My Suggested Bibliography, Part 2

This is the second part of this Bibliography, so be sure to read these in order...

6. Read the Bible for a Change by Ray Lubeck

Now, this book is hardly a classic by any stretch, but I regard it with a deeper affection. You see, I have Ray Lubeck for a teacher in several classes over the course of several years at college. Fellow students seemed to adore him, but at first, I thought him a bit odd. However, after several classes, I found myself impressed by his teaching style and engaged by his enthusiasm. In fact, I feel that much of what my students enjoy about my class is a direct result of Ray's influence in my own life. He helped me understand what good teaching looks like.

That narrative note aside, this book is a very readable guide to Bible study, filled with humorous anecdotes and warmth. Lubeck packs a lot of info and analysis into a neat little package here, and it is only the richer for me, since much of it echoes discussion that we had in classes. His notion of reading the Bible like a BOOK completely changed my way of looking at it. Kind of common sense, huh? Well, I can tell you that it isn't that common, and most treat it like some kind of Spiritual Swiss Army knife. I don't have a corner on correct interpretation, but thanks to Ray, I feel like I am on the right street.

7. "The Dictionary of..." collection published by InterVaristy Press

Each of the books in this series is a collection of articles about a multitude of subjects in a given section of the Bible. For instance, in "The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels," you will find literally hundreds of articles on different topics which relate to these particular Biblical books. It may be interpretive theory, book structure, cultural notes, topical or thematic studies, character studies, geographical notes, or any number of topics. These articles are written by modern recognized authorities in these particular topics, and all are scholarly pieces.

Now, I will admit that these are not usually wildly interesting reading. They are, after all, scholarly introductions to these topics. However, it is good to chew on things like these to help us deepen our understanding and thinking. Just reading this kind of writing will invariably hit you with things you would not have thought of on your own, and may even contain "aha" moments when a new light is shone onto these books. As an added bonus, each article is followed by a brief suggested bibliography for that particular subject! Bonus!

8. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

I am deeply indebted to Dr. G(arry Friesen) who made me read this for his class. It is not a book I might have chosen on my own, but without a doubt it is my favorite Lewis piece. The basic plot is that a busload of damned souls travel to the outskirts of Heaven to decide whether or not they like it enough to stay there forever. Yes, it is a bit of an odd premise, but the underlying themes are too powerful to be dismissed easily. In the end, we see these "ghosts" fall, one by one, away from the "bright country" since they will not relinquish those sins that so tightly bind them.

One of Lewis' gifts is his clear picture of eternal reward and consequences. It shows up in his various writings in various ways, but this work captures it in such a beautiful, fantastical narrative. We find ourselves begging the various ghosts to release themselves from their self-imposed bondage, or maybe we scoff at them for their foolishness: only to catch a glimpse of such shackles within our own hearts.

9. Mere Christianity by CS Lewis

This book is another of his works that is just so marvelous in so many ways. Lewis is, of course, just brilliant. However, he has an equally brilliant way of discussing deep topics in common language. I would say that Lewis has a great "voice" in his writing that makes you feel like you are sitting in a Starbucks with him over coffee... This book is just so... conversational.

In addition to being so enjoyable, the actual topics Lewis wrestles with are utterly profound. This is a kind of Christianity 101, without the preaching. Really, it would be far too difficult to even begin to condense it here, as it tackles a wide range of inter-related topics. It is one of those books that does not waste a sentence, and yet carries you along in the reading. In my mind, it is a masterpiece that deserves a read-through at least once a year.

10. A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin

Now, this is another book that time may decide is not a true "classic" and in another ten years, I may not, either. That said, do not start this book unless you have time to read it straight through. It's nearly 900 pages, and no, I am not kidding. Once you start with it, you will read it every waking hour until it is done. Every person I know who has read it has had exactly this same experience. I bought it on a Sunday afternoon, and even though I had to work Monday and Tuesday, I think I had it completed sometime in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

As a warning, it is not necessarily for kids. While it is not trying to be vulgar in any way (far from it), it is a modern novel which utilizes the modern propensity to describe things in vivid, sometimes blunt detail. This includes topics like hate, love, war, revenge, sex, etc...

However, the story traces the life of a young man who grows into an old man... who fights in a war and sees death, who loves beauty in an almost transcendent way in all its' forms, who barely escapes a military execution by firing squad, who serves time in a marble quarry hand-chiseling enormous slabs from the sheer cliff face, who speed-climbs a mountain in a hail of artillery fire to rescue a friend, who falls deeply in love with women in a way that makes your heart ache to hear him speak to them, on and on the story goes..... and it takes you along for the ride the whole way. It is not a war novel, or a love story, or a drama... it is all of them woven together. It is well written in a way that books of the month can only dream of.

Well, that is enough of a list for now. I may take up the list again in future installments, and I probably will, but that would give a person a good start.

My Suggested Bibliography, Part 1

What do you read? What would you recommend?

Oftentimes, we find ourselves at a loss to decide what to read, or more to the point, what is worth reading and what is not. Nowadays, printing is cheaper than it has ever been, and we are inundated with the printed word. It can be very, very tough to decide what is worthy of the investment of your life (because time is only a way of measuring your life, after all). There is a bunch of junk out there, in many forms, so one must be careful to invest wisely.

For me, as I proceeded through College, I was taught by men and women who were broadly read in their fields (getting a PhD does that to you). Often, the resource I coveted the most was the suggested Bibliography which each teacher would produce in the syllabus for their class. Basically, this would be a lengthy list of works which they would recommend for the next stage in our education in that subject. Basically, these teachers had done some of the groundwork for me, and separated the wheat from the chaff.

Now, I have shared this with my own class several times over... about these bibliographies. Then, just the other day, one of my students looked at me and asked, "Well, Mr. K, what are YOUR top ten books?"

Frankly, it caught me unawares. I don't suppose that I had ever really given that much thought. At least, I had never considered a list of my own... In that vein, I am going to throw out an eclectic list of ten books that I would recommend, and why I would recommend them.

1. The Bible.

Yes, the Scriptures come out on top of the list. Aside from my own particular faith and worldview, the Good Book is just marvelous. It takes us through a dynamic story, with many twists and turns and joys and heartaches. We find ourselves in familiar stories with the old familiar faces, and puzzling gems hidden in tiny chapters. We find wisdom, poetry, stories, songs, grand announcements, frail prayers, expansive family trees, visions, warfare, love, betrayal, murder, revenge, forgiveness, supernatural events and encounters, dynamic characters, exotic cultures, and a lot more.

Did I mention that the main character is the most controversial, most influential, most discussed, most debated, most cherished, most villified, most adored, most admired, most quoted, most misquoted, most studied, most righteous man in the history of literature? Yup, talkin' about Jesus here. Whatever your thoughts about Him, you find Him here in this book. There is just no other book that is even remotely as rich or influential as the Bible.

2. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

I have read this several times now, and it is just amazing. I think that I enjoy it more every time I read it. The characters are rich and the plot is just amazing. The overall theme of redemption and forgiveness is breathtaking. The detail and insights that Hugo brings are clear marks of a gifted author. It is truly, totally, a classic.

I read about Jean Valjean, his unfailing love and his unassailable power to transcend his circumstances. He is a force for redemption that I want to emulate. But to be honest, I find myself on the edge of my seat as I read about Javert, the bitter, unforgiving law man who mercilessly hunts Valjean... I see my own heart strangled and suffocating like his... and when I read, I turn the page hoping that this time, he might not end up in the river. But alas, he is overcome by his inability to show mercy, even to himself. God save me from such a fate....

3. The Sea Wolf by Jack London

Now this is a great departure from Les Mis, as London demonstrates a worldly, humanistic reality where death is omni-present. London had spent time in the great yukon gold rush, seeing firsthand the stark brutality of life there. However, he also spent much time on the open sea, and became an experienced man of the world at a relatively young age. Putting this together with an enormous literary talent, and a keen eye that observed all these things, and you have one of my favorite authors.

Though not as well known as White Fang or Call of the Wild, Sea Wolf is my favorite London novel. In it, we see the terrible battle of souls between the terrifying, Darwinian captain Wolf Larsen and the somewhat sheltered, idealist gentleman Humphrey Van Weyden. We watch as "Hump" wrestles with surviving in Wolf's brutal world, physically and ethically, while trying not to become the Wolf to do so. I could go on about it, but it is just a great read.

4. Jack London's various Yukon-based short stories

I have never been the biggest fan of London's two most well-known Yukon novels (White Fang and Call of the Wild), but I have always loved his short stories about the North. There are several dozen of them, and I will take it on myself to re-read them at least once a year. Having come from a small town in north Minnesota, far back in the cold, snow covered timber, these stories contain a sort of nostalgia for me. I have been inside hunting cabins that resemble those detailed in his stories, I have lived in temperatures well below zero for weeks on end, and I remember watching sled dog races run. At night, in the woods, you can still hear the wolves howl...

Aside from these memories, many of his insights into human nature and people in general fell in line with my own experiences and understandings. So in these things, I feel a part of his writings. Further, as with all truly amazing authors, he will drop the occasional phrase, sentence, or observation that gives the reader food for deep contemplation.

Among these short works, The White Silence, The Sundog Trail, The Master of Mystery, Housekeeping in the Klondike, and the classic To Build A Fire are the stories which I enjoy more than others, but really, they all mean something to me. Come, break the trail with Sitka Charley and sit alongside the Malamute Kid at the fire...

5. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

The funny thing with this book is that I kind of found it through the backdoor. Before I ever sat to read the book, I saw the old movie which starred Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab. Despite the somewhat goofy-looking whale (by today's standards anyhow), I loved it. I still believe that Peck's Ahab is the one against which all others are measured. But I degress.... back to the book....

I richly enjoy reading a book that has the 200-year-old feel to it. The culture Melville describes, the richness of his characters (some of the best descriptions I have ever read), the iconic story itself, the language he uses... all add up to a really great book. I find myself tremble with Starbuck, as he listens to Ahab wrestle with Providence... and I feel myself captivated by the gravity of this scarred face. "Come Starbuck, let me gaze into a human eye....."