by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick, Young Readers Edition, 2014 We thought about getting this book for Isabel, but after reading it, decided against it. Malala is brave and her story is amazing, but the book makes one despise Muslims because of the ignorance and evil of the Taliban. There is no doubt that God’s […]
Author: bookhound
I Am Malala
American Spy
by Lauren Wilkinson, 2018 This was the last book selection for the Old Town Library Book Club 2021-2022 year. It was Jennifer’s selection. She is the one who so disliked Deacon King Kong, which was a most enjoyable, excellent book. She is the one who selected the book, Pachinko, a few years back, which I […]
Gmorning, Gnight: little pep talks for me & you
by Lin-Manuel Miranda, illustrated by Jonny Sun, 2018 Sweet book with inspirational, short, loving messages for the morning and the night. They come from his tweets. He loves Twitter. Here’s an example: “Gmorning. ‘You’ve had too many apps open for too long. ‘Close your eyes. ‘Check all systems. ‘Soft reboot.” “Gnight. ‘Don’t wait until low […]
Inside Outside
by Herman Wouk, 1985 Another EXCELLENT book by Herman Wouk. This one is long, 644 pages, but engrossing. It is set mainly in New York City in the first half of the 1900’s. It’s about a boy, a Jewish boy, who is born in 1915 in Bronx, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrants. It tells […]
The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer
by Christopher Clarey, 2021 A full-on immersive trip into the world and life of Roger Federer. There have been about 12 biographies on Roger Federer. This is probably the definitive one. It takes you in-depth from before Roger was born (which was on 8/8/1981) to shortly after his devastating loss to Djokovic in the Wimbledon […]
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, 2015 This is the true story of a young boy, William Kamkwamba, who was born in 1987 in a tiny village near Wimbe, Malawi. He is enthralled with science and just wants to go to school and learn about science. He is the only boy with 6 sisters. His […]
Deacon King Kong
by James McBride, 2020 I LOVED this book! It was the Old Town Library Book Club selection for April 2022. Both Leslie and Mandy picked it. It took me someplace I didn’t want to be – a housing project, the Cause Houses, in NYC – complete with drug pushers, heroin addicts, alcoholics, and criminals. But […]
Don’t Stop the Carnival
by Herman Wouk, 1965 Herman Wouk lived on St. Thomas for 6 years while researching and writing books. A real-life New York press agent bought a hotel in the Virgin Islands and told the story of his many mishaps. Norman advised him to write a book, but the press agent “demurred.” However, he encouraged Norman […]
Madam, Will You Talk?
by Mary Stewart, 1955 Fun murder mystery set in the south of France. A young beautiful widow goes with her friend to Avignon. She gets involved with a boy and his dog. She ends up saving the day and marrying his father. It’s suspenseful and the settings are so well-described, you feel as if you […]
Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author
by Herman Wouk, 2016 Short biography by Herman Wouk, the author of The Caine Mutiny, which was one of the best books I ever read. He wrote this short biography in 2016 and he died in 2019 at the age of 103 in Palm Springs, CA. As a youth, he loved Mark Twain, then Dumas. […]
jewel-never broken: songs are only half the story
by Jewel, 2015 Danette asked me to look for this as a used book. I checked Bizarre Bazaar but no luck. However, our library had it, so I checked it out and read it. It’s very interesting. I had no idea Jewel was like this! I thought that her name was a made-up name but […]
Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard
by Arthur Conan Doyle, 18 stories written sometime before 1930 when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died Appealing, warm-hearted book by the author of Sherlock Holmes. The main character is Etienne Gerard of Napoleon’s army from 1807 to 1821. He loves his Emperor and will do anything for him. There are 18 adventurous tales. They involve […]
Christian Mission in the Modern World
by John Stott, 1975 (Americanization 2008); updated and expanded by Christopher J.H. Wright, 2015 Work by John Stott explaining how a Christian should live in the world; what our lives should look like as far as Mission, Evangelism, Dialogue, Salvation, and Conversion. He wrote it in 1975, Americanized it in 2008, and Christopher J.H. Wright […]
Moonshine
by Alec Wilkinson, 1985 Captivating book about a revenuer in North Carolina in the 1950s and 1960s, names Garland Bunting. He’s an ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) officer in Halifax County. He is fearless and talented and a brilliant strategist and tireless and a great actor and entertainer and lovable and friendly and a salt-of-the-earth kind […]
Santa Calls
by William Joyce, 1993 Children’s book recommended on the Book-A-Day calendar from Christie. Here’s what they said: “North Pole Adventure: In William Joyce’s picture book, Santa Calls, young Art Atchinson Aimesworth–inventor, crime fighter, and all- around whiz kid–is summoned by Santa Claus to the North Pole. There he invents, fights crime, whizzes all around, and […]
The Radical Disciple
by John Stott, 2010 This was John Stott’s last book. He is writing about what our lives should look like as Christians. Sanctification (being made holy) is purely the work of the Holy Spirit, but in this book he covers 8 aspects of our lives that we have neglected. Wayne’s comment on Dependence (#7 below): […]
Basic Introduction to the New Testament
by John Stott, 1951, revised by Stephen Motyer, 2017 He covers the books of the New Testament (except Jude), giving the history of the authors, the culture and context in which written, and the message. The message, over and over, is that salvation comes through Jesus, not through works. I started out loving this book […]
Basic Christianity
by John R. W. Stott, 1958, 2008 Tim Keller recommended this book in one of his books. It was very good. I flagged just about every single page. It all comes down to the Gospel, again and again. Without Jesus, we are doomed. Each and every day of our lives, we can live joyfully and […]
Facing Your Giants
by Max Lucado, 2006, 2020 He delves into David’s life from beginning to end as told in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles (various passages in each), showing that when David trusted in God, walked with God, prayed to and consulted God, good things happened, even miraculous things. But, when David forgot God, bad […]
Hidden Christmas
by Timothy Keller, 2016 A short, beautiful book examining the familiar Bible passages and carols of Christmas and revealing how mind-blowing the Christmas story actually is. We have become jaded and clouded over but this book helps you see anew the reality that God came to earth to be with us: Immanuel. Our God loves […]