J.R. Briggs

Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep

  • What I’m currently reading

    June 30, 2010

    We’re spending the week in Michigan for a little R & R. I brought an arm full of books to delve into:

    Hints of Child Training (H. Clay Trumbull): a friend gave me this book written over 100 years ago telling me it was worth its weight in gold. So far, it certainly is.

    The Elements of Style (William Strunk and E.B. White): a classic. Fantastic reminder of great writing rules.

    What Are People For? (Wendell Berry): Eugene Peterson calls Wendell Berry one of the wisest people he’s read. From the essays I’ve read, I can see what he’s talking about.

    The Prophet (Kahlil Gibran): A classic. A great collection of poems.

    The Idiot (Dostoevksy): Yes, you read that right. I’m reading fiction! (Well, at least I’ll try…)

    A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (Eugene Peterson): a great book to re-read.

    101 Famous Poems: famous poems I’ve heard of, but never actually read.

    July’s issue of Fast Company

    This week’s Newsweek


    Are there any other books that you’d recommend I read?

    Posted in: Uncategorized

Recent Comments

  • revjava said...

    1

    J.R. You ever read anything from Peter Rollins??
    The Orthodox Heretic is good way to begin to view parables in new light??
    ~Ryan

    06/30/10 10:12 AM | Comment Link

  • Andy Rowell said...

    2

    The Idiot is tough slogging but is good if you have already read Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment and Notes from the Underground. I would always recommend the new translations by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Here is The Idiot one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375413928?tag=besne-20

    I found Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers very thought-provoking and almost Christian in its perspective.

    Or what about the new Eric Metaxas biography Bonhoeffer? You would really like that too. I did a little review of it:

    http://www.booksandculture.com/articles/webexclusives/2010/june/bonhoeffer.html

    Those are the two most fun and quality books I have read in a while.

    06/30/10 10:44 AM | Comment Link

  • doug said...

    3

    Ok, if you’re going to read The Idiot, it’ll take about 100 pages to get into it, but it’s SOOOOO worth it. Just slog through the first pages and you’ll be happy you picked up some fiction for a chance.

    Just finished “Hints on Child Training,” Backert was right.

    06/30/10 1:46 PM | Comment Link

  • Ben Sternke said...

    4

    Fiction!! I knew Peterson would set you straight ;)

    I loved The Brothers Karamazov and Demons, but had trouble getting through The Idiot. If you can jeep track of all the characters, Dostoevsky is with reading for sure. Andy’s right, too: the new Volokhonsky/Pevear translations are golden.

    07/3/10 8:27 PM | Comment Link

  • Nikki said...

    5

    Hi J.R.!

    I just got finished reading “The Aquariums of Pyongyang” by Kang Chol-hwan– a memoir of the author’s childhood in Pyongyang, 10 years in a concentration camp, and his subsequent journey to South Korea through China. Wow. I would definitely recommend this book! I have a lot of respect for this man, and think I’ve gained much more of a feel for the human side of the North Korean situation. While this book recounts many terrible things, the tone is not despairing and depressing. Rather, it affirms the desire for life and succeeds in being compelling and even hopeful. I’d recommend it!

    Hope you and your family are doing well! Congratulations to your brother and his wife on their adoption!

    Grace and peace,
    Nikki

    07/11/10 3:24 AM | Comment Link

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