On Books

A Small Note on Books--

I have noticed that there are a great number of books in my ownership that I have yet to even attempt reading. Likewise, I continue to buy books that will almost immediately and inevitably begin to collect dust on my shelf, in the good company of the aforementioned unread books.

To help solve this most dubious of conundrums, I've made myself a promise that I won't buy a book (short of schoolbooks or some other required reading) unless I first finish a book. Hopefully this will help me to

A) Start reading some of the books I own.

B) Start buying books that I will actually read, as I will be limiting myself in my purchasing opportunities.

What are some of the books I have yet to read, you may ask? Or maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway:

• Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
• Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears
• Forgotten God by Francis Chan
• Why We Are Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Cluck
• Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling*

*While I have somewhat renounced my mockery of the Harry Potter series, I do find it repeatedly hilarious that people want me to take the series seriously, when the author's name is "jk."

What do you think of my method?

Related:

• What I've been reading in the past.
• What I thought about some of those books.

What I'm Reading

Praise Habit

Even though I still haven't finished the last thing I said I was reading, and while I do intend to finish it, I have really enjoyed this piece by David Crowder so far. I especially liked his bit on Lectio Divina.

So far I find his psalm responses interesting, not so much insightful. I've essentially been reading it as a quasi-devotional, except at night before I hit the hay. But it is good for sure.

Also, his appendices are very helpful.

What I'm Reading

Mere Christanity by C.S. Lewis.

[for the record, I used this picture because that is the same cover as the copy I have. It's ancient]

It's one of the classics, so I've been told. This will be the first bit by Lewis that I have read outside of the Chronicles of Narnia.

How can I have not read this book by now, seeing as I am an ardent lover of theology and Christian thought? I dunno, your guess is as good as mine.

So far, I am a big fan of what he's saying, and the way he's saying it. I could give you several quotes, and I'm not that far in. I am very much amazed at Lewis ability to articulate in a clear and (maybe not) concise matter the amazing truths we find in the world around us.

I'm a big fan of the style he is writing in this book: building and growing a philosophy from very fundamental, observable roots. It reminds of why I enjoy many of Paul's letters.

"First, of all He left us conscience, the sense of right and wrong: and all through history there have been people trying (some of them very hard) to obey it. None of them ever quite succeeded.

Secondly, he sent the human race what I call good dreams: I mean those queer stories scattered all through the heathen religions about a god who dies and comes to life again and, by his death, a, has somehow given new life to men.

[and then, one of the best explanations for why God "chose" the nation of Israel I've ever heard]

Thirdly, He selected one particular people and spent several centuries hammering into their heads the sort of God He was--that there was only one of Him and that He cared about right conduct. Those people were the Jews, and the Old Testament gives an account of the hammering process."
--pg. 54

What I'm Reading

I finished Just Do Something the other day. It was most excellent. I will be posting a review sometime soon. In the mean time, I have moved on to The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller.


With the subtitle "Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith," Keller explains in his introduction that the book is not only for those coming to the Christian faith for the first time, or even those returning to the Christian faith.

From what I understand, he is writing to me (the "older brother") as much to a seeker (the "younger brother"). The speaker at summer conference this year told me personally it would be "the best book I read this year." So far, I haven't been blown away, but then again I am only in the first chapter. And I think it has potential.

What I'm Reading

In the spirit of I need to get off my lazy butt and read more if I am going to keep up the pretense of being intellectual, educated and an English major, I am going to read more. And I am going to post what I am reading here.

The book I am currently reading (semi consistently) is Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. The subtitle is "How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc." Pretty fabulous.

I had heard about the book from Josh Harris a few months ago, seeing as he wrote the foreward for it. Which is pretty amazing. You should check it out. So far the book is good stuff, and fairly predictable, but still good.

It's telling me what I need to hear: JUST DO SOMETHING. I'd encourage you to pick it up, though. It's pretty cheap. And worth it.