Cris's Book Club Round 2

I thought I would update you on my summer reading power rankings, since in my last post I had only been given a teaser of You Shall Know Our Velocity by one of my faves, Dave Eggers. I finished YSKOV and have since read 3 more books, preparing to read another. Also, a certain Miss Brenna Schartz requested identification as to whether or not these books are fiction or non, so I'll include that in my synopses from now on. Here we go!

You Shall Know Our Velocity, Dave Eggers. (Fiction). As I said before, good ol' Dave is absolutely one of my favorite authors. He has a spectacular writing style that makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me feel like I'm besties with the characters, makes me hate the characters, makes me see human flaws, and makes me want to follow him around like a stalker, just waiting for his next book to come out (perhaps the most beneficial to him of all). The story is about two friends who spontaneously travel around the world to impoverished countries in one week, trying to find creative ways to give away thousands and thousands of inherited dollars from their third musketeer who passed away. To me it was ultimately a story of mourning, and how the death of a loved one permeates your and taints even the simplest, obscure elements of everyday life. Confused? Intrigued? I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone, because it's kind of one of those you must have the will to trudge through, but it definitely made me think. I'd say a 7 out of 10.

Creating Community, Andy Stanley & Bill Willits. (Non-fiction). This was a quick read that I read to fulfill one of my training assignments for my internship in Natal. It is written by the the Director of Small Group Life (Willits) at North Pointe Community Church in Atlanta (a church of oh, a mere 12,000), with the help of the senior pastor (Stanley) on the effectiveness of small group ministry. It's very practical and informative, particularly if you are seeking to develop small groups within your church community. Willits' passion for small group ministry is evident, and his sincere belief in its necessity and unquestionable importance is inspirational. I will definitely use what I learned as I work with the missionaries in Natal on the small group culture of the church there. 10 out of 10, if you're looking to read up on creating community through small group life. :)

Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. (Fiction). I met this book randomly in Oxford while I was perusing the racks at Borders. I was concerned I would run out of reading material on the flight home (a travesty) and so I set out to buy a book I would hopefully enjoy. As I mentioned before, I never buy books without reading them first, but with the trusted advice of my well-read friend Kathryn, who had heard it was decent, I made the buy-one-get-one-half-off purchase and then didn't read it on the plane. Last week I picked it off my bookshelf, determined to get my money's worth, and was very, very pleased with my purchase. The book details the accounts of three different characters woven together throughout the Nigerian revolutionary crisis in the 1960s: a young houseboy, a wealthy Chief's daughter, and an English researcher. Adichie paints an incredible picture of the serene, even luxurious life pre-conflict, and then the turmoil and blow to quality of life that followed. Extremely interesting, and enlightening on the fact of how little we hear about conflicts like these in Africa's recent history. I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10 for it's amazing historical information, but if you decide to read it, be warned there is some strange gratuitous sex at the end of like every chapter. It's not even graphic...it's just obscure.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. (Fiction). In the last month I referenced this book twice as one of my favorites of all time, so I decided that since I hadn't read it in about 6 years I should give it another go. Man am I glad I did. This book is even better than I remember it, and this is my third or fourth time reading it since elementary school. I am still in awe of Lee's creation of Scout, a precocious 8 year old girl whom I wish was my best friend. She paints a vivid picture of life in small-town Alabama, playing imaginitive games in the yard during the summers, going to the black church on Sunday with their housekeeper, Calpurnia, and following the rape trial of Tom Robinson from the perspective of the defense attorney's daughter. Each time I read it, I am amazed by Lee's commentary on race relations, ethics, prejudice, and social justice. Published in 1960, this piece of literature was definitely a courageous effort, and it's no wonder that librarians voted Mockingbird the best novel of the 20th century. I agree. If you haven't read it, READ IT. If you have, READ IT AGAIN. It gets better every time. 15 out of 10.

More thoughts another day on Natal. 40 days...

Brenna, I'll fiction/nonfiction the last list for you real quick:
Fiction: How We Are Hungry, Secret Life of Bees, Kite Runner, What is the What (well, it's a fictionalized biography...it's actually mostly true)
Nonfiction: Color of Water, Audacity of Hope, Reading Lolita in Tehran, What is the What, To Own a Dragon