Hi, zdufran!
It looks like you are off to a great start on your challenge! I was wondering if you thought the OJ book was a confession. I still remember the trial vividly and the day the verdict came down. You have a great variety of books on your list and I hope to read some of the books that you are reading, too. Good luck with your challenge!
--BJ
Update:
18.
Thinner Than Thou - Kit Reed - 7/22/08
This was a very good dystopian book confronting society's growing obsession with body image. I could have done without the last paragraph, though. :)
Currently reading:
Blessed Unrest - I have kind of set this one aside, but I plan to pick it back up. I just don't have much of a desire to finish it right now.
Serve God Save the Planet - I just started this book last night, but it is a quick read. I will probably finish this one pretty quickly. So far I am really enjoying it. I am already convinced that the religious community needs to be involved, if not at the forefront, of society's conversion to an environmental mindset. But I want to read this one to solidify my arguments and so that I can lend it to others having read it...
Message edited by its author, Jul 23, 2008, 3:46pm.
19.
Serve God Save the Planet - J. Matthew Sleeth, MD 7/30/08
This is the best book that is available concerning the role of the religious community in leading the environmental movement (creation care). I highly recommend it to all Christians or those who are concerned about the future of our environment.
I have decided to start writing short summaries of each book I read from now on - much like good old elementary book reports. I am starting to outline
Blessed Unrest as I read it. This is especially helpful to bring it all together, since I started reading it over a month ago and then sat it aside for a while.
Update:
20.
Blessed Unrest - Paul Hawken 8/6/08
This was a very good book. It covers the general movement that is taking shape all across the globe concerning environmental, human rights and social justice issues.
21.
Ishmael - Daniel Quinn 8/13/08
Great book! I can't believe I hadn't read this before now. What is amazing about this book is how timely it is today - even though it was written in the '70s. There needs to be a big push to get people to read this book again, or to read it for the first time.
Currently reading:
Finding Order in Nature by Paul Lawrence Farber
Next on the list:
Divided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson
This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti
22.
Finding Order in Nature by Paul Lawrence Farber
This book was almost too academic for me (now that I'm out of school). But I did enjoy most of it. The discussion of the western world's obsession with natural history was very interesting. It was also nice to see a tie in to the environmental movement at the end of the book.
zdufran
If you liked
Ishmael I really recommend reading
My Ishmael. I had to read it for a class on globalization and it truly opened my eyes.
Enjoy your reading and keep it up!
23.
Divided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson
This is a really good dystopian novel. However, the ending that doesn't quite live up to the body of work.
24.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
I liked this dystopian novel. I like all dystopians... This one focuses on the role(s) of women in a future society.
25.
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
This book looks at 4 different plants and asks the question: Is it possible that plants have used humans for their advancement in the world? Mainly people understand the concept of plants attracting bees with their flowers, just so that they can pollinate and be pollinated. Is it possible that flowers have used other methods to lure humans into perpetuating their survival?
26.
Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough
This book looks at the way we make things and offers a framework through which we should model our future manufacturing of all products. The title is in contrast with the "cradle to grave" mindset that the world holds now.
Hey there! I also read
We this year. What did you think of it? I was very impressed and quite moved by the ending. I could really see where Huxley and Orwell were both influenced by this book.
I read
Divided Kingdom last year and liked it quite a lot. I actually thought the ending worked well, but I could see how opinions could vary on that.
I liked
We by Zamyatin. It reminded me of
1984, as well as
Fahrenheit 451, which is probably my favorite dystopian.
I really enjoyed
Divided Kingdom, probably more than We. The ending worked for me.
Message edited by its author, Oct 21, 2008, 10:27am.
27.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
To compare this book with my other favorite dystopians would be unfair. In my opinion, the strength of this novel is really in its emotions and realistic characters. The gradual maturity that you see in some characters - and not in others - reminds me so much of my own life. This is a sad one.
28.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Again, this book is not a classic dystopian. It is a post-apocalyptic tale - and a depressing one, at that. I can see why it won a Pulitzer. I was surprised to find the story as emotional as it was with the writing style - there is no emotional insight to the 2 characters and the dialogue is very detached. Regardless, by the end of the book, there is no mistaking the love between father and son.
29.
Philodendrons by Jack Kramer
This short book is about 30 years old and many of the plant names have been changed. This is not a good source for plant identification, but contains some good information about Philodendrons in general and care instructions. This is a good book for someone new to Philodendrons or for someone thirsty to ingest every word ever written about this Genus (me).
30.
Change We Can Believe In by Barack Obama
This book is very dry - unless you're in to reading about potential policies. It is essentially a glorified stump speech, containing a little more detail (but still not enough to understand how it will all happen) about Obama's plans as President. The last 30 pages or so are transcripts of about 5 of his most significant speeches. These are very inspiring. His speeches reveal not just that he is a good speaker, but that he is intelligent and understands Americans and understands life on a level that few do.
31.
Day of Creation by J.G. Ballard
I wasn't thrilled with this book. It was okay, but wasn't the dystopian I expected it to be. And I didn't feel like it really went anywhere. I'm going to give Ballard another chance though. Any suggestions?
32.
The Croquet Player by H.G. Wells
This is a short read, but a fun, eerie story. It left me feeling much like C.S. Lewis's
The Man Born Blind from
The Dark Tower and Other Stories.
33.
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
This was my first graphic novel. I had already seen the movie, but was able to get a little more out of the book, taking it at my own pace. Also, it was a good one to add to my list, since I have had quite a focus on dystopian fiction this year.
Message edited by its author, Dec 1, 2008, 10:28am.
34.
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews
I received this book as a gift last week. The 7 lessons/principles/decisions given in the book are good ones. As far as the story wrapped around them... it seemed very cliche to me. I think I will probably write down the "seven decisions that determine personal success" though and keep them close at hand.
35.
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
I did it! I was aiming for about 35 and I finished with half a month to spare! This was a fun read. I finished it just before taking my anxious wife to see the movie this afternoon.
Congratulations on reaching your book challenge goal!
--BJ
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