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!

Book Review: Going Rogue by Sarah Palin and Lynn Vincent

Although I have been involved in a few political campaigns, I am passionate over certain political issues, and I make it a point to vote in every major election, I don't consider myself to be an extremely political person. I don't mind talking about politics (or "religion", the two things you're not supposed to talk about), but it just isn't one of the things I really get excited over. I don't usually read political books, magazines, or articles.

Therefore, I didn't know much about Sarah Palin before reading this book. However, I'm glad I did.

The book began by describing Palin's early years as a typical American girl who is obviously proud of her Alaskan childhood. She gives us a sense of what it was like growing up in America's Last Frontier in the 60's and 70's. She had a happy family life, evident in the memories she shares of her parents, grandparents, and siblings.  

One thing I especially enjoyed reading about was how she became a Christian. I admire her for her boldness in proclaiming her faith and her trust in God in all aspects of her life. Several times throughout the book Palin refers to the fact that it is God who has planned her future and that she desires to follow Him and rely on Him for everything.

Palin also writes about her husband and five children and some of the adventures they have shared in their lives together.

The next part of the book talks about Palin's early political career, from city council to city mayor, and eventually her stint as governor of Alaska.

There is then a section on the campaign for vice-president and, finally, a chapter and epilogue which contains, in my opinion, the best parts of the book: Palin's views on where we are as a nation and where we should be heading. This is the section where she gets into what has made our country great (with a heavy emphasis on the Reagan administration) and the steps she considers necessary to get us out of recession and moving forward into "freedom and prosperity."

There were times when I was reading the book that I thought Palin was griping about her detractors a little too much (one blog called it "whining"). But in a lot of the cases she mentioned I felt that I was finally getting "the other side of the story" instead of what I usually hear on the evening news about what is happening on the political scene. I have read that there are several untruths in this book, but I can't tell if this is people really trying to set the record straight, or if they are just people who don't like Palin and are attempting to discredit her.

I enjoyed the stories Palin told about her husband, Todd, and her children. I can relate to much of what she said because I, too, am a working mother of five who is attempting to do what is best for her children. Sometimes I felt sorry for her family because of the sacrifices they had to make, but it is apparent that they have been very supportive of her and her efforts.

As I finished reading, I came away with the sense of hope and of thankfulness to God that politicians like Sarah Palin do exist (although I don't think Palin would want to be called a politician because of the bad connotation it has received). I am also thankful that we have a government where the people can decide on who will lead our country, even though I am not happy about Obama being that person. I'm glad we have only three more years until we can possibly replace him with someone better. And I am convinced that someone like Sarah Palin (or John McCain) would make a good choice.

This book is good reading for anyone wanting to know Sarah Palin more, regardless of your political viewpoint. If you cannot (or will not) read it all, at least read Chapter Six, Epilogue, and  "A View from Alaska." Those sections make the whole book worth the read.

Other reviews of Going Rogue (pro and con):

Bookwired
Jezebel
Basil and Spice
MichNews
Brenia

(Unfortunately, there were several negative reviews that I could not provide links for because of the vulgar language used in them. It's sad that some people cannot write dissenting reviews without such words.)

Book Review: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

Although I knew when I began my personal reading challenge to read all the #1 non-fiction New York Times bestsellers of 2010 that I would come across some titles I would have a hard time getting through, I didn't think this would be one of them. I hadn't read Ms. Gilbert's first book, Eat, Pray, Love, so I wasn't familiar with her story. But after reading Committed, I know I won't want to read the other book.

At the end of her first book, Gilbert meets a man whom she falls in love with named Felipe. Both have been divorced and neither wants to marry again. When the couple attempt to return to America after one of their many trips overseas, the immigration officials refuse to allow Felipe to enter, telling them that they must get married in order for Felipe to live in the U.S. Thus begins a 10 month wait for the officials to approve Felipe's request to marry Elizabeth, even though she has her reservations about the union.

In fact, the entire book is a discourse against marriage. Gilbert begins to research the history of marriage and explains, "What I really wanted, more than anything, was to find a way to somehow embrace marriage to Felipe when the big day came rather then merely swallowing my fate like a hard and awful pill." This confession sets the tone for the rest of the book. She goes on and on (for almost 300 pages) to tell us that there is no good reason for her to marry, even though she says she loves Felipe and wants to live with him for the rest of her life. Her are some statements made in the book:

"I will do virtually anything to avoid going through that apocalypse (her messy divorce) again."

"While I know there must be some couples out there whose love stories began with a bonfire of obsession and then mellowed safely over the years into the embers of a long, healthy relationship, I myself never learned that trick." (It's not a "trick", Ms. Gilbert, it's called commitment and loyalty.)

"The more education a married woman has, the more money she earns, the later in life she marries, the fewer children she bears, and the more help her husband offers with household chores, the better her quality of life in marriage will be." (I guess I am a woman most to be pitied. I am a high school graduate, low-middle income, married-at-19, mother of five whose husband helps some with the chores. However, I think I have a pretty good "quality of life", thank you very much.)

"And this is my beef, by the way, with social conservatives who are always harping about how the most nourishing home for a child is a two-parent household with a mother in the kitchen....this arrangement has always put a disproprtionately cumbersome burden on women." (Mother in the kitchen? Who do you think we are, June Cleaver?)

"When I confided those thoughts (about not having a public marriage ceremony) in an email to my sister Catherine, she replied, 'You make marriage sound like a colonoscopy.'"

Indeed the whole book makes marriage sound that way. And so it actually comes as somewhat of a surprise when, at the end of the book, Elizabeth and Felipe tie the knot. I wonder how long it will last.

I'm also wondering if maybe the author chose the title "Committed" as a reference to someone being placed in an insane asylum against their own will (as she says, " So thoroughly had I barred the very notion of marriage from my psyche that hearing the idea spoken aloud now felt shocking. I felt mournful and sucker punched and heavy and banished from some fundamental aspect of my being, but most of all I felt caught." It sounds like someone who is being led to the gallows.)

This book made me angry, but it also made me sad. I wish that people like Ms. Gilbert could truly understand that marriage can be, and is for a lot of us, a wonderful thing and that we are actually happy and fulfilled people. I do wish her well.

But I cannot recommend her book. Don't bother with this one. It's definitely not worth it.

Book Review - Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Have a Little Faith is a "feel good" type of book. One that makes you sigh and say, "Ahhhhhhhhhh.... there ARE still good people in this world." One where the author points out the good in man and helps us to realize that hope still exists.

The book is about a Jewish rabbi, a Christian pastor, and a boy-turned-man whose life is greatly impacted by spending time with the two. It is about discovering differences in others and being able to accept those differences with respect.

The author relates the story of how he becomes better acquainted with the rabbi of his youth. The rabbi has asked Mr. Albom if he would perform the rabbi's eulogy when the time comes. Therefore, the author feels obligated to spend time with the rabbi in order to learn more about him and thus be able to render a proper eulogy. In the meantime, Mr. Albom also meets a man who is the founder and pastor of a homeless ministry. The book mostly relates the stories of the two while also describing the journey of faith that the author travels during this time.

Although I understood some of the statements Mr. Albom made about Christianity vs. Judaism and other religions, I couldn't help but feel sorry for this man as he grappled with what Christians actually believe. He seemed to think that we are not so very different in our understanding of God in spite of the fact that we hold many contrasting views. He also gave the impression that all you need in this world is faith and love. I repectfully disagree. Christianity is about faith, yes. But it is especially about faith in Jesus Christ.

One thing I did like about the book is that I came away with a better understanding of the Jewish faith and what it is like to be Jewish among others with different beliefs and customs. One passage in particular made me sad:
         
(The rabbi relates) 'I remember one time a congregant came to me all upset, because her son, the only Jewish boy in his class, had been cast in the school's Christmas play. And they cast him as Jesus.


'So I went to the teacher. I explained the dilemma. And she said, "But that's why we chose him, Rabbi. Because Jesus was a Jew!"'


(Mr. Albom continues) I remember similar incidents. In elementary school I was left out of the big, colorful Christmas productions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" or "Jingle Bells." Instead, I had to join the school's few other Jewish kids onstage, as we sang the Hanukah song, "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I Made It Out of Clay." We held hands and moved in a circle, imitating a spinning top. No props. No costumes. At the end of the song, we all fell down. 


I swear I saw some gentile parents hiding their laughter.  

All in all, not a bad book, but not one I would write home about. On a scale of one to five, I would give it a two. 

Reading Project Clarification

Since several people have asked me questions about my NYT bestseller reading project, I thought I would write this post to clarify a few things and tell you my progress so far.

I will be reading only the #1 books on the non-fiction list, not fiction. I love to read fiction, but I don't think I would want to read any Dan Brown or Michael Crichton right now. Nothing against these authors - they're just not my cup of tea.

I will attempt to write a review on each one. This may be hard, but I'm going to give it a try. It may be a challenge in itself just to read them, much less write a review, but I will do my best.

The first review will be for this week's #1, Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays With Morrie. I am almost finished reading, and the review should be posted within the next few days.

10 Million Words in One Year?

Tim Challies, you have made my mouth drop. Are you really trying to read 10 million words (give or take) in one year? Will you be reading other books as well? I mean, what if someone like John Piper or Michael Horton writes a new book this year - will you put it aside and read only what is on the New York Times bestseller list? Surely not! Tim, you must be able to read in your sleep!

Actually, I am impressed and challenged by this project. You said that you wanted to read these books because "America’s bestselling books tell us, I’m sure, who America is, who her people are, at this time and place. Surely they will give me a glimpse into the world’s most powerful, the world’s most fascinating nation." I think you are right. Sometimes we isolate ourselves so much in our reading. When we limit ourselves to only one or two genres, we tend to forget there's a whole other world out there. We begin to think that other people read what we do because surely we read the best! Why would anyone want to read anything else?

The answer is: because people are different. And we all have different beliefs and interests. What a boring world we would live in if we were all the same. There could be no debate or much discussion because we would just all agree on everything. Some people may think that would be nice, but not me. I like good, rousing conversations where everyone is allowed to express their thoughts on a given subject. I learn so much from others that way.

So, Tim, I think I will be joining you in your project. Well, sort of. I'm not going to read all the bestsellers. Just the #1 bestsellers. I'm thinking that will be only 30-40 books in one year. That will be enough of a challenge for me, considering I will be reading other books as well. I would also like to see more of how others think by reading what "everyone else" is reading. Maybe I will begin to be more understanding of others by the end of the year as a result.

Tim, I wish you well as you read this year. May we both grow and learn much. And, if by some small miracle you happen to actually read this, tell me: can I have your autograph? :)