Well, time has fled by and has not allowed me the luxury of posting regularly. Now that summer is here, I will have some extra time and hope to get back to regular posting. Here's a rundown of my reading:
Book 14: Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop - This is a great little book that tells a story about twenty children who hide ten Jewish Children from the Nazi's during World War II. I think it is suitable for children in third grade and up.
Book 15: Love Wins by Rob Bell - Yes, I read it. No, I didn't buy it, I checked it out from the library. I was motivated to read it by the fact that so many people were being vocal about this book,saying it was not Biblical, while at the same time admitting that they hadn't read it. This drove me nuts. So, I started the long wait on the library list. After reading this book, I can honestly say that Mr. Bell is a very confused man. I found his writing style to be irritating, but honestly, that's minor compared to the content of the book. I can't say enough bad things about this book. One of the theories I'd say that Rob Bell believes that people are given chances to be "good enough" to get into heaven after they die, and that they may in fact travel in and out of heaven, depending on the status of their sin, as people are not perfected when they get there. At least I think that's what he is saying, his stream of consciousness writing style makes it difficult for me to hang in there sometimes. Usually, when presented with material that is inaccurate, I can easily complete a point by point analysis and refute it with Biblical references. This book is so replete with misleading statements and misinterpretations that I simply did not take the time to do it - I didn't think it was a worthwhile way to spend my time. I think this book is very much a stumbling block to those who are not believers and to those who are, but are examining their faith. I do not think it is necessary for anyone to read this book & strongly discourage anyone from becoming overly familiar with its contents unless you find it necessary to form an apologetic for a specific person or circumstance. Yuck.
Book 16: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua - I found this book to be both funny and full of information about the achievement oriented Chinese culture. I have observed that in this age of "self-esteem" in the US, many have failed to set expectations for children or to teach them the necessity of a work ethic. Dr. Chua has managed to do both of these things with her two daughters. At the same time, she has learned a lot about children, parenting, herself and how culture shapes who we are. Dr. Chua's emphasis on performance and the requirements that she places upon her students are at odds with our culture, but that doesn't mean that we should run out and adopt her practices. In fact, I find that this book and type of lifestyle constantly leaves God out of the picture, as achievement is recognized as being the goal of life and is the basis of family reputations. I recommend this book - it is a fast read and through it you will learn more about the Tiger Mother of the press releases and most of all, how she changed to meet the needs of her children. This book was very interesting & not at all what I expected.
Book 17: Innocent by Scott Turow - In this follow up to Presumed Innocent, Turow traces the life of Rusty Sabitch as he is accused, more than twenty years later, of another crime. This is an excellent, suspenseful murder-mystery that just might be the right thing for you to escape into during the hot, summer days.
Book 18: Simple Deceit by Nancy Mehl - Twaddle. Good book though. Take it to the beach.
Book 19: Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson - This book was a good read. It's about a man, his wife and their friend, whom they ask to be a surrogate mother for them. The web of relationships becomes complex and it is a very interesting read. It is twaddle, so relax and put your feet up!
Book 20: Words by Ginny L. Yttrup - This is a great book about both the damage and the healing that words can bring to a person's life. I highly recommend it.
Book 21: No Fear by Allie Harrison - Great mystery/suspense novel.
Book 22: Getting Away is Deadly by Sara Rosett - This is a twaddle mystery featuring military wives. It's a quick read, but don't put it too terribly high on your list.
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