75 Books Challenge for 2013 : jjvors > 2012?

Will I surpass 117 books I read in 2012? Stop by and see. Some of my topics may not interest you, but the variety surely will.

January:

1 - Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life by Steven Furtick
2 - With Stars Underfoot (Adventures in the Liaden Universe, Number 10) by Sharon Lee
3 - Loose Cannon (Adventures in the Liaden Universe®) by Sharon Lee
4 - Skyblaze (Adventures in the Liaden Universe®) by Steve Miller
5 - Halfling Moon (Adventures in the Liaden Universe®) by Sharon Lee
6 - Eidolon (Adventures in the Liaden Universe®) by Sharon Lee
7 - Misfits (Adventures in the Liaden Universe) by Steve Miller
8 - Master Walk by Sharon Lee
9 - Hard Magic by Larry Correia
10 - Spellbound (Grimnoir Chronicles) by Larry Correia
11 - God Guides by Mary Geegh
12 - Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan
13 - The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

In Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life Steven Furtick exhorts Christians not to be satisfied with mediocrity, but to become greater--even greater than Jesus Christ! Blasphemous? No, he is claiming Jesus' promise that those who follow Him will do greater works than He did, because Jesus is in heaven working on our behalf and the Holy Spirit is in us giving us all we need to do God's work.

What's stopping us? Fear. Discomfort. Risk. The shame of possible failure. Lack of faith.

Is this a "prosperity" gospel? Absolutely not. Steve states persecution and affliction is a expected sign post showing we're on the right track.

Are you up to be Greater?

God Guides by Mary Geegh tells the story of how Mary, a missionary to India, learned to listen to God's guidance while she was in India. Through His still, small voice, she made the right choices in her life and guided other people in their lives. Mary gives many practical examples of how to listen and obey God's guidance, as well as miracles that resulted.

Anyone who wishes to listen to God and follow His direction needs to get and read this book.

The Gathering Storm is the first book in the three book conclusion of the mammoth Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. Stretching 14 books, with thousands of characters, and hundreds of plot lines, Brandon Sanderson effectively and excitingly concludes the series after Robert Jordan's death, tying up the major plot threads. If you haven't read the series, it involves a farmboy who is chosen by the Pattern to be the savior of the world. The Pattern is the weave of billions of lives through the ages of the Wheel of Time, created by the Creator. The Wheel consists of seven ages, repeating endlessly, different each time. The Dark One was imprisoned within the Wheel by the Creator. He is getting loose, and wants to destroy the pattern forever.

Expect to spend a month or more reading the whole series. The writing ranges from breath-takingly exciting to overly detailed and repetitious. It's worth plowing through the slow sections. This series has more foreshadowings and more prophecies than any other fantasy series I've read. They all come to pass, in one way or another. Don't miss it.

February 2013
14 - Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith
15 - The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith
16 - At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances by Alexander McCall Smith
17 - In the Footsteps of Jesus: A Chronicle of His Life and the Origins of Christianity by Jean-Pierre Isbouts
18 - Unusual Uses for Olive Oil by Alexander McCall Smith
19 - Into the Looking Glass by John Ringo
20 - Vorpal Blade by John Ringo, Travis S. Taylor
21 - Manxome Foe (Looking Glass, Book 3) by John Ringo
22 - CLAWS THAT CATCH by John Ringo

Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith, author of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, is another wonderful addition to the humorous fiction genre. Professor Dr. von Igelfeld is a very smart, very specialized (witness his 1200 page magnum opus "Portuguese Irregular Verbs"), and very naive professor. He and his professor friends get into humuous contretemps dealing with the real world as well as the perils of academe.

The pacing and understated writing style is similar to No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but the characters are more unbelievable and fantastic. My wife felt it was too silly. I loved it. Your mileage may vary.

Once more, Alexander McCall Smith, author of the No 1 Ladies' Detective series, tickles my funny bone in another series involving Professor Dr. Igelfeld, master philologist of mideval romance languages, noted for his seminal work, "Portuguese Irregular Verbs". In this book, The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs, Dr Igelfeld is pressed into service as an emergency vetinary surgeon, a courier for Father Christmas' bones, and as an entertaining lecturer on a cruise ship. Just when you think the ridiculous meets the sublime, the sublime become ridiculous.

In the Footsteps of Jesus: A Chronicle of His Life and the Origins of Christianity by Jean-Pierre Isbouts This was an ok picture book of Jesus' life and surroundings in ancient Judea. I felt the author tried overhard not to be overly Christian. It contains useful information and great photographs of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee where Jesus conducted His ministry.

1635: The Papal Stakes by Erice Flint and Charles Gannon Another installment in Eric Flint's increasingly complicated alternate history universe which started with 1632. In that year, a small town from West Virginia was transported in time from 2000. The shock of having a 21st century town in the middle of Europe during the 30 years war is still rippling through the world. The Borgia pope has ousted Pope Urban, but he is not dead, but is being protected by the United States of Europe. Borgia has kidnapped the son and pregnant daughter-in-law of a promininent USE industrialist and is seeking diplomatic leverage. The USE attempts to rescue them and also preserve Pope Urban's life constitute the two major plot lines of this novel.

If you enjoyed 1632 or any of the other novels in this series or if you enjoy alternate history, I highly recommend this book.

March 2013

23 - 1635: Papal Stakes by Eric Flint and Charles Gannon
24 - The Handwriting on the Wall by Dr. David Jeremiah
25 - The Course of Empire by Eric Flint
26 - Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson, Book 7) by Patricia Briggs
27 - Crucible of Empire by Eric Flint
28 - The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors by Ian Mortimer
29 - Saul to Paul: From Persecutor to Christ Follower
30 - Shadow of Freedom by David Weber
31 - The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman
32 - Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School) by Gail Carriger
33 - Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned The Tide in the Second World War… by Paul Kennedy
34 - Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip

Shadow of Freedom by David Weber David Weber continues his long-running series in the Honor Harrington universe he created. This time, despite the best machinations of the evil Mesa system, the multicentury plan to take over the known universe by genetically engineered geniuses has come to light. However, few people believe it--outside of the Royal Empire of Manticore. That includes Michelle Heinke, the queen's cousin, who is also an admiral of the fleet and is not afraid to take matters into her own hands. Aside from swatting down the massive Solarian League, which continues to attack Manticore in their undiminished arrogance, the Manticoreans must outwit and outfight the sneaky geniuses of Mesa.

Highly recommended. Four stars.

Etiquette & Espionage: Another humorous and successful book by Gail Carriger Set in the same alternate history universe as her Parasol Protectorate Series, it is written in a similar vein, with vampires, werewolves, and steampunk contraptions contending for the reader's attention. Ostensibly set in 1852 in a girls finishing school, this is no 1852 that we know. Rather it is a world of schools floating by means of dirigibles as large as ships, espionage conducted by vampires, as well as nubile young ladies who are taught to throw knives as well as cursey.

Along with rolicking bon mots, the story is supported by a fast paced narrative and captivating characters like the 14 year old lead Sophronia and her friend Dimity.

Please try at least one of Gail Carriger's books!

Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip is a delightful and wonder-filled collection of short stories by the long time master of fantasy. My instinctive reaction was to give this collection 5 stars, but my standard for 5 stars is quite high: Will the work be still popular and discussed in 50 years? This might happen with Patricia McKillip's work, but I do not know for sure.

Comparing her with Tolkien is instructive for those who are not familiar with her work. Like Tolkien, she is a master of the English language. But where Tolkien writes in verse, interspersed with prose, which is poetic in its beauty, Ms. McKillip writes prose as if she is writing poetry. She creates beautiful descriptions with an economy of words, while also creating evocative images that resonate long after the characters and even the plot are forgotten.

Using another metaphor, I would compare Tolkien's works, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Simarillion to great architecture. But McKillip's works, even her novels, are more like jewels: each one perfect and beautiful, with no missing or superfluous words. Think of her as Faberge for fantasy stories.

April 2013

35 - Intruder by CJ Cherryh
36 - Pride of Chanur by CJ Cherryh
37 - Chanur's Venture by CJ Cherryh
38 - The Kif Strike Back by CJ Cherryh
39 - Chanur's Homecoming by C. J. Cherryh

May 2013

40 - What They Didn't Teach You About World War II by Mike Wright
41 - Necessity's Child (Liaden Universe) by Sharon Lee
42 - Little House on Boston Bay by Melissa Wiley
43 - The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
44 - These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer
45 - Escape from Hell by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Escape from Hell by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle is very entertaining to read. This fantasy re-write of Dante's Inferno is surprisingly accurate from a religious and theological point of view. In Hell, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle have all characters of history and populate Hell with corrupt politicians from New Orleans, J Edgar Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, and of course, Hitler and Stalin. I found it amusing from both a political and religious commentary. I wonder how much of the theology Mr. Niven and Mr. Pournelle believe? I really enjoy seeing people repent and escape from Hell; that's the point of the book, after all.

June 2013
46 - Venetia - by Georgette Heyer
47 - Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee
48 - Captive in Iran: A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison … by Maryam Rostampour
49 - The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
50 - Bolg, PI:Away with the fairies by Dave Freer
51 - Bolg, PI: Wolfy Ladies by Dave Freer
52 - Dog and Dragon by Dave Freer
53 - Little House in the Highlands by Melissa Wiley
54 - Rebel With A Cause by Franklin Graham

July 2014
55 - The Shadow Of The Lion (Heirs of Alexandria) by Mercedes Lackey
56 - This Rough Magic (Heirs of Alexandria) by Mercedes Lackey
57 - Much Fall of Blood: N/A (Heirs of Alexandria) by Mercedes Lackey
58 - Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just by Timothy Keller
59 - Burdens of the Dead (Heirs of Alexandria) by Mercedes Lackey
60 - Altar Ego by Craig Groeschel
61 - Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change You by Lois Tverberg
62 - The Name by Franklin Graham
63 - Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer
64 - If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans by Ann Coulter
65 - The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun
66 - Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters by N. T. Wright
67 - Treecat Wars by David Weber

Altar Ego is a wonderful book about how becoming a Christian makes you a new person. Craig Groeschel tells a series of vignettes about his own conversion and the lessons he's learned through his Christian life. He is now completely different than he was in college, as his wife attests. The old Craig Groeschel is dead; the new Craig Groeschel is the altar ego. That's an intentional pun; it's what we can become when our old self is sacrificed to Jesus Christ.

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change You by Lois Tverberg was a thought-provoking read. Author Tverberg has spent years studying the Jewish culture of the first century into which Jesus was born, lived, and died. She learned Hebrew and Greek and poured over the words of Jesus in the four gospels. She read the rabbinical works of first century rabbis as well as explanations and traditions from later rabbis. She explains obscure sayings of Jesus such as "single eye" and "if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off" as normal rabbinical expressions. Ms. Tverberg also ties in the corresponding Old Testament passages that illuminate Jesus' sayings and words. Jesus would often cite one passage, assuming the hearer would also remember the adjacent passage as well.

The insights from Jesus' Jewish background greatly enhances anyone's understanding of Christianity. For Christians, the new perspective is inspirational and provides as much additional insight as stereoscopic vision provides over monocular vision. ( 5 stars )

"Behold, Here's Poison" is the first mystery of Georgette Heyer I have read. Written in 1936, it is set in England in 1936. Part of the charm of the book is the accurate feeling of the period. It begins quickly, with a novel introduction of the main characters by the maid. Then the murder occurs, and then the Inspector Hannasyde shows up. Each character has suspicion cast upon him or her in turn and is seemingly cleared. The pieces do not come together until the end, when the true murderer is revealed. The other charming quality of the book is the use of humor. Oh, and there is a surprising romance that develops between two of the main characters. That is the one similarity with her Regency novels

August 2013

68 - Trade Secret by Sharon Lee
69 - Who Moved the Stone? by FRANK MORISON
70 - Mapping the Origins Debate: Six Models of the Beginning of Everything by Gerald Rau
71 - Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work by Timothy Keller
72 - Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff
73 - Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions By John Kotter
74 - The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer
75 - The God I Never Knew: How Real Friendship with the Holy Spirit Can Change Your Life by Robert Morris
76 - The Ogre of Oglefort by Eva Ibbotson
77 - Crystal Soldier (The Great Migration Duology, Book 1) by Sharon Lee
78 - Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales by Nelson Mandela
79 - Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee
80 - Visual Guide to Gospel Events, A: Fascinating Insights into Where They Happened … by James C. Martin
81 - Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend by Andy Stanley

Frank Morison in "Who Moved the Stone?" does a great job of providing a detailed historical review of the various theories of what happened to Jesus' body after His death. He covers the Jewish and Roman legal procedures and delves into the implications of what the gospel reports of His trial and death infer. He also examines Pontius Pilate in detail, his history and psychology. Although I didn't agree with all of his conclusions, he is a persuasive and a careful historian.

"Mapping the Origins Debate" by George Rau classifies the major origin ideas into six models: Naturalistic Evolution, Nonteleological Evolution, Planned Evolution, Directed Evolution, Old-Earth Creation, and Young-Earth Creation. He arrives at these six models by examining the philosophical underpinnings of each. Is God involved in evolution, creation, and how? He defines hypothesis, theory, law and model. He then shows how each model handles each origin question: the origin of the universe, the origin of life, the origin of species, and the origin of man.

Mr. Rau strives for complete objectivity in his approach, presenting how each model evaluates the scientific evidence and how it interprets it. He presents the criticism of each model by other model proponents and shows how they handle the criticism.

His goal is to foster understanding of various models so each of its proponents may more effectively understand the others. He aims his book at a high school or college audience.

I believe he achieves his goals. What is striking is how the underlying philosophy of each position determines what is accepted and what is rejected as evidence for each position. I would require this book as reading before teaching any evolutionary science course in high school or college. The philosophical underpinnings of science are not usually discussed, but need to be understood to see why scientists reach the conclusions they do.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the origins of the universe, life, species, or mankind.

In "Love Does" Bob Goff recounts how he learned to love like Jesus through various unbelievable experiences in his life. Incessantly amusing, occasionally hilarious, these stories cover the gamut of his first job, wooing his wife, getting into law school via a two-week sit in, and fighting for justice in Uganda. Just when you think he can't top one fantastic story, he comes up with another one.

I first learned of Bob Goff by hearing him speak at Leadership Summit this week. I was so delighted by his speech, I bought his book and read it. I recommend it.

Woohoo! Reached 75!

Congrats!

Thanks! drneutron Do you look through posts for people who finish 75?

Well, I read every thread, and one of the things I look for is for folks to hit the goal.

I looked for a celebration thread and didn't see one. Did I miss it?

September 2013

82 - The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson
83 - One Thousand and One Nights: A Retelling by Hanan al-Shaykh
84 - Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned by David Plotz
85 - Naked in Baghdad; the Iraq War as seen by NPR's correspondent, withletters by Vint Lawrence by Anne Garrells
86 - The Rogue Crew: A Tale of Redwall by Brian Jacques
87 - Doomwyte: A Novel of Redwall by Brian Jacques
88 - Switched (Trylle) by Amanda Hocking
89 - Torn (Trylle Trilogy Book 2) by Amanda Hocking
90 - High Rhulain: A Tale From Redwall Audio CD 2005 (Author) Brian Jacques

Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned by David Plotz

Alternately amusing, insightful, and frustrating, this book by David Plotz, editor of Slate emagazine recounts his impressions as he read through the Bible for the first time, as an adult. Plotz, a non-observant Jew, read just the Old Testment, but had plenty of comments good and bad on God and the characters of the Bible. I feel many of his questions and complaints about God and the Bible could be answered by a little research on his part.

Doomwyte by Brian Jacques One of the best of Brian Jacques Redwall books, the Redwall heroes deal with multiple villains: evil tree rats, a crazed old hedgehog, wicked ravens, and gigantic poisonous serpent. Along the way, they solve multiple mysteries concerning the four jewels stolen ages ago by the master thief Gonfellin. To aid in these multiple quests, they make friends of thieves and mysterious dark stranger

October

91 - The Sable Quean (Redwall) by Brian Jacques
92 - Growing In The Prophetic : A practical biblical guide to dreams, visions, and spi… by Mike Bickle
93 - The Richest Man in Babylon : George S. Clason's Bestselling Guide to Financi… by George S. Clason
94 - The Root of the Righteous by A. W. Tozer
95 - The Unicorn Chronicles #1: Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville
96 - Song of the Wanderer (The Unicorn Chronicles, Book 2) by Bruce Coville
97 - The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
98 - Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts by Franklin Graham

November

99 - Pearl in the Sand: A Novel by Tessa Afshar
100 - The Poet Gnawreate by Dave Freer
101 - Deliberations: A Foreigner Short Story by CJ Cherryh
102 - Cryoburn (Miles Vorkosigan Series) by Lois McMaster Bujold
103 - Fully Alive: Lighten Up and Live - A Journey that Will Change Your LIfe by Ken Davis
104- 1636: The Devil's Opera (Ring of Fire) by Eric Flint
105 - Towers of Midnight (The Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan
106 - Under a Graveyard Sky by John Ringo

December

107 - Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School) by Gail Carriger
108 - To Sail a Darkling Sea (Black Tide Rising) by John Ringo
109 - The Emperors Knife (Tower and Knife) by Mazarkis Williams
110 - Legacy Systems (Adventures in the Liaden Universe®) by Sharon Lee
111 - Courier Run by Sharon Lee
112 - Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life's Biggest Questions by Timothy Keller

Review of The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson: Memory of Light by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson - The twelfth book in in the sprawling Wheel of Time series, written by Brandon Sanderson based upon Robert Jordan's notes left to him after his death. The plot moves satisfyingly toward the conclusion planned 20 years ago by Robert Jordan. The Dragon Reborn, Rand al'Thor wrestles with his internal rage at being manipulated by everyone, while fighting the most powerful evil Aes Sedai, the Forsaken. He manages to defeat those he faces, using unusual, never before seen techniques, but at the cost of completely submerging all emotion.

Meanwhile Perrin ay'Barra feels estranged from his wife Faile, even after he rescued her from slavery in the midst of an Aiel army. He, like Rand, feels the pressure of ruling and taking care of people who have flocked to his banners. He has 100,000 people following him. What will he do? Rand is responsible for Arad Doman. What will he do?

Mat Cauthon meets up with the mysterious Verin Mathwin, an Aes Sedai with her own unique agenda. She extracts a promise from him to follow her written instructions in exchange for moving his army by gateway.

Nynaeve al'Maera wrestles with worry over her husband Lan Mandragoran and fitting in with the Aes Sedai and Aiel Wise Ones as they seek to help--or manipulate Rand.

Avienda, linked to Rand al'Thor wants earnestly to marry him, but only on her own terms. She demonstrates her ability as a Wise One, yet she is failing the last lesson. What is it? Can she learn fast enough to help Rand?

These are a few of the plot threads covered in the book. Do not start the series with this book; read "Eye of the World". If you like it, if you love it, you'll be hooked and have years of reading pleasure. The whole series has an active online community and you can easily read spoilers. Avoid the community until you have finished the series.

This is not the best book in the series: "The Dragon Reborn" and "The Shadow Rises" are better in my opinion. But it is among the top 5. Brandon Sanderson writes more crisply than Robert Jordan. He depicts all the characters faithfully, although he lacks Jordan's sense of humor, especially with Mat.