Category Archives: books
books i’ve, read, re-read, skimmed, and those i wanna read…and how literature has influenced my life
bookworm wednesday – the drunkard’s walk
happy leap day, everyone! on this magical extra day, how ’bout a review of a book that tries to explain the illusions surrounding exceptional events: The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow (2.5 of 5 stars).
scientist mlodinow pulls back the curtain to show us how the magician in our daily lives is randomness. he claims we overestimate the significance of everything from casual interactions to major setbacks, and so we often attribute successes and failures to “obvious” causes, when they are actually more profoundly influenced by chance.
mlodinow offers examples from the classroom and the supermarket to big financial markets and the White House, and each is more intriguing than the last. the author convincingly demonstrates that ratings, grades, polls, and many other things we rely on are just not…well, reliable.
this was certainly an interesting read. truly thought-provoking ideas. i can’t decide if the evidence and concepts the author presents are encouraging, or just encourage apathy. and as a believer in the One Whose Hand is at Work in this world, i have to think that many of these “random coincidences” are just not.
the point of this calculated tour of randomness, chance, and probability is to remind us that much in our lives is about as predictable as the steps of a stumbling drunk. i’m not sure what my conclusion is, but i definitely was not bored reading this book.
do you believe that randomness plays a major role in life’s events? does this idea make you feel relieved or hopeless?
bookworm wednesday – the book that changed reading for me
today’s bookworm wednesday is not so much a book review as it is a piece of my reading history. i’d like to share the book that was a game-changer for me: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (5 of 5 stars).
it seems as if i’ve always loved reading. i can’t remember not craving books — both old familiar stories and new engrossing tales. but the motivation behind that desire wasn’t always the same.
i don’t know if other readaholics out there can relate, but in my history as a reader, there is a distinct moment that stands out to me — the moment when i realized that this reading thing was so much more than mere entertainment.
A Wrinkle in Time was the first fantasy book i ever read. i was in sixth grade, and up to then my reading was centered on tearing through each new title in Ann Martin’s The Babysitter’s Club series, Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High collection, and the Saddle Club books by Bonnie Bryant. i had (inexplicably) not even discovered C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.
when the school librarian suggested Madeleine L’Engle‘s Time Quintet, i was intrigued, and started reading immediately. A Wrinkle in Time fascinated and thrilled me in a way i had never experienced through books. meg’s intergalactic travels, the profound and thought-provoking themes, the impossible time-travel and bizarre space creatures, the inspiring heroics…i wanted more.
after quickly finishing all of the books in that series, i moved on to books by similar authors, then broadened my tastes to other genres like allegory and history and nonfiction.
i feel like A Wrinkle in Time was a gateway to a whole new world of reading for me. a world in which books serve to inspire, teach, and make you think, as well as entertain. now i read many more academic and life-application books than in my pre-teen years, but i still love to lose myself in a fantastic story.
the A Wrinkle in Time cover above is more pleasant, in my opinion (it’s the edition on my shelf now), but the cover art to the right is what was on the library book that i read, and it scared the bajeezes out of me. i don’t think i would’ve dived in if it weren’t for my intense curiosity, and my admiration for and trust in my librarian. (every reading nerd’s childhood hero — the school librarian.)
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if you have been a lifelong reader, do you remember a moment that changed the game for you? if you more recently discovered the joy of reading, what book hooked you? (if you don’t like to read…i don’t know what to say. 
)
bookworm wednesday – love your God with all your mind
since it is valentine’s week, i thought i’d share my thoughts about a book on love. and because many have had their fill of sappy romance for awhile after v-day, i chose a book with a decidedly un-sentimental approach to love. this week’s bookworm wednesday review looks at a book that was a life- and truth-saver for me after suffering emotional and spiritual wounds: Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland. (4.5 of 5 stars).
sometimes, when life happens, and you begin to question all you’ve always held true…sometimes you just need to approach your area of uncertainty in a new way. my relationship with God has always been more emotional, more a matter of the heart. my relationship with His Word was surely intellectual, but i always based my faith and convictions more on what i had known since childhood to be true in my heart. i didn’t even realize where i had built my foundation until my heart was torn and my faith had to find new footing.
moreland presents a methodical, logical case for the role of the mind in spiritual transformation, challenging us to develop a Christian mind and to use our intellect to explore theology, doctrine, and spiritual growth. the analytical, academic style in which moreland presents the information was just what i needed when i read his book, and reminded me of nancy pearcy’s total truth (another life-changing book that i read a few years ago and hold as one of my top five favorite books).
i read this book while taking a theology course at the credo house, and between the two resources i gratefully found a more solid foundation for my beliefs and a new home for my love for God. if you need some traction in your faith, check out this book as a starting point, and fill in the gaps with a course or two in the theology program—they offer online options.
have you ever needed to change your angle in order to gain some spiritual perspective? what helped you re-focus?
bookworm wednesday – born to run
as i was writing yesterday’s post about how this book had a significant impact on my approach toward running, i had to exercise some real restraint not to gush about how great it really is, beyond running inspiration. today’s bookworm review is of a book that i believe has a very broad appeal: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (4.5 of 5 stars).
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if you enjoy epic stories, you’ll like this book. if you are awed by incredible physical feats, you’ll like this book. if you are delighted by interesting characters, you’ll like this book. if you are fascinated by anatomy and physiology, you’ll like this book. if you are intrigued by different cultures, interested in science or history, or excited by adventure, you will like this book.
mcdougall’s writing style seamlessly transitions back and forth between research and information and the compelling narrative. it is his own story—his search for an answer to the nagging question of why running caused him nothing but pain.
much of the book is spent uncovering the secrets of the reclusive tarahumara indians, who for centuries have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest over the savage terrain of mexico’s copper canyon and enjoy every mile of it. but mcdougall also takes you from the high-tech science labs at harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across north america, meeting fascinating people all along the way.
i loved marveling over the ultra-athletes, learning awesome scientific and cultural facts, and feeling encouraged about my own potential. i would recommend this book to anyone. it is entertaining and informative, no matter what your interests.
bookworm wednesday – longitude
it’s a rare treat when a nonfiction book reads like a work of fiction. i love to learn, so education is entertainment for me, but it’s nice to get caught up in a true story the way you might in a novel. this week’s bookworm wednesday review is of a little book that did just that for me: Longitude by Dava Sobel (3 of 5 stars).
i didn’t realize what a big deal “the longitude problem” was in the eighteeth century. it was the scientific dilemma of the day that impacted the fortunes of nations, the lives of thousands of sailors, and all exploration by sea. it was such a significant concern that the british parliament offered a prize equal to several million of today’s dollars to anyone who could solve the problem.
john harrison was the first person to imagine a mechanical solution. everyone else (galileo & sir isaac newton included) had always looked to the sky for the answer, mapping stars and planets. the story is of harrison’s forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper–an epic scientific quest. and along the way the reader gets to learn about the fascinating world of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking.
sobel’s storytelling is engaging, but not engrossing. the story itself is interesting enough to keep you flying through the short volume. i can’t decide if this book is more history, biography, or science, but if you like any of those you won’t regret spending a few hours with this one.
what is your favorite type of book to read? do you like when several genres intersect in one book?
bookworm wednesday – the night circus
let’s kick off the virtual book club with an enchanting story i devoured while visiting my brother in colorado over the new year: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (3.5 of 5 stars)
Le Cirque des Rêves is only open at night, and the fact that it appears and disappears without warning is the least curious thing about it. the nocturnal attraction, styled entirely in black and white, is full of extraordinary wonders, and not even the performers know that it is the setting for a behind-the-scenes magical duel.
i was certainly charmed as celia and marco play in a game they’ve been trained for since childhood. their complicated relationship with the circus, the performers, the patrons, and each other entangles the fates of many into an already high-stakes battle.
the descriptive and imaginative detail in this book is truly…well…magical.
the fantastical themes really worked for me, sweeping me into scenes where i marveled at the creativity and inventiveness of the author.
for me, the story was more entertaining when i decided to just enjoy the ride and not worry about the route or destination of the sprawling, time-jumping story. the puzzle is tightly woven and very slowly unraveled, and while i usually get into a good brain-twister, trying to reconcile all the pieces of this one would only have diminished my delight.
has anyone read this book? were you drawn in by the mystery or the imagery?
