Support Your Local Library!

Since I work in a library, and I practically grew up in one (my mom would take my sister and me to the library every week), I think it's only natural I would join a challenge to read more library books. I came across this challenge yesterday and I decided to join. Of course, I already read lots of library books, but this way I can keep track of just how many I do read over the course of one year. You can follow my progress on the challenge page (tab at the top of the blog). And, if you want to join us, click here to sign up.

Next week is National Library Week! In order to celebrate (and to add even more titles to my library reading challenge), I am going to read ONLY library books next week. I have way too many checked out right now, and my stack keeps getting higher and higher!

Are you celebrating National Library Week? Is your library planning anything special? What can you do to support your local library next week (and the weeks, months, etc. to follow)?

Join me in celebrating! After all, where would we be without libraries?

New York Times Bestseller Personal Challenge

Some of you know that at the first of the year, when I began this blog, I set a goal for myself to read all of the #1 non-fiction bestsellers from the New York Times Bestseller List. I have read three so far (see tab at the top of this blog entitled New York Times Bestseller Challenge).

On Tuesday, I was on Twitter when I spotted this blog post by Tim Challies about the book entitled Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. I have decided, after reading his review, I will not be reading this book. Just wanted to let you know in case you wondered why I did not read it or review it. Not worth my valuable time.

So, not counting that one, I have read half of the books so far. Not, bad, but I need to get moving if I am going to read them all. I don't want to get too far behind! I'll let you know how it goes.

Have you read any of the NYT bestsellers? Leave a comment (and a link to any reviews you have for those books).

Carpe libris!

Waiting for Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine Blog, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I want to read The Last Christian by David Gregory, to be released May 4, 2010.

Description from Waterbrook Multnomah, publisher of The Last Christian:

A.D. 2088. Science is removing God from America—one person at a time. Can the faith of one woman bring restoration? In this futuristic thriller, one woman takes on the seemingly-impossible task of re-introducing the Christian faith in late twenty-first century, secular America—and rescuing the planet from spiritual oblivion.

Here are some reviews of The Last Christian:

The Mystery Gazette

Follow the Clue

And, a book trailer:

For more information, and to download the first chapter of The Last Christian, go to the Waterbrook Multnomah website.

Tolle lege!

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading, where we answer three questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you'll read next? If you want to participate, answer the three questions, then put your link on the Should Be Reading Blog in the comment section. Happy reading!

What I am currently reading:

Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason - I am reading this one for a Revell blog tour. It is the first book in the Women of Justice Series. Review will be posted next week.

What I just finished reading:

Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp - required reading for a Biblical counseling class that I am taking. Excellent book!

What I will probably read next:

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine - I have to read this one soon because someone is waiting for it after me at the library. (Westport is where Martha Stewart used to live. If you care.)

(To see more information about any of these titles, click on the title of the book or the book image.)

Have any of you read any of these? Any reviews? Please leave a comment. I love to hear from you!

Calling All Book Bloggers!

All of you who blog about books: please go to the Book Lady's Blog and fill out the survey for book bloggers. It is a chance to improve relations between book bloggers and publishers. Let's make our voice heard! (Thank you, Book Lady!)

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Coming Up This Week!

I have signed up to be a reader in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. It will be on Saturday, April 10th. This will be my first time to participate. I won't be able to read for 24 hours, but my goal is 18 hours. I'm really excited about this! It sounds like so much fun. 

Are you entered in the readathon? If you are, and if you have a Twitter account, please let me know so I can follow you.

Have you been in any of the previous readathons? If you have, what tips can you give me to make it a good experience for me?

Books Seized This Week

Here are some of the titles that came into my home this week:

         


         


        

OK, I've gotta stop going to the bookstore and library! (What? No!) But I can't avoid the library altogether, because I work there! ;)

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? Which one should I read next? (Except The Bride Collector; I've already read that one. Book review to come this week.)

   

I Want to Read Hester by Paula Reed

I picked up a book at the library this week that I have read reviews about and thought it sounded interesting. The title is Hester by Paula Reed. The subtitle, which to me is very intruguing, is The Missing Years of The Scarlet Letter.

Here is the synopsis from the author's website:

Upon the death of her demonic husband, Hester Prynne is left a widow, and her daughter is left a wealthy heiress. Together they travel to England where Hester seeks a quiet life-only to find herself drawn into the circle of the most powerful Puritan of all time, Oliver Cromwell.

From the moment Hester donned the famous scarlet letter, it instilled in her the power to see the sins and hypocrisy of others, an ability not lost on the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. To Cromwell, Hester's sight is either a sign of sorcery or a divine gift that Hester must use to assist the divinely chosen in his scheming to control England. Since sorcery carries a death sentence, Hester is compelled against her will to use her sight to assist Cromwell. She soon finds herself entangled in a web of political intrigue, espionage, and forbidden love.

Sweeping, engaging historical fiction, Hester will carry readers away to seventeenth century England with a deeply human story of family, love, history, desire, and the human ideal.

Sounds great, doesn't it?

Have any of you heard about this book? Have you read it? What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Winners of What's In the Bible? DVD giveaway

I have chosen the two winners for the What's In the Bible? DVD giveaway. One will receive Episode #1: In the Beginning and the other will receive Episode #2: Let My People Go.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Casey and Tiffany!

Congratulations, ladies!

I will be emailing both of you. The first to respond will get to choose whether she wants episode #1 or #2. For those of you who did not win, they can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here and here.

Thank you to all who commented!

Book Review: Winston Churchill by John Perry

"We are all worms, but I intend to be a glowworm." - Winston Churchill

This biography of Winston Churchill is one of the books in the Christian Encounters Series published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I read the book quickly, but I had to make myself finish, because it lagged in several places. I like biographies if they are written well, but I have discovered that there are very few biographers who can make people's lives interesting. I must admit I have become hard-to-please when it comes to biographies. They must be extremely difficult to write.

I did enjoy some parts of the book. I think Mr. Churchill must have been quite a character, judging from some of the things I read in this book:

"His life is one long speech. He does not talk. He orates."

(During WWII) "Since he entertained in an official capacity every day, he was exempt from the strict food rationing that was in place, and he tucked into every meal without apology. A typical prime minister breakfast during the war included two eggs, ham, chicken, coffee, toast, butter, marmalade, two mangoes, orange juice - essentially the same as his regular fare for years. He also managed to keep plenty of his favorite Romeo y Julieta brand Cuban cigars and the special Canadian matches he preferred."

Some of the best parts of the book were the portions of speeches he gave during WWII. I admire his courage and strength during such tough times. Here is one quote I like from a speech he made:

"We are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime. From this nothing will turn us - nothing. We will never parley, we will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gang. We shall fight him by land, we shall fight him by sea, we shall fight him in the air, until with God's help we have rid the earth of his shadow and liberated its people from its yoke. Any man or state who fights on against Nazidom will have our aid."

One thing that puzzles me about the book is the title of the series: Christian Encounters. When I saw that, I thought, "Hm. I never knew Churchill was a Christian." Well, I don't see that there was much evidence in the book that he was.

"A reporter asked him what made him so sure he'd make it to heaven. Jovially he replied, 'Surely the Almighty must observe the principles of English common law and consider a man innocent until proven guilty.'" (We are actually guilty until Gods changes us and gives us a new heart that comes to him in faith.)

Perhaps the authors of the books in this series are not trying to tell us that these people were Christian, but I was disappointed to find very little in the book that demonstrated faith in God. I'll be hesitant to read any more of these.

What do you think? Have you read any of the books in this series? Did you like them? Leave me a comment.

(I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers for the purposes of this review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions in this review are strictly my own.)