Summer at Fairacre, by Miss Read

This book is a delightful read, and one i picked up specifically because Jan Karon (the author of the beloved "Mitford Series") recommended it. As one who grew up watching BBC films and then lived for two years in Ireland, i greatly enjoyed the English style of writing and conversation depicted in this "Fairacre" novel. Summer will be arriving soon in the small village and the main character is Miss Read, the local school teacher. Throughout the book, we get to know her many pupils, along with the neighbors, the other school workers, and many random acquaintances. This is the epitome of small English village life, as seen from the perspective of Miss Read. This is just one in a series, and i have since read several others and have appreciated the little bit of escape they gave me. I found it relaxing as bedtime reading.
In all honesty, nothing could ever completely live up to Mitford, but this comes quite close, and besides, it is English!

Published originally in 1984, by Miss Read; this edition 2001 by Houghton Mifflin.

Deadline, by Randy Alcorn

While i was at college, i took several weekends away to go visit a friend of mine who lived 3 hours away. This translated into many hours of audio book listening, and this was one of those books. I first heard of Randy Alcorn from a friend of mine in Ireland, who happened to be an older Austrian man named Helmut. He had come to work at a Christian ministry in Ireland in order to better learn English. One of the books he read was "Heaven," by Randy Alcorn, and the subject matter enthralled him. Helmut would tell me about Heaven during many of our conversations, how the Bible really does tell us so much about it, and we have so much to look forward to! Well, come to find out, Randy Alcorn had first written a series of "fiction" books and in them talked about Heaven through a few of his characters. He gave glimpses into what he believed the Bible tells us about Heaven. It was because of these books (and "Deadline" is the first in a series of three), that his audience began asking more questions and wanting to see evidence of his ideas straight from the Bible. That is when he wrote his book entitled "Heaven."
So, back to "Deadline:" The story begins with three friends together for their weekly guy's night. They are all very different, but have been friends since childhood and survived through thick and thin. But, things are about to change forever when the car they're driving to the pizza place loses control on a wet road and there is a horrible crash. From there, we flash forward, and flash back, and move from Jake to Finn to Doc, hearing their stories, seeing their lives and families. There are many questions when it is discovered that the car's brakes had been tampered with. Who would have wanted to hurt these three men? Or was it only one of them they wanted to hurt, and why? Secrets come to light, mysteries are revealed, and hearts are changed. This book is amazingly well written, especially having been the author's first novel. However, he did spend a thorough amount of time with both homicide detectives and columnists at newspapers to establish correct form and procedure, and it truly shows. I highly recommend this book! For me, it would win the award of the novel which changed my thinking the most this year. The only thing i wonder is why i never read it before now.
~Multnomah Publishers, 1994

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller

The subtitle is "What I Learned While Editing My Life." So, actually, i didn't read this book, i listened to Don Miller read it while i drove. This was my second road trip with Don as my narrator and he didn't disappoint! You may remember that one of my first reviews on this blog was of "Blue Like Jazz," and since then, i have read almost all of Don's books. Well, i wasn't the only one to be impressed by the story of his life, apparently. A while back, a film producer approached Don, saying that he wanted to make a movie based on his book and life story. After he got over the initial shock, they got down to business. However, Don quickly realized that his everyday life wasn't quite cutting it for the film version. He learned through a painfully frustrating process that what makes a good film also makes a good life. We only want the "good guy" to get the girl if we've seen him struggle through rough territory and make self-sacrificing choices and leap over a huge hurdle. Who cares about the guy who has the easy life and never does anything noteworthy? Through a series of stories and flashbacks, you will enjoy going on another journey with Donald Miller, with his usual self-deprecating humor, simple, yet deep thinking, and open heart. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
~Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2009

Wild Grows the Heather in Devon, by Michael Phillips

This is the first in the series called "Secrets of Heathersleigh Hall," and i absolutely loved this book! My mom and sister had both read through the series and kept telling me about them, but it wasn't until last summer that i was able to start the first one. I started it, and then classes at college began, so i have just finished it and have taken up the second book. Michael Phillips is a poetic writer, i find, using many descriptive words. At first reading, this was a bit annoying, but after just a little while, i was seeing the images of Heathersleigh Hall and the fields and woods of Devonshire, England, surrounding it, and the little cottage where Bobby & Maggie live, and...well you get the point! Set in the mid-to-late 1800's, Phillips does a fantastic job of capturing not only the idyllic English countryside, but also the philosophy of the era. There are changes happening, from Charles Darwin's "Origin of the Species," and the Women's Suffrage Movement, to the Industrial Revolution. This is the story of Charles Rutherford, Lord of Heathersleigh Manor, his wife Jocelyn, and their children, George, Amanda, and Catharine, and the effect small and large decisions will have on their lives. The supporting cast are many and varied, but over time i began to see the connections, and found myself more and more interested in each of my "friends." I would highly recommend this book, though caution that it will cause you to slow your pace, and relax. This is one of those books that, though a novel, is well-written so that it touches your heart and stirs within you desires for high and holy and simple living.
~~Bethany House Publishers, 1998

Just Do Something, by Kevin DeYoung

The subtitle here is "A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will; OR: How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc."
This is definitely the most practical, needed book i read during 2009. The author, using God's Word, corrects the fallacies that have permeated Christian teaching in the past two generations. Our main problem is that we simply have too many options when it comes to colleges, work, where to live, whom to marry, etc. I'll put just one quote in for now. (this is at the conclusion of one of the chapters and i feel it sums things up well) "So go marry someone, provided you're equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it's not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God's sake start making some decisions in your life. Don't wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God's will, so just go out and do something" (61).

Worldliness, ed. C.J. Mahaney

The subtitle is "Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World." This is actually a book i read in my "Christian Life and Bible Study" class at school, and boy did it cause some feisty discussions! There are several chapters, each dealing with the various temptations of the world of this age, including music, money, clothing, stuff, and media. But, each chapter is about not only those things, but God, and my heart. This is a searching book, and one which should only be read when you have time to mull things over, pray about what you read, and then ask God's divine help to put it into practice. Some snippets that really stood out to me: (from the introduction) "Today, the greatest challenge facing American evangelicals is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world...Charles Spurgeon, writing 150 years ago, nevertheless speaks poignantly to the problem in the church today: 'I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church."
(from the chapter entitled, "God, My Heart, and Media") "The hazard is thoughtless watching. Glorifying God is an intentional pursuit. We don't accidentally drift into holiness; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time. In the Christian walk, we can't just step onto the right path and figure all is well. Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey consisting of a series of countless steps. Each step matters, and thus our viewing habits matter. A lifestyle of careless viewing should concern us. At best, careless viewing reveals an ignorance of the media's power of temptation."
(from the chapter on music) "...If we 'never' listen to the words attached to music, we're training ourselves to tune out the content of songs and simply allow the music to affect us. That makes it all the more difficult to focus on the truths we sing on Sundays. We'll tend to be more influenced by the sound, beat, and tempo than the word of Christ we're proclaiming. Don't misunderstand me. Listening to a song with sexually suggestive lyrics won't cause you to run to the internet and start downloading pornography. Hearing a song with profanity doesn't mean you'll be peppering your conversations tomorrow with four-letter words. But over time the lyrics to songs can weaken our defenses, blur our discernment, and redirect our affections toward the world. Listening to music is never neutral, because our sinful hearts are involved."
Like i already mentioned, this is definitely a challenging book. It is one you will want to put down and not deal with, but i sincerely believe its message is needed in the life of Christians today. Our natural tendency is to drift; we have to be purposeful not to.
~~
Published 2008

Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot

In my opinion, i would venture to call this the best modern-day missionary biography out there. True, i love Elisabeth Elliot, her writings, spoken messages, her person. But, honestly, it is one of the best i have read, inspiring, convicting, even humorous.
(This is the short review. I will post more, including excerpts from the book when i can.)