The 35 Book Challenge ... Not so much
Ok, so apparently 35 books was a tad ... um ... ambitious.
When all is said and done, I hit
1. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. Excellent book. Lewis does a good job at melting Christianity down to its core elements and then showing how faith has its own internal logic. As one reviewer on the cover put it, Lewis is the guy for people who might have considered Christianity but then thought themselves too logical or wise for it. It's also a great read for anyone who wants to learn more about the faith.
4.5 stars out of 5
2. Selecting the Pope, by Greg Tobin. This was a little more topical when I read it. Very informative, especially when it comes to the controversial (and often bloody) process of picking a Pope. But Tobin's show of knowledge is hurt by the fact that he's not a great writer, and he sometimes overexplains simple elements. He also seems to be very loyal to the Catholic Church as an institution, even while he's willing to acknowledge the mistakes of its previous chiefs.
3 stars out of 5
3. Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn, by Gary M. Pomerantz. An extraordinary, sweeping book about how two families, one white and one black, shaped a city and a region. Through the tales of the families of Ivan Allen Jr., the next-to-last white mayor of Atlanta, and Maynard Jackson Jr., the first black mayor of Atlanta, Pomerantz points out the growth of the South and American democracy. Full of humor and poignancy, it tells a story of epic proportions. Recommended.
4 stars out of 5
4. Wrigley Blues, by William J. Wagner. Humorous and painful all at the same time. A devoted (and, as required, delusional) Cubs fan follows the team throughout the almost-but-not-quite-historic 2004 season. The ying to the yang of last year's Red Sox, it is funny and depressing (at least for Cubs fans) at the same time. A perfect book for baseball fans or anyone who simply want to understand the pathos and bizarre loyalty of those who consider ourselves part of the world's most consistently disappointed brotherhood: Cubdom.
4.5 stars out of 5
5. The King of Torts, by John Grishman. Something of a disappointment for a Grisham book, it's nonetheless a good read with some very nice scenes. It just seems that Grisham is getting more interested in writing books that can be turned into movie scripts (a few good monologues and you're good to go) than writing satisfying fiction. The Chamber and a few others managed to have some serious themes without the moral getting in the way of the story; recently, the morals have started getting in the way of a good yarn.
3 stars out of 5
6. Founding Brothers, by Joseph J. Ellis. A wonderful book about America and a reminder -- especially timely -- that even the world's greatest and most successful democracy didn't get it all right at first. We delayed the big issues, missed some opportunities and came perilously close to implosion in the first 50 years following the American Revolution. Most importantly, Ellis knocks the wax of the figures of the past and shows all their foibles -- making them less sacred but more amazing and admirable at the same time. Highly recommended.
4.5 stars out of 5
7. Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham. One of the best Christmas books I've read in a while. It's got an amusing plot, a sharply drawn cast of characters (even if they have to be a bit one-dimensional) and a hearwarming moral. Because it is, after all, a Christmas book.
5 stars out of 5
So I will be less ambitious this year, lowering my target to 25 books. Beginning, presumably, with Ghost Wars, which has consumed most of my reading for the past several months.
When all is said and done, I hit
1. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. Excellent book. Lewis does a good job at melting Christianity down to its core elements and then showing how faith has its own internal logic. As one reviewer on the cover put it, Lewis is the guy for people who might have considered Christianity but then thought themselves too logical or wise for it. It's also a great read for anyone who wants to learn more about the faith.
4.5 stars out of 5
2. Selecting the Pope, by Greg Tobin. This was a little more topical when I read it. Very informative, especially when it comes to the controversial (and often bloody) process of picking a Pope. But Tobin's show of knowledge is hurt by the fact that he's not a great writer, and he sometimes overexplains simple elements. He also seems to be very loyal to the Catholic Church as an institution, even while he's willing to acknowledge the mistakes of its previous chiefs.
3 stars out of 5
3. Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn, by Gary M. Pomerantz. An extraordinary, sweeping book about how two families, one white and one black, shaped a city and a region. Through the tales of the families of Ivan Allen Jr., the next-to-last white mayor of Atlanta, and Maynard Jackson Jr., the first black mayor of Atlanta, Pomerantz points out the growth of the South and American democracy. Full of humor and poignancy, it tells a story of epic proportions. Recommended.
4 stars out of 5
4. Wrigley Blues, by William J. Wagner. Humorous and painful all at the same time. A devoted (and, as required, delusional) Cubs fan follows the team throughout the almost-but-not-quite-historic 2004 season. The ying to the yang of last year's Red Sox, it is funny and depressing (at least for Cubs fans) at the same time. A perfect book for baseball fans or anyone who simply want to understand the pathos and bizarre loyalty of those who consider ourselves part of the world's most consistently disappointed brotherhood: Cubdom.
4.5 stars out of 5
5. The King of Torts, by John Grishman. Something of a disappointment for a Grisham book, it's nonetheless a good read with some very nice scenes. It just seems that Grisham is getting more interested in writing books that can be turned into movie scripts (a few good monologues and you're good to go) than writing satisfying fiction. The Chamber and a few others managed to have some serious themes without the moral getting in the way of the story; recently, the morals have started getting in the way of a good yarn.
3 stars out of 5
6. Founding Brothers, by Joseph J. Ellis. A wonderful book about America and a reminder -- especially timely -- that even the world's greatest and most successful democracy didn't get it all right at first. We delayed the big issues, missed some opportunities and came perilously close to implosion in the first 50 years following the American Revolution. Most importantly, Ellis knocks the wax of the figures of the past and shows all their foibles -- making them less sacred but more amazing and admirable at the same time. Highly recommended.
4.5 stars out of 5
7. Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham. One of the best Christmas books I've read in a while. It's got an amusing plot, a sharply drawn cast of characters (even if they have to be a bit one-dimensional) and a hearwarming moral. Because it is, after all, a Christmas book.
5 stars out of 5
So I will be less ambitious this year, lowering my target to 25 books. Beginning, presumably, with Ghost Wars, which has consumed most of my reading for the past several months.