By the Staff and Readers of ninetyandnine.com
June 12, 2005

Since we haven’t done this before, we contacted numerous interesting people around the world and asked them two two-part questions:

1. What are you reading now? Why?
2. What do you hope to read over the Summer? Why?

These are the people who answered, some with long associations with ninetyandnine.com and others with none. (If you were never contacted, don’t be offended – we must not have your email address. Just send us your choices now.)

Likewise, if you’d like to purchase any of these titles, then click here first and contribute to ninetyandnine.com’s eternal enrichment.

If you enjoy the honor of reading, then a list like this will be something just short of heaven. It was for us.

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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. May be the absolute best story I ever read. It gave me a glimpse of Afghanistan and war-torn countries and the desolation afterwards. And it taught me what friendship is all about.

I Am A Soldier, Too by Rick Bragg. I mostly skimmed all the back-and-forth part about her land and family in West Virginia, since I really only wanted to know what really happened to Miss Jessica Lynch during the invasion of Bagdhad. And I found out she...well, read it yourself.

Oral History by Lee Smith. I borrowed this from a bud of mine in college who had to read it for class. It was a very strange introspective/first person look at the Appalachian folk who inhabit the hills of West Virginia (though not related to Jessica Lynch). A divine read, which leads me to drive in the opposite direction of the Appalachians. Think . . . Deliverance.

Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden. (still reading) A non-fiction account of the Black Hawk helicopter mission in Somalia. And since Somalia fell again today to rebel forces, then it is still a relevant read. And it’s an incredible nail-biting story of men who go to war, American men (most of whom never fought with Jessica Lynch)

 

Russ Faubert reads whenever he can eke out the time between family and friends, administrating the church, assisting the pastor, and writing oodles of Bible quiz questions; so mostly in the car or the restroom.

Interpreting “now” rather broadly, I briefly started The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman, read Under Cover by John Bevere, and The Lord Said ... Or Was That Me? by T. F. Tenney, before returning to The Birth Order Book, which I’m now half-way through.

Leman would say that it’s because I’m a firstborn, perfectionist type, who has trouble finishing what I start because I can rarely, if ever, attain to the self-imposed, unrealistic standards of my life, and would rather bail than fail. But then again, I did finish two other books in the middle of his.

What do you hope to read over the summer? Why?

The Eleventh Commandment by Andy Smith

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (the whole thing this time, not just the first 2-3 chapters, see above comment)

 

Currently reading You: The Owner’s Manual because I had heard about it and decided to read something nonfiction and sadly, didn’t score very well on the test. I minored in Biology in college and scored average on the test for how well I knew the human body. Average. Unacceptable. Also reading Dr. Death by Jonathan Kellerman because I read him from time to time and enjoy mysteries.

What do you hope to read over the Summer? Why?

One or two of the books that stay on the floor by my bed to clean up the area. There’s always a pile.

Social Psychology by Stephen L. Franzoi, because I have to for a course I’m taking.

The Nature of Vermont by Charles W. Johnson, for another course I’m taking.

Falling into the Face of God – Forty Days and Forty Nights in the Judean Desert, by William J. Elliott because someone recommended it to me and lent me a copy.

The list would be too long! I guess anything on my bookcase that remains unread. I’d like to get to The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard because I have liked another book he wrote (The Spirit of the Disciplines), and the subject of this book intrigues me—Rediscovering our hidden life in God. I have a couple of Anne Perry books that were given to me for Christmas that I’d like to get to at some point.

To Kill A Mockingbird because I never read it in high school, and it’s a classic. Sense and Sensibility because I love Jane Austen’s plots.

I just finished Ruska by Edward Rutherford. As I now live in a former Soviet country, it was fascinating to read this epic novel about the history and development of Russia as told by various voices of its inhabitants down through time.

I am now reading Morgan’s Run by Colleen McCullough (of The Thorn Birds fame). This is the story of the settling of Australia by an English penal colony. This is another huge historical novel by a great storyteller.

I am also reading Mrs. Simpson by Charles Higham. This biography of Wallis Warfield Simpson (Duchess of Windsor) hasn’t been that great and I’m not sure I will finish it.

As to what I hope to read this summer. . .hmm... I’m not a reading planner. I go to the library/bookstore and get what looks good to me. As we are heading back to the states in July, I’m sure there will be a lot of great new books out there for me to devour.

Lee Ann Alexander is the architect behind Duct Tape, Dixie, and Me, a blog designed to create a money-yielding alliance with duct tape manufacturers around the globe. With these funds she hopes to retire at the ripe age of 30 and spend a lifetime reading all the books she’s never found time to enjoy.

I was so wracked by guilt and shame to admit I’ve spent over a month meandering through Horse of a Different Color, an account of the 2001 Kentucky Derby Winner, that I immediately Googled “meaningful books important people are reading” and ran to my nearest bookstore. I grabbed a copy of The Short Day Dying because it is penned by Peter Hobbs, a first-time novelist who has generated a lot of excitement. I skimmed a couple of chapters to be able to say I am reading something literary, but wasn’t patient enough for it.

Between Googling and bookstore shopping, I’ve also picked up my summer booklist: The March, by E. L. Doctorow, one of 2005’s top novels which piqued my American history interests, as well as Love in the Time of Cholera to continue my enjoyment of the great Gabriel Garcia Marquez. So thanks to ninetyandnine.com and a guilty conscience, I’ve got a great new reading line-up!

Cara Davis is the editorial director of Relevant Media Group and a regular contributor to ninetyandnine.com.

I perused pre-release copies of The Simple Home by Sharon Hanby-Robie and The Deity Formerly Known as God by Jarrett Stevens last week for my job.

I used a gift card to buy The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life to see if it sparks some ideas “professionally” and “personally.” I started Cold Mountain during Christmas and haven’t finished it (it’s pretty slow ... and I guess I am, too), so I plan to finish that this summer as well.

For Wendy Scoggins, there are few things better than a stack of cookies, milk, a good book, and a free afternoon; except maybe a late night at a coffee shop discussing a good book with a good friend.

1. What are you reading now? Why?

Anne Rice’s Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt—Rice used to be the foremost author of the gothic/horror genre, so her conversion to Christianity in 1998 fascinates me. Rice is known for her impeccable research, and the Afterword, where she writes about it, is worth the price of the book alone. This book, written from Christ’s point of view, is probably the closest I’ll ever come in this life to speculating with any historical accuracy what Christ’s mysterious childhood might have been like.

2. What do you hope to read over the summer? Why?

Paul Hattaway’s Back to Jerusalem—I recently read its companion novel, The Heavenly Man, about China’s underground house church movement, and it was one of the most incredible books I’ve ever read. Due to the incredible hardship and sacrifices that the Christians are willing to endure, the Acts 2 experience is being recreated in China everyday with thousands coming to Christ and miracles of biblical proportions happening all the time. If the revival continues at its current rate it’s possible that within my lifetime, the world could see a Christian majority in China. The Christians over there are my heroes!

I just finished Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands. This summer I hope to read Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I received both of these books for Christmas and have not had a chance to read them yet. I am reading them because I am interested in American history and government because I am motivated by a belief that an understanding of the past helps us understand the present and prepare for the future.

Another book I plan on reading is First Among Equals, a history of the Supreme Court by Kenn Star. As a law student I am interested in gaining a broader perspective on the history of the court in the shaping of American society.

I have just read Breakout Churches by Thomas Rainer.

I just read again, The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley.

I hope everyone will read (shameless self promotion) my book, The Second Try now available through Borders, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and Christian bookstores.

I just finished rereading Great Expectations for grad school.  I’m still not a Dickens fan.  I also just read The Traveler’s Gift, in an ongoing effort to improve myself. 

I am about to read Bleak House (we’ll give Dickens one more chance), and Love is the Killer App.

I am in the middle of reading every novel written by Ted Dekker.  His books are very easy to read and require little depth of understanding, but use great spiritual metaphors.  I am nearing the end of my pregnancy—my baby is due at the beginning of July—and I’ve just finished my Master’s degree and need a mental break. I don’t want to do much deep thinking right now. Dekker’s novels I’ve been most impressed with have been “Three” and the “Black”, “Red”, “White” series.  

This summer I hope to continue reading easy, entertaining fiction, specifically the new release from Lynn Austin’s Gods & Kings series, the Old Testament fiction series about the reign of Hezekiah and Mannaseh.  I would also like to link up with some good parenting books, if anyone has any suggestions!  

Shirley McDonald is a librarian who never has enough time to read.

Why? A friend gave it to me. I can’t measure up to these moms, but I definitely modeled the love of reading to my children.

What do you hope to read over the Summer? James Michener’s Alaska

Why? A friend who went to Alaska with us last Spring recommended it. Since it is over 1,000 pages, I saved it for Summer reading.

I’m in the middle of The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martínez. I’ve always been interested in Argentina and this book, which tells the story of a North American graduate student’s search for an elusive Argentine singer, gives an almost ethereal description of Buenos Aires and some of its notable inhabitants. Reading fiction is an easy way of learning about foreign cultures.

I’m also reading, just before I fall asleep, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter y el misterio del príncipe. Since I’ve already read the Harry Potter books in English, I’m trying to learn something about how such books are translated.

In the near future I’m going to read, God willing, Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout, Brother Word by Derek Jackson and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The first got very good reviews in the library journals, and the last was recommended by Kent Curry. The middle one I just picked up because it had a colorful cover. However, all three appear to deal with man’s faith in God, which was the attraction for me.

A couple of my nieces are going to Italy in September. I’ve asked them to bring me a copy of Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco. If they take pity on their doddering uncle, I’ll read that later in the year.

 

Right now I’m reading a very small book called The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth by Richard Paul Evans. I’m sure I’ll be done with it by next week.

My husband and I own two small rent-a-car offices and his aunt recommended it to us to give us some direction. It comes from a God-centered perspective which I appreciate. I don’t think enough can be taught regarding stewardship. God provides us with greater financial blessings, but He expects us to prepare ourselves to handle it. 

I’m big into biographies. I want to read the John and Abigail Adams bios this summer (they’ve been on my to-read list for a while now) and I would like to read Chaim Potok’s The Chosen (love his Asher Lev books). Every time I try to check it out there is a long waiting list. I used to buy a lot of books but it has required me to replace my bookshelves and they are taking over the whole house.  It’s hard to list what I will read when my usual way of choosing is the spin-three-times-and-point method.

I am reading South by Sir Ernest Shackelton. It’s his recollection of his group’s failed attempt to cross Antarctica, and the subsequent rescue of his stranded crew.

I was browsing another book that spoke of this heroic story.

Other good books.

To prevent my brain from going to mush.

David Bunch keeps a journal of books he has read and books he hopes to read. He edits ibid, ninetyandnine.com’s poetry column, and contributes to Collidescope, a blog that discusses faith and culture.

I am currently reading Trinity by Leon Uris and The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.  Trinity interests me because it is an historical novel set in Ireland. I’ve always wanted to know more about the rich history of Ireland, and this book has lots of detail. I was inspired to go back and read about Jewish Orthodoxy while doing research on Matisyahu for the blog, and Chaim Potok’s books are always thought-provoking novels about religious struggles in general and Jewish struggles specifically. I just finished reading Broken Music by Sting, which is a well-written autobiography of the beginning of his life up until the point of his major success as a musician.

I hope to read Blue Like Jazz because I’ve heard a lot about it and I’ve been intending to read it for some time. Also, I bought Thinking for A Change by John Maxwell at a book fair this Spring and I hope to get around to reading it over the Summer. Since summers are made for “light” reading, too, I plan to go back and read a handful of juvenile literature that we have around the house (such as A Separate Peace and Stargirl).

Melissa Seagren currently resides in Connecticut, where she has her dream job—one that pays her to play online all day.

I hope to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I read excerpts of it in my Religious Studies class and thought it was interesting. I also want to read it because it is important to educate yourself on other religions in order to be a more effective witness.

Kent d Curry is an executive editor at ninetyandnine.com.
  
I finally completed Jane Austen’s wonderful Pride and Prejudice. I’m not sure why I’ve avoided it until now, perhaps because it’s her best-known work, or perhaps I felt it would be overly romantic, but after a somewhat clunky start, it soared.

I’ve now begun Paul Elie’s The Life You Save May Be Your Own, a biography of four seemingly unconnected Christians (Flannery O’Conner, Walker Percy, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton) at mid-20th century, who pursued their individual callings to impact contemporary America. O’Conner and Merton are still considered giants. I’m as intrigued by their pursuit of calling as I am challenged to see how Apostolics might replicate their impact today.

My Summer Reading List is catching the siren song of The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje’s aria to the shifting sands of desert and memory. I rarely reread books (there are so many yet to start), so I’m intrigued why I feel this drawing. Perhaps the rereading will reveal it to me.

I just read Sophie Scholl and the White Rose by Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn. It is the true account of a young group of students in 1940's Germany who secretly rose to form secret resistance groups against the Nazi war machine. Their bravery and selflessness is humbling. Every 20something should read this book!

Todd Gaddy lives in Missouri with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys handicapping political races, cheering for the Chicago White Sox, and is saving already for two future weddings.

American Gospel by Jon Meacham—This is a Book Club book selection; wanted to get an even-handed historical account of how the Founders approached religion and state issues.

A Resilient Life by Gordon MacDonald—Because I devour anything MacDonald. One of my favorite Christian authors.

A Stroll With William James—mini-biography of the “American Philosopher” I enjoyed reading James in college and haven’t read him in a while.

The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren—Like MacDonald, McLaren is one of my favorite authors. His grasp on the balance needed to approach Christianity in a post-modern context is inspiring.

 

Right now, I am reading The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning because it is a beautifully written, passionate plea for allowing the grace of God to transform us; and I also just started a novel called Digging to America by Anne Tyler. I read everything she writes because she is so good at capturing the emotional lives of women and their families.

This summer, I want to read more books than I will probably get to; my list includes Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, A Writer’s Life by Gay Talese, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, and for a fast-paced mystery, S is for Silence by Sue Grafton.

Pulse by Edna Buchanan and I just finished reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Why? Because I love suspense novels (Pulse) and because my Grandmother wanted me to read it. (The Five People You Meet in Heaven).

I hope to just actually have time to read over the summer!

Because life is busy!

Currently reading Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg because the title caught my eye in the bookstore. He’s way out there on the Trinity, but his discussion of community and the importance of confession and openness among Christians has definitely challenged me.

Hope to read: Developing the Leaders Around You by John Maxwell is the next bit of brain food I intend to ingest. I find his thoughts on leadership are sound and easy to put into practice, whether you’re working in the church or a secular job. I also intend to read some fiction this Summer if I can find the time. If a novel is good, I usually read it cover-to-cover, so I need a block of time.

Good to Great by Jim Collins—A book is great due to content, timing, or both.  This was initially a timing book for me. I had picked it up in the past, but this time I knew God was going to use it to shape my thinking and talk to me. It takes how we “do” church and flips it on its head.  Very business focused, but the principles are amazing.  It became a work of content and timing.  (There’s a follow-up booklet for non-profits—that’ll be on the summer list.)

The Church on the Other Side by Brian McLaren—This is the revised edition of Reinventing Your Church.  I love everything by McLaren.  The book is formatted within 13 strategies.  I am plodding through it, on purpose—hoping to internalize the emerging dynamics of our culture.  

Golf magazine—All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

This summer, I am attempting to read all of Raymond Chandler’s novels.

Why? I write and am enamored with his style of writing. The way Chandler uses terse descriptive sentences with vivid metaphors and similes makes a writer’s eyes salivate. At any rate, I am currently reading Chandler’s The Big Sleep, along with some aberrant books on the Apocalypse such as Craig Hill’s In God’s Time: The Bible and the Future, and David Barr’s Tales of the End: A Narrative Commentary on the Book of Revelation.

What am I reading: I am currently reading a bunch of C# programming books. I just moved to a new role in my company and am having to pick up a new language as soon as possible. So, any personal reading has been put on hiatus. This is highly unfortunate, because I have a huge stack of books that I would truly like to read, if I only had the time.

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