I've been wanting to do several blog posts for weeks now, but I'm in Menard, and our computer at home no longer goes on the internet (it just freezes as soon as you bring it up), so there won't be a whole lot of blog posts coming I'm afraid (or emails). Only when I can get down to the library (which hasn't been open a whole lot this break either). So it goes.

Here's a post I've been wanting to do for a while. I got it from Emily's and Kayla's blogs. You might have noticed, but I tend to like books.

A book that didn't change my life: The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. I guess it’s not a bad book, and it is short. Still, it seems that a book that has been popular for around four hundred years and has this promising a title should have more than a couple of platitudes to offer. The way to practice the presence of God: try praying. Not bad advice. It seems a little obvious, though, and the book doesn’t go much beyond saying that. Maybe I was expecting too much.

A book I’ve read more than once: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy. If you know me, you’ve likely heard of this book. I read it six times in one year.

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a desert island: I always respond to this question by saying The Idiot’s Guide to Building a Boat, but I’m not going to say that here. I’d take The Tempest.

A book that made me laugh: I have a whole list of these. Recently though, I’ve been recommending Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore to a lot of people recently. It hasn’t disappointed yet.

A book that made me cry: I have a list of these, too. I think the one most likely to make me cry (at least almost) is one that isn’t even all that sad as a whole. The story’s just so beautiful though. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.

A book that I wish I had written: I’m continually in awe of Annie Dillard’s For the Time Being. She takes on the most difficult subject of all subjects--God and the problem of evil--and she handles it with remarkable grace and wisdom. I would like to be the sort of person who could write a book like this. Of course, having written Harry Potter wouldn't be that bad either.

A book that I wish had never been written: Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Charles Mingus. The CD is much better than the book.

A book I’ve been meaning to read: There’re a ton of these. One is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. A professor of mine at Tech bought this for me before I left, thinking I’d like it, and I definitely want to get to it soon. Also, I want to read The Brothers Karamazov. I’ve never read anything by Dostoevsky, even though pretty much everything suggests I’d love anything written by him.

I’m currently reading: Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright. Supposedly the new Mere Christianity, and by a scholar I respect. Not bad so far.