The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An amazing story and read to the last page. What a story of the "Dirty Thirties"-- the greatest man-made American disaster and its devastating impact on so many families and such a vast territory. Them that stayed were some tough nuts...


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Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent diagnoses of the busy-ness disease which so many of us are easily susceptible to--with some very good suggestions of what to look for in diagnosing the sickness and in treating it.


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The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the #6 volume in the Isabel Dalhousie series--about the ups & downs in the life of Edinburgh's resident philosopher. Really liked this one.


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Persian Pilgrimages: Journeys Across Iran by Afshin Molavi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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The Lazarus Life: Spiritual Transformation for Ordinary People by Stephen W. Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great book on taking care of our souls.


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Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed learning the details/specifics of how Bruce got to be the Boss.


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At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My first Charles Frazier novel (author of Cold Mountain). I gave it a 3-1/2 stars on my rating scale. Set around the forced "re-settling" of the Cherokee Indians from western NC to the far west. Pretty interesting and well-written, though I thought it dragged in parts.


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Allah: A Christian Response by Miroslav Volf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very worthwhile read that gives great insight into the both the similarities & differences of the One God from the perspectives of the Christian & Islamic (as well as Judaic) faiths.


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Unto a Good Land by Vilhelm Moberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved this 2nd volume of Moberg's classic Emigrants series, which focused on the group of new Swedish emigrants' arrival in New York City through to their settling their land claims in the Minnesota territory in the year of 1850.


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About Grace by Anthony Doerr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Kindle read-aloud by my wife on our drives through Boston.


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Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another read-aloud from the Kindle by my wife on our rides in/out of Boston. Excellent book with fascinating characters. We're going to read more of this Australian writer, for sure.


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The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another enjoyable read from McCall Smith in the Isabel Dalhousie series.


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The Dylanologists: Adventures in the Land of Bob by David Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting book that focuses on some of the most rabid Dylan fans, as well as some of those who have chronicled his career & life.


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Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A novel about two Australian families in hard times who end up sharing the same building in Perth. Set around WWII and going up into the 60s. Had an element of magical realism in some chapters. Got better as it went along. Lots of old Aussie slang and language.


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The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My first Franzen read--enjoyed it. All about the midwestern Lambert family and the evolution of their lives over the years. Very interesting writing style. Have to read a David Foster Wallace novel next.


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Bob Dylan in America by Sean Wilentz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security by Sarah Chayes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest by Lynne M. Baab
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good book about a very important--though oft-neglected--subject: taking a sabbath break. Good ground work on biblical reasons for observing a sabbath rest, as well as lots of good ideas/suggestions for implementing a regular rest/stop rhythm into one's life.


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Azerbaijan - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture by Nikki Kazimova
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pretty solid/basic background info on a typical Turco-Persian ethnic people and their customs and culture. Reminded me of the other parts of the Turco-Persian world that I have lived/worked in over the years.


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The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood by David R. Montgomery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Borrowed this book from Coco. Interesting accounts of the ways Noah's flood (& creation in Genesis) have been handled & interpreted down through the past several centuries.


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What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My second Liane Moriarty book--excellent! What a read. Great characters and development and story. Hang on till the end...


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The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Meh, not that great--and that's on my 2nd read through! Mainly because they are just disconnected short stories. His other books, Pi & High Mountains of Portugal, are much, much better.


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The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity by Stephen W. Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent advice & counsel on how to live fully and not get run ragged.


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The Forgotten Affairs Of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this 8th volume in the philosopher Isabel Dalhousie series. Refreshing, soothing, engaging, amusing.


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I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Borrowed from my son, Coco. Really enjoyed these loosely connected short stories highlighting various issues that arise with the rise of the robots and the 3 indisputable robot rules.


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The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door by Jay Pathak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Share My Pleasant Stones: Devotional Meditations for Every Day of the Year by Eugenia Price
My rating: 2 of 5 stars




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Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Michael Korda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finally finished up this biography on T.E. Lawrence (better known as "Lawrence of Arabia")--it's a long one. Since T.E. Lawrence passed off the scene due to a motorcycle accident--there have been some 100 biographies written about him. I think "Hero" is one of the better ones. It was very interesting to learn the details of his involvement in helping with the "Arab Revolt" that broke the power of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East during WWI; this ended in the capture of Damascus by the western powers and the revolting Arab forces, mainly under the banner of the Hashemite Sheik Faisal (later put on the throne of the Kingdom of Iraq). Also interesting to learn what Lawrence did in the years following his heroics in WWI--since he was only just 30 years old at the end of the war. Reading about his work creating & editing his post-WWI memoir--The Seven Pillars of Wisdom--has prompted me to put it on my reading list (got a great deal on a copy from amazon.com's "New & Used"). That will be another long, long read, maybe for sometime in 2017.


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Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book at my parents (my mother was reading it; lent to her by a neighbor) and have to say was quite impressed with it. It did a great job of giving the context & background of Jesus' life & ministry, leading directly to His gruesome death on a Roman cross. But, that wasn't where it ended..."it might be Friday, but Sunday is coming!"...and after Jesus' resurrection, His disciples went out to turn the world upside down.


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Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My 2nd Verghese book--this one not a novel, but based on the author's real experiences as a doctor in El Paso and the ups & downs of a friendship with an intern. Very engaging. Sad insights into the underworld of addictive drugs.


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When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Gave this is a 3-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. It was good to read, though lots of the principles were not new to me, given the community development work I've been involved in over many years. Good principles--good warnings--and good recommendations for ways to help, without causing more damage by just throwing $$ at problems.


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The Blue Hour by Douglas Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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61 Highways Revisited: The Albums of Bob Dylan by Bob Shiel





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Silence by Shūsaku Endō
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another book recommendation from my son Coco & his college reading days. This was a very powerful book (historical fiction) about the widespread persecution in Japan during the 1600s that broke out against the Jesuits/Catholics. A movie is being made of this book--starring Liam Neeson--that is due out in late 2016; looking forward to seeing it and how they bring the story to the screen.


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Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I gave this book 4-1/2 stars in my own reading log. Really enjoyed it and appreciated all the insights into Lincoln's last days. The likes of Booth will go down in infamy--what a pitiful character overall. This book put you right there in the midst of the action & nefarious plotting as it happened. Very well done & engaging to the final page.


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The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my 2nd Orhan Pamuk novel (Red being the 1st) and it was overall rather disappointing. It blathered on for too long on too limited a subject (obsession bordering on mental instability); it could have been more than half the length. I have hopes for enjoying another of Pamuk's novels that have been so highly acclaimed.


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Three Years in Afghanistan: An American Family's Story of Faith, Endurance, and Love by Matthew  Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book on a family's adventurous journey of faith in Afghanistan by Matthew Collins. This is my first book read totally on my (rather new) iPhone and it was a good read. I know the real Matthew and have been on some adventures with him myself, including at least one described in the book that ended up in with some wet results. I loved the humor the author injects throughout the book, as well as the insights into what is really entailed in living/working in as complicated a context as Afghanistan. I greatly appreciated Matthew's transparency and willingness to humbly admit his struggles and failures along the way--as well as the victories and great lessons learned in trusting God with his family's lives.


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Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story by Brian Welch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another Kindle book read to me by my wife in the car on various drives. This was an interesting read, as it's always exciting to read how God can save people out of the most dire contexts--and Welch's lifestyle in Korn had definitely brought him down, down, down into pretty dire straits. Cool to see how God can reach people who would seem to be the furthest away from being reached--or the least interested. Good reminder that God is God and there is nothing impossible for Him as people respond to the life-giving invitation of Jesus Christ to be forgiven & made new from within (not following some slavish ritual or list of do's & don'ts).


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Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend who is currently in medical school--I believe he was assigned it in his first year of study. Dr. Gawande is a surgeon at Boston's Brigham & Women's Hospital & teaches at Harvard Univ. and has written a couple other critically acclaimed books. He has written a very thoughtful, insightful book that addresses a topic many are not willing to look at--impending death and the end of life--with a focus on the quality of one's life when the end draws near. And excellent questions and insights about the limits of modern medical technologies/procedures at such a time. This book was very helpful for me personally as I deal with all the issues surrounding caring for my Dad who is suffering the effects of dementia. It is important to do what we can to help those reaching the end of their days on earth (which are temporary for all of us--and, depending on our response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, either lead to eternal life or damnation) to face those days with dignity and as much joy/happiness and fulfillment as is earthly possible--helping them to leave in peace and to leave a worthwhile legacy behind.


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In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah: The Discovery of the Real Mts. of Ararat by Robert Cornuke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting adventures and theories on where Noah's ark could have landed. The most interesting thing about it is how much points to an unknown mountain in NW Iran called Mt. Sabalon. One of the very mountains (1 of 3) that I climbed with a good friend back in the summer of 2014. Have to admit, I didn't see the remains of the ark while there either...


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Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good historical account written in a very engaging style. Lots to learn--lots to be surprised by as well. I mean, hard to believe some things, but this is a historical record.


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Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting, but still hard to fully grasp some of these concepts--they're just pretty "out there." Though it's a reminder of how little even the smartest of scientific geniuses truly understand the workings of the universe that God created.


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Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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A Kingdom of Their Own: The Family Karzai and the Afghan Disaster by Joshua Partlow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent read--I gave this 4-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. Partlow does an excellent--and I feel very fair--assessment of Karzai's presidency, investigating in detail all the connected relatives who are necessarily part of the Karzai story. If you want to know more about how America's largesse to Afghanistan has been wasted and pilfered--by the millions & millions of dollars--this book has a good inside scoop. It's a sad tale of greed, bribery, cultural illiteracy & ignorance, political cowardice & hubris, and gives one just a slice of perspective into the complications of a place like Afghanistan, where so many people, unfortunately, shoot themselves in their own foot to the detriment of the collective population who eke out a living on $1/day. May God continue to have mercy on the peoples of this incredible country.


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Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Jackal in the Garden: An Encounter With Bihzad by Deborah Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fun read that was overall pretty light. A heavier take on some of the same time & subject is Orhan Pamuk's classic called "Red."


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