Friday, August 22, 2003

The weather today calls for thunderstorms as a "disturbance" moves through the upper atmosphere. This is actually bad news for Montanans, even though the rain is desperately needed here. The lightening will actually cause my fires than the spotty rain will put out. And that's not good. After a week or more, the Bridgers are finally visible from Bozeman again, but that could all change again soon.

In unrelated news, I think my hairline is receding. Just above the temples. Back a little ways. I first noticed this trend in high school, but it's mostly been a WWI trench campaign that moves a fraction of an inch every year. So I am faced with the same question as the European generals in 1915 - do I go to chemicals to hold the line and win the battle?

In even more unrelated news, I went whitewater rafting yesterday on the Gallatin River with Montana Whitewater. A great experience. It's been such a hot summer that the water was very low (400 cubic feet/minute - compared to 6800 cf/m at its peak in May), which meant a slower ride with more exposed rocks to navigate. Still a wonderful 3 1/2 hours on the water, with the final hour being the most exciting. We got pinned a couple of times, but were never in any serious danger. In addition to Nicole and I and our guide (Dann-I the Man-I), our raft had a USGS scientist, his stereotypically nagging Jewish wife, and their two children, Ray(chel) and Eli. Our guide was fond of quoting The Princess Bride and causing water wars with the other rafts at slow points in the river. A great morning, made even better by lunch at MacKenzie River (had the flathead pizza), followed by a couple relaxing hours at the Bozeman Hot Springs. A great day.

In the furthest-flung unrelated news, Johnny Depp has been officially offered the role of Willy Wonka in the upcoming Tim Burton production of Roald Dahl's book. I'm still not sure what I think about the new movie. I suppose bringing Dahl to a new generation is a great thing, and I love Depp, and Burton is just quirky enough to maybe pull it off. We'll see.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 11:55 AM

Saturday, February 15, 2003

About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Will is a terribly hip, selfish British prick. He’s 36, lives alone, and does nothing for a living. When normal dating/shagging doesn’t work out, he realizes single moms are easy and invents a two-year-old so he can join a single parents group. Then there’s Marcus, the tragically un-hip 12-year-old with a hippie mom and a bully’s target on his back. At first you can’t help despising Will and Marcus seems way too awkward--but that’s the point. When the end comes you wish there was more.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:51 AM

How To Be Good by Nick Hornby
This is not a feel good romance. Told from the wife’s perspective, the plot centers around a rocky marriage that's weathering the wife's affair and a husband's sudden psuedo-spiritual enlightenment. The husband tries to overcome the anger that defined his life before his awakening by changing the world, and the wife tries to figure out which husband she hates more, the angry jerk or the hippie Jesus who makes their kids give away their toys. It deeply probes modern relationships and what it really means to be good.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:41 AM

Wednesday, December 11, 2002

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
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. The actual book won’t give a more direct answer, but indirectly it speaks volumes with the story of Angelou’s childhood in the heavily segregated south. Angelou helps the reader understand just how deep America’s racism went. Excellent book, though the ending leaves you hanging.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:27 PM

Friday, November 22, 2002

Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey
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. The premise of the book explores how Yancey survived the church, and the answer is in people like civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., writer and psychologist Robert Coles, novelist Leo Tolstoy, doctor C. Everett Koop, and others, who truly lived their faith. It's a great introduction to a number of different influences and will leave you wanting to dig deeper into their lives.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:01 AM

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Finally, a convincing argument for the interconnectedness of nature and humanity that doesn’t come off as tree-hugging environmentalism. As she did in The Poisonwood Bible, Kingsolver interweaves differing points of view, giving the reader different perspectives on the intersection of farm life and wildlife.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:29 PM

Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder
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. So many students are victims of the class-ism and racism that pits the upper-middle class white students against the working class Puerto Rican students. I found myself blessed by the ease of learning in my fifth grade class (which would have been around the same time this book was written) and much more appreciative of hard working teachers.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:27 PM

A Sort of Life by Graham Greene
And a sort of book. What a let-down from what I’ve come to expect from Graham Greene. This auto-biography focuses on his early life with incredible detail, but it feels a bit too much like an old man’s nostalgia. There are few lessons learned and the real juicy details of Greene’s life, the war and his espionage work are only hinted at.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:25 PM

Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard
This is a great introduction to the writing of Annie Dillard. It will prepare you for the oddity and complexity of Holy the Firm and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Teaching a Stone to Talk is a collection of bite-size essays. ‘An Expedition to the Pole’ is one of my favorites, where she compares polar exploration to attending church. ‘On a Hill Far Away’ is also good, although I’m partial to Dillard’s critiques of Christianity. I bumped into a former student of Dillard’s while reading this book on the bus, and the man recommended ‘Total Eclipse,’ also another one of the better essays.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:24 PM

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
This magical tale about living forever is a good thought-provoking read for a Sunday afternoon. Technically it’s a children’s novel, which basically means it’s a quick read but a deep thinker. It tackles the idea of a fountain of youth in parable style, and will leave you thinking. Definitely better than the movie that recently came out.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:21 PM

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Nothing like the classic dis-topian sci-fi novels. Brave New World takes place in the future where humans are bred and nurtured to fit societal goals. It’s an interesting ethical discussion in light of the cloning issue. The book also explores ways we distract ourselves from life, avoiding the lows as well as the highs through various stimulants like drugs or alcohol.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:17 PM

I Am Relevant by various
If you want to feel like you can accomplish something, read this book. It chronicles over 50 Christians who are doing something, well, relevant in society. From youth pastors working with punk skater kids to a publicist for MTV. The folks at Relevant Media are all about making Christianity real to those around us, and this book is chockfull of plausible examples.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:15 PM

Thursday, October 03, 2002

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
When I read Vonnegut, I recognize the importance of what he saying and the value of his literary style and how well those two features complement each other. I just can't bring myself to enjoy reading it. While Breakfast is more interesting and insightful than my first attempt at Vonnegut, I'm left feeling equally annoyed and depressed at the end. Which is, I suppose, the point.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 9:39 AM

Friday, August 30, 2002

Race Matters by Cornel West
This is a rare, prophetic books that rose above the dead-end arguments, political stalemates, and impassable divides to offer a new perspective on how to understand the role of race in the United States by examining the issues surrounding African-American culture. West offers a position that is sanely moderate by radically undermining the idea that the left and right, liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican are exhausting the range of debate. It's persuasive more in the vision it gives than in the arguments it provides, but nearly 10 years after its publication it clearly deserves an essential place in American letters.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 9:20 PM

Thursday, July 11, 2002

A Live Coal in the Sea by Madeleine L'Engle
It sounds like a soap opera, unfolds like a mystery novel, and reads like a classic. When young Raffi is upset by her unknown past she goes to her grandmother for the family's troubled history. As the story of several generations unravels, you catch glimpses of amazing love, mercy, and grace. L'Engle does an amazing job weaving in the story of God without being overbearing. The grandmother marries a minister but the image of Christianity is more subtle than you'll find in any "Christian" novel.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:12 PM

Monday, June 03, 2002

Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder
This is one of the best novels I've read in a long time, and Theophilus is the best lead character I've seen since Scobie in The Heart of the Matter. Filled with personalities from the many layers of life in 1920s Newport, Rhode Island, this is character sketches at their best. Theophilus is a brilliantly free man, and his self-imposed morals and adventerous detective work combine into a novel that is equally winsome, tragic, and reflective. Highly recommended.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 7:38 AM

Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Card is probably the best sci-fi writer out there right now, and definitely one of the best all around writers. He matches excellent character development with intriguing ideas and taut, well-written plots. In this book, we follow Ender, a child prodigy, born and trained to lead the Earth's space fleets against a mysterious alien enemy- the Formics, or "Buggers" as most refer to them. The first two wars have barely kept the aliens from destroying the Earth, and without a genius to lead them, Earth's fleets may be destroyed when the Buggers return. Card's grasp of strategy and military leaderships is wonderful, and Ender may be one of my favorite character's ever put in a story. I can't think of anything that is wrong with this book- younger people and adults have and will always love this book. You don't necessarily have to like sci-fi to enjoy this book- it's a guaranteed good read.
posted by Neal T Redman at 3:07 PM

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
The sequel to Ender's Game is an entirely different book. Ender has become an adult, there's far less action, and it's three thousand years later! (time difference is explained in the book) That being said, this book is just as good as Ender's Game- just in a different way. Card's character development is fascinating, and the relationships are true to life. This, thrown in with a believable, fascinating sci-fi world, and a terrific plot, make this book fantastic. Card also makes you think, unlike most contemporary writers. He poses intriguing ethical problems, and also treats religion with intelligence and reality. None of the characters are blind fanatics in their faith, and have their own problems. His Mormon background throws a few loops in his thinking, but it works quite well for the most part. Even if you don't normally like sci-fi stories, you'll like this one. You can also read this without reading Ender's Game, but I wouldn't recommend it- Ender's Game is very good, and fills in a few gaps.
posted by Neal T Redman at 2:59 PM

Thursday, May 16, 2002

The Compass Flower by W. S. Merwin
Merwin offers meditations on nature and myth fused with love poems. His formal insistance on avoiding punctuation is not nearly as hard to get past as you might imagine and allow his language to take on a loose structure that blends meaning and sound nicely. Central to the collection, the longest poem "Kore", contains the following lines which exemplify Merwin's style and tone:"it is cold in the house/and I burned all the matches in the night/to look at you".
posted by Jeremy Keillor at 12:11 PM

Innocent Erendira and Other Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This strange collections contains stories that obviously come at different points in Marquez's development--Innocent Erendira was written in the early seventies while other stories are products of the late forties. Touching themes of solitude, isolation, and the longing for human connection he brings forth a startling vision of a world of desert and ocean filled with strange smells, prostitutes, dreams, and magic. Best read slowly, one or two stories at a time.
posted by Jeremy Keillor at 11:57 AM

Monday, May 13, 2002

Mantissa by John Fowles
Two characters who possibly don't exist, writer Miles Green and Erato the muse of fiction, enact the varied relationships between intellect and sensuality, spirit and flesh. While including discussions of Freudian psychology and French literary theory, Fowles manages to keep the novel centered on the moody relationship between Green and Erato. Not too significant perhaps, but fun none the less.
posted by Jeremy Keillor at 12:20 PM

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
The title always made it sound like one of those boring pseudo-theological books that grace the end-caps of Christian bookstores. But then I read somewhere that Bono gave the book to some friends after talking to them about faith. If it's good enough for Bono... why not? I picked up the book at the library, and after 15 pages I bought my own copy so I could scribble in the margins guilt-free. Philip Yancey confirmed all my sneaking suspicions that modern Christianity (myself definitely included) misses the point. I won't say this book changed my life, but I will say it flipped how I see things upside-down.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:51 AM

Tuesday, March 26, 2002

When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett
Sometimes Christians embarrass me. If you’ve ever felt the same way, this is a book for you. Thankfully this isn’t a book about poking fun at bad Christians, but a book that shows how often Christians don’t live up to the name, and how we need to improve. Poking fun at others’ screw-ups is pretty easy, but Dave Burchett doesn’t let the self-righteous (like myself) get off that easy. With a self-effacing style and chapter titles like “CSL: Christian as a Second Language” and “Godly or Gaudy?”, this is a book for the modern believer who loves the name of Jesus, but winces at His followers.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:44 PM

Lake Wobegon: Summer 1956 by Garrison Keillor
I'll start by saying I enjoyed this book immensely. Sure you could criticize the laguid pace, the fart jokes, or the snippets from "High School Orgies" but why: when it all fits together into Keillor's generous, mildly satirical vision of the world that is Lake Wobegon? The novel is a coming of age story that details the events of young Gary's fourteenth summer. It can be hard not to read the novel as autobiographical--after all Garrison's given name is Gary and he also was fourteen in 1956--but as in all his Lake Wobegon stories there's enough fiction to make such a reading a mistake.
posted by Jeremy Keillor at 5:37 PM

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
It's the idea that everyone knows about, but the book that many people have yet to read. This may be because the style of this book is extremely contemporary. If you're looking for romance, action, or even what you'd usually expect from a fiction book, look elsewhere. Set in a WWII American bomber airfield in Italy, Heller's comicly dark writing follows a pilot named Yossarian and his fellow off-kilter pilots. Or are they just going sane in a crazy world? The book moves from humor to darkness--often in the same paragraph--revealing much about our modern world and the way we think. If you're ready to deal with this book's dark humor and irony, then you will enjoy it immensely. If not, steer clear. 7 thumbs up!
posted by Neal T Redman at 3:10 PM

Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino
Cosmicomics consists of about a dozen stories narrated by a character with the unpronounceable name of Qfwfq. In one he describes the early days of existence, back when all that existed occupied a single point (ironically there were immigrants in those days too). Elsewhere are tales in which Calvino tries his hand at "narrating the love affairs of mollusks or unicellular organisms." Throughout this collection of post-modern myths, Calvino sheds new light on seemingly familiar themes--jealousy, love, desire, belonging, etc. Some of his jokes can be a bit obscure (Qfwfq tells us that the first numbers were pi and e), but such things can be forgiven in such a delightful book.

posted by Jeremy Keillor at 2:54 PM

Friday, March 22, 2002

The Stand by Stephen King
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. I chose The Stand, mainly because the post-apocalyptic living plot (a super disease wipes out 99 percent of the population) intrigued me and seemed less prone to horror and gore (unfortunately it was also in the range of 800 pages). Overall, it was a thrilling read, scary in places and insightful in others. The spiritual depth came across as more realistic than most purposely Christian fiction. I'm not ready to dig into The Shining or Carrie yet, but I do have a new respect for Stephen King.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:52 AM

Wednesday, March 13, 2002

The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux is considered the best travel writer out there, and I would have to agree. Theroux is able to paint a picture of a town or incident vividly, yet concisely. We begin to understand the people he meets just by the small conversations he shows us. In this book, he brings the coast of Britain to life, which he traveled around in 1983 during the Falklands incident and an impending railway strike. His avoidance of anything nominally touristy can be maddening at times--he even avoids picturesque churches. His ideas of an ideal town or bit of countryside may sometimes clash with your own, but his insights into the land and people of Great Britain make this a fascinating book.
posted by Neal T Redman at 1:09 PM

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
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. Who is this guy? When you read the gospels he surprises you on every page. Yancey examines Jesus in a fresh and both reassuring and upsetting manner. Reassuring because Jesus was frustrated with the same legalism that infuriates me. Upsetting because Jesus also doesn’t care for my own pious attitude. It’s a book that satisfies my own cynical urges. I suggest you read it with a pen in hand.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:11 PM

Tuesday, March 05, 2002

Big Trouble by Dave Barry
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. It's funny enough to keep you interested (although not funny enough to make you fall out of your chair, as Stephen King suggests on the back cover), reads quick enough to get you through it, and is just bizarre enough to remind you who's writing this book. It's a suspenseful mystery tale involving all sorts of hapless characters who trip over one another and fall for one another. Barry's managed to weave a first novel together full of action, drama, suspense, love, and hilarity. As a word of warning, the novel is laced with profanity, but as Barry says, it's the characters' fault, not his.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:46 AM

Friday, March 01, 2002

The Jesus Generation by Billy Graham
Take a retro ride into Christianity circa 1971 with your favorite crusading hipster, Billy Graham. In a book that's understandably out-of-print, Graham tries to "rap" with the youth of America and get them to "turn on" to Jesus. Graham often borrows campy '60s and '70s expressions in an attempt to connect with the younger generation, and thirty years later it's kind of funny. As a challenging and encouraging devotional book it falls a little short. As a retro ride it's very insightful and entertaining. The book is very telling of the times (there's a lot of environmental doom and gloom), and you even learn that on a few occasions Billy Graham himself visited various rock festivals, protests and love-ins in an attempt to understand the masses. Of coures he intended "incognito" (meaning he donned a hat, sun glasses, and a big sweater).
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:49 AM

Wednesday, February 27, 2002

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
This is the first time I've read Percy's fiction, having previously enjoyed Lost in the Cosmos and his collected essays. I must say I was stunned by his acute talent for for making the reader sympathetize with wholly apathetic characters. Playing on Kierkegaard's portrayal of the aesthete (see Either/Or), and adding his own twentieth-century American twists, Percy transforms Louisiana into the stage upon which all our delusional escapism plays liked a tired melodrama. A truly great book.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 9:32 AM

The Cabala by Thornton Wilder
Wilder's first novel is not as engaging or insightful as his Pulitzer prize-winning The Bridge of San Luis Rey, but it's still a remarkable accomplishment. The collection of mini-biographies examines the decaying social clique who once changed world history with hardly a thought. (Spoiler warning!) In the last 10 pages, the story's allegorical significance is revealed, which is the second time I've fallen for this trick in the last six months.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 9:20 AM

Monday, February 25, 2002

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
This is Austen's first book, and you can already see some of her talent coming out of this story. Her ironic sense of humor is not as frequent as in other books, but it's as humorous and understated of any of her other books. Elinor, however, has more sense than anyone I have ever met, and some of the character's emotions and actions are confusing to modern readers. The happy ending is a little bit too forced as well, but this book is still worth a read--unless you only read spy novels.
posted by Neal T Redman at 11:08 AM

Friday, February 15, 2002

The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls by Joan Jacobs Brumberg
Anyone who has dealt with teenage girls has seen an overabundance of insecurity and infatuation with the perfect body. This text delves into the history of female hygiene and dress for the past 120 years in an attempt to explain the current insecurities. It's an enlightening look at the bra, tampon, and clinical exam, as long as you really want to know such an intimate history. In the end it's long on research and short on answers, but serves as an effective background study.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:52 AM

Thursday, February 07, 2002

All New People by Anne Lamott
This short novel captures humanity in the amazingly descriptive style of Anne Lamott. The writing is incredible and makes the book a captivating read, despite the minimal plot. It's also another of Lamott's novels where one of the characters is a Jesus-hugging Christian, but with all the flaws and inconsistencies that come with real Christians--not the sugar-coated characters of typical Christian bookstore fare.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:56 AM

Thursday, January 31, 2002

Stength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr.
This collection of sermons by Martin Luther King, Jr. is incredibly intelligent and inspiring. If you’re only familiar with the more well-known of King’s speeches, this is an opportunity to dig deeper into his life and his faith. He spells out many of his principles, like his commitment to nonviolence, with solid, Biblical backing, quotes from and references to some of the best thinkers in history, and simple, sound arguments. Forty years later it’s still applicable and challenging.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:30 PM

Wednesday, January 30, 2002

Finding God in the Lord of the Rings by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware
This is a little book worth checking out for two reasons. It will make you look at The Lord of the Rings from an angle you may not have previously, and it will also give you some fascinating insights into how JRR Tolkien and C.S. Lewis thought about fantasy and myth.
posted by Neal T Redman at 10:26 AM

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Swashbuckling is the best word to describe this book. Don't let the several lame movie attempts over the past years turn you off from this book. You're definitely not going to find any chapters plumbing the emotional depths of the soul, but you are going to find court intrigues, sword-fighting, and romance (although 21st century readers may be thrown off by 17th century definitions of romance and mistresses). Check out the book that began the thriller/political intrigue genre. Eat your heart out Tom Clancy.
posted by Neal T Redman at 10:22 AM

Saturday, January 19, 2002

The Stranger by Albert Camus
A man on trial for murder realizes he faces punishment for having lived a life with no substance. This classic existentialist portrayal of life after 'the death of God' is more fodder for the anguished soul.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 12:42 PM

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Dostoevsky is the master of psychological anguish. This is one of his most well-liked books, with good reason. It hits on deep issues of spirituality, family relations, and personal guilt. The book is long, and is only recommended for someone willing to give it the time, but the rewards are generous.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 12:32 PM

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
This is a well-written, insightful look into suicide in small-town America, or rather, how a town deals with suicide. Eugenides touches on pertinent issues of family life, teenage dreams and depression, and collective memory with uncanny precision and remarkable believe-ability. A nice, one-sitting read that will leave you thinking about it for days.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 12:25 PM

Tuesday, January 15, 2002

Enter the Worship Circle by Ben Pasley
This is your pastor's book on worship. But maybe it should be. Pasley writes a sensitive, personal account of what it means to come before the God of all creation for the spiritual person who's tired of tradition and dusty religion. Enter the Worship Circle is made up of seven alternating accounts, varying from straight theological pondering to narrative prose to practical applications. The result is a book not for the church, but for the searching. If you're tired of worship as a marketing concept, this book leaves all the cliches and trends behind as it comes before God's throne.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:54 AM

Thursday, January 10, 2002

Ophelia Speaks by Sara Shandler
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. It runs the gamut of problems teenage girls face, including eating disorders, rape, drug and alcohol abuse, death, friends, parents, sex, and more. In a word, it's heartwrenching. These are the afterschool special stories, but told directly from the mouth of teens, and after a few chapters you get the idea that thoughts of suicide, a poor self image, and an eating disorder are rights of passage for girls. A sad thought, and a book worth reading for anyone who cares about teens.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:38 AM

Friday, January 04, 2002

Lion Country by Frederick Buechner
Lion Country is the first novel in the Book of Bebb, and serves to introduce characters that Buechner couldn't stop writing about. This first novel is a great introduction to a bizarre cast, centering around Mr. Bebb, a questionable priest who runs an ordination mill. It speaks volumes about religion and the mysterious ways God moves.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:48 AM

Thursday, January 03, 2002

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher
A difficult book about one women's struggle with eating disorders. She starts with her earliest memories, and by 9 years old she's bulimic. By the time she's 18 she finally hits rock bottom, weighing 52 pounds and given one week to live. Interesting insights into the mind of an adolescent girl, and plenty of good reminders that the academics and professionals aren't always so professional. Everything you thought you knew about eating disorders isn't always true.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:43 AM

Thursday, December 20, 2001

Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner
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.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:46 AM

Sunday, December 09, 2001

The Princess Bride (abridged version) by William Goldman
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.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:45 PM

Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2 by Steve Stockman
They sing about God and Jesus, they fight for society's marginalized and oppressed, and their last album was delayed so their lead singer could champion the cause of debt relief. They also smoke, drink, and live the rock and roll lifestyle. It's a Christian faith that doesn't seem quite consistent, but then again whose faith is perfectly consistent? Walk On asks difficult questions of both U2 and the Church that hasn't exactly supported them. Well-written, insightful, and challenging. (check out u2book.com for more)

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:44 PM

Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis
'Freak' would be the appropriate word for this book. Fatsis dives head first into the competitive world of professional Scrabble--and that world is a far cry from living room Scrabble. In the professional realm getting a bingo (using all seven tiles) is a common occurrence, in the realm of my living room getting a bingo is a once in a life time opportunity. It's an interesting book that explores the history, strategy, and pro players (i.e. freaks)--assuming you like Scrabble.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:44 PM

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
An amazing sci-fi novel written 50 years ago that is so applicable today. The fire department isn't responsible for stopping fires; they start them, by burning books. But it's not a government conspiracy, it's the lack of interest on the part of the common man.

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:44 PM

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
You'll never look at fast food the same way again. It's an excellent book that exposes the sesame-seedy underbelly of the fast food industry.
Read the ReView

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:44 PM

May There Be A Road by Louis L'Amour
A collection of short stories from the story-telling master--too bad they have no depth. This one was a little disappointing.
Read the ReView

posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:43 PM

Saturday, December 08, 2001

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
This is the most creative format I have seen in a children’s novel. The entire book is written using various types of poetry. It is told from the point of view of Jack, a boy who thinks poetry is only for girls. It’s a quick read but it’s defiantly worth the 20 minutes of your time.
posted by Abby Hendricks at 11:23 PM

Friday, December 07, 2001

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Beautifully written, with some vivid scenes and interesting character portrayals. However, unless you know much about Herodotus' historical philosophy or eastern religions, I and another English professor believe you won't get much out of this one.
posted by Neal T Redman at 2:32 PM

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
In my opinion, Chaim Potok is one of the best storytellers alive. His characters and action are vivid, practically walking off the page. In this book, Potok tells the story of Asher Lev, a Hasidic Jew born with a gift--he must draw and paint the world around him. However, his religion, family, and world reject this gift. Potok's portrayal of Asher's struggle to create and keep his strong faith is poignant and absorbing. I've read this book several times, and each time was as fulfilling as the last- the signal of a good book if I've ever seen one.
posted by Neal T Redman at 2:31 PM

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
It's difficult to characterize this book, and some of the struggle evolves from Vanauken's writing style. This book retells his story of how he met his wife, their amazing marriage, their conversion under CS Lewis' tutelage, and how he eventually lost his wife to a mysterious disease. The book is punctuated by letters to and from CS Lewis (who was very close friends with the Vanauken's), adding to the book's message immeasurably. While the style of writing is not going to win any awards, the story itself, and its powerful message make it more than a worthwhile read.
posted by Neal T Redman at 2:30 PM

Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy
Definitely one of the funniest, most unusual books I've read in a while. It poses as "the last self-help book" to force the reader to consider a leap of faith out of the self's (post-)modern predicament and into religion (specifically, an existentialist style of Catholic Christianity). A bit long, but the beginning and end are outstanding.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 9:27 AM

Home by Another Way by Barbara Brown Taylor
A collection of sermons by one of America's great preachers. Roughly following the Episcopal lectionary, Taylor talks through tough Bible passages with a knack for good story telling and an eye for a key insight into each Scripture. This book, as well as her others, is well worth the read.
posted by timothy paul yenter at 9:26 AM

Thursday, December 06, 2001

An Invisible Sign of My Own by Aimee Bender
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.
posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:51 PM