Favorite Books: 2011

I used to make a list of my ten favorite books of the year. For the past few years, because of various things happening in my life, there has not been as much time for reading. Therefore, I could not find ten "best" or "favorite" books. I read a lot more than 10 books in these years (including 2011) but too many were unmemorable, or merely filler books.

So this year I am again offering my favorite books. These are not the best books of the year, but the ones that I enjoyed the most. That means that they made me think or feel in a new or exciting way. Most of these books were not written or released this year, but I read them for the very first time. Let me know what you think of my list. What would you add? What would you take off?

• "The Simple Faith of Mr Rogers" by Amy Hollingsworth
• "The Confession" by John Grisham
• "The Woman Who Wouldn't" by Gene Wilder
• "An Object of Beauty" by Steve Martin
• "Love Wins" by Rob Bell
• "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg
• "Sold" by Patricia McCormick
• "CS Lewis, My Godfather" by Laurence Harwood

One more thing:

I was given a Kindle for my birthday in March. I will write soon about what I see as the shortcomings to electronic reading, but for now suffice it to say that I love reading digitally. In fact, two of the books on my list of favorites were on my ereader. My reading habits are changing, and I don't foresee them ever changing back.

Favorite Books of 2010

I am aware that I may be the only one interested in these lists, but they do help me to think critically about the ways in which I spend my time. So, here is my list of my favorite books that I read this year. But first, my disclaimers.

These books are not necessarily the best ones of 2010. They are the books that I enjoyed, that entertained me, moved me, made me smile, or made me think more than any others this year.

These were not necessarily released in 2010. They are all new to me, however. I read them all for the first time in this year.

I try very hard to not be influenced by what is popular. Consequently, I may be biased against the Hollywood blockbuster or New York Times Bestseller. But then again, maybe not.

Additionally, they are in no particular order. It is hard enough for me to come up with my 10 favorites. Ranking them would be almost impossible.

One final note, I had a very bad reading year. I did not read enough books to come up with 10 favorites. Here is the best (favorite) of what I did read.

• Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith
• Brian Houston, How to Flourish in Life
• Andrew Vachss, False Allegations
• Emma Donaghue, Room
• Jane Elliott, The Little Prisoner
• Ed Butchart, The Red Suit Diaries
• Van Ryn and Cerak Families, Mistaken Identity

Me and Jean

Its a holiday weekend and so I have devoted myself to a couple of my favorite things. I am reading and watching movies. I am having a little trouble on the reading front. It has been hard for me to find anything that really excites me this year. I have been reading Andrew Vachss, but the one I am in right now is hard for me to get into. But I digress.

I have also been watching movies. Last night I watched Les Miserables. The version I saw last night was the one from 1998 starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. It is a fine production, but by no means the best one available. There is a version with Charles Laughton from 1935. There is one with Claude Rains (I think) that I really like too.

I first met the story of Les Miserables through the Broadway musical version. It is great music, a superb story and just innovative enough to keep it interesting. I have seen stage productions of Les Miserables several times (including one high school production that was surprisingly excellent). There are days that I spend in a blissful fog singing "Who Am I," or "Bring Him Home." The music makes me smile and takes to specific scenes, times, places, emotions. Ahhh...

The novel, written by Victor Hugo, is one of my favorites. There are no weaknesses. Reading this thing allows me to get lost in the pages. I love everything about it.

But the best thing about Les Miserables is Jean Valjean. He is probably my all-time favorite fictional character. Jean is a convict. The story opens with Jean working on a chain gang for 19 years. He has been sentenced hard labor for stealing bread. When paroled, however, he goes on the run. While evading the police Valjean encounters a priest who shows compassion, grace, forgiveness and love. Jean Valjean is transformed.

For the rest of his life Valjean has to hide from the authorities- he is a parole violator after all. But he shows grace and compassion for everyone he meets, including his greatest enemies. His concern and love for others is clearly the theme of the story.

This is not necessarily and Christian novel. The musical is not a religious production. Every filmed version I have seen does not focus on the obvious Christian themes. However, it is impossible to separate Les Miserables from the gospel. It is, in many ways, a parable of the the way the Christian life ought to be lived. Jean Valjean is not Jesus, nor is he intended to be. But those who read or view Les Miserables honestly will see Jesus in Valjean as surely as they will in Aslan. Do not miss Les Miserables, in whatever form you can find it.

Favorite Books of 2009

I'm continuing my year-end evaluations. I know that I may be the only one interested in these lists, but they do help me to think critically about the ways in which I spend my time. So, here is my list of my best books that I read this year. But first, my disclaimers.

These books are not necessarily the best ones of 2009. They are the books that I enjoyed, that entertained me, moved me, made me smile, or made me think more than any others this year.

These were not necessarily released in 2009. They are all new to me, however. I read them all for the first time in this year.

I try very hard to not be influenced by what is popular. Consequently, I may be biased against the Hollywood blockbuster or New York Times Bestseller. But then again, maybe not.

Additionally, they are in no particular order. It is hard enough for me to come up with my 10 favorites. Ranking them would be almost impossible.

• Randy Pausch- The Last Lecture
• Rob Bell and Dan Golden- Jesus Wants to Save Christians
• Brian Houston- For This I Was Born
• WP McKay and Ken Abraham- Billy
• Jimmy Carter- Palestine: Peace not Apartheid
• Peter Rollins- Orthodox Heretic
• Stephen King- Duma Key
• John Grisham- The Summons
• Billy Crystal- 700 Sundays
• Mother Teresa- Love

Harry Potter and the Christian's Dilemma

It was shocking to me that upon seeing the most recent Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I have not written anything about either the books, or the movies. It is time to fix that little oversight.

First of all, let me go on record as saying that I came late to the world of Hogwarts. I had to be convinced to start reading the books. However, I did, and I have read all seven installments. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was my favorite book. I felt that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the weakest book. I have also seen all of the movies. And naturally, some have been better than others.

JK Rowling as a good writer, but she is not great. Those who have compared the Harry Potter books to Narnia or other classic children's literature are mistaken. Harry Potter will live a long life because his stories are committed to film. Frank Baum wrote a series of books about Oz. We remember his stories because one of them was turned into a movie that we all have seen. JK Rowling and Harry Potter are in this category.

There are many people, usually Christians of a particularly narrow theological persuasion, who are against Harry Potter and everything about him and his Hogwarts world. Witchcraft, wizardry and the like are the works of evil is their belief. Good Christian people should avoid all association with anything however remotely related to witchcraft or the occult. At this point, I would like to point out that in these stories, Harry and his friends, Hermione and Ron, are the very personification of good. And although they often appear fallible and human, they are always struggling for virtue. They are "disciples" of Dumbledore, the benevolent headmaster and gracious teacher. It would not be stretching too far to talk about Dumbledore as a figure of God and Harry as a Christ-figure. I will not do that, however.

Suffice it to say that I do not believe the Harry Potter books or movies are bad, or detrimental for Christians (or anyone for that matter). They are fiction after all. Most Christians would protest if someone tried to take all stories with magic in them away. There would be no more fairy tales. (Cinderella, Snow White and Sleepy Beauty would all be gone.) Additionally, I am just obstinate enough that I want to know for myself what is good or bad for me. I am afraid if I take your word for what I should or should not see or do, I might miss out on something great. Consequently, I tried Harry Potter and I kind of liked him.

The most recent Harry Potter movie has very little in the way of action or violence. There are stories of teens growing up. There is good vs. evil (again). There are sad things and there are great victories. But the movie was good. The only shortcomings I came away with are:

• Even more than the book of the same name, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was nothing more than a lengthy set up for the final installment of the series. Stories are left unfinished. I would like more closure.
• I am a little upset that the last book will be turned into two films. Of course the books do get longer as you continue through the series. However, this seems to be nothing more than a money making scheme. I one movie can make you rich, two can make you filthy rich.
• The much ballyhooed opening sequence seemed to be tacked on with little relevance to the story or the rest of the film. The effects were good, but it was hard to make the connection.

I will, under protest, see the last two films. And I suppose that I believe the total cycle makes for good story-telling. In it we learn a lot about good and evil, growing up, and making good decisions. And that's not bad.

Of Mice, Men and Death

You know the story of Of Mice and Men. I know it too. I read the book first when I was in college. I have seen a couple of movies based on Of Mice and Men. I know a lot about the story, the setting, etc. But I was still not prepared for my recent re-reading.

First of all, I love the writing of John Steinbeck. I have never been disappointed by any of his work. I went into a depression for weeks after I finished Grapes of Wrath. I still cannot think about nursing mothers in the same way. Steinbeck has a way of moving me that no one else does. His work is informative and educational without being preachy. I find it to be moving without corny-ness.

So I knew that I would enjoy Of Mice and Men. What I didn't expect (or remember) was the lessons that there are to learn here. If you have never read this book- or haven't read it recently- do it right away.

• Killing a man for killing a man is worse- at least harder- than just killing a man. There is some violence in this book. There is no way around it. In fact, there is no story without the violence. Lennie, a large, powerful and simple-minded man, is not a violent character. He is a man who does not know his own strength and does not understand the consequences of his actions. His co-worker/ best friend George is trapped in a relationship with Lennie that is fraught with difficulties. George learns that some times death is better than other options, but that it is never good.
• Sometimes a person is killed for mercy. Without giving away too much of the plot line, let me say that death is sometimes better than life. Animals are destroyed when they are injured or too ill to recover. Of Mice and Men seems to endorse that thought, even for humans. One more step to euthanasia.
• This story reminded me of the Clint Eastwood film, Million Dollar Baby. There are no boxers or car accidents here, but the issues are sometimes similar. Read the book, then watch the movie and see if you don't agree.

Why I Love Books

There is a lot of talk lately about the Kindle, an electronic reading device, and ebooks in general. The electronic reader is touted for its convenience, ease of use, large capacity and portability, among other things. I know that most of this is marketing mumbo-jumbo. The Kindle is not nearly as good as the advertisers would have us believe. But still, it is an interesting concept. The biggest flaw with it is that it completely overlooks the greatest invention ever. The Book.

I love books. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, "I cannot imagine a life without books." It is to horrific to contemplate. And yet, that is what the internet, the ebook, the ipod and other devices are ultimately leading us to.

However, I rejoice that I already own a lot of books. I have more books than I will ever read. If publishers quit manufacturing books today, I would have enough. But that is not the point. The point is that I want new books. I want to read pages printed with words bound in covers.

The things I love about books are simple. Maybe you share some of my passions.

• I love watching my progress in a book as the book mark moves from front to back. I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I am getting somewhere. That progress can be visibly measured.
• I love the art on the cover of the book. I learned long ago the truth of the old saying- "Never judge a book by its cover." But there is great joy when a great book has a good cover. Sometimes I just look at the cover of the book and marvel.
• The shape of books is great. They line shelves so neatly. They fit in your hand just right. And when you have an uneven table leg, a book is the perfect remedy to prop it up.
• The size of books is perfect. Although there are some books (coffee table books, encyclopedias, etc.) that are entirely too large, holding a book is one of life's great pleasures. It is large enough to remind you of it's presence, but small enough that it does not become a burden.
• The smell of books is awful and wonderful. There is no mistaking that odor. I cannot describe it, but if you know the aroma you can imagine it just now.
• Books give you a sense of accomplishment. I journal all the books I read. I know how many I have read. I can tell you my favorite authors. I keep a list of books I still want to read. And when I see my shelf of recently read books, I am filled with a sense that I have done something.

The days of books may be passing by, but I hope not. I love books.

Reading Plan 2009

Last year was a complete failure as far as my reading life is concerned. In an earlier post I discussed the limited amount of time I gave to reading in 2008. There were too many distractions, too many limitations, too much stuff, and I was too lazy. 2009 will be different.

I am setting some goals for reading in this year. As with all my goals, I know that these are too lofty. I will not accomplish all these, but I will get some of them done. This year will be a better reading year than last year. I am sure of that. I will make sure of that.

In 2009:

• I will read one book on prayer each month of the year.
• I will read one book from the classics each month of the year.
• I will try to keep up to date with current literature and read some popular titles.
• I will read the New Living Translation of the Bible.
• I will read fewer magazines and newspapers and more books.
• My goal is to read 50 books this year.

It's a tall order, but I think I can do it.

Favorite Books of 2009

As I continue reviewing and evaluating the year that was 2008, I offer these titles as some of the best books that I read in 2008. So let me begin with my disclaimers:

1. These are not the best books of 2008. These books are the ones that entertained, informed, inspired or changed me the most.
2. These books were not necessarily written or released in 2008. They were just read by me for the first time this year.
3. There are not 10 books on my list this time around. I have some excuses for that. First of all, it was a bad year for the Miller family. There was a financial crisis, a couple of pretty serious health issues, a very busy schedule and a very silly Lenten fast. (I did not read anything but the Bible during Lent.)
4. The list appears in no particular order. The first on the list is not necessarily my favorite.

Here are my favorite books of the year.

• Candy Girl, by Diablo Cody
• Red Letter Christians, by Tony Campolo
• Jesus for President, by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
• Born Standing Up, by Steve Martin
• Robert Hardy's Seven Days, by Charles Sheldon
• The Path of Celtic Prayer, by Calvin Miller
• Sit, Walk, Stand, by Watchman Nee
• The Annotated Godfather, by Jenny M Jones
• Picasso at the Lapin Agile, by Steve Martin

Spirituality, Christianity, Seeking and the Arts

Over the past few years I have noticed a true hunger for spiritual things in the arts. I first noticed this several years ago when I read my first novel by John Grisham. Everyone was reading him, and although I had a general aversion to popular novels, I gave The Testament a try. I was not disappointed. It was a true page-turner. I have learned in the ensuing years that many of Grisham's books fall into that category.

The Testament is not one of Grisham's most popular works, but it is good. And one of the reasons that I liked it so much is that it is a blatantly spiritual novel. In fact, right in the middle of the thing there is a very clear presentation of the Christian faith and how to become a Christian.

Soon thereafter, I joined a reading group that read The Green Mile, by Stephen King. This was my first Stephen King book, and it was not at all what I expected. The main character in the book is a Messiah-figure with miraculous healing powers. One cannot read this book without getting a sense of longing for "otherness," a spiritual yearning. Then I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. In this small book the main character, a little girl lost in the woods, prays. She prays to God.

But it is not just books that have these great spiritual themes. Movies are filled with searching, with thoughts and questions about God. The Matrix trilogy, the Star Wars movies, and many others are about Christian faith. Some of my recent favorites, including Walk the Line, are filled from front to back with Christian themes.

Popular music has followed that lead. Several years ago Christian artists like Kirk Franklin (Stomp) and Bob Carlisle (Butterfly Kisses) had huge popular hits with unashamedly Christian songs. Other Christian artists like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith worked to achieve some popular crossover success. But more recently it has been the "secular" artists who have made it acceptable to sing about God. Consider Joan Osborne (One of Us) and Kanye West (Jesus Walks).

So why is all this happening? There are probably a million reasons, but I want to focus on only one. People are interested in spiritual things, and especially Christianity, because they have a spiritual hunger inside them. Every person, including you and I, were made to be spiritual. Most humans have a tendency to ignore that natural state. However, sometimes we need to think about God. We need to ask questions, to consider, to seek. That seeking is often displayed in our art.

Seek on!

Chick Lit and Chick Flicks

To begin with, this is a rant. It is only a rant. Do not take this seriously. This entry, like the books and films that it is criticizing, should not be taken seriously. And that is exactly my point.

For a long time men have enjoyed westerns, crime dramas and action movies. But we are careful to not think that they are too important. Certainly some are made better than others. There are some films and books in these genres that will last for several years- or even decades. But we are not so deluded as to think that we have great culture because we like Clint Eastwood or Jack Bauer.

Women, on the other hand, have perfected the vapid romantic comedy. (I believe that there are only about three stories that are ever made into romantic comedies. Those stories get altered and alternated for each film. But that's an entirely different problem.) And not only have they perfected it, they want everyone else to experience it and rave about it.

The recent uproar about Sex and the City is a good example. I have not seen the film, but have watched the television program from time to time. I have found it to be funny and generally well-written. But Carrie and her three friends will never be mistaken for Lucy and Ethel. Mary Tyler Moore has nothing to worry about. Sex and the City is very popular because it speaks to a particular demographic group. And that is why it will not remain popular.

When television, literature, movies or music are focused on reaching one gender, age group, ethnicity or socio-economic group they are destined to mortality. No matter how "hip" they are now, when the group ages or changes the popularity will wane.

So, do not tell me that "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," or "Miss Congeniality" are great movies. They may be entertaining, but they will pass.

Do not be a snob and think that everyone has to agree with what you think is excellent. My opinions are probably going to be different than yours. And I am probably going to pass on your Oprah books and your Nicholas Sparks movies.

Christian Prayer for Dummies

I have declared 2008 as a "year of prayer" for myself and my congregation. This is taking on several manifestations.

• During prayer time in worship congregants are coming to the altar for prayer.
• We are emphasizing and re-vamping our prayer chain ministry.
• We have installed a "prayer board" to increase the visibility and accessibility of prayer concerns.
• We are working together on a weekly prayer devotional (on this blog called either "Prayer of the Week," or "Weekly Prayer Thought")

Personally, this year of prayer has influenced what I am reading and what I will be reading. So far this year I have read How to Pray, The Everyday Guide to Simple Prayer, and The Path of Celtic Prayer. I plan to read more prayer titles before the year is out. In addition, I am hoping to get away for a 2-3 day prayer retreat.

One of the books I have read is completely out of character for me. I read Christian Prayer for Dummies. I would normally not read something from the Dummies series mostly because I want substance in my reading. If I am to invest several hours in a book, I want to know that it is going to do some good. I generally think that anything written for dummies is probably not for me. (Maybe it really is for me, but I just do not want to admit it.)

But I tried this one because the author, Rich Wagner, is an old friend of mine. Rich has written several books, but I had never read one until now. I am glad that I finally got around to it.

As the title implies, this book is a basic, introductory course in prayer. It covers everything, but does not get bogged down on too many details. A lot of the information contained here was review for me, but it was a healthy review. After all, is it possible to be too prayerful? There were also many new things. I learned new prayer patterns, interpretations of Scripture and insights.

I commend Christian Prayer for Dummies, and not just because the author is a former buddy. This is a good review for seasoned pray-ers, and a helpful introduction for would-be prayer warriors.

Five Practices?

I recently read a book that had some interesting information in it. In all fairness, I did not choose to read this book. It was an assignment by my denominational superiors. Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase is a little book that outlines some "best practices" that many successful congregations have in common.

I will not even broach the subject of what makes a successful congregation. That is an argument that is beyond my energy or commitment to win. Suffice it to say that there are several definitions of success in congregations. Sometimes Schnase seems to equate "fruitfulness" with numerical growth. At other times success seems to equal meaningful outreach or peaceful congregations or growing budgets.

The biggest flaw in the book is that the title implies some help in determining and implementing the practices that will make a church fruitful. We never get that. We are given the five practices and some examples of how they work and change churches. But there is never a hint of how to affect the change necessary to carry out the practices.

• Radical Hospitality. The first practice is not mis-named, but it is definitely out of place. For Schnase hospitality happens when a person comes to visit your church. This is a problem because people do not just show up in church any more. If we are to be truly fruitful, we need to go beyond hospitality to reaching out.
• Passionate Worship. Schnase focuses on planning, preparation and balance in worship. I could not agree more. The old hymn admonishes us to "give of your best to the master." In worship we should certainly offer God the first fruits, the very best effort that we can muster.
• Intentional Faith Development. I could not agree with this point more. Well-meaning Christians are more likely to let their their faith slide than to be serious about growing in relationship to Christ. This needs to be addressed by individuals and congregations.
• Risk-taking Mission and Service. There is nothing, I believe, that causes faith to grow more and more quickly than mission. Doing what God calls you to do is great faith development and it is obedience to God's command.
• Extravagant Generosity. I felt that Schnase gave a disproportionate amount of attention to the matter of giving. If the church is faithful in all the other practices, generosity is sure to follow. One other weakness here is that generosity is limited to financial stewardship.

Schnase has written a book that does identify some common practices in successful churches, but this is all information that we have heard and read elsewhere.

Books I Want to Read this Year

Each year I read about 50 books (sometimes more, sometimes less). I always have a shelf filled with books that I want to read. Right now I know that I cannot realistically read all the books that are on my shelf (not this year anyway). And besides that, who knows what titles, authors or subjects will catch my fancy in 2008?

But, it is good to start with something. So here are the books that I am planning to read this year.

• Garrison Keillor. Lake Wobegon Days.
• Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins. Glorious Appearing.
• David Kinnaman. Unchristian.
• GP Taylor. Shadowmancer.
• Anne Lamott. Traveling Mercies.
• Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner.
• Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities.
• CS Lewis. Perelandra.
• CS Lewis. That Hideous Strength.
• Calvin Miller. Jesus Loves Me.
• Leonard Sweet. A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe.
• AJ Jacobs. The Year of Living Biblically.
• Shane Claiborne. The Irresistible Revolution.
• Bill Hybels. Just Walk Across the Room.

My 10 Favorite Books of 2007

It's the end of the year (sort of), and time for me to reflect on what has been good and bad about it. Over the next several weeks I will be posting some of my favorites of the year. Each of my favorites of the year have several qualifications, though.

• My favorites of 2007 do not necessarily have to be from 2007. It just means that I have experienced them for the first time in 2007.
• My favorites do not mean that they are the best of the year. I am not a critic. I am a fan. Therefore, the entries that make my favorites list move me somehow.
• To the best of my ability, I do not allow my favorites to be influenced by anyone else. Critical acclaim and popular status mean nothing to me if I do not enjoy the product.

Next week you will get to read my list of favorite albums of 2007. For now, you get the 10 Favorite Books of 2007 (in no particular order).

• Miz Lil and the Chronicles of Grace, Walt Wangerin
• Sex God, Rob Bell
• O Shepherd, Where Art Thou, Calvin Miller
• Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut
• Chazown, Craig Groeschel
• Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer
• If It Could Happen Here, Jeff Patton
• Lisey’s Story, Stephen King
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick
• The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield