Timecachers

Timecachers [Kindle Edition] by Glenn R. Petrucci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was really excited about Timecachers being into both alternate history and geocaching and the book certainly didn't disappoint. I was surprised by the setting of the story's alternate history being the days before the beginning of the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from Georgia...known as the trail of tears. I was captured by the story and didn't want to put my kindle down until I found out what happened. I look forward to more books along this line from this author as the book would be an obvious choice for the beginning of a series.

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Stories for Demented Children

A Collection of Stories for Demented Children by John H. Carroll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the "Stories for Demented Children" series. They were original and humorous and I believe that our black bunny, "Magic", is probably secretly an emo bunny. I can't wait to share these with my 14 year old daughter.

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The Dirt - Lori Culwell

The Dirt by Lori Culwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Lori Cullwell's "The Dirt"...the four sisters were well written and believable, especially Lucy whose voice we hear the story through. Every girl who has survived high school has known a Megan, a Lucy, a Sloan and will surely recognize someone in "The Dirt"...perhaps even themselves.

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Refugee: Bio of a Space Tyrant Volume 1

Refugee by Piers Anthony
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had the complete Bio of a Space Tyrant series as a college student and I was thrilled to discover that they were available on Kindle. As a young college student I didn't pick up on the political subtext to the story...the parallel to the plight of the "boat people" under the policies of Reagan...I was just caught up in the tragic adventure of young Hope Hubris and his family. While the Space Tyrant series is quite dark, especially compared to Piers Anthony's other series, it remains a great read. I am getting a good deal more out of it in my 40's than I did in my 20's and I look forward to continuing to read the series.

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Allan Gilbreath: A Short Story Collection by Allan Gilbreath
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of short stories. If your interests are Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Dark Fantasy or even Crime/Mystery there is something here for you. Allan is a wonderful and creative writer and I highly recommend his short story collection either in paperback or for your kindle. I liked it so much I have it in both versions.

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The Adventures of a Love Investigator

The Adventures of a Love Investigator: 527 Naken Men and One Woman by Barbara Silkstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I expected this to be a light read, wow was I surprised. Barbara Silkstone's interviews of over 500 men revealed both a desire for intimacy and a complete inability to figure out how to acheive it. The burden Barbara picked up and carried for these men made for interesting reading but I don't envy her the experience of bearing it.

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Bound for the Promise-Land

Bound for the Promise-Land by Troy D. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have had the pleasure of calling Troy D. Smith a friend since we were in middle school and I owned Bound for the Promise-Land in paperback when it first came out. I hadn't re-read it in years but when it came out for kindle it was one of my first purchases. Troy has a true gift for historical fiction...his characters, whether fictional or factual, are believable and fully "human" in the best sense of the word. Alfred Mann is one of my favorite characters. His evolution throughout the book is compelling. His search for his own humanity, for what it means to be "a man", for where God is in all he has endured, for what it means to be truly free is something anyone who has experienced love and loss, hurt and injustice can identify with. I highly recommend this book.

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I Want it Now! A Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Julie Dawn Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory so when the opportunity to grab it for my kindle came along I jumped on it. I am so glad I did. Julie Dawn Cole, the original Veruca Salt, has written a wonderful memoir that takes the reader behind the scenes and makes one feel as if they are one of the "Wonka Kids" themselves. The photos alone are a delicious treat for any fan of the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into the real person behind the nasty Veruca.

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The Secret Holocaust Diaries

The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister by Nonna Bannister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I grabbed this book off the recommendation from PixelofInk I didn't expect to find a hometown connection and a story of the Holocaust from a perspective I had never before encountered but that was just what I found and what kept me engaged throughout the book. I had a fascination with WWII in high school and I read many survivors accounts from the German perspective and the Jewish perspective over the years. I had never before encountered one from the Russian perspective. This is an important piece of history and I hope that the free kindle edition's availablity will give it a broad readership. These first person accounts become ever more important as the last of the survivors of the Holocaust and of the war itself are aging and dying. I wish I could have given it more than four stars. I think the parenthetical information inserted within the text to explain certain word choices or historical context interrupted the flow and would have been better if provided as end notes or in the case of this kindle format even as clickable links. Other than that I found this a very good read and an important piece of history.

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Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Memphis and Cybill Shepherd are forever tied together. This was an interesting read because of the hometown connections.

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First book of 2012

My Emily by Matt Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The tender story of the brief life of Emily Patterson written by her father Matt. Emily was born with Down's Syndrome and then stricken with ALL. Despite the shortness of her life, the legacy she left behind is beautifully memoralized in her father's book.

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1. Discovering the God Imagination - Jonathan Brink
2. Fall to Grace - Jay Bakker
3. Son of a Preacher Man - Jay Bakker
4. My Beautiful Mess - Jeremy Ritch
5. The Girls from Ames - Jeffery Zaslow
6. City of Bones
7. City of Ashes
8. City of Glass - all by Cassandra Clare
9. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
10. Sex God
11. Velvet Elvis
12. Love Wins - all by Rob Bell
13. Unconditional - Brian Zahn
14. A New Kind of Christianity
15. The Secret Message of Jesus
16. Finding Our Way Again - all by Brian McLaren
17. A Desperate Journey - Debra Parmley
18. Cross Road Blues - Troy D. Smith
19. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingslover
20. You Know You Should be Glad - Bob Greene
21. Bulletproof Faith - Candace Chellew Hodge
22. Peace, Love and Baby Ducks - Lauren Myracle
23. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
24. Vegan Virgin Valentine - Carolyn Mackler
25. I, Coriander - Sally Gardner
26. The New Christians - Tony Jones
27. Uncensored Prayer - Joy Wilson
28. Life Makovers - Cheryl Richardson
29. Touch - Rudy Rasmus
30. I Am Rembrandt's Daughter - Lynn Cullen
31. Corsets and Clockwork - Trisha Telep (editor)
32. Screamfree Parenting - Hal Runkel
33. My Dyslexia - Philip Schultz
34. The Writing Diet -Julia Cameron
35. What God Has Joined Together - Myers and Scanzoni
36. Elvis, Willie, Jesus and Me - Bert Montgomery
37. Psychic Pancakes and Communion Pizza - Bert Montgomery
38. Pirates - Marco Carini and Flora Macallan
39. The Practice of Love - Johnathan Brink (editor)
40. Down We Go - Kathy Escobar
41. The Orthodox Heretic - Peter Rollins
42. Dressing Your Truth - Carol Tuttle
43. Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
44. The Story We Find Ourselves In - Brian McLaren
45. The Last Word and The Word After That - Brian McLaren
46. Creating With God: The Holy Confusing Blessedness of Pregnancy - Sarah Jobe - disclaimer I am NOT pregnant nor do I plan to be at any point in the future.
47. Leviathan
48. Behemoth
49. Goliath - all by Scott Westerfield
50. The Girl Who Couldn't Say No: Memoir of a Teenage Mom - Tracy Engelbrecht
51. Virdis - Calista Taylor
52. One IM-Perfect Christmas - Myra Johnson
53. The Blood of Patriots - Troy D. Smith
54. The Strange Case of Finley Jane - Kady Cross
55. The Weight of Shadows - Allison Strobel

At the beginning of 2011 I set out to read 52 books in 52 weeks...I read far more than that but keeping track of what I read isn't my strong suite. This is the list of the ones I can document. I got a kindle fire for Christmas and I've read the last dozen in the last two weeks plus more. I LOOOOOVE my Kindle! In 2012 I intend to continue with the 52 books project and I'm going to be doing some kind of project 365 as well...stay tuned!

Week 41 - Time to Update The List

1. Discovering the God Imagination - Jonathan Brink 
2. Fall to Grace - Jay Bakker 
3. Son of a Preacher Man - Jay Bakker 
4. My Beautiful Mess - Jeremy Ritch
5. The Girls from Ames - Jeffery Zaslow
6. City of Bones 
7. City of Ashes 
8. City of Glass - all by Cassandra Clare 
9. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White 
10. Sex God
11. Velvet Elvis
12. Love Wins - all by Rob Bell 
13. Unconditional - Brian Zahn 
14. A New Kind of Christianity 
15. The Secret Message of Jesus 
16. Finding Our Way Again - all by Brian McLaren 
17. A Desperate Journey - Debra Parmley 
18. Cross Road Blues - Troy D. Smith 
19. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingslover 
20. You Know You Should be Glad - Bob Greene 
21. Bulletproof Faith - Candace Chellew Hodge
22. Peace, Love and Baby Ducks - Lauren Myracle 
23. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
24. Vegan Virgin Valentine - Carolyn Mackler
25. I, Coriander - Sally Gardner
26. The New Christians - Tony Jones
27. Uncensored Prayer - Joy Wilson
28. Life Makovers - Cheryl Richardson
29. Touch - Rudy Rasmus
30. I Am Rembrandt's Daughter - Lynn Cullen
31. Corsets and Clockwork - Trisha Telep (editor)
32. Screamfree Parenting - Hal Runkel 
33. My Dyslexia - Philip Schultz
34. The Writing Diet -Julia Cameron
35. What God Has Joined Together - Myers and Scanzoni
36. Elvis, Willie, Jesus and Me - Bert Montgomery
37. Psychic Pancakes and Communion Pizza - Bert Montgomery
38. Pirates - Marco Carini and Flora Macallan
39. The Practice of Love - Johnathan Brink (editor)
40. Down We Go - Kathy Escobar
41.  ?

I am waiting on the arrival of a large Amazon order, six new books, hopefully today. I will try and expand on some of what I've read in future blog posts. Kathy Escobar's is one that I'll be going back over with a highlighter and making margin notes.

22 Weeks In

So I'm pretty horrible about writing book reviews. I love to read. I love to write. I don't so much love to write about what I am reading. How odd. Anyway here I am 22 weeks in and I thought I should at least list what I've read thus far this year to see where I am in my 52 in 52 goal:

1. Discovering the God Imagination - Jonathan Brink 
2. Fall to Grace - Jay Bakker 
3. Son of a Preacher Man - Jay Bakker 
4. My Beautiful Mess - Jeremy Ritch
5. The Girls from Ames - Jeffery Zaslow
6. City of Bones 
7. City of Ashes 
8. City of Glass - all by Cassandra Clare 
9. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White 
10. Sex God
11. Velvet Elvis
12. Love Wins - all by Rob Bell 
13. Unconditional - Brian Zahn 
14. A New Kind of Christianity 
15. The Secret Message of Jesus 
16. Finding Our Way Again - all by Brian McLaren 
17. A Desperate Journey - Debra Parmley 
18. Cross Road Blues - Troy D. Smith 
19. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingslover 
20. You Know You Should be Glad - Bob Greene 
21. Bulletproof Faith - Candace Chellew Hodge
22. Peace, Love and Baby Ducks - Lauren Myracle 

Still reading #14 and pretty sure I left off a couple so I'm very much on track. Go me!

More Thoughts on "Fall To Grace"

From the introduction to the co-author's notes at the end Fall to Grace is one of those books I simply could not put down. I read into the wee hours of the morning as the snow fell and piled high (for Tennessee) outside the windows. Using the book of Galatians as his backdrop and sprinkling first person testimonies called "Grace Notes" between the sections of his text Jay Bakker issues a call to a hurting world and an all too often legalistic bullying church/political culture to understand the revolution that is God's Grace.

As I read others reviews of this book I was shocked to see all kinds of things that in my opinion the reviewer had to read into the text. One such review claimed that this is a gospel of Universalism, one that denies the need for the individual to accept God's grace and in so doing denies the core of the Christian faith. I am baffled as to where this reviewer got that idea. In the first sentence of Chapter 4 he states "At the core of Paul's idea of Grace is the belief that man is freed from religious law and reconciled with God through Jesus' life, death and sacrifice." Seems pretty orthodox to me.

I suspect that those who take issue with Jay Bakker's message do so for one of two reasons. The first being that he is the son of disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker and the second being that like his late mother, Tammy Faye Bakker, Jay is LGBTQ affirming and accepting, arguing for full equality including the right of same gender couples to marry. Regardless of your position on the LGBT issue "Fall to Grace" is a thought provoking biblically sound message and one that many who have been hurt by the church need desperately to hear. I highly recommend it.

Next On The Reading List

 

http://www.girlgeniusbooks.com/

I've been reading Girl Genius online for a couple of years starting from the beginning and catching up to the current page in a weekend and then reading on Monday, Wednesday and Friday regularly. I can't wait to get my hands on the new novel and I'll be checking the bookstores for it tomorrow!

Fall To Grace - Jay Bakker

We got snow this week so I have had more time to read than usual. On Sunday, before the predicted "Snowmaggedon" hit our area, I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up Jay Bakker's new book "Fall to Grace" 

I got to know Jay Bakker a bit over a month ago now. Some of my readers may know the name, he's the son of Jim and the late Tammy Faye Bakker of PTL fame. He's also one of the most genuine people I know. I'm going to pick up his first book, "Son of a Preacher Man" from the library as soon as I can get out from the snow. I won't even begin to go into Jay's story, he tells it much better than I could and if you're doing the 52 in 52 you can add it to your list and read it for yourself. "Fall to Grace" is an exploration of what Grace is really all about. It draws on the book of Galatians and on Jay's life experience and on the stories of others, "Grace Notes" inserted between the sections, to build a beautiful case for grace. 

Jay's writing style is natural and easy to read. As the mother of a dyslexic child I find it profoundly comforting to read the work of a profoundly dyslexic author. He does use a co-writer, Martin Edlund, but the voice in the book is clearly Jay's. I found the book encouraging on so many levels. It is a perfect match to Jonathan Brink's book, which I am still reading and pondering over. 

Jay will be doing book signings in several parts of the country. If you're in any of these areas you need to check him out: 

Fall to Grace, Book signing tour dates!

by Jay Bakker on Friday, January 7, 2011 at 2:04pm

·         January 14 at 7:30pm – Book Signing at Spoonbill & Sugartown, 218 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
·         January 17 at 7:00pm – Book Signing at Borders, 7836 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC 28277
·         January 19 at 7:00pm – Book Signing at Borders, 650 Ponce de Leon, Ste. 500, Atlanta, GA 30308
·         January 22 at 7:00pm – Book Signing at BookPeople, 603 North Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703
·         January 24 at 7:00pm – Book Signing at Borders, 400 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

I'm 82 Pages and 4 Chapters In

This is presenting a fascinating paradigm...starting with the creation story a case is being made that the problem created in the garden when we (humanity) chose to eat of the tree of knowledge of good/evil is that we lost our capacity to see ourselves in the truth of how God sees us (he proclaimed humanity at creation to be "very good") and that it is not God or Satan who must be appeased at the Cross but rather humanity's own demands based on our flawed judgment of what happened in the Garden. It is a fascinating premise. I'm curious to see how it develops.

How This Is Going To Work

So I'm thinking that I won't be reading a book a week necessarily...some weeks I may read more than one and some books may take more than a week to read. My goal is 52 in 52 not a book a week. This week's book is by my outlaw preacher friend Jonathan Brink. I got it from him at OP10 - the Outlaw Preacher's (re)Union last month and haven't gotten started on it yet. His breakout session on it was very thought provoking and I'm looking forward to reading it. I expect this one to take more than one week.

Discovering the God Imagination: Jonathan Brink 

I am excited about engaging with this book. The concept he is exploring here is not one I'm sure I agree with but the little bit we talked about in the group session has me wanting to dig more deeply into scripture to see if its possible that we've gotten a whole lot of things all tangled up by not understanding what happened in Eden.

This Poor Blog

I'm sure it must suffer from an identity crisis. Over the years of its existence it has been:

1. A place for my random thoughts
2. A geocaching blog 
3. A bento cooking blog 
4. A homeschooling mama blog 

And now the blog for keeping track of what I'm reading for the 52 books in 52 weeks 2011 challenge.

Jessica and I are embarking on a challenge to read 52 books in 52 weeks. She's dyslexic so it may be much more a challenge to her than to me. We shall see. Her blog can be found at this link so please check in and encourage her as the year goes along. At any rate this old blog is getting a new purpose and a new look for the New Year. Happy Reading!