Reading through the Bible

I had dinner with a friend last week who told me about a Muslim celebration she had recently attended. The party was honoring a 10-12 year old girl upon her completion of reading the Quran, which she read in Arabic despite the fact she didn't understand the language. This was a big event for the family and their entire community joined in celebrating. It reminded me of Jewish children's bar/bat mitzvah. Afterward my friend was talking to the parents of the child who, knowing she was Christian, asked at what age Christian children are required to read through the Bible. Hmmmmm....

Last year my daughter read through the entire Bible. She committed to it and even fell behind schedule several times, but worked hard to catch up and complete it! When I was in college, the Stillwater church started a program to read through the Bible in a year using the Chronological Bible and I joined along. It was hard for me to stick with not only because I was a student, but because Jesus was pretty new to me and my life at that time. Although I wanted to read the whole Bible, I found the chronological style tough; I kept wanting to "get to the good stuff." I did complete it, but have not tried since then to read the Bible in a year, until this year... inspired by my daughter.

I am using a reading plan on the You Version app on my iPhone, which gives scheduled daily readings of selections from the Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms or Proverbs each day. So far I haven't had a problem keeping up, although it's still early in the year, but the app also allows you to set reminders, which helps!

You Version is free and available for phones, tablets and computers. It offers numerous versions/translations of the Bible as well as reading plans on many topics and varying lengths. It's a simple way to get into the habit of spending time in God's word.

I decided to update my progress throughout the year as another incentive for me. So far I have completed Genesis and Matthew.

I'm still pondering the aforementioned question posed by my friend's Muslim friend..... at what age? in the original languages? Very intriguing.

The Historian

by Elizabeth Kostova

You may recall that I planned to read The Historian this summer, but was side tracked when a friend told me I should read Dracula first, which I did, and now I know why she said that. Although The Historian stands alone, Stoker's novel and vampire lore are mentioned throughout Kostova's book, which makes Dracula a handy point of reference.

Unlike current pop culture vampire stories, The Historian presents a lengthy account of several people's searches for the real Dracula, akaVlad the Impaler. The nameless narrator is a 16-year old girl who lives with her father in Amsterdam when she discovers some of his letters that lead her on a journey to find him before it's too late. The letters she finds reveal the story of her parent's voyages through Eastern Europe as they uncover the mystery of the undead and search for their friend and father Dr. Rossi and ultimately Dracula himself.

This book includes lots of scholarly research about Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Ottoman's, the travels of 15th century monks and especially Vlad the Impaler, who tortured and killed thousands of people during his reign in Wallachia. These facts combined with Romanian and Bulgarian folklore and the vampire legends of Bram Stoker lend to an engaging adventure.

I had a few minor issues with the book: while the information of the monk travels was interesting, it was a bit off track and overly lengthy, the ending was rather abrupt, especially given the detailed storytelling up to that point. I thought the author did a great job of making Dracula the vampire real up until the Rossi incident, which I won't divulge so as not to create a spoiler. I also found the epilogue unnecessary and obscure.

If you like history and anthropology, mysteries and travel adventures you will like this book. If you want a creepy vampire story, it has that too. 

A Red Herring Without Mustard

by Alan Bradley

Last January I read the first of the Flavia de Luce mysteries and said I'd probably read another. Well, here it is. This book is filled with many of the same characters and Flavia struggles with many of the same family troubles as mentioned in the first novel. These interactions give a rather morose tone to the overall story, which takes away from the fun.
The story centers around a gyspy, who after reading a villager's fortune is found nearly dead in her caravan. A day later, the likely suspect is found dead, hanging from the trident at Poseidon's fountain. So the search for the killer begins. Unfortunately, in Red Herring, there really isn't much of a mystery, I think any reader could pick up all the clues long before the heroine does.
In his novels, Mr. Bradley references a variety of other literary works as well as providing little factoids about chemicals, their interactions, their uses and their founders.
I read this book for the reading challenge. After this one, I think I've had my fill of Flavia. These books should be marketed to a younger audience.

Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

Creepy!
When I finished Gone Girl my first thought was, "that was creepy!"

My overview of this book has to be minimal in order to preserve the mystery for those of you who have yet to read this best-seller. In a nutshell, this is a dysfunctional marriage gone disastrously wrong beyond your imagination. The novel is divided into alternating narrations between Nick Dunne and his wife "Amazing Amy" telling their perspective of the relationship and encouraging readers to pick a side. Halfway through, Ms. Flynn introduces a twist, which throws readers into some confusion and doubts. These people are sick, they are psychotic, they are unbelievable! And there is the problem, by the time part three comes along, the characters and the story-line becomes unbelievable. It seemed like the focus shifted, the story lost momentum and although issues were resolved, it was unsatisfactory.

I give credit to Flynn for entering the minds of these clearly disturbed people, she wanted you to experience the mind of a wack-a-do, and did a great job of it! I can see why this has been a popular read. It is creepy, but doesn't leave you with the lingering anxiety received from Silence of the Lambs or Misery. 

Just Deceits: A Historical Courtroom Mystery

by Michael Schein

I love reading books that introduce me to pieces of history that I never knew about. I also love books that inspire me to do research along the way to verify if the history being presented is accurate. And I love a good courtroom drama. This book has all of that!

The unknown history deals with the trial of Richard Randolph and his sister-in-law Nancy Randolph. In 1792 they were accused of having an adulterous affair resulting in an unwanted pregnancy, birth and murder of said baby in order to avoid scandal. They hired as their attorney the young John Marshall, who was subsequently joined by the more mature Patrick Henry. All these well-known historical figures involved in an obscure yet scandalous legal battle. Richard Randolph, his wife, two brothers and Nancy lived on an estate named Bizarre, so this story originating from that property shouldn't come as a surprise as so much of these happenings are bizarre. This story is adapted from trial notes, public records and letters from that time. The trial itself contains some gottcha's on par with Presumed Innocent and similarly leaves the reader questioning the verdict.

Although the writing is a bit immature (it does improve along the way), Just Deceits is a debut novel  for Schein and it shows promise for future material. It was a free Amazon download when I got it, but is currently available for only $.99. This changes my negative experiences with free downloads, one out of five worth reading. Odds of success are still iffy.

I am being lenient in my rating because I'd like to encourage this guy to write some more.

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

You may remember about 6 months ago I mentioned some friends' debate over Dickens' literary genius.  One said A Tale of Two Cities was his greatest work while the other lobbied for Great Expectations. I was so intrigued over this controversy that I determined to read each novel and decide for myself which I would endorse if asked. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I could choose. I liked both books and they are so different it may depend on your genre preference.

Great Expectations is a coming of age story as recalled by the main character, Pip. It begins with his encounter as a youth with a convict who coerces Pip's assistance. As he grows up he is taken under the wing of a reclusive old lady whose relationship creates in him a desire for advancement. His dream of improvement is realized when he is bequeathed a great expectation, which eventually turns sour. It is a rags to riches to rags story.

Here is what I found in favor of Great Expectations: the story is engaging from the start, the themes are obvious and the language is generally easier to understand.

Here is what I favored in A Tale of Two Cities: the history, the relationships and the sacrifices.

Both books have great characters, strong writing and some unexpected plot twists.

So cast your vote, if you can. Which would you pick?

Catching Up, Final

Good Reads!

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
I loved the movie but had never read the book, so I finally did. The problem with reading a book after seeing it on the big screen is that the characters and voices are already formed in your mind, even if they don't exactly match the book description. With this book, that was okay. The movie actually followed the book pretty closely, with a few additions and subtractions, but didn't change the overall message. It's worth reading even if you've already seen the movie, and if not, read it first.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
House of Mirth is a commentary on the lives of the rich in 1900's NY society. At the age of 29, Lily Bart is unmarried and in dire financial straights. She is feeling pressure from her friends and her finances to get that done in a hurry, before she loses her beauty. Her goal is to "marry well." Although she has deep feelings for Mr. Selden, marrying him would eliminate her from the upper crust of society with whom she has forged all her relationships. Unfortunately, those eligible men who could maintain her desirable lifestyle are unappealing and unacceptable to her. She soon gets herself into a conundrum, when she takes a favor from her friend's husband and her intentions are misunderstood.
The book presents a number of contrasts (rich/poor, beauty/ugliness, popularity/outcasts), asks some valid questions even for today (Who are your friends? Is it better to have love w/o money or money w/o love?) and criticizes our tendency to judge people by their occupation, their address and their wealth. A great classic novel reminiscent of Jane Eyre.