Reading contest update...

My wife and I have a friendly reading contest going on. I should point out that it originated when I decided to make a personal goal of finishing 26 books this year. I've never kept track of exactly how many books I've read in a year but I can assure you it's far fewer than 26.

Well, I now find myself a month and a half into this little reading blitz (yes, I will call it a blitz even while some other readers will refer to that number of books as a personal reading "lag") and I'm fairly proud of myself. Contrary to what others may believe (ahem...Erin and Brad) I am not allowing Dr. Seuss into this mix. However, I am trying to mix things up a little and I'm branching outside my usual reading material which 98% of the time deals with ministry in some way shape or form, and it's usually student ministry. There's nothing wrong with that. I just need some variety.

So here's a quick recap of some of the books I've been able to get through since January 1st:

Cross by James Patterson
This was a Christmas gift intended to introduce me to the world of fiction. I immensely enjoyed it and will definitely try to find another one of his books.

The Wooden Horse by Eric Williams
I loved The Great Escape and found that it mentioned another escape that happened from the same POW camp. This was the story. Although originally written as fiction, it's been adapted a bit over the years to more accurately reflect the actual escape as it occurred. I love escape stories so this was a good read although at times it was a bit slow going.

UnChristian by David Kinnaman
If you wonder what 20-30's who don't follow Jesus think about "Christians" this book will be good for you. And lest you think this is another "I'm young and the church sucks" book, I should try to point out that the author makes a genuine attempt at painting a picture of hope for the future of the church. My advice? Read this book.

The Making of Star Wars by J. W. Rinzler
I alluded to this book a few posts ago and how it would place me in the front running as the next mayor of Dorkville. Well, I'm a Star Wars geek and when this showed up under the tree at Christmas I was stoked. It tells the story of how Star Wars came to exist. The script writes and re-writes, the personal dynamics, Lucas' dreams, the characters, the studio...it leaves no rock unturned. An yes, it has pictures...my wife won't let me live this fact down.

The Dark Half by Stephen King
I've never read a King novel. This was another gift that was intended to introduce me to the world of fiction writing. I'm not sure what to say about this one, except that I'm not sure if King is going to stay on my reading list. Part of me thinks that if I let Ted Dekker (here) have 2 chances, then King should at least have another opportunity. So, if you have a recommendation, I'm open to it.

Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas by Jud Wilhite and Bill Taaffe
This was a quick read that contains some stories of people who experienced grace in...well...Las Vegas. Some very interesting life stories and perhaps some good illustration materials for future teaching opportunities.