MOTS (More of the Same, see Lost in a Good Book). Unlike movies, there are more book series that maintain interest and become more inventive over time and their various sequels. Fforde’s Lost Plots contines the story of Literary Detective Thursday Next as she now inhabits the Book World. I loved the way Fforde equated updating books as if it were software. Of course, there’s a vast conspiracy in the Book World to keep the upgrade on schedule…until Thursday Next catches wind of it.
Who’s Your Caddy (Audiobook), Rick Reilly
Very funny book by sportswriter (and Leatherheads scribe) Rick Reilly who tries to answer that eternal question - what’s it like to be a caddy? With stories about looping for John Daly, David Duval, Donald Trump, a blind golfer, and others, Caddy is quite humorous, a little ribald, and wholly entertaining.
Simple Church, Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger
A book written based on the assumption and corresponding research that complexity in churches is not beneficial to the life of the church. Paring down to the basics (see Google’s search page vs. Yahoo’s search page) and focusing everything about the church on a few principles seems to make churches grow better (i.e. deeper). These principles are three-fold: loving God, loving others, loving the world. Seems easy enough, but putting it into practice in a complex organization full of ministers doing “good works” is much more difficult.
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, A.J. Jacobs
More like 4.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a near-lifelong Christian, this book was eye-opening. An agnostic, liberal-leaning, New York City-based, Jewish editor of Esquire attempts to follow all the rules of the Bible. His fresh eyes, insightful mind, and open heart reveal the often dueling claims of both the Old and New Testament, showing both the beauty and the flaws of being a literalist. Fortunately, his year-long venture provides more than just intellectual fodder; it engages his life, transforms his worldview, and connects him with a religious and familial history he otherwise took for granted. I’d recommend this work to anyone, but especially to “lifelong” Christians that could use a fresh take on the Word of God.
[P.S. A few weeks after this post, I found out a friend of mine was actually quoted in this book from an article he'd posted online years ago regarding Alcohol and the Bible.]
Dave Barry’s History of the Millenium (Audiobook), Dave Barry
More like 2.5 stars. I probably shouldn’t count this as a read book since I listened to it, but either way, it’s an easy listen/read, as are most of Barry’s works. But he knows funny, and hyperbole, and brilliance disguised as ignorance. Who wouldn’t want Dave Barry to be their history teacher? Still, after reading Big Trouble and Tricky Business, I’d recommend his fiction over his non-fiction.
I Call the Shots, Johnny Miller
Only for golf fans, of which I am one. Johnny, current NBC broadcaster and former PGA prodigy, shares his views on a number of things relating to golf, from why Tiger won’t bypass Nicklaus’ 18 majors (to which I wholeheartedly disagree), to his ruminations on course design, his dream team, and what the future may hold. Written in 2004, it’s amazing, even then, how much Tiger Woods
changes the tone of the book. Tiger is the exception to every rule, the behemoth that casts his shadow into every facet of the game.
I Am America (And So Can You), Stephen Colbert
Although not quite a fan of the show, a friend recommended the book. It’s funny enough, as Colbert puts to paper what he satirizes on his show, portraying a staunch Republican who’s as American as apple pie. But, to me, it was too much of the same, and while I finished the book, I probably laughed more at the first half because the jokes were fairly fresh, whereas the latter half retread the same ground. But it’s about what I expect from a humor book. The side notes in the margin, where Colbert comments on himself, was a nice touch. (Maybe all future books will have the same thing - a wikibookia, constantly edited by the author throughout the year’s of his or her life).
The Man Who Was Thursday, G.K. Chesterton
Brilliant, short mystery novel, written by a brilliant, large, well-known author. Though an early 20th century novel, it’s still amazingly relevant. Contains some transcendental passages as well. I believe it’s one of the most recommended works of fiction by Chesterton. I now know why.
Neuromancer, William Gibson
It’s a sign of lazy reading when you have to refer to a book’s Wikipedia entry to make sure what you thought was happening actually occurred in the book. Fortunately, I was mostly right. Neuromancer is one of those books that’s oft referred to in popular culture, especially considering that Gibson coined the phrase cyberspace. It’s been called the first cyberpunk novel. I couldn’t believe it was written in 1984, as forward thinking, both in substance and narrative, as the story is. I kept wondering how difficult it would be to turn this into a film. Seems 2009 will be the year. Read the book before you see the movie.
Lost in a Good Book, Jasper Fforde
The sequel to The Eyre Affair in the inventive series about Thursday Next, Literary Detective. She enters books. She time travels. She saves the world. All in a day’s work. Fforde’s as an imaginative author as I’ve ever come across. Fforde knows his classics and constantly drops allusions.
