Book Reviews by Rating
What's So Amazing About Grace by Yancey, Philip
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
When I first read this book I checked it out from the library. Big mistake. I couldn't in good conscience write in a library book, and my bookmark was quickly filled with notes and quotes. I finally just bought the book so I could take notes in the margins and make everything easier.
Continue reading "Yancey, Philip"
Jayber Crow by Berry, Wendell
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Wendell Berry's latest novel is another story from the fictional town of Port William. This time around it's the life story of Jaber Crow.
Continue reading "Berry, Wendell"
The Phantom Tollbooth by Juster, Norton
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
By the second chapter of this book I was absolutely giddy. It's one of those children's books that you know is good because adults will enjoy it as much as children--if not more so.
Continue reading "Juster, Norton"
The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver, Barbara
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
The Poisonwood Bible isn't exactly Sunday School friendly. It's an exploration of the kind of faith it takes to withstand the heart of darkness.
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Education of a Wandering Man by L'Amour, Louis
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
Louis L'Amour is the master of story telling. He's written 90 novels, 23 short story collections, two works of nonfiction, one collection of poetry, and this final memoir, completed shortly before his death in June of 1988. It's not so much the life story of L'Amour as it's the story of his education.
Continue reading "L'Amour, Louis"
Crooked Little Heart by Lamott, Anne
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Reading Anne Lamott's nonfiction is like talking to the ultimate sinner-turned-Christian. She's still rough around the edges and doesn't think that's a problem. In one sentence she swears and the next she marvels at Jesus. It's a little hard to handle for some, refreshing for others.
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Praise, Anxiety, & Other Symptoms of Grace by Horstman, Joey
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
I have to start by admitting that Joey Horstman was my college professor. You may think I owe him something, but that's not the case. I graduated and my diploma is safely in my hands. Besides, he hasn't been returning my e-mails.
Continue reading "Horstman, Joey"
Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables by Vischer, Phil
Filed under: Business | Buy on Amazon
Nice inside peek at the rise and fall of Big Idea and Veggie Tales.
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Holes by Sachar, Louis
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Stanley Yelnats has been sentenced to dig a hole a day, five feet deep and five feet across.
Continue reading "Sachar, Louis"
The Prodigal Summer by Kingsolver, Barbara
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Finally, a convincing argument for the interconnectedness of nature and humanity that doesn't come off as tree-hugging environmentalism.
Continue reading "Kingsolver, Barbara"
Enter the Worship Circle by Pasley, Ben
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
In a time when worship has become a marketing concept, Ben Pasley pens a personal and deeply spiritual portrait of what it really means to come before the God of all creation in worship.
Continue reading "Pasley, Ben"
Fast Food Nation by Schlosser, Eric
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
American as apple pie. Once upon a time that statement provoked images of a warm bubbly pie, fresh out of the oven, round and delicious. Today that image is more accurately portrayed as "a small, rectangular, hand-held, frozen, and reheated apple pie," served in a brightly colored cardboard box.
Continue reading "Schlosser, Eric"
The Road by McCarthy, Cormac
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
You don't read many post-apocalyptic wasteland novels that win the Pulitzer and are featured on Oprah.
Continue reading "McCarthy, Cormac"
The BFG by Dahl, Roald
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Roald Dahl is a master of children's fiction. We're talking James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The BFG is no exception. It explores giants, dreams, expectations, and the little guy coming out ahead.
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Ender's Game by Card, Orson Scott
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
Continue reading "Card, Orson Scott"
The Princess Bride by Goldman, William
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
It's as delightfully wacky and fun as the movie (and if you haven't seen the movie, I pity you), but with more details and goofball comments from Goldman about why he left parts out. After a while you wonder who let him ramble like this, but it's a fun ride. It captures the power of story and is a perfect book to read out loud.
Stength to Love by King, Jr., Martin Luther
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
This collection of sermons by Martin Luther King, Jr. is incredibly intelligent and inspiring.
Continue reading "King, Jr., Martin Luther"
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Angelou, Maya
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
In the movie Reality Bites, Ben Stiller claims he knows why the caged bird sings in an effort not to look like a corporate doorknob. Winona Ryder laughs, ask him why, and he says something about because it was in a cage.
Continue reading "Angelou, Maya"
Teaching a Stone to Talk by Dillard, Annie
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
This is a great introduction to the writing of Annie Dillard.
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Lion Country by Buechner, Frederick
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Lion Country is the first novel in the Book of Bebb, and serves to introduce characters that Buechner couldn't stop writing about.
Continue reading "Buechner, Frederick"
The Jesus I Never Knew by Yancey, Philip
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
I find myself commiserating with Yancey; despite being raised in the church and attending a Christian college, and now even working for a Christian organization, I feel like I have little understanding of Jesus.
Continue reading "Yancey, Philip"
Understanding God's Will by Lake, Kyle
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
Don’t be scared away by the boring title.
Jesus Sound Explosion by Anderson, Mark Curtis
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
Welcome to the evangelical Christian culture of the 1970s.
Continue reading "Anderson, Mark Curtis"
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Scieszka, Jon
Filed under: Picture Books | Buy on Amazon
This slightly cracked book is a must have for the quirky individual who likes an irreverent take on the classics.
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The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein, Robert
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
I read this a while ago and had to reread it. Just as good as I remembered.
Continue reading "Heinlein, Robert"
A Live Coal in the Sea by L'Engle, Madeleine
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
It sounds like a soap opera, unfolds like a mystery novel, and reads like a classic.
Continue reading "L'Engle, Madeleine"
Blue Like Jazz by Miller, Donald
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
I've heard people rave about this book, but it took me a while to finally pick it up. I'm glad I did.
Continue reading "Miller, Donald"
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Lamott, Anne
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
I love Anne Lamott. She's crazy and nuts and loves Jesus. Her ficiton is good, but her nonfiction really makes you love this dreadlocked freak.
Continue reading "Lamott, Anne"
About a Boy by Hornby, Nick
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Will is a terribly hip, selfish British prick. He's 36, lives alone, and does nothing for a living.
Continue reading "Hornby, Nick"
New Way To Be Human by Peacock, Charlie
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
Have you ever wondered if Christianity is supposed to be more than potlucks and Friday night scavenger hunts? You're not alone.
Continue reading "Peacock, Charlie"
Walk On: The Spiritual Jounrey of U2 by Stockman, Steve
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
"Christians are hard to tolerate, I don't know how Jesus does it," said Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2, to which he added, "I'm one of them." There's a lot of frustration in that quote, but there's also a confession of faith.
Continue reading "Stockman, Steve"
The Man Comes Around by Urbanski, Dave
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
The music legend Johnny Cash died in September 2003, leaving an incredible musical and spiritual legacy.
Continue reading "Urbanski, Dave"
Red Moon Rising by Greig, Pete
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
In September 1999 a movement began in Chichester, England where young people began praying around the clock.
Continue reading "Greig, Pete"
Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church by Driscoll, Mark
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
Good thoughts and reflections on running a church, but he did get under my skin quite a bit.
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Anderson, Chris
Filed under: Business | Buy on Amazon
A Long Way Down by Hornby, Nick
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs by Bailey, Brian and Storch, Terry
Filed under: Business | Buy on Amazon
It's your basic how-to book for pastors or church staff considering a blog.
Continue reading "Bailey, Brian and Storch, Terry"
Bono: In Conversation by Assayas, Michka
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
It's the perfect memoir for a rock star. Rather than sitting down and actually writing a book (or paying a ghost writer), Bono just talked. It seems very fitting for the talkative Bono.
Continue reading "Assayas, Michka"
Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse by Boyett, Jason
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
It's a tongue-in-cheek apocalypse manual for the trendy young person who wants to know what all the fuss is about the end of humanity.
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Searching for God Knows What by Miller, Donald
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
Earlier I called Donald Miller a more Christian Anne Lamott, which seemed like a fitting description for Blue Like Jazz. But I'm not sure if the same applies to Searching for God Knows What.
Continue reading "Miller, Donald"
How to be Good by Hornby, Nick
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
This is not a feel good romance.
Continue reading "Hornby, Nick"
Soul Survivor by Yancey, Philip
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
The writer who brought us What's So Amazing About Grace and The Jesus I Never Knew gives us a glimpse into the writers and personalities that influenced him.
Continue reading "Yancey, Philip"
Among Schoolchildren by Kidder, Tracy
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Kidder puts you in the classroom and lets you see and experience everything that happens in Chris Zajak's fifth grade class in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Continue reading "Kidder, Tracy"
Tuck Everlasting by Babbitt, Natalie
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
This magical tale about living forever is a good thought-provoking read for a Sunday afternoon.
Continue reading "Babbitt, Natalie"
The Stand by King, Stephen
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
In my lifetime of reading I've always steered clear of Stephen King, the master of horror, gore, and million dollar contracts. But I'm beginning to see that he has some skills, and I decided to read something by King.
Continue reading "King, Stephen"
All New People by Lamott, Anne
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
This short novel captures humanity in the amazingly descriptive style of Anne Lamott.
Continue reading "Lamott, Anne"
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Hornbacher, Marya
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
A difficult book about one women's struggle with eating disorders.
Continue reading "Hornbacher, Marya"
Telling Secrets by Buechner, Frederick
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
The third in a series of memoirs from Buechner, Telling Secrets covers some of the same ground as Sacred Journey, but this time around delves deeper into Buechner's various roles and the secrets he's kept, especially his daughter's struggle with an eating disorder. It's a quick read and some excellent prose, a fine example of Buechner's long sentences (routinely 100+ words) that somehow don't become long-winded.
Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury, Ray
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
An amazing sci-fi novel written 50 years ago that is so applicable today.
Continue reading "Bradbury, Ray"
An Invisible Sign of My Own by Bender, Aimee
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
This is an odd little novel with a main character that's far beyond normal but not quite clinical. Despite the oddities, it's a fun read and full of some extremely poetic writing.
Unique, odd, strange? Yes. But that's okay.
Blue Shoe by Lamott, Anne
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Mattie Ryder is a 37-year-old, mother of two who recently divorced her cheating husband and moved into her mother's rat-infested house.
Continue reading "Lamott, Anne"
When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Burchett, Dave
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
How can you not like a title like that?
Continue reading "Burchett, Dave"
Forgiving Solomon Long by Well, Chris
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
A hired hit man with obsessive-compulsive disorder takes out his target--a pastor--and is haunted with guilt.
Continue reading "Well, Chris"
What Would Buffy Do? by Riess, Jana
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
At the beginning of the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander Harris tells Buffy, "When it's dark and I'm all alone and I'm scared or freaked out or whatever, I always think, 'What would Buffy do?' You're my hero."
Continue reading "Riess, Jana"
So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star? by Slichter, Jacob
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
Semisonic's Jacob Slichter explores the real world of rock and roll in this self-effacing memoir.
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Nickel and Dimed by Ehrenreich, Barbara
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Nickel and Dimed is classic journalism: an upper-middle class, well-educated, white woman tries to survive in the post-welfare boom economy of 1998-2000 as a low-income worker.
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Wild Seed by Bulter, Octavia E.
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
Word Freak by Fatsis, Stefan
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
'Freak' would be the appropriate word for this book.
Continue reading "Fatsis, Stefan"
I Am Relevant by Various
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
If you want to feel like you can accomplish something, read this book.
Speaker for the Dead by Card, Orson Scott
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
Interesting read. Not nearly as good as Ender's Game, but still some good stuff going on.
Sexual Character: Beyond Technique to Intimacy by Dawn, Marva
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
For a sex-obsessed people we're remedial when it comes to understanding sex. Marva Dawn re-examines our understanding of sexuality and brings a character of ethics that's often missing.
Continue reading "Dawn, Marva"
The Empire by Card, Orson Scott
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Not really sci-fi as billed.
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A Clockwork Orange by Burgess, Anthony
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Rendezvous with Rama by Clarke, Arthur C.
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls by Brumberg, Joan Jacobs
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Anyone who has dealt with teenage girls has seen an overabundance of insecurity and infatuation with the perfect body.
Continue reading "Brumberg, Joan Jacobs"
Big Trouble by Barry, Dave
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
The current king of humor writing attempts his first novel, and while the results aren't exactly dripping with literary greatness, it is a good read.
Continue reading "Barry, Dave"
Killing Bono by McCormick, Neil
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
Rock critic Neil McCormick shares his story of pursuing the rock and roll dream while living in the shadow of the world's biggest rock band.
Continue reading "McCormick, Neil"
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The Jesus Generation by Graham, Billy
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
Take a retro ride into Christianity circa 1971 with your favorite crusading hipster, Billy Graham.
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Brave New World by Huxley, Aldous
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
Nothing like the classic dis-topian sci-fi novels.
Continue reading "Huxley, Aldous"
What's So Amazing About Grace (visual edition) by Yancey, Philip
Filed under: Picture Books | Buy on Amazon
This tiny book is overloaded with gripping photos, funky type and arresting illustration. It's a visual translation of Philip Yancey's best-selling book and helps cement the concept with a minimum of words.
Continue reading "Yancey, Philip"
2001: A Space Odyssey by Clarke, Arthur C.
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
I haven't seen the movie before, but I assumed it was all about Hal.
Continue reading "Clarke, Arthur C."
Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog by Whiteley, Raewynne J.
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
If you're any kind of U2 fan you're more than familiar with the dripping spirituality of their music. If you're asking "U Who?" you're either craving a disgusting chocolate drink or clueless about the world's biggest rock band. Either way, Get Up Off Your Knees offers religious insight into the songs of U2.
Continue reading "Whiteley, Raewynne J."
Ophelia Speaks by Shandler, Sara
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
Written as a response to Reviving Ophelia, this book features the work of adolescent girls from every region and socio-economic background writing about their lives.
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Who Let the Blogs Out? by Stone, Biz
Filed under: Business | Buy on Amazon
Aside from its woefully lame title, it actually gives a decent overview of the blogging phenomenon.
Bad Ground by Cramer, Dale W.
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
His mother's dying words sent 17-year-old Jeremy in search of his long lost Uncle Aiden, a bitter and scarred miner who keeps to himself. It's a coming of age story about forgiveness and finding yourself, set in the harsh reality of a macho mining operation.
Continue reading "Cramer, Dale W."
Starship Trooper by Heinlein, Robert
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
The first chapter is amazing. The rest? Not so much.
Continue reading "Heinlein, Robert"
The Return by Aldrin, Buzz and Barnes, John
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
Interesting story, but about 150 pages too long.
Continue reading "Aldrin, Buzz and Barnes, John"
Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World by Hunter, Zach
Filed under: Non-Fiction | Buy on Amazon
May There Be a Road by L'Amour, Louis
Filed under: Fiction | Buy on Amazon
This collection of previously unpublished stories from the master of Westerns leaves you wanting something deeper.
Continue reading "L'Amour, Louis"
The Virgin of Bennington by Norris, Kathleen
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
This is a book that's not sure what story it's supposed to tell.
Continue reading "Norris, Kathleen"
U2 - Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every Song by Stokes, Niall
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
Have you ever wondered where it is that the streets have no name?
Continue reading "Stokes, Niall"
The U2 Reader by Bordowitz, Hank
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
You can imagine that the biggest rock band in the world has generated a lot of press, and not all of it good. The U2 Reader offers a sampling of that media frenzy, covering some of the biggest issues in U2's quarter century career.
Continue reading "Bordowitz, Hank"
Out of the Silent Planet by Lewis, C.S.
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
I wasn't very impressed.
Continue reading "Lewis, C.S."
The Rock and Roll Rebellion by Joseph, Mark
Filed under: Pop Culture | Buy on Amazon
The Rock and Roll Rebellion has a curious purpose: it's written for a genre it argues shouldn't exist.
Continue reading "Joseph, Mark"
Xenocide by Card, Orson Scott
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
550+ pages and no climax?!
Continue reading "Card, Orson Scott"
The Christian Culture Survival Guide by Turner, Matthew Paul
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
Former CCM editor Matthew Turner tackles the goofy and godly mess that is Christian culture.
Continue reading "Turner, Matthew Paul"
Foundation by Asimov, Isaac
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
The lack of consistent central characters and a continuing plot got kind of old.
Continue reading "Asimov, Isaac"
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Heinlein, Robert
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
It started out interestingly enough, but it just didn't go anywhere.
Continue reading "Heinlein, Robert"
Post-Rapture Radio by Russell Rathbun
Filed under: Spirituality | Buy on Amazon
With comparisons to Kierkegaard, pull quotes saying things like "so pithy, so smart, and irreverently funny that I almost bust a gut laughing," and rave reviews from folks like Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Andy Crouch, it's hard not to like this book. I didn't like it.
Continue reading "Russell Rathbun"
Shadowmancer by Taylor, G.P.
Filed under: Sci-Fi | Buy on Amazon
Shadowmancer is the latest craze in the publishing world. It's being hailed as 'hotter than Potter' and has a similar rags to riches story: the author, G.P. Taylor, sold his motorcycle to self-publish the book and has now signed a $6 million movie deal.
Continue reading "Taylor, G.P."
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A Sort of Life by Greene, Graham
Filed under: Memoir | Buy on Amazon
And a sort of book. What a let-down from what I've come to expect from Graham Greene.
Continue reading "Greene, Graham"