One of my new years resolutions this year was to read more, to finish books, and this included cancelling my magazine subscription. It’s now May, so how am I doing?
My friend Alana reads a LOT of books! If you check out her blog you’ll see book reviews on there all the time! There’s no way I match up to that, but I am on my fourth book this year, which doesn’t seem too bad.
I was hoping to alternate trashy with respectable, and while Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis has been permenantly next on the list but keeps getting pushed back, I don’t think it’s been an entirely bad selection of books!
One Day – David Nicholls
I always like something that’s a bit different. This book is set over 20 years, but we only ever meet the characters on St Swithuns day, 15th July, each year. We follow Emma and Dexter from the time they finish university through to their early 40s and see what’s going on each time. And even so, the plot still flows well!
I originally saw this in the cinemas and thought it was fab. Often when you read a book before seeing the film, you’re disappointed by the adaptation, so this time I decided not to read it until later. To be honest it’s been a few months since I finished it now, but I definitely enjoyed the book even though I obviously knew the twists coming up (but had forgotten a fair few of them by the time I got to them!).
Silences and Nonsenses – Adrian Plass
Other than the ‘fun’ poetry books you end up flicking through as a child, I’ve never had a book of poems before. I hated analysing poems at school, and I’m definitely not deep enough to get most poetry, but Adrian Plass is a hilarious, gifted, and very wise speaker and writer, so when I heard that his wife had lovingly collated his poems of the last 25 years into a single book, I thought I’d try to be all sophisticated and the like and give it a go.
The man’s a genius. I’ve had the privilege of having a chat with him before, albeit briefly, and he’s just as genuine in real life as in his writing. He’s done some tours and a book with Jeff Lucas, and they are both men who are not afraid to admit that they’re not perfect, and to share their faults openly! Such an encouragement, but also with a giggle!
The Time of my Life – Cecelia Ahern
I’ve read every full book that Cecelia Ahern has written, and she’s brilliant! Her most well known book is P.S. I Love You, mainly because of the film a few years back, and this was her first book. Her first two books were relatively ‘realistic’, whereas since then every book has had some element of the supernatural. Not in a vampires or sorcery or dark way, not spells or incantations or anything like that, but in one book a women has an imaginary friend who’s actually real, in another we discover the place where all the missing things and the missing people go. Her imagination must be a fascinating place to be!
This book itself is about a woman who is called to a meeting with her life… I don’t want to go any more into it than that for fear of giving too much away!
The Irresistable Revolution – Shane Claiborne
I first heard Shane Claiborne speak at the Baptist World Youth Conference in Germany 2008. This was the first time I really heard anyone speak on Social Justice at any high level, and it was powerful. His book is no different. I can’t write huge amounts as I’ve only read just over 100 pages (although that was mainly all in one afternoon – an impressive feat for me!). I couldn’t put it down – Shane shares his experiences living out with the homeless as God calls us to love our neighbour. This book is challenging beyond belief – I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here!
In summary – I’d recommend any of these books to any of you!
ineke.co.uk 