Total Pages Read to Date = 8,489
Total Books Read to Date = 27
Average # of Pages Per Book = 314
Average # of Pages Read Per Day = 57
Book 27
The Shack by William P. Young
Type: Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: When I was in the 6th grade at a Catholic grade school my teacher (a Sister/Nun) was telling the class that if you weren't Catholic and you didn't go to church on Sunday you would go to hell. Being so young and curious and naive, I guess, I asked the very smart Sister what if we (Catholics) were wrong about our God and our beliefs and the Buddhists or Hindus were right, would we then go to hell? I was told by the now really angry Sister that I was possessed by the Devil and was thrown out of the classroom. And so my intellectual curiosity was sparked and thus began my life's journey to understand who God is and what role religion plays in our lives. Since this book has over 1 million copies in print I was curious as to why others found this book interesting.
What I liked about it: At the end of chapter 12, Mack (the main character) asks Jesus, "Is that what it means to be Christian?" Jesus replies to Mack, "Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian." He continues, "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Another very thought-provoking exchange occurs earlier in Chapter 12 when Mack and Jesus discuss religion and institutions. Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus responds, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So no, I'm not too big on religion and not fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?"
There was something about the marketing of the book that turned me off a bit. The little checklist in the back on how to help them sell more books was a bit cheesy. A good book should be able to stand on its own and not have to be backed by a marketing machine to sell a lot of copies. I do think this is a pretty good book overall.
Type: Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: When I was in the 6th grade at a Catholic grade school my teacher (a Sister/Nun) was telling the class that if you weren't Catholic and you didn't go to church on Sunday you would go to hell. Being so young and curious and naive, I guess, I asked the very smart Sister what if we (Catholics) were wrong about our God and our beliefs and the Buddhists or Hindus were right, would we then go to hell? I was told by the now really angry Sister that I was possessed by the Devil and was thrown out of the classroom. And so my intellectual curiosity was sparked and thus began my life's journey to understand who God is and what role religion plays in our lives. Since this book has over 1 million copies in print I was curious as to why others found this book interesting.
What I liked about it: At the end of chapter 12, Mack (the main character) asks Jesus, "Is that what it means to be Christian?" Jesus replies to Mack, "Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian." He continues, "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Another very thought-provoking exchange occurs earlier in Chapter 12 when Mack and Jesus discuss religion and institutions. Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus responds, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So no, I'm not too big on religion and not fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?"
There was something about the marketing of the book that turned me off a bit. The little checklist in the back on how to help them sell more books was a bit cheesy. A good book should be able to stand on its own and not have to be backed by a marketing machine to sell a lot of copies. I do think this is a pretty good book overall.
Book 26
A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons for Life and Investing by Jim Rogers
Type: Non-fiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think Jim Rogers is one of the "smart" guys in this economic downturn and I enjoy listening and reading anything he has to say. Jim made enough money to retire by age 38 and then went on two multi-year trips around the world, one of them on a motorcycle. He did this in order to gain a real micro (not macro) perspective on the world.
What I liked about it: This book might be more interesting to someone who is new to Jim Rogers but, for me, it was a rehash of his philosophy on investing and on living. It is a short book, just 85 pages, and can be read in one sitting.
Type: Non-fiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think Jim Rogers is one of the "smart" guys in this economic downturn and I enjoy listening and reading anything he has to say. Jim made enough money to retire by age 38 and then went on two multi-year trips around the world, one of them on a motorcycle. He did this in order to gain a real micro (not macro) perspective on the world.
What I liked about it: This book might be more interesting to someone who is new to Jim Rogers but, for me, it was a rehash of his philosophy on investing and on living. It is a short book, just 85 pages, and can be read in one sitting.
Book 25
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as a "favorite" by more than one person to me recently. It is ranked second in the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. It's set in the roaring 20s as American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity as the economy soared just prior to the start of the Great Depression.
What I liked about it: I found it interesting that this book did not get much acclaim when it was published in 1925. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, after Fitzgerald's death, that it gained its popularity. I'm in the camp with the reviewers from the first 20+ years. I think I was better off having read it but I didn't find anything terribly fascinating about it. I didn't particularly like the overly descriptive sentences that use lots of extra words to describe something that could be expressed in much simpler terms.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as a "favorite" by more than one person to me recently. It is ranked second in the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. It's set in the roaring 20s as American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity as the economy soared just prior to the start of the Great Depression.
What I liked about it: I found it interesting that this book did not get much acclaim when it was published in 1925. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, after Fitzgerald's death, that it gained its popularity. I'm in the camp with the reviewers from the first 20+ years. I think I was better off having read it but I didn't find anything terribly fascinating about it. I didn't particularly like the overly descriptive sentences that use lots of extra words to describe something that could be expressed in much simpler terms.
Book 24
Testimony by Anita Shreve
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The only other book by this author that I have read was The Pilot's Wife, which I thought was just OK but good enough that I vowed to read something else by her. This is her latest novel and I thought it sounded pretty interesting -- a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont.
What I liked about it: I thought I would like the storytelling from the perspectives of multiple characters but the use of this technique in this book made the characters hard to follow. At the very end, I unsuccessfully tried to flip back through the book to even determine the significance of one of the characters. The novel is also told from multiple narratives - in the first, second and third person - which also made it a bit choppy for me. The story was fairly well told and seeing the tragic events transpire from multiple points of view (just too many points of view) was interesting. The novel explored the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and forced them to examine the "what ifs" as in "what if" he didn't do this or "what if" she didn't do that. In the end, for me I really want to like this book but, like The Pilot's Wife, I thought it was just OK.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The only other book by this author that I have read was The Pilot's Wife, which I thought was just OK but good enough that I vowed to read something else by her. This is her latest novel and I thought it sounded pretty interesting -- a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont.
What I liked about it: I thought I would like the storytelling from the perspectives of multiple characters but the use of this technique in this book made the characters hard to follow. At the very end, I unsuccessfully tried to flip back through the book to even determine the significance of one of the characters. The novel is also told from multiple narratives - in the first, second and third person - which also made it a bit choppy for me. The story was fairly well told and seeing the tragic events transpire from multiple points of view (just too many points of view) was interesting. The novel explored the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and forced them to examine the "what ifs" as in "what if" he didn't do this or "what if" she didn't do that. In the end, for me I really want to like this book but, like The Pilot's Wife, I thought it was just OK.
Book 23
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I discovered Jodi Picoult just over a year ago while lying poolside vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While pondering which refreshing drink to order next, I heard sniffling next to me and turned to find my ravishing wife crying while reading My Sister's Keeper. I asked her what the book was about and knew immediately that I had to give this author a try. That was an incredible 5-star book. My next Picoult novel was Nineteen Minutes, which became my then favorite until I read The Pact, which then moved to the top spot. When I began reading Change of Heart, I told myself that this wouldn't be my new best Picoult novel since it didn't make sense that each one I read became my new favorite.
What I liked about it: This may very well be my new favorite! Jodi Picoult has an unbelievable ability and gift to tell a thought-provoking story that stays with you, not only during the time you spend reading it, but well afterward as well. This novel explores the death penalty and the Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas. It was quite interesting to learn that the inclusion of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian bible were an editorial decision made over 2000 years ago while the other known gospels at the time were declared heresy. It is believed that, had this decision to standardize the Christian faith not been made, Christianity could have died out from all the infighting. One of my favorite passages from the book was "Sometimes we see what we want to, instead of what's in front of us. And sometimes, we don't see clearly at all." Regardless of which Jodi Picoult novel is currently my favorite, I am hereby crowning Ms. Picoult as my favorite author!
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I discovered Jodi Picoult just over a year ago while lying poolside vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While pondering which refreshing drink to order next, I heard sniffling next to me and turned to find my ravishing wife crying while reading My Sister's Keeper. I asked her what the book was about and knew immediately that I had to give this author a try. That was an incredible 5-star book. My next Picoult novel was Nineteen Minutes, which became my then favorite until I read The Pact, which then moved to the top spot. When I began reading Change of Heart, I told myself that this wouldn't be my new best Picoult novel since it didn't make sense that each one I read became my new favorite.
What I liked about it: This may very well be my new favorite! Jodi Picoult has an unbelievable ability and gift to tell a thought-provoking story that stays with you, not only during the time you spend reading it, but well afterward as well. This novel explores the death penalty and the Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas. It was quite interesting to learn that the inclusion of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian bible were an editorial decision made over 2000 years ago while the other known gospels at the time were declared heresy. It is believed that, had this decision to standardize the Christian faith not been made, Christianity could have died out from all the infighting. One of my favorite passages from the book was "Sometimes we see what we want to, instead of what's in front of us. And sometimes, we don't see clearly at all." Regardless of which Jodi Picoult novel is currently my favorite, I am hereby crowning Ms. Picoult as my favorite author!
Book 22
The Desert Has No King by Frederiko Aguilar
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was going to be a really good book about a kid who grew up gambling, became a bookie, got involved with (on the wrong side of) the Mafia and then escaped to Las Vegas to start a new life.
What I liked about it: Nothing. The spelling and punctuation throughout the book was horrendous. The dialogue between characters was awful. This author is no John O'Hara. There was absolutely no plot worth mentioning. Just when I thought the book might redeem itself at the end and pull some minor story lines together, the author just stopped the story and mentioned a sequel. What a piece of garbage. I cannot believe this author is trying to sell this book for $17. Thankfully I picked my copy up as a free e-book for the Kindle. I guess you get what you pay for. In my case, it was a total waste of time. The author should pay me.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was going to be a really good book about a kid who grew up gambling, became a bookie, got involved with (on the wrong side of) the Mafia and then escaped to Las Vegas to start a new life.
What I liked about it: Nothing. The spelling and punctuation throughout the book was horrendous. The dialogue between characters was awful. This author is no John O'Hara. There was absolutely no plot worth mentioning. Just when I thought the book might redeem itself at the end and pull some minor story lines together, the author just stopped the story and mentioned a sequel. What a piece of garbage. I cannot believe this author is trying to sell this book for $17. Thankfully I picked my copy up as a free e-book for the Kindle. I guess you get what you pay for. In my case, it was a total waste of time. The author should pay me.
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