I had set a goal at the beginning of this year to read 26 books in 2015. I use Goodreads to keep track of my progress, and according to them, I'm on track. In truth, this is partly because four of those books were a re-read of the last half of the Harry Potter books, but I'm still going to count them. Here's what I've read so far this year:
Love Into Light: The Gospel, The Homosexual, and the Church, by Peter Hubbard
I picked up this book for a couple of reasons. One, Tim Challis had written a good review of it on his blog (and I often like his book reviews and stuff he recommends), and two, because I've not read much about churches should care for believers who have unwanted same-sex attraction. I think it's important to note that this book is written geared toward that particular audience: professing believers who recognize that living a homosexual lifestyle is a sin, yet struggle with how to overcome that sin. Approaching the issue of homosexuality from this vantage point is very different the point of someone who does not recognize it as a sin, and who is satisfied with that lifestyle. What I appreciated about this book was the overwhelming focus on identity, and the need for all believers to find our identity in Christ. This is something that every believer needs to cling to I think, regardless of the struggles we face. The author is a pastor who has counseled people in his church who have struggled with unwanted same-sex attraction, so he is able to draw on a lot of practical experience in how to love and counsel people. One thing I appreciated most about this book is how he kept coming back to the Gospel, and how the Gospel has the power to transform all of us, no matter who we are, what we've done, or what we still struggle with.
The Dinner, by Herman Koch
This book was a huge disappointment. It looked good at the bookstore, so I checked it out of the library, and am glad I didn't spend any money on it. It started out okay, but as the story progressed, I realized that the one character I was initially sympathetic for turned out to be a a world-class jerk (and that's putting it mildly). In the end, I didn't care at all about any of the characters, which makes it hard to really enjoy the book.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
Speaking of characters...the Harry Potter books. Sigh. How can I start with describing my affection for them? I was fortunate to receive all of the Harry Potter movies on Blu-Ray earlier this year, and after watching a couple, was forced to start reading through the series again. I read the last four books in the series in the beginning of this year. It's the characters in these books that I just love over and over, a bit more each time I read them. This texting conversation between Lisa and I sums it up the best:
(And yes, I did one Saturday night binge-watch the last two H.P. movies. It was a good night.)
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