Wednesday, March 31, 2010

What Are You Reading?

My friend Tonya recently wrote a post about her love of reading. And my friend Jamie recently lamented that she just finished her first book of the year at the end of March (which in my "book" in still a great accomplishment since she also welcomed home a new child in that same time period!)

In response to Tonya's post, I wrote the following:
We love books, too, although my problem is that I’m usually in the middle of half a dozen and not finishing any one!

Books are insanely expensive here in Chile, something about the tax on publishing maybe?? but a 5×7 paperback with less than 50 pages (required by the girls’ school) will cost us nearly $15 USD. The average Chilean family does not have many books in their home. In fact, when we moved to Iquique our movers exclaimed after awhile, “Another box of books?! What do you do anyway??”

Currently I am reading “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn and “A Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel and “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan.

My question for you is, What are you reading? Do you have a special type of literature you enjoy? Any favorite authors? Most importantly, any great advice for how to actually finish the books you start? :)

10 comments:

Jamie Ivey said...

I haven't read any of the three that you are reading, but my mom read Heaven and loved it. I have heard AMAZING things about Crazy Love.

I'm also in the middle of reading PARENTING THE HURT CHILD.

on my desk the books "to read" are:
ADOPTED FOR LIFE by Russell Moore
ON THAT DAY THAT EVERYBODY ATE by Margaret Trost (read a few chapters and put down)
A PRAYING LIFE by Paul Miller
COMPELLED BY LOVE by Ed Stetzer & Philip Nation

Have you every heard of goodreads? It's an online source where you can discuss books, keep books you read, comment on books, and keep an ongoing list of books to read. i love it. i get great book ideas from people on there.
if you join, look for me: jamie@aaronivey.com

:)

David and Kristi Flinck said...

I have the same issue Steph. I am currently reading too many books and not finishing any of them. But I take encouragement in that at least I'm reading...

Our movers thought I was weird too, since they unloaded over 46 large boxes of heavy books. Man, am I glad I shipped everyone of them though after seeing the prices for books in Chile. Our children really enjoy having their own little library of children's books.

I like reading about theology, presidential bios, civil war, WWII, and golf. I rarely read fiction.

I am currently reading all things Hermeneutics, since I am starting to teach a BI class on the subject.

Amanda said...

I'm currently loving audiobooks. I can "read" as I cook dinner, and that fits my life right now. The latest one I have been listening to is IMAGINARY JESUS, by my friend Matt Mikalatos. It's just been released, so it's only 98 CENTS at ChristianAudio.com today. It's a worthwhile "read". Next on my list is another recent release by another friend, Nathan Foster, son of the famous Richard Foster, called WISDOM SEEKER.

Alisha said...

OK, so I read...a lot=) However, since college and the massive amounts of reading I did there I pretty much swore off of reading anything educational for the rest of my life so I read tons of Christians fiction, basically anything our library gets it=) And yes, I finish them, each and every one, because I lack self-discipline at the end of the day to finish the chapter and turn off the light!!
However, I'm proud to say that I am pages away from finishing WAR OF WORDS by Paul David Tripp and it's been very good for me. It focuses on the speech a believer should use and I am not often as kind in my speech as I should be so it has been good.

ERIN lee said...

Hey steph, i'm in the middle of reading Heaven as well. I love Randy Alcorn he is one of my favorites!!! I've actually got 3 books going as well right now. And you know that is not like me! Time just does not allow for me to read much anymore. :( Erin

Simply Heidi said...

I am reading Beth Moore's new book about Insecurity...it is so good!

panim said...

Hmm, recently finish "Crazy Love" and found it very thought provoking.
I'm now reading "Character Matters", which is challenging me in the area of parenting. And I can't wait until someone (Mom, take notice) sends me the latest Karen Kingsbury book.
I try to always be reading a non-fiction book & a book in spanish, while at the same time enjoying my Christian fiction. So I'm usually reading about 3 books at once. Somehow the fiction gets read more quickly though! :)
Jenn

Corey and Nicki Shields said...

i usually read one book at a time, but recently I started reading a couple at a time. I am presently reading, Love and Respect, Second Guessing God, The Last Juror. The 1st two are books that I have been asked to read by our mission. Of course, I should also include all the reading that I do with my kids. We are starting Sonlight which means even more READING!

I do better at finishing if I only have one book at a time. I'll read almost anything except most sci-fi and romances. Historical fiction is my favorite.

The mom~ster said...

I recently discovered Jamie Langston Turner and have found her style of Christian Fiction to be especially convicting/thought provoking--I love her characters..Randy Alcorn's Heaven for Kids...an Amy Carmichael Bio with my daughter...lots of books about trains and dragons with my boys...Esther and Joshua...and a collection of american's best loved poems(which I get a kick out of reading to my Louis Lamour reading husband). My reading time is limited and fiction is one of the only forms of entertainment I take time for, so I enjoy it with little/no guilt. I make it a point to read the Bible LOTS and books about the Bible and Christianity LESS. Books about it usually just make me feel guilty/frustrated...but the BIBLE itself convicts me and changes me...this approach works for me...it might not be for everyone.

Amy said...

I just finished The Help and it was very good.

I am reading The Screwtape Letters along with many others. Books are hard to come by here in Bolivia too. I am hoping at some point to get a digital reader.

BTW, I am writing a post about reading to and will include a link to this post and a few others I have recently read. Check it out later, if you have time @ Things and Stuff