2008 in Books

These are the new books I read cover-to-cover this year. I'm sad the list doesn't even add up to a book a week! But I console myself that it might, if I added all the re-read favorites... :)

I've included links to the books I reviewed here on the blog.

1. Every Living Thing by James Herriot
2. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
3. The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie
4. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
6. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
7. Eternity in Our Hearts by R.C. Sproul Jr.
8. The 3AM Epiphany: Uncommon Story Writing Exercises by Brian Kitely
9. The One-Minute Organizer by Donna Smallin
10. Nineteen-Eighty-Four by George Orwell
11. Two Are Better Than One by Carol Ryrie Brink
12. Hidden In Plain Sight (pre-publication draft) by Martin Selbrede
13. The World’s Greatest Horse Stories
14. Son of a Wanted Man by Louis L’Amour
15. Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey
16. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
17. A portrait of Jane Austen by David Cecil
18. Magic for Marigold by L.M. Montgomery
19. Nothing to Wear? By Joe Rupo
20. For Kirk and Covenant, The Stalwart Courage of John Knox by Douglas Wilson
21. The Old Reliable by P.G. Wodehouse
22. P.G. Wodehouse: An Illustrated Biography by Joseph Connolly
23. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by A. Conan Doyle
24. The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter
25. Alone With God by John MacArthur
26. Latin for Dummies by Clifford A. Hull
27. Decorating With Books by Proeller Huston
28. Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds
29. A Thousand Days of Magic by Oleg Cassini
30. Get Married: What Women Can Do to Help It Happen by Candice Watters
31. Never Dies the Dream by Margaret Landon
32. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship by Colin Duriez
33. The Annotated Hobbit , annotations by Douglas A. Anderson
34. The Golden Age of Couture, Paris and London 1947-1957, by Claire Wilcox (V/A Museum)
35. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
36. The Little Prince by Antoine St. Exupery
37. Eloise by Kay Thompson
    
38. Eloise in Moscow by Kay Thompson
    

Here's to a more productive reading year in 2009!

List of 26: To Read

Of course this isn't exhaustive. After all, I'm working with a set number. Since I don't like to feel I've come to the end of good books, it's nice to keep a running list. If anyone has a recommendation for something to add, I'd love to hear. That's what the comment box is for. ;)

1. Nicholas Nickelby --Dickens
2. Orthodoxy --G.K. Chesterton
3. Unpopular Opinions --Dorothy Sayers
4. Confessions --St. Augustine
5. Persuasions --Douglas Wilson
6. Jane Eyre --Charlotte Bronte
7. Beowulf
8. Unfinished Tales --J.R.R. Tolkien
9. Autobiography --G.K. Chesterton
10. St. Francis of Assisi --G.K. Chesterton
11. Mind of the Maker --Dorothy Sayers
12. Jungle Book --Kipling
13. Standing on the Promises --Douglas Wilson
14. Future Grace --John Piper
15. Passionate Housewives Desperate for God --Jennie Chancey/Stacy MacDonald
16. Linnets and Valerians --Elizabeth Goudge
17. The Dean's Watch --Elizabeth Goudge
18. The Pursuit of Holiness --Jerry Bridges
19. A Good Man is Hard to Find --Flannery O'Connor
20. Bound for Glory --R.C. Sproul, Jr.
21. Against Christianity --Peter Leithart
22. The Little Boy Down the Road --Doug Phillips
23. Family Driven Faith --Voddie Baucham
24. Surprised by Joy --C.S. Lewis
25. Mere Christianity --C.S. Lewis
26. The Abolition of Man --C.S. Lewis

This is the end of the lists of 26. Next time I make a list, I think I'll work with an easier number. Say, 3. :)

List of 26: Books I Didn't Like

When I read a book, I write it down in my reading log, and rate it according to a color system. These books got yellow--the lowest possible rating. It's interesting to note that half of the books on the following list were read at least ten years ago. There are several possible conclusions I can come to from this: (a) I read a lot of bad books when I was younger. (b) My pre-reading weeding system is better now (c) I'm not so picky anymore (d) There are more bad children's books that adult books. Probably none of these is true. And if I was up on my logic, I'd know what fallacies these represent!

Anyway, I've listed these in reverse chronological order. (most recently read first) I've tried to note why I didn't like a book, but after number 13 I simply couldn't remember.

1. Reading Like a Writer --Francine Prose (Valuable insights mixed with poor choice of examples. Ugh! These moderns!)
2. And There Were None --Agatha Christie (see my review)
3. The Moving Finger --Agatha Christie (mystery unfair to reader; uncalled for appearance of Miss Marple 3/4 of the way through)
4. Somebody is Going to Die if Lilly Beth Doesn't Catch That Bouquet --Gayden Metcalfe (reads like a gossip column)
5. Thrones and Dominations --Sayers/Jill Paton Walsh (see my review)
6. Manners --Kate Spade
7. A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove --Laura Schenone (Bleak feminist outlook.)
   
8. Do Butlers Burgle Banks? --P.G. Wodehouse (it's awful when a good writer is evidently trying too hard!)
9. Style --Kate Spade
10. The Revenge of Anguished English --Richard Lederer (I actually got quite a few laughs from this. But the off-colour humour and profanity spoiled the book for me. That stuff stays in my head.)
11. There and Back Again --Sean Astin (profanity)
12. Biffen's Millions --P.G. Wodehouse (another title that just doesn't compare to his best stuff)
13. A Matter Of Trust --T. Elizabeth Renich (poor writing and choice of subject matter considering age of target readership)
14. Smeller Martin --Robert Lawson
15. Belles on Their Toes --Frank Gilbreth
16. I Discover Columbus --Robert Lawson
17. Texas Tomboy --Lois Lenski
18. A Picture of Freedom --P.C. McKissack
19. Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie --Kristina Gregory
20. A Daughter of Zion --Bodie Thoene
21. Struggling Upward and Other Works --Horatio Alger
22. The Glorious Conspiracy --Joanne Williamson
23. Mandie and Joe's Christmas Surprise --Lois Gladys Leppard
24. The Fabulous Flight --Robert Lawson
25. Paddington Takes to T.V. --Michael Bond
26. I Will Adventure --Elizabeth Janet Gray

List of 26: Favorite Poems

I've been somewhat obsessed with the number 26 recently. Why, I prefer to leave a mystery. Although, anyone who has known me for a while probably won't find it that hard to guess. ;) Anyway, I've been amusing myself by adjusting various lists to this particular length. Since I don't have any new book reviews, I'll post a few of these instead. Enjoy. Or not. Depending on whether you happen to be list lover like myself.

These poems are not in any particular order. If I've mentioned a favorite of yours, please comment. If I've left yours out, share it. Maybe it will turn into a new favorite! I've purposely left out hymns, because those make up a whole list in themselves.

1. Alter? --Emily Dickinson
2. I sing to use the waiting--E. Dickinson
3. The Thousandth Man --Rudyard Kipling
4. Given in marriage --E. Dickinson
5. He ate and drank --E. Dickinson
6. Sonnet 116 --Shakespeare
7. Afterflakes --Robert Frost
8. Jabberwocky --Lewis Carroll
9. Rime of the Ancient Mariner --Coleridge
10. Sonnet VI --Elizabeth Browning
11. Sonnet XXVI --E. Browning
12. Halfway Down --A.A. Milne
13. There is no frigate --E. Dickinson
14. Eletelephony --L. Richards
15. Father William --Lewis Carroll
16. My Love --James Russell Lowell
17. Sonnet 18 --Shakespeare
18. The Village Blacksmith --Longfellow
19. The Walrus and the Carpenter --Lewis Carroll
20. Little Orphant Annie --James Whitcomb Riley
21. When the Frost is on the Punkin --J.W. Riley
22. I Never Saw a Moor --E. Dickinson
23. It Dropped so Low in my Regard --E. Dickinson
24. At Least to Pray is Left --E. Dickinson
25. That I Did Always Love --E. Dickinson
26. Sneezles --A.A. Milne

Maybe this should have been the "Emily Dickinson (and a few others)" list. Must be pretty obvious who my favorite poet is!

Birthday of a great man

Today is Martin Luther's birthday. Here are a few of my favorite quotes, in honour of a man who was used by God to bless so many who came after him.

"It is pleasing to the dear God whenever thou rejoicest or laughest from the bottom of thy heart." --Martin Luther

"To be gloomy before God is not pleasing to him, although he would permit us to be depressed before the world. He does not with me to have a long face in his presence, as he says, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked [Ezek. 33:11] and 'Rejoice in the Lord'. [Phil. 4:4] He desires not a servant who does not expect good things of him." --Luther, Table Talk #122

And lastly, a long quote from the only major work that I have read by Luther, The Bondage of the Will:

"...God has surely promised his grace to the humbled: that is, to those who mourn over and despair of themselves. But a man cannot be thoroughly humbled till he realises that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of Another--God alone. ....he who is out of doubt that his destiny depends entirely on the will of God despairs entirely of himself, chooses nothing for himself, but waits for God to work in him; and such a man is very near to grace for his salvation."

Need something humorous?

I recommend reading Umberto Eco's essay, How to Organize a Public Library. I laughed my way through it for the first time this morning.

Finishing books has not been my strong point this fall. Hence my lack of posts on the blog. However, I am beginning to make some headway. Currently, I'm working through Here I Stand, a bio of Martin Luther. And of course, A Passion For Books, where I discovered the above-mentioned essay. :)

A Poem for the Season

I've been thinking about this poem for a week now, ever since the change of seasons. I memorized it (well, tried!) back in 6th grade, and can still remember most of the 1st stanza. I enjoy the rhythmic writing and dialect that James Whitcomb Riley employs. Hope you do too!

HEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,

And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,

And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,

With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here--

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;

But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock--

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,

And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;

The stubble in the furries--kindo' lonesome-like, but still

A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;

The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;

The hosses in theyr stalls below--the clover over-head!--

O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps

Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;

And your cider-makin' 's over, and your wimmern-folks is through

With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ...

I don't know how to tell it--but ef sich a thing could be

As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me--

I'd want to 'commodate 'em--all the whole-indurin' flock--

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

James Whitcomb Riley, from the Poetry Archive

My mom's apple butter