them.
By ATrain
Registration Days Posts
#533247
Went to the JFK library over the weekend. I am adding Why England Slept and Profiles in Courage (both by JFK) to my list.
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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#533254
ALUmnus wrote:Does anyone on here use Goodreads to catalog their books and reading and whatnot?
I don't use it for any social purposes. I don't even rate the books. I do use it to keep track of which books I am reading, and have read.
By phoenix
Registration Days Posts
#533359
ALUmnus wrote:Does anyone on here use Goodreads to catalog their books and reading and whatnot? I use it, despite it's occasional bugs, and have found it useful. For me it's like combining a reading journal and an Amazon wish list. I can record what I've read, catalog what I own, and keep a list of what I want to read before I forget them.
I've got an account there, but don't use it much. I use LibraryThing to catalog my books, and it works really well.
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533596
ALUmnus wrote: 'Union With Christ' by Rankin Wilbourne
Just finished through this and man was it worth it. Phenomenal book. If you want to acquaint yourself with a long-neglected central doctrine of Christianity, and not just a doctrine but a defining reality of all Christians, this is the book to read.
By phoenix
Registration Days Posts
#533672
I just finished Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC. VERY interesting, no-punches-pulled account of the rivalry between the two companies. Didn't take long to read it, either (especially since I've been flat on my back with a partially herniated disc). If you are language-sensitive, don't read it, because there''s a lot of unnecessary profanity, but you really understand how passionate people are about this stuff.
By ATrain
Registration Days Posts
#533721
phoenix wrote:I just finished Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC. VERY interesting, no-punches-pulled account of the rivalry between the two companies. Didn't take long to read it, either (especially since I've been flat on my back with a partially herniated disc). If you are language-sensitive, don't read it, because there''s a lot of unnecessary profanity, but you really understand how passionate people are about this stuff.
Dealing with a herniated disc myself for almost 2 years now, I completely understand your pain.
#533730
ATrain wrote:
phoenix wrote:I just finished Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC. VERY interesting, no-punches-pulled account of the rivalry between the two companies. Didn't take long to read it, either (especially since I've been flat on my back with a partially herniated disc). If you are language-sensitive, don't read it, because there''s a lot of unnecessary profanity, but you really understand how passionate people are about this stuff.
Dealing with a herniated disc myself for almost 2 years now, I completely understand your pain.
That's all ya got? That's a GOOD day at our house! :D
By ALUmnus
Registration Days Posts
#533875
phoenix wrote:I just finished Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC. VERY interesting, no-punches-pulled account of the rivalry between the two companies. Didn't take long to read it, either (especially since I've been flat on my back with a partially herniated disc). If you are language-sensitive, don't read it, because there''s a lot of unnecessary profanity, but you really understand how passionate people are about this stuff.
Who's (whose? from whom's?) perspective was it written from?
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