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Book Lists 2019 Book • Page 3

Discussion in 'Entertainment Forum' started by Garrett, Dec 29, 2018.

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  1. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    I’m having the hardest time getting interested in Inspired. I think I saw you read others of hers, @awakeohsleeper, how does it compare for you?
     
  2. awakeohsleeper

    I do not exist.

    Searching For Sunday was my favourite and really pivotal for me as I processed a lot of hurt in my life and questions about faith. It didn't have answers for me but I felt like I wasn't alone in the journey. I also think that is incredibly well written and loved the format, weaving her story and focusing each section on a sacrament. I just loved that structure and thought it was better than a lot of "Christian" books.

    The other two that I've read (Inspired & Year of Biblical Womanhood) have been solid but not as good as a whole. I think I approach them trying to remember that she writes memoirs with solid and well researched information rather than theology. Obviously there's usually a small gap between the American experience and the UK experience, but it doesn't usually get in my way (but perhaps allows me to give her more breathing room because I'm like "that's pretty American and not my understanding/experience"). It sounds like I enjoyed Inspired a bit more if you are struggling to get into it. On the whole I thought it was good but I can see that it may not be for everyone. I appreciate her perspective and have found it useful in making sense of the mess in my brain. I think she has one other book that I've not read. I only bought Inspired because it was reduced on Kindle to £1.99 or £2.99 and I had a giftcard!
     
    Garrett L. likes this.
  3. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    I think I’ve bought all of hers for $1.99 on Kindle sales so I totally get it!

    Her other is Evolving in Monkeytown (renames Faith Unraveled), which I’ve read and really enjoyed. But having grown up in the American South and attended the same college as her (love her Dad forever), I can see how I may have no room to breathe with her as you’ve said. I’m gonna keep trying.

    Have you read any Donald Miller? Blue Like Jazz is his famous one, but I greatly prefer A Million Miles In A Thousand Years and Through Painted Deserts.
     
  4. Vivatoto

    Royal Court of Princess Donut Prestigious

    Novels

    1). The White Luck Warrior (The Aspect-Emperor #2) - R Scott Bakker
    2.) The Great Ordeal (The Aspect-Emperor #3) - R Scott Bakker
    3.) The Unholy Consult (The Aspect-Emperor #4) - R Scott Bakker
    4.) Spores - Ike Hamill
    5.) The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
    6.) Before They Are Hanged (The First Law #2) - Joe Abercrombie
    7.) Unbury Carol - Josh Malerman

    Comics

    1.) Intersect: Metamorph (#1) - Ray Fawkes
    2.) Masquerade (Project Superpowers) - Phil Hester, Carlos Paul, & Alex Ross
    3.) Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels (#1) - Mike Mignola & Ben Stenbeck
    4.) Abe Sapien: The Drowning (#1) - Mike Mignola & Jason Shawn Alexander
    5.) Hellboy: The Wild Hunt (Omnibus #3) - Mike Mignola & Duncan Fegredo
    6.) 303 - Garth Ennis & Jacen Burrows
    7.) Northlanders (complete series) - Brian Wood
    8.) After the Cape (#1) - Howard Wong & Jim Valentino
    9.) Batman: Night Cries - Archie Goodwin & Scott Hampton
    10.) Batman: No Man's Land (#1) - Greg Rucka, Alex Maleev...
    11.) Angel and Faith (Season 10) - Victor Gischler & Will Conrad
    12.) The Fade Out - Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
    13.) Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Season 10) - Christos Gage & Rebekah Isaacs
    14.) Angel (Season 11) - Corinna Bechko & Geraldo Borges

    Good start to the year. I lovved the Aspect Emperor series. Finally got around to reading Shadow of the Wind which was gorgeous. I just finished reading Unbury Carol which was fucking great and definitely Malerman's best work yet. He's writing some truly original horror stories. As far as comics that Hellboy collection was my favorite. Been enjoying the series for the most part and that seems like it's real shining moment that took it to another level.
     
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  5. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    SHADOW OF THE WIND!!!!!!!!!!
     
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  6. Vivatoto

    Royal Court of Princess Donut Prestigious

    I see why you love it so much! If I was reading on my kindle and not a paperback I would of highlighted like a quote a page, lol. Do you have thoughts on the rest of the series?
     
  7. Joel Gustafson

    A glass can only spill what it contains

    Updated my list for the end of January. Some highlights/notes:

    I appreciated Narnia a lot during my first read-through as an adult. The series took a dip in the middle, but I really enjoyed the last three books (Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Last Battle).

    I liked Neverwhere more than I thought I would; I'll end up keeping that one for future re-reads. I LOVED Homegoing; it's easily the best book I've read so far this year. Alice Isn't Dead was fine, but I ended up putting it in the Donate pile.

    How We Read the Bible was a good read; lots of practical application for my personal life and my job (youth leader at a church in northern Colorado).

    As for comics, all of the Spider-Man series are knocking it out of the park. Ta-Nehisi Coates is successfully combining both character development and solid action in Captain America and Black Panther. The Immortal Hulk is consistently great; Thor has grabbed my interest more after a slower start. Doctor Strange is picking up steam, but I don't feel confident enough to add it to my list yet.

    This February and March, I'm looking for recommendations of novels by non-white authors, especially women (most of the stuff I read last year was by white guys and I want to diversify more this year). I prefer horror, but I'll give anything a try if it's recommended. Thanks, team!
     
  8. Joel Gustafson

    A glass can only spill what it contains

    Will definitely look into Unbury Carol.
     
  9. Vivatoto

    Royal Court of Princess Donut Prestigious

    I agree with you on all things Marvel (except for Spiderman which I don't keep up with).

    Check this book out, it's fucking great. I've enjoyed everything I've read from Tananarive but this is my favorite.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743449010/?tag=absolutepunk-20
     
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  10. Vivatoto

    Royal Court of Princess Donut Prestigious

    I rec very strongly. It's also a horror/western which doesn't get enough love. 2.99 on amazon right now for Kindle
     
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  11. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    The quotes are incredible! I go and read them on GoodReads all the time. I’m actually going to Barcelona (for the fourth time) in May. I’m thinking of taking them with me and maybe scouting out some locations.

    I think The Angel’s Game would be right up your alley. It’s set before SotW. The third is alright (and after), and connects the dots between them. The fourth is absolutely wonderful (also after). I ended it in tears, haha.
     
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  12. Vivatoto

    Royal Court of Princess Donut Prestigious

    Yeah I read your Goodreads review where you mention going to Barcelona which I can only imagine adds so much more. I was looking up the synopsis right after I finished and I somehow missed that there was a fourth book. I do really like the synopsis for the second book.
     
  13. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    CRZ creates a love affair with that city for me. It was the whole reason I went on spring break and then all of a sudden, I can’t stop going.

    The fourth came out last...September? I even missed it’s publishing by a few days. I thought it was January 2019 for years.
     
  14. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    Y'all have me interested. My wife also says I should try Rob Bell's stuff.


    Either of you familiar?
     
  15. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    I’ve read a couple of Rob Bell’s. He’s eccentric and I find a pretty decent amount of his theology suspect. Love Wins was his most controversial, but it felt more like Hipster Joel Olsteen to me than anything else.
     
  16. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    That doesn't sound complimentary or positive at all.
     
  17. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    I'm always fascinated with your lists. There's basically no genre you won't read
     
  18. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    Haha, I didn’t hate them. He conveys his message clearly. Liz Gilbert is a big fan of his and I’ve heard him on a couple podcasts. But I don’t know that i’d Ever rec him?
     
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  19. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    My only knowledge of him was working at an entertainment store in college and a all the Christian fraternity kids would come in talking/asking about his stuff constantly
     
  20. Joel Gustafson

    A glass can only spill what it contains

    So I know I wasn't asked, but I've read a few Rob Bell books. I'm not on board with everything he says, but I do appreciate how he's aiming to make room for questions and get people to think about what they believe.

    The men's group at my church read his book "What is the Bible?" and I'd recommend at least getting it from the library.
     
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  21. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    By all means, they were just actively talking about it at the time.

    I think the questioning side is what I'm interested in, cuz that's what bothers/bothered me the most growing up.


    I don't think I'm quite ready to dig into any of this stuff but I'm interested and intrigued for sure
     
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  22. awakeohsleeper

    I do not exist.

    I keep hearing about Donald Miller but haven't got round to reading anything by him. I definitely need to check some of his work out as I've heard I'd enjoy them.

    I'll probably read that final Rachel Held Evans book when it comes up cheap on Kindle, ha! I have always meant to get round to it.

    You might find his podcast (called The Robcast) more useful if you're interested in the questioning side of things and not wanting to dig into the book side of things. I've only read one of his books called How To Be Here and it was more a general market release - yes, he mentions Bible stories and spirituality but it's about creativity and being present and pursuing dreams in a healthy way. I was surprised to find it in the library in the UK (we don't have many newer Christian books (or even older ones) in our libraries!) so that indicates the level of Christianity in it.

    If you do fancy his podcast I'd highly recommend his conversations with Peter Rollins. (I don't know if you've come across Rollins but I find him fascinating. He's an Irish philosopher and storyteller who overturns traditional notions of religion and deconstructs distinctions between sacred and secular. He's got his own 'theory' called pyrotheology. Sometimes he's a bit too clever for me but I love listening to him talk and in particular I enjoyed his conversations with Bell). Episodes 111-114 are all discussions where Rollins talks about the four main conceptions of who/what God is and they were fascinating. He also did a three part series on love which was good as well. Anyway, throwing that out there - may or may not be of interest to you but as someone who has personally only casually dipped into Bell's work, I found them interesting and insightful.

    Ha, I like this a lot! There is a reason for this - I started reading again properly in 2016 and my aim was to read as many classics and 'must read before you die' books as I could. So I jumped in enthusiastically and it was great but at the end of the year I looked at the list and realised that most of them were dead white men (apart from a Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte novel!)

    At that point I thought "I've got to read as much as possible from different authors". I joined Sheffield libraries where I live and I started by spending the whole of March 2017 only reading female authors. I've also (and this is incredibly geeky but I get obsessed about silly things) got a spreadsheet where I keep a record of how many male authors I'm reading vs female in order to keep learning and keep a healthy balance. And then I'm actively trying to read as much as possible from different cultures and perspectives.

    Throw in my own doubt and questioning of faith in the last three years (which has led me to a whole world of new authors), as well as this course I'm doing to begin training as a counsellor and suddenly you've got an odd list of what I'm reading!

    If there are genres I'm missing out on I will admit I haven't read as many modern horror/thrillers as I used to growing up. I've read a few old school horrors (like Shirley Jackson) but I don't think I can always stomach the gore and violence these days. Maybe I need to dip back into that!

    Re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia is definitely on my list of things to read this year. Looking forward to reading them. My mum (who has MS) is re-reading them (she struggles to read now so yay for audio books!) and loving it. I think I read them last when I was at university (about 9 years ago) and remember finding them to be fantastic.
     
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  23. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    I find it interesting that most in here consciously try to read more female authors because that's not something I've ever even thought about tbh.

    Now that I do though, I think I tend to gravitate more towards female authors overall.
     
  24. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    Most of my favorite genres are dominated by men.

    But I also tend to read more nonfiction by women then men.

    So it’s a balance where I force myself in different directions depending on what I’m reading.

    I’ve kinda hit a slump in reading the last few weeks.
     
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  25. Colby Searcy

    Is admired for his impeccable (food) tastes Prestigious

    Wanna guess how many of those were on my shelves at home?
     
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