First Quarter Books

I'm going to try a different way to write about the books I read throughout the year. At the end of each quarter, I plan to do a little summary of the books I've read that quarter. To make it more fun - and challenging for me - I'm also going to include a quote from the book that particularly struck me as memorable. So far this year I've read 6 books (two of which I had started in late 2012). They are:

The Reason for God, by Tim Keller

I wrote about this one at the end of this post. 

So, according to the Bible, the primary way to define sin is not just the doing of bad things, but the making of good things into ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something else more central to your significance, purpose, and happiness than your relationship to God.

The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

I wrote about my thoughts on the entire Lord of the Ring series here. But, because I enjoyed the books so much, I still want to do a quote from each: 

“All that is gold does not glitter,

                        Not all those who wander are lost;

            The old that is strong does not wither,

                        Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

            From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

                        A light from the shadows shall spring;

            Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

                        The crownless again shall be king.”

The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien

He never had any real hope in the affair from the beginning; but, being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope, as long as despair could be postponed.   

The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church, by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, Eric Geiger

This is a book my roommate had, and as it was laying on our coffee table I picked it up one day and kept reading it until I was through. As the title implies, the book is about how the church needs to keep the gospel of Jesus at the center of everything it does - from preaching to teaching to serving to missions. Considering my involvement with a brand-spanking new church in Royal Oak, I found this to be a very encouraging, and needed, read. And this quote has stuck with me: 

He loves us so much that He will bring (or allow) circumstances and situations into our lives that bind us to Him. This is motivated by His mercy and compelled by His gracious love. In seasons of suffering, we often walk by faith with blurry understanding, but this much is clear: He will never leave us or forsake us. Although we may be saddled with confusion, He liberates our hearts with more grace. Think how often when apprising someone else’s suffering, we say, ‘I could not weather that storm’. Yet we fail to account for the special grace given to them to bear it. Again, He loves us and has forever promised to sustain us for all eternity. 

Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

There are not enough words to express my affection for this book. Reading it again brought comfort, joy, and gladness. Every girl should have an encounter with Anne. 

"You set your hear too much on things, Anne,” said Marilla with a sigh. “I’m afraid there’ll be a great many disappointments in store for you through life.” 

“Oh, Marilla, looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them,” exclaimed Anne. “You mayn’t get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them. Mrs. Lynde says, ‘Blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed.’ But I think it would be worse to expect nothing than to be disappointed.”

I don't think I'll get through 6 books this quarter - especially considering that I'm tackling the Bonhoeffer biography - but we'll see!