Avidmom's 2018 Reading Frenzy

I thought last year's goal of 15 was going to be easier than it was, but it turned out to be a real challenge for me so I've reduced the goal a little bit more. This year I'll not only be working but also taking an online math class (it seemed like a good idea a few months ago when I signed up.)

Last year I bought a few books from our library's book sale room so I'm planning on going through my stack.
(11 as of 10/22/18)

Welcome back, Avidmom. Happy ROOTing

Welcome back, good luck with the ROOTing - and with the square-rooting, it's very brave of you to tackle a maths class!

Good luck with your rooting!

Good luck with your ROOTing!

>2 connie53: >3 floremolla: >4 Tess_W: >5 MissWatson:

Thank you!

good luck with the ROOTing - and with the square-rooting, it's very brave of you to tackle a maths class

Thanks. I signed up for this math class, I know it will be painful.
Know what that makes me?
A "mathochist". ;)

You are brave taking an online math class. Good luck with that and your 2018 ROOTing!

>6 avidmom: A++ joke! Have a great reading year :)

>6 avidmom: lol, "mathochist" - I like it! :)

>6 avidmom: Funny!

>7 Familyhistorian: >8 rabbitprincess: >9 floremolla: >10 Tess_W:

Thanks everybody. :)

Good luck with your goal!

Good luck with the reading and with the maths!

>12 mabith: >13 Jackie_K: Thanks!

"I’m not telling you to stop worrying and God will supply. That would be an untruth. I am telling you that God has already supplied and He is still supplying. Your worrying is hindering your receiving. Let go."


Live the Let-Go Life by Joseph Prince

Out of all the books Joseph Prince has written, and out of all the "Christian-ese" books I've read, I think this has to be my favorite. I took a lot away from this book. One of the things I like about Prince is that he is not just satisfied to tell little quaint Bible school stories and spout off a bunch of cliches like some other Christian writers out there, but goes and digs a little deeper. He expounds on Old and New testament Scripture, digs into some of the original Hebrew words and presents things in a way I'd never thought of before.

Even if you're not a fan of Joseph Prince, I think this is one that is definitely worth checking out.

(ETA: Still not a fan of every Christian evangelist that writes a book sticking their mug on the front cover.... oh well)

glad you're back!

>16 cyderry: Thanks!

"He was silent for a moment. Then he smiled faintly. “It is not so easy to be a friend, is it, Reuven?” “No,” I said."


The Chosen by Chaim Potok

I absolutely love this story and have for a while. I first knew Potok's story as a movie. The first time I saw it was as a part of a Bible study; the second time was actually in a class I took in high school "Musical Comedies". (Really neither a musical OR a comedy but somehow .... ) I had always liked the movie, but didn't know it was a book until I found it on a library shelf years ago and was over the top thrilled when it showed up as one of the "Kindle Daily Deals" a few weeks ago. (This is my second reading.)

The story is a YA, coming of age story. Danny is a Hasidic Jew and Reuven is an Orothodox Jew living in New York in the 1940s. They live only blocks from each other but their worlds couldn't be more different. When their respective schools compete against each other in baseball, Danny inadvertently injures Reuven. Danny offers Reuven his apology and friendship, and, at first, Reuven is not accepting, but as the story progresses, the two become the best of friends. They learn about each other and each other's culture and share their goals for their futures. The oldest son in his family, Danny is expected to take over for his father, the Rabbi Saunders. Reb Saunders is very much revered by his community but Danny is trying to break free: "He was trapped by his beard and earlocks, he said, and there was nothing he could do.". The most perplexing thing to Reuven is how Danny's father never talks to him - except to study Torah. Reuven is mystified by why Reb Saunders would treat Danny this way; he and his father share a very close relationship. Reuven's father is an activist in the Zionist movement, something that is anathema to Reb Saunders and his following. Danny and Reuven have to wade through all the obstacles to maintain their unlikely friendship.

I love Potok's writing and the story is beautiful.
Highly recommended!
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Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAMz8_MoqrM

Do No Work: Beat Burnout, Find Inner Peace, and Strengthen Your Faith by Studying the Most Overlooked of the Ten Commandments by Andrew Gilmore

I liked this in depth look at the Fourth Commandment. It's not a very long book but Gilmore manages to make us stop and pay attention to a much overlooked commandment. There were a few times that made me "stop and go 'huh'".

This was more like an elaborate Sunday morning sermon or a very long blog entry.

For what it was, it was pretty good.

Recommended, but maybe not "highly".

That touchstone is not going to the right book, Avidmom.

>20 connie53: Thanks! I "fixed" it. (That was kind of funny though .... XD)

>21 avidmom: Yes it was!

The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread: Revealing the Power of the Blood of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation by Dr. Richard Booker

This was a very enjoyable read. A lot of what Booker says here I have heard before from other Christian pastors, teachers, etc. Yet there was a ton of stuff here I had never heard of which I thought most interesting. This is a concise spot for all the different pictures of Jewish tradition, feasts, sacrifices and how they point to Jesus. I found the chapter on the "Salt Covenant" the most fascinating and how DaVinci's "The Last Supper" (while not very historically accurate in terms of what Passover would have looked like) used salt as a clue to denote which disciple was Judas. Very cool!

My one complaint though was there seemed to be no citations for some of the things Booker says. The Biblical stuff was easy enough to look up and Booker usually integrated chapter and verse into his text, but other non-Biblical references were nowhere to be found. ??? Maybe it was due to the Kindle version I read, or maybe I missed it ... but if you say "Mark Twain wrote blah blah blah" tell me where so I can see for myself.

It was also a great book to read alongside the Potok book (as was also Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus).

Wow. It's been a while since I've been here!

That online math class was a chore ... but, I did get through it and came out of the class with an 89.18% overall (and can now quote the quadratic formula in my sleep). A 90% would have been an A, but I am more than happy with my very high B! :)

Now, back to reading..... I have a few nonfiction books in the works right now that are actually mine and not library books:
Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn by Daniel Gordis and7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas

Well done on completing your course with a very admirable result! Hope you enjoy your reading all the more after your break.

>24 avidmom: Congrats! Excellent work. Enjoy your reading for fun!

>25 floremolla: & 26 Thank you! :)

Seven Women And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas

This was such a good read. It's just 7 little mini-biographies of seven great women: Susanna Wesley, Corrie Ten Boom, St. Maria of Paris, Hannah More, Rosa parks, Joan of Arc, and Mother Teresa. Some of these women I was familiar with and some I had never heard of before (like Hannah More and St. Maria of Paris). These women all lived fascinating lives of faith and conviction and passionately stood up for what they believed. All had an impact on the world around them. That seems to be the only caveat for being included in Metaxas's book. There's a lot to learn here, about people you may not know at all and more about people you only have a cursory knowledge.

I think it a brilliant feat that Metaxas can pack so many details about someone's life in such little chapters. Of course, he leaves the reader with bread crumbs to other more intense works of the various women mentioned here.

Highly recommended.

Mother & Son: The Respect Effect

Having raised two boys who have turned into, I think (but, hey, I might be biased here ;) ) pretty decent human people who I not only love but like I almost skipped this one. However, parenting never ends and you always want to do better. So, when this book came around on sale on my Kindle I thought, hey, why not? I did learn something here but it wasn't anything earth shattering. And some of it was a bit eye-rolling and some of it was a bit repetitive, but overall, there is some wisdom here on how boys/men process things differently and have a deeper need for respect than us moms (and women in general) may be aware and that communicating respect to our sons is vitally important to them.

Recommended. (But maybe not that highly).
Of course, if I had read this book a few decades ago when my kids were preschoolers instead of college kids, I may have felt differently.

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

*Just a placeholder for now*

For anyone wanting a foundation for understanding Israel, the conflict(s) there past, present and future, this is a great starting point. The story of Israel is just fascinating and flabbergasting. It took me a long time to get through this one; it is packed solid with information - from the first Zionist Congress led by Theodore Herzl (who I haven't even heard of till this book) in 1897 to the present day (well 2016 at least). I also read certain things over and over; there are a lot of "Wait. What?!?" moments here (for example, the first Israeli settlers using weapons built for the Nazis in their first war).

My knowledge of Israel was 0 (or pretty close to it) when I started the book so there was a tremendous learning curve for me here. I liked the fact that Gordis presents all his info in chronological order so you really felt as if you were reading a story - not some dry history textbook. I was also impressed by Gordis's clear effort to present all parties involved in the story evenly and objectively.

Highly recommend!

(This book received the "Jewish Book of the Year Award" in 2016.)

Oops.... forgot to include this one.

Life Without Lack by Dallas Willard

This book was so much more than what I expected. So used to Christian-ese platitudes and lovely caveats of "don't worry, be happy" blah blah blah, I was really pleasantly surprised to find this book one that you could sink your teeth into and actually think about. Judging by what is written here, Willard seems like a genuinely warm and incredibly contented person. Definitely worth reading.... and thinking about.

Woo hoo! I made my goal for the year! :)

Congratulations!

Well done!

>35 rabbitprincess: >36 MissWatson: Thanks!

>34 avidmom: Congratulations!

>39 connie53: Thank you! :)