Books 2007

[coffeesnob318]

Well, my goal of fifty books in 2006 was more successful than the same goal in 2005. 1. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
2. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
3. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
4. Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
5. Yeah, I said it by Wanda Sykes
6. Found in Translation by Kim Moor
7. My Point...and I do have one by Ellen DeGeneres
8. Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon
9. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
10. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
11. Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
12. The Velveteen Woman: Becoming Real Through God's Transforming Love by Brenda Waggoner
13. Down to the Dirt by Joel Hynes
14. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
15. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
16. The Irresistible Revolution: Living Life as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
17. Women’s Role in God’s Family: Beauty, order, protection, fullness, giftedness and fruitfulness for Jesus by some guy in some church (his name wasn't on the publication)
18. Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
19. The Bird is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert
20. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
21. Let It Rain Coffee by Angie Cruz
22. All Families are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland
23. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
24. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
25. Crazy by Benjamin Lebert
26. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
27. JPod by Douglas Coupland
28. Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane
29. The Book of Liz by Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris
30. Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley
31. A Cafecito Story by Julia Alvarez
32. Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott
33. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
34. I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris
35. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
36. About a Boy by Nick Hornby
37. The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live by Sarah Susanka with Kira Obolensky
38. Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

It looks like I read a lot of old favorites last year. This year, I'm taking requests/suggestions.

[Poll #900511]

I'm hovering in the book communities, but they all suggest things I've either read or already have on the to-read list. My first three new tries are going to be Mercedes Lackey, Robert Jordan, and Terry Goodkind, all of whom I assume are science fiction, given the person who suggested them, but I'd like to hear what you like. I'm looking to branch out a bit.

Comments

[calledisrael.livejournal.com]

1) spy novels, especially cold war ones
2) biography

three books in the rotation right now: john piper, the supremacy of god in preaching (trying to improve,) michael frost, exiles: living missionally in a post-christian culture (which all my trusted christian friends are raving about,) and web griffin, by the order of the president (my current completely useless and frivolous novel.)

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I, too, have heard good things about the Frost book. I think I've even added it to my Amazon list.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[calledisrael.livejournal.com]

oh and can you tell me about the barack obama one? i am trying to decide if i want to read that... i am pretty apolitical, but am trying to get more invested in the system... and about the not so big house, would you recommend? sounds like some of the stuff i am getting into on sustainable living and consumerism, is that the idea?

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

Not so big house was good - there were elements of sustainability in it, but a better one for that are books by Daniel Chiras - I forget the exact titles - and Good Green Homes by Jennifer Roberts.

I love Barack Obama, so his book was an easy read for me. I don't always agree with him, but he writes like he speaks, which I like. Some parts of the book dragged. I'm soon to read his more autobiographical one - I'll keep you posted on that as well.

[ringsandcoffee.livejournal.com]

I should make more time to read. As it is, I either read kids books for work, or my flist. Actually, it seems I read anything that has words, which is probably why I can be online for so long, just looking for more to read.

[kagomeshuko.livejournal.com]

Same here! I just read so much stuff online!!!

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[nonnierms.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'd call her a favorite author since I haven't read enough of her to make up my mind on that front yet but I'm working my way through Janette Oke's books. R's church group has been watching the Hallmark movies based on her Love Comes Softly series so I'm starting there but have read a few of her others, too. I can't find her in book stores around here, though, so I've been going to the library--the christian bookstore around her closed down and the regular store doesn't carry her :\ Which could be a good thing for me since I shouldn't be buying books right now anyways......heh.

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

My pastor's wife really likes her. In fact, she probably has most of them. I could probably borrow them from her.

Thanks!

[preciouslilme.livejournal.com]

Well if you're looking to branch out into crime novels ad well I have to recommend Val McDermid, in particular her Tony Hill series (which starts with The Mermaids Singing). They're psychological murder mysteries and her characters are just fantastic. :p

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I can't remember the last time I read a good crime novel. This may be just the thing. Thanks for the suggestion!

[karyn5101969.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad to see you read Christopher Buckley's "Thank You For Smoking". If you liked that, he has a swack of books out. His work includes: God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, The White House Mess, No Way to Treat A First Lady, Wet Work and, most recently, Florence of Arabia. I, of course, have read all of them, plus a collection of essays called "Dry Martinis".

I would also recommend Kathy Reichs Bones series. She has written: "Deja Dead, Death Du Jour, Deadly Decisions, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, Bare Bones, Monday Mourning, Cross Bones, and Break No Bones". They are forensic archaeology novels that don't bore the crap out of you.

If you enjoy paranormal novels, try Charlaine Harris. She has written the "Shakespeare" (Lily Bard mysteries)series, as well as "Dead..."(Sookie Stackhouse novels). She has also recently branched out with the "Grave" series (Grave Sight and Grave Surprise). If you like a little nuttiness with your paranormal, I'd also recommend Christopher Moore. He has written "Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, Bloodsucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, and A Dirty Job". He also has "You Suck" coming out this month. Yes, I have read everything on this list, and it's all fun.

I also read a lot of books on Buddhism, and I recommend Thich Naht Hanh as an author. He is very clear and relatively easy to understand. His book, "Living Buddha, Living Christ" is very good and makes you think about your position in religion.

Peter David and Christopher Golden have written a number of TV series based books and I find they have the closest approach to the characters real voices than most authors. They do a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Star Trek Books.

For silly fluff, I like MaryAnne Davidson. She writes romantic tripe that you can fly through in a couple of hours. Good rainy afternoon stuff, or when you have a terrible bout of insommnia, like I often do.

If you have any questions, just ask. I've read everything any of these authors have written. Plus, I literally have thousands of books on a wide variety of topics, so I can field quite a bit of questioning. :)

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I really liked Thank You for Smoking - I'll have to check more of his out. I didn't realize he'd written so much.

Christopher Moore is a frequent suggestion when I ask people about authors they think I'd like. I think I'll try Lamb first. It sounds hilarious.

Thanks for the list!

[kagomeshuko.livejournal.com]

I put that I was surprised that I liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, not because I didn't think that I wouldn't like it, but the fact that I read it and then it took me about a day to "get it." It is written from the view of somebody with Asperger's syndrome. There are some who love it and some who hate it. It gave me a much better understanding of a way my sister might think.

You also might like "God's Politics" by Jim Wallace. I loved it.

I wish I read as much as you! I love to read. . .it's just. . .I read everything and never tend to stop to read ONE THING!

Right now, I am reading "Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior" by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I actually have checked out God's Politics from the library. I am a fan of Sojourners magazine, so I look forward to reading his book.

I have heard awesome things about The Curious Incident.... Our library has it on order. Happy.

[chicklet73.livejournal.com]

It was really difficult to pick one category. I nearly chose "all" but I really don't enjoy Westerns or Harlequin-esque Romance or non-fiction involving HistoryzzzZZzz. Just me.

(Amanda Quick is a very embarassing exception)

Oh! Have you read the Honor Harrington books by David Weber? I wasn't sure about them when I started, but it only took a couple chapters and I was good and hooked.

Damn, I love to read. Wish I had more time to do so...

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I have not read them, but I like anything that can hook me in the first couple of chapters. I'll try it! Thanks!

[bouncymonkey.livejournal.com]

I love reading Travel books - y'know, author moves to Italy, writes about new life. I enjoy finding out about new cultures, and different types of food, and how other people live. Some of them are a bit hit and miss, but I would THOROUGHLY recommend 'Extra Virgin' by Annie Hawes, which is one of my most favourite books ever :)

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I will definitely have to check it out, then. Thanks for the suggestion!

Suggestion

[tjbrown1978.livejournal.com]

I think you should "read" Writting My Life. I found it to be very theraputic. (sp?) Also read The Artist's Way.

Re: Suggestion

[coffeesnob.livejournal.com]

I've had several suggestions that I read Writing My Life over the past few weeks. I'll have to check it out.