It is an early Friday morning and I’m sitting in a
Panera’s restaurant in Branson, Missouri while a cool and gentle rain falls
outside. It has been doing so for hours.
That's great for creating a pensive mood for Day Five of our annual working
vacation here in the Ozarks. More
important, the rain has provided needed relief from the unusually dry
climate the area has experienced in recent months. Sadly, that lack of rain has
muted the brilliance of autumn a bit -- that beautiful, awe-inspiring burst of
colors that we've come to expect just hasn't materialized. But we're not complaining. It's still very pretty,
very peaceful, and we have had a very enjoyable time.
The blog post that is most overdue is this
one for The Book Den. This morning I grabbed my reading list and written one of my
“catch up” posts in which I list the books I’ve recently read but with minimal
comments. The last such post appeared way back in July. Yipes.
Here they are.
* Into the
Volcano by Forrest DeVoe. I don’t
remember just where this book came to my attention but, in graciousness to that
source, I hope I never do. I did finish this espionage story but just
barely. Please don’t bother with this
one or anything else by this author.
* Run Silent,
Run Deep and Dust on the Sea by
Edward L. Beach. Both of these WWII-era
submarine novels are well worth the read but the first is of really special
value. They are full of adventure,
tension, detailed information on submarines and naval warfare strategy, plenty
of human interest, and featuring remarkable writing skills from a real-life
submarine commander. Recommended.
* The Four
Just Men, Council of Justice, The Just Men of Cordova, The Law of the Four Just Men, The Three Just Men, Again the Three Just Men, The
Green Rust, and The Angel of Terror by Edgar Wallace. Thanks to Kindle, a reader who enjoys fine
books from years gone way by now has a chance to enjoy them...and at a truly
astounding bargain as well. All of these
Edgar Wallace books (none of which I could have afforded because of their
rarity) came in a collection provided through Kindle for only 99¢. Cool, huh? That’s the kind of opportunity
that Kindle frequently provides.
Wallace’s books, by the way, were bestselling thrillers on both sides of
the Atlantic in the early 20th Century. Therefore, reading them provided not only the
fun of well-written mystery novels with a political twist, but the added
advantages which older literature can provide – delightfully different styles
and perspectives, richer vocabulary, history provided by first hand commentary,
and the absence of those things that so often make modern books morally objectionable.
* The
Lancashire Witches by William Harrison Ainsworth. This is another long out-of-print book (1849)
that I probably couldn't afford even if I could have found a copy somewhere. But through Kindle I purchased (again for
99¢) a whole gang of W.H. Ainsworth novels.
I enjoyed this one very much.
There was a lot of history, a lot of interesting perspective on the
witch craze in Pendle Forest in the year 1612, and a lot of insightful comment
and fine writing. Now, after this
Ainsworth novel, I tried a couple others in the collection but couldn’t make it
very far in either one. But The
Lancashire Witches was an unusual and profitable read. Recommended.
* The Seventh
Cross by Anna Seghers is an exceptional novel written in 1942, a tense
thriller about a Communist escapee from a Nazi concentration camp. It is a
profound, moving novel that explores the nature of German politics, the soul’s
yearning for spiritual as well as physical freedom, the loathsome and fearful
force of violence, the sublimity of heroism exhibited by everyday people, and
much more. This was one of the Notting
Hill Napoleon’s monthly selections and the discussion over the novel was
exceptional. Highly recommended.
* Prepare
by J. Paul Nyquist. This is brief but
excellent theological work written by the current president of Moody Bible
College in Chicago. The general subject
is the persecution of Christians – how and why it happens, how it has increased
dramatically in recent decades (including the West), the critical necessity to
grasp the biblical teaching on persecution, preparing for it, and praying for
revival. Highly recommended.
* The Lone
Star Ranger, The Young Pitcher, and The
Mysterious Rider by Zane Grey. Here are three more historic novels that came
in a giant collection of Zane Grey novels available through Kindle at a
remarkably cheap price. The first two
were enjoyable but I don't think I would recommend them. And the third?
Definitely not. It was tedious, predictable, and poorly written.
* A Christian
Manifesto by Francis Schaeffer. This
is a genuine classic, the book which launched Claire and me into pro-life
ministry almost 35 years ago. Re-reading
it is always a moving experience for us with fresh applications that are always
relevant. This time around a few friends
read it with us (Matt, Allen and Quint) and the subsequent discussion was
tremendously stimulating. Highly
recommended.
* Knight
Without Armor by James Hilton. This
is one of the most dramatic and enjoyable reading surprises in recent
years. It’s not just the fine writing
and the interesting plot twists – one rather expects that from the writer of Random Harvest, Lost Horizon, and Goodbye,
Mr. Chips – but it was also the setting (just before and during the Russian
Revolution), the amazing historical detail, and one of the most intriguing,
unusual, and wining love stories I’ve ever read. The discussion of the Notting Hill Napoleons
over this one was really fun. Highly
recommended.
* Guadalcanal
Diary by Richard Tregaskis. This
simple but compelling account of the first months of the U.S. Marines’ fight
for the island of Guadalcanal in 1942 is a must read for those interested in
military history. Recommended.
