(Untitled)

[scarlatti]

Loads of people have stated their intentions to read fifty books or more this year. I don't know if I'll make it to fifty, but it sounded like a fun idea to keep track of the stuff I've been reading. Don't expect it all to be "great literature," either, because as the first two selections make clear, that isn't very likely.

1. Christianity for

Comments

[nellorat]

For just how recent and small the fundamentalist movement in Christianity is, I recommend Stealing Jesus by Bruce Bawer. The overall argument of the book, saying that Christianity can be rule-derived or heart-derived, is overly simple, but it's still useful, and his history is impeccable.

I've found that bestsellers can be well or badly written, as long as they have enough suspense or whatever to keep the reader reading until the end. I infer from this that most readers nationally don't know or don't care much about style. Good style doesn't seem to be a hindrance, though, as long as the plot or whatever keeps readers excited.

[scarlatti]

That book does look interesting, thanks! And you're right about most casual readers caring less about style than about a page-turning plot. :) But I do have a hard time with books where the author's style is awkward enough to distract me from the plot, as it was in this book!

[bibliofile]

Follett's stuff was pretty good in the '70s and '80s, his heyday--though from here I'm not sure if he was a better writer or I had different standards. (I haven't tried to reread any of it.)

[scarlatti]

I can believe that he was better back then. No doubt it gets harder to write bestsellers the longer you go on doing it.

It's also possible that he now has other people writing the stuff he puts his name on....

[anonymous]

You might wish to state, for the record, that the *mom* also gave you some better books---C.S. Lewis comes to mind, and Africa Unchained, Granted, The Devil and White City was not fantastic literature either . You are right, Mom has been on a lot of planes lately and buying too many books at airports....

[dougs]

She told me she was working through the Screwtape Letters, which is an excellent read. I'm sure there will be a review of that in due course.

[scarlatti]

You are correct, sir. :)

Hello,

[ubermorgen]

Mind if I friend you? You used to be on an old journal of mine which I deleted a while back. I do hope you're doing well.

[scarlatti]

Hi! No, I don't mind if you friend me. :)