Lent for Everyone: Mark, Year B by N.T. Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second time through these Lent readings. Excellent insights and applications.


View all my reviews

The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great story & character development, with insights into what it was like for some of the first Swedish emigrants going to a new life in the United States, across that big, wide ocean. This is the first volume of the series, which I think include a total of four books. Looking forward to reading the next volume.


View all my reviews

Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity by Lamin Sanneh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good overview of the progression of Christianity (of various stripes) in the past few 100 years, as it moved from being primarily a western (N. Hemisphere) religion to a more eastern (S. Hemisphere) religion. Good insights about indigeneity and the issues/problems with the past's overbearing mixture of colonialism & Christianity. Mostly focused on developments in Africa, but a good bit also on the recent growth of Christianity in China.


View all my reviews

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams by Philip Zaleski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this book on the Inklings. It's been many years since I read the older Carpenter book on the Inklings. This was a very well researched and written book on these amazing writers and good friends who had great literary influence in their day. The treatment of these literary giants is no hagiography--they are seen with all their warts and foibles.

Lewis & Tolkien's influence and literary classics are still popular and having great influence today. This got me in the mood to do some more reading from these writers--and one day to tackle Tolkien's Sillmarillion.


View all my reviews

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My first John Irving novel. Gave this 3-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. A bit long & bloated--probably could have been 1/2 as long and been better.

View all my reviews

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...


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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




View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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

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


View all my reviews

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




View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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

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


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews