Nightstand (December 2011)

I started my resolutions a little early by resolving to not miss a Nightstand post this month. The fact that state still hasn’t shown up in my overdue facility and that I just finished a five day weekend means that this particular resolution was achievable.

What I read this month:

Adult Fiction

• The Centurion’s Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
  For some reason, I never expect much from historical fiction set around the time of Christ–and always end up pleasantly surprised when I enjoy a piece set in that era. The Centurion’s Wife doesn’t top Francine Rivers’s An Echo in the Darkness (my favorite item from this time period), but it’s still pretty good. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.
• End of Story by Peter Abrahams
  Another psychological thriller from Abrahams–this time about an writer who can’t seem to publish anything. When she agrees to teach a writing class for inmates at a semi-local prison, she discovers a convicted criminal (and amazing storyteller) that she becomes convinced is innocent. But can she convince a judge? And what about said criminal’s “guilty” plea?
• The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God by Timothy Schaffert
  I’m not quite sure how to describe this novel. The characters are a motley bunch–an alcoholic schoolbus driver, his elementary art teacher ex-wife, their young daughter, and their young son who’s gone off in a fit of religiosity to play in band for the “Daughters of God”, a Christian music trio. It’s a fascinating book, was a very entertaining read–but is impossible to categorize. So I’ll just add a few notes: It’s set in Nebraska. Not being a small town girl myself, I don’t know how accurate all the depictions are, but many of Schaffert’s descriptions sound like what I hear tell of from my small-Nebraska-town-dwelling peers. Also, in case anyone might be misled by the title, this is NOT a Christian book.

Adult Non-fiction

• God: The Evidence by Patrick Glynn
  An interesting treatment of the topic to say the least. Glynn starts with a cosmological argument, but quickly moves on to a more elusive argument from soul to supernatural. Strangely, he considers near-death experiences to be compelling evidences for God. I am inclined to be more skeptical. (Not that I don’t believe that there’s a God–I certainly do–and I know Him. But I am skeptical of near-death experiences, and do not feel that they necessarily are evidences for God’s existence.)
• Glen Beck’s Common Sense by Glenn Beck
  I know there are plenty of Beck fans out there; but, I don’t think I’m one of them. Beck’s stuff was okay but not spectacular. Thomas Paine, on the other hand, writes a truly jaw-dropping Common Sense.
• America by Heart by Sarah Palin
  This book convinced me that I have underestimated Palin. I have generally considered her to be high-action/lower-intellect. But America by Heart reveals her as having a keen and well-read mind. Not that Palin doesn’t have the blue-collar patriotism and common sense that has made her so popular among the supposedly “common man”–it’s just that there’s more than meets the eye. She’s no populist, but a true conservative thinker in the classic liberal tradition.
• Has God Spoken? by Hank Hanegraaff
  An apologetic book on the inspiration of Scripture, this demonstrates Hanegraaff’s definite gift for acronyms. Hanegraaf walks through his famous acronym M-A-P-S (manuscripts, archeology, prophecy, and Scripture) with subacronyms for each point, all to demonstrate that God has indeed spoken through Scripture and that we have a responsibility to be obedient to His word. I’ll review this in more depth later; for now, suffice to say that I greatly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it. (Disclaimer: This book was provided to me at no cost via Thomas Nelson’s “BookSneeze” program. My opinion, as always, is my own.)

Juvenile Fiction

• Bones and the Cupcake Mystery by David Adler
• Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monster Movie by David Adler
• The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
  Fanboy is smart. He likes comic books. He lives in the basement. He has one friend. He is bullied by many. He is watched by one–Goth girl. She sees him take the punches. She reads the comic he’s writing. She talks about killing 90% of the school. She hates his guts? This is definitely YA with some violence, some sexual fantasizing (Fanboy is a 16 year old male), some disrespect for authority, and some “tense” family situations. Despite all this, I found Fanboy an endearing character, one who goes from being a downtrodden geek to one who rises above over the course of the book.
• The No Place Cat by C.S. Adler
  A quite enjoyable Middle grade novel about a thirteen-year-old who rebels against the tyranny of living with her dad and step-mom by running away to live with her mom. Along the way, she picks up a stray cat–and discovers something about the responsibilities of belonging.
• The Clue in the Embers by Franklin Dixon
• The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt
  A very enjoyable coming-of-age story that I sincerely hope makes the Cybils shortlist. My full review here.
• The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
  Another Cybils nominee–this time one I disliked so much that I chose not to finish. High school romance + sex + bad science = not worth my time. My full review here.
• The FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michelle Cooper
  An ultimately very enjoyable story (despite its potentially very inflammatory content)–but not a prize-winner in my book. This is a much cleaner and more interesting “princess” story than the more modern and baser “Princess Diaries.” Read my full review here.

Juvenile Non-Fiction

• The Forgotten Victims of the Holocaust by Linda Jacobs Altman
• The Jewish Victims of the Holocaust by Linda Jacobs Altman
• A is for Adam by Ken and Maly Ham
  An A-B-C book about creation written from a young earth creationist perspective. See my review written from an old earth and language-loving perspective.
• 1 book about bones
• 10 Bible Story books

I borrowed a truncated supply of books three weeks ago, and then picked up the rest in Lincoln on Christmas Adam (immediately preceding Christmas Eve.) So I have plenty of books to keep me busy into the New Year!

Don’t forget to drop by 5 Minutes 4 Books to see what others are reading this month!