Weekly Geeks 2009-39 (Looking for a Good Book)

This week's weekly geeks is all about recommendations.

I'm looking for...good Christian fiction that isn't historical. I'll be the first to admit that I almost always prefer my Christian fiction to be historical fiction--whether it is a romance or not. I'm sure I'm missing a few good books by only reading historical fiction. (Just like I *think* people miss out on a lot of great books by avoiding historical fiction.) So what contemporary books would you recommend for me? I'm looking for good characters, strong characters. (By good, I'm not looking for morally good (aka goody-two-shoes). But rather I mean well-written, fleshed-out, human characters.) Plot is almost secondary to me. I'm not looking for christian books with explosions or anything :)

If you're looking for...great Christian fiction that goes above and beyond, I recommend...

(These are books I'd recommend to anyone and everyone. If you think you hate Christian fiction, if you think it offers nothing for you. If you think a book can't be great if it's published by a Christian publishing house...try one of these. Though if you hate historical fiction with a passion, maybe these won't prove anything to you.)

Lynn Austin. I can't really say that enough. Lynn Austin is my favorite and my best. What do I love most about Lynn Austin? Her characters. They're always so human, so fleshed-out, so imperfect, so real. Her stories matter because they're filled with life--not perfect life, not life as we imagine it or dream it, but real life with real problems. Her characters struggle because we as humans are always struggling.

Though Waters Roar

Until We Reach Home

A Woman's Place

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent*

The Frontiersman's Daughter by Laura Frantz**

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen***

*This one reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird. And I'm just not saying that. I mean, this book was a powerful read for me. It just wowed me.

**This one I just loved. It is historical fiction at its finest. I loved settling down into this one. And I loved the romance. An absolute must if you have a weakness for Scottish men. If you loved Christy, give this one a try.

***This one is set in the Regency period (in England). But it's anything but fluffy. It has substance. :) So if you're a fan of the Regency--Austen, Heyer, etc.--give this one a try.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Are you peculiar?

I was reading in Exodus this week, and I was struck by this phrase "peculiar treasure" in the King James Version. I first found this in Exodus 19. Which is one chapter away from the giving of the Ten Commandments, and several chapters after the great deliverance.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which though shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5-6)

A quick search at Biblegateway.com revealed that this isn't the only time God calls his chosen people peculiar.

Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. (Psalm 135:3-5)

Aren't you curious about what the word peculiar meant to the translators of the King James Bible? Did it carry the same meaning then that it does now? How do other translators choose to translate that passage?

Well, the NASB translates "peculiar treasure" to "My own possession."

The NIV and ESV translate it as "my treasured possession."

The NKJV translates it as "a special treasure."

The NLT translates it as "my own special treasure."

As to the first question, Merriam Webster tells me, peculiar comes from the Middle English peculier, from Latin peculiaris of private property, special, from peculium private property, from pecu cattle; akin to Latin pecus cattle. It dates to the 15th century. The first definition is "characteristic of only one person, group, or thing." The second definition, the one I would say most people think of when the word comes up is: "different from the usual or normal." Clearly, the translators meant it as the first.

Regardless of which translation you prefer, I think we can all agree it is a good thing to be a part of God's treasured possession, to belong to Him.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: A Measure of Mercy

Snelling, Lauraine. 2009. A Measure of Mercy. Bethany House. 368 pages.

"Go or stay." Astrid stared at the daisy in her hand and pulled off two petals. Sitting on the back porch, she was supposed to be hulling strawberries. But somehow that didn't work as well when one had life-altering decisions to make. She pulled another petal. "Go." And watched it drift down to the second of the three steps.

The year is 1903. And Astrid Bjorklund has a decision to make. A big one. Should she go to Chicago or stay in Blessing, North Dakota?

If she goes to Chicago, she can further her medical training. She's been working with Dr. Elizabeth (Bjorklund). And she loves it--for the most part--especially when they're able to save a patient. But when they don't, it crushes her. So if she goes, she can train at a medical school for women. But if she goes, she'll be leaving her family--her big family behind. And she loves her family so, so much. Then there's that oh-so-dreamy boy, Joshua Landsverk, who's just returned to town. If she were to stay, something might happen. He might ask her to marry him. True, he hasn't mentioned marriage. But when these two are together, when they talk, when they dance, she feels a connection. But the medical training wouldn't last forever, it would just be half a year or so. So saying yes to Chicago doesn't mean saying no to marriage. What should she do? Or is there another option to consider?

Though this is the first book in the "Home To Blessing" series by Lauraine Snelling. It is not the first book starring this family. This is the fourth series of books about this family, about this settlement. (The other series are: "Red River Of The North" and "Return to Red River" and "Daughters of Blessing.") Does this make a difference? Can this book stand alone? I admit I struggled at the beginning. I struggled to make sense of all the family connections (and the chart did not help me). But. I stuck with it, and by the middle of the book, I was beginning to make connections and enjoy myself. Still, I know that if I had been familiar with the previous books that this one book would have meant more, much more, to me.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Though Waters Roar

Austin, Lynn. 2009. Though Waters Roar. Bethany House. 430 pages.

It was ironic.
I lay in my jail cell on a squeaky iron bunk, gazing at the stained mattress above me, and I remembered the day I first understood the meaning of the word ironic. I couldn't help smiling at...well, at the irony of it. The meaning had become clear to me ten years ago on the day my grandmother, Beatrice Monroe Garner, was arrested.

I love, love, love Lynn Austin. Granted, I don't love all of her books equally. Some are more amazing (to me) than others. So how did I feel about her latest book? Did it have me at hello? Is it a book I want to rush to put into my mom's hands? Will it top my best-books-of-the-year list?

What do I love most about Lynn Austin? Her characters. They're always so human, so fleshed-out, so imperfect, so real. Her stories matter because they're filled with life--not perfect life, not life as we imagine it or dream it, but real life with real problems. Her characters struggle because we as humans are always struggling.

What is Though Waters Roar about? Well, it's about women, about family, about rights, about social justice, about living life with purpose, having a cause. In Though Waters Roar we meet four women: Hannah Monroe, Beatrice "Bebe" Monroe Garner, Lucy Garner Sherwood, and Harriet Sherwood. It's a story of mothers and daughters and granddaughters and great-granddaughters.

And it's historical fiction. The modern setting (Harriet's present-day-in-jail) is 1919. With flashbacks, we travel back to the nineteenth century, to the 1850s I believe. (We're definitely there for the 1860s and 1870s as well.)

The story's heroine is Harriet Sherwood. When we first meet her, she's in jail. In jail and trying to figure out just how she got there, what led her to be in the place she is. She's a thoughtful character. The narrative is told through memories of her life, her family. But we also get a few flashbacks. That is, we get 'inside' the minds of other characters. For example, we spend a great deal of time with Bebe. We follow her from childhood through grand-motherhood.

I mentioned this one was about causes--and it is. Hannah is part of the Anti-Slavery movement. Bebe is part of the Temperance movement. Bebe and Lucy and Harriet are all Suffragists. (Though Lucy is a new champion of women's rights.) It was interesting to trace these movements through the decades.

So did I love it? Yes. Did I love, love, love it? Not as much as A Woman's Place. Not as much as Until We Reach Home. But I did enjoy it. I do think it's a good book. Well-written. Great characters that you can relate you. A compelling story. So I'm definitely going to be recommending it. And yes, I'm going to see if mom wants to read this one.

My review of Until We Reach Home. My review of A Woman's Place.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

A few changes...

Change can be a good thing. I hope you've noticed a few changes I've made lately.

Do you like the redesign? I am loving it. So far. I've also updated the list of participants. I'm almost ashamed of how out-of-date the list was. I'm hoping to keep it up-to-date. I'm hoping to add links immediately after people join. And I do *hope* more people join the perpetual challenge. I'm hoping people will remember that it is perpetual. That they can join at any time. That they can keep right on participating. This is one challenge with no end date! I've also updated the blog roll. I'm hoping since all of the participants (well, the ones with blogs anyway) are on the list that it will be easier for me to visit your blogs. I'd love to be a more active hostess. To get to know you better.

Did you notice the new mini-challenges? I hope I can get a few of you to join in on one or two of them.

Wise-Up Mini Challenge

Welcome the Light Mini Challenge

Handel's Messiah Mini Challenge

I hope to offer a mini-challenge every month or every other month. I'm already thinking of a mini-challenge for January. What say you to "New Beginnings" a mini-challenge to read either Genesis or Matthew in the month of January? Would that be something you'd like to do?

If you have an idea for a mini-challenge, you can always leave a comment or send me an email!

If you know of anyone who might be interested in participating in the perpetual challenge or any of the mini-challenges, I hope you share the project with them. You *don't* have to have a blog to be a part of it!

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Audio Book Review: The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. Focus on the Family. 4 CDs. 2009.

Do you like to listen to audio books? How about dramatized audio productions? Focus on the Family's "Radio Theatre" has done an amazing job with C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. This edition comes with 4 CDs and 1 DVD. In addition to a drama of the book, you get 10 original 'inspired-by' songs.

I'm not one to normally listen to audio books. Though there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, I really loved listening to C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia on audio book. What made me, a skeptic, want to pick this one up? Two little words. Andy Serkis. Yes, Andy Serkis of Gollum fame is Screwtape.

This wasn't my first time reading The Screwtape Letters. I remember first reading this one back in high school. (I went through a C.S. Lewis phase where I read anything and everything Lewis.) But it was my first time listening to it.

What is this one about? Screwtape, a demon, is giving advice to his nephew, Wormwood, (also a demon) on how to influence or tempt his human, John Hamilton. The book was told in thirty-one letters. And each of those has been dramatized for the audio version. Early on, Wormwood's patient becomes a Christian. The rest of the book is focused on those two discussing how to undermine and sabotage this man's faith.

What can you learn from this one? In this little book, there are sprinkled so many insights, so many aha moments. (I especially found his insights on the church useful.) His way of seeing the world, the topsy-turvy perspective where good is bad and bad is good helped me see some of my own weaknesses. I bet every reader can find something to relate to something in this one. And if they won't admit it, is that pride at work?!

What did I love about this one? I loved the drama of it. I know that sounds obvious. But just because it's obvious doesn't make it any less true. I loved the actors--especially Andy Serkis and Bertie Carvel. I thought they did a wonderful job. Their voices were just so perfect for this. I mean it really couldn't get any better. The other actors did well too. All together they did such a great job at bringing this one to life.

If you liked this one, you can become a fan on facebook.

Have you read The Screwtape Letters? Have you listened to it? What did you think? Did any of it speak to you? Do you think Lewis did a good job with his fictional account of how things might work?

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Operation Actually Read Bible, Challenge Update

I know I haven't been the best host for Operation Actually Read Bible. I've been busy participating, not busy hosting. But I'm going to *try* to do better from here on out! I promise.

Here is a place for you to post links to your progress. Every two weeks (give or take a day or two) I'll give you a place to update your bible reading progress. If you're not blogging about your progress, feel free just to leave a note or two in the comments! I do *love* to hear from you!!!

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible