This is my first Nightstand post! I'm planning on doing these as my updates instead of weekly ones in 2010, since I don't really read fast enough to warrant weekly update posts.
Well, you only need to look a few inches above and you'll see the current books on myshelf "nightstand", but here's a few synopsises for you since I haven't actually mentioned them on here before.
First, Lies Women Believe by Nanci Leigh DeMoss. This has remained an incredibly popular book in the Church since it was first published. Some sisters (including my own) have started reading this together and meeting once every week or so to discuss what lies we have been tricked into believing, and which ones we have created ourselves.
From Goodreads: The lies Christian women believe are at the root of their struggles. In Lies Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss exposes areas of deception common to many Christian women -- lies about God, sin, priorities, marriage and family, emotions, and more. She deals honestly with women's delusions and illusions and then gently leads them to the truth of God's word that leads to true freedom.
Next up is one I've been reading on and off as I find time and interest: The Jesus You Can't Ignore by one of my all-time favorites, Pastor John MacArthur. (And yes I know, I know... "Let no one say I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos..." But seriously, he is cool!)
From Goodreads: Best-selling author John MacArthur gives readers a fresh look at how Jesus addressed attacks against the truth.
Meek and mild. Politically correct. A great teacher. These are the popular depictions of Jesus. But they aren't the complete picture. Maybe because it's uncomfortable, or maybe because it's inconvenient, Christians and non-Christians alike are overlooking the fierceness of the Savior, His passionate mission to make the Gospel clear and bring people into the Kingdom of God. A mission that required he sometimes raise his voice and sometimes raise a whip.
In the much-needed message in The Jesus You Can't Ignore, renowned Bible teacher and best-selling author John MacArthur reintroduces the compelling and often unsettling passion of Jesus' ministry. MacArthur points to the picture of the real Jesus the world is so eager to gloss over. And he calls readers to emulate Jesus' commitment to further the kingdom by confronting lies and protecting the truth of God.
The issue of courtship, character integrity, and trusting God in relationships has come up a lot amongst the youth at my church recently. We've been discussing the general idea of courtship and what that actually means, and while we were discussing it one day, I remembered that I had this one on my shelf, purchased by my ever-thoughtful Mom. Eric Ludy and his wife write this book with a Biblical, humble viewpoint, pointing to the fact that God Himself has our entire story under His control; why do we continue to insist that we write our own love story?
From Goodreads: In their most popular book, bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy challenge singles to take a fresh approach to relationships in a culture where love has been replaced by cheap sensual passion. When God Writes Your Love Story shows that God's way to true love brings fulfillment and romance in its purest, richest, and most satisfying form. This new edition includes an extra chapter from Leslie Ludy about the surprises of life after marriage!
Fiction-wise, I've been listening to this incredibly complex, often bizarre, so-good-I-can't-stop novel, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. Unfortunately it is extremely long, and on a college-life schedule, it's not easy to get through quickly. But I LOVE the narration by Peter Francis James, and this story is just weirdly good.
From Goodreads:
A gothic tale becomes all too shockingly real in this mesmerizing magnum opus by the acclaimed author of FEED.
It sounds like a fairy tale. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother — a princess in exile from a faraway land — are the only persons in their household assigned names. As the boy's regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments — and his own chilling role in them. Set against the disquiet of Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson's extraordinary novel takes place at a time when American Patriots rioted and battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.
My new book partner and I have just started Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, a massive tome that'll take a good few months to read. But, so far so good; we even had our first book chat yesterday!
From Goodreads: The year is 1806, England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains, the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrel. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.
And last but not least, for December I'm planning on reading through The Screwtape Letters by the every-amazing C.S. Lewis. Sis and I saw the Max McClean rendition of this book this past month (it was incredible!), and his stellar script and performance got me interested in reading it - something I always "planned" to do, but so far...haven't. I've snuck a few peeks the past few days and already love what I see; can't wait to delve into it in December!
So, what's on your nightstand?
Well, you only need to look a few inches above and you'll see the current books on my
First, Lies Women Believe by Nanci Leigh DeMoss. This has remained an incredibly popular book in the Church since it was first published. Some sisters (including my own) have started reading this together and meeting once every week or so to discuss what lies we have been tricked into believing, and which ones we have created ourselves.From Goodreads: The lies Christian women believe are at the root of their struggles. In Lies Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss exposes areas of deception common to many Christian women -- lies about God, sin, priorities, marriage and family, emotions, and more. She deals honestly with women's delusions and illusions and then gently leads them to the truth of God's word that leads to true freedom.
Next up is one I've been reading on and off as I find time and interest: The Jesus You Can't Ignore by one of my all-time favorites, Pastor John MacArthur. (And yes I know, I know... "Let no one say I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos..." But seriously, he is cool!)From Goodreads: Best-selling author John MacArthur gives readers a fresh look at how Jesus addressed attacks against the truth.
Meek and mild. Politically correct. A great teacher. These are the popular depictions of Jesus. But they aren't the complete picture. Maybe because it's uncomfortable, or maybe because it's inconvenient, Christians and non-Christians alike are overlooking the fierceness of the Savior, His passionate mission to make the Gospel clear and bring people into the Kingdom of God. A mission that required he sometimes raise his voice and sometimes raise a whip.
In the much-needed message in The Jesus You Can't Ignore, renowned Bible teacher and best-selling author John MacArthur reintroduces the compelling and often unsettling passion of Jesus' ministry. MacArthur points to the picture of the real Jesus the world is so eager to gloss over. And he calls readers to emulate Jesus' commitment to further the kingdom by confronting lies and protecting the truth of God.
The issue of courtship, character integrity, and trusting God in relationships has come up a lot amongst the youth at my church recently. We've been discussing the general idea of courtship and what that actually means, and while we were discussing it one day, I remembered that I had this one on my shelf, purchased by my ever-thoughtful Mom. Eric Ludy and his wife write this book with a Biblical, humble viewpoint, pointing to the fact that God Himself has our entire story under His control; why do we continue to insist that we write our own love story?From Goodreads: In their most popular book, bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy challenge singles to take a fresh approach to relationships in a culture where love has been replaced by cheap sensual passion. When God Writes Your Love Story shows that God's way to true love brings fulfillment and romance in its purest, richest, and most satisfying form. This new edition includes an extra chapter from Leslie Ludy about the surprises of life after marriage!
Fiction-wise, I've been listening to this incredibly complex, often bizarre, so-good-I-can't-stop novel, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. Unfortunately it is extremely long, and on a college-life schedule, it's not easy to get through quickly. But I LOVE the narration by Peter Francis James, and this story is just weirdly good.From Goodreads:
A gothic tale becomes all too shockingly real in this mesmerizing magnum opus by the acclaimed author of FEED.
It sounds like a fairy tale. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother — a princess in exile from a faraway land — are the only persons in their household assigned names. As the boy's regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments — and his own chilling role in them. Set against the disquiet of Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson's extraordinary novel takes place at a time when American Patriots rioted and battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.
My new book partner and I have just started Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, a massive tome that'll take a good few months to read. But, so far so good; we even had our first book chat yesterday!
From Goodreads: The year is 1806, England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains, the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrel. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.
And last but not least, for December I'm planning on reading through The Screwtape Letters by the every-amazing C.S. Lewis. Sis and I saw the Max McClean rendition of this book this past month (it was incredible!), and his stellar script and performance got me interested in reading it - something I always "planned" to do, but so far...haven't. I've snuck a few peeks the past few days and already love what I see; can't wait to delve into it in December!So, what's on your nightstand?
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6 comments:
Oooo in my opinion C.S. Lewis is always good. Never leasurely but always good. I've heard a lot about The Lies Women Believe but never picked it up. I loved what you said about one you are reading "wierdly good" ;) Cute!
Jessie at Blog Schmog
Thanks for stoppin' by, Jessie; I just saw your blog for the first time, too: it's awesome!
And yeah...that was the only thing that came to mind to describe Octavian Nothing. Maybe if you get to read someday, you'll come to the same conclusion. :D
Thanks for commenting!
Hey! I'm so glad you linked up today!
It's been awhile since I've read When God Writes Your Love Story (I think I had an original copy with very bad cover art!) Your copy looks much nicer. =D I cannot WAIT to hear your thoughts on this one, really. I hope you share!
And would you like a copy of THe Thirteen Tale? Because I have a copy here that I was going to host a giveaway over for anyone who might not have read it yet, but I'd be happy just to send it your way! (Part of the whole clearing off the shelves thing.) E-mail me your mailing addy and I'll get it off to you if you'd like.
(I'm going to the post office this afternoon. If I see your mailing address before I go, I'll mail it to you today.)
readingtoknow (at) gmail (dot) com
Welcome to Nightstand! I love your site. It's beautiful.
I loved 13th Tale. I tried to read Octavian Nothing and had a hard time getting into it. I bet it's a great audiobook, so I might try that.
Hope you get back to The 13th Tale, its a good one. A few are reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Enjoy.
Carrie: No WAY. *sending addy now!*
And I'll be sure to review When God Writes, even though it'll probably be 2010 by the time I'm finished with it!
Jennifer: Aw, thanks for the compliment; I'm so glad you find it appealing!
And do try to the audiobook; I find that if I don't like a book by reading it, I often like the audio instead, and subsequently, vice versa, too. Try it sometime; it's really good!
Nise: Thanks for stopping by! Hope you'll come back! :)
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