Karl's Reading List

With Gordon Hunkin. Published by Every Tribe Resources for New Covenant Ministries International: Bryanston, South Africa, 2001. A few weeks ago I came across this book in the second-hand area of our local Christian bookstore. I was intrigued, as I recognised the name Dudley Daniel. He started the NCMI movement, of which our church, ChristFirst is a part! I have never actually read anything by him before though. Daniel paints a picture of how he sees the church working, building a community wherein every believer can minister in their own giftings as 'a priesthood of all believers' (1 Peter 2:5,9). He stresses that an authentic Church community needs to be built on the Word of God and also have the freedom to flow in the Holy Spirit, when a number of churches will focus on one at the expense of the other. In pursuing this goal churches (and individuals) should be willing to adjust when God directs them into new areas without losing hold of the important things He has been doing...

From an original idea by Siobhan Dowd. Published by Walker Books: London, England, 2012 (2011). This is one of those books I've heard people rave about, and now I understand why. Technically a children's book, and definitely written with (older) children in mind, A Monster Calls nevertheless confronts some very heavy topics. Conor faces bullying at school, constant nightmares, and now the nightly visit of a monster, but all of this pales alongside the fact that his mother is dying of cancer. I don't remember the word 'cancer' being actually written in the book, but it is very obvious that this is what she is suffering from. It is also very obvious from the beginning that Conor's mother is dying. The titular monster begins visiting Conor at 12.07 at night, and explains that Conor has 'called' him. The monster says it will now tell him three stories "from when I walked before" (page 45), and then Conor will tell the monster a final story, which w...

Published by Hazard Press Limited: Christchurch, New Zealand, 1993. First published 1965. I think I first heard about this book in an article written by Margaret Mahy, or possibly Joy Cowley - two of the great New Zealand children's writers - in which the writer praised this book as being an early inspiration for them. Having now read it, I can see how reading this could help a young writer to realise that New Zealand stories could be told and told well. The Runaway Settlers tells the true (but fictionalised) story of Mary Small, who, along with her six children, escape from life with her abusive husband in Australia, and resettle near Lyttleton in Canterbury, New Zealand. Mary shows a lot of forethought when it emerges that she has been planning their escape for some time, sending small amounts of money to a friend in Sydney and putting it aside to enable the family to fund their escape. She also shows a lot of determination when facing various disappointments, even standing up to...

Published by Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2004. This book is the second I have read in the Counterpoints series of theological/apologetic debates, and the first I have reviewed on my blog. In each of the Counterpoints books, a topic will be decided upon, and then contributors from the various viewpoints will submit a chapter about their perspective, following that up by writing a response to each of the other chapters submitted. In this particular volume, the contributors talk about six different styles of worship, and why they and their congregation hold to their particular style. These styles are: Formal-Liturgical, Traditional Hymn-Based, Contemporary Music-Driven, Charismatic, Blended (a mix of contemporary and liturgical) and Emerging.  What I appreciate about this topic is that, on the whole, each contributor is happy to acknowledge the strengths of the other viewpoints, and even applaud the heart of their fellow writers. There is no division here, no claiming that othe...

Published as an audiobook by Blackstone Audio, Inc., 2019. Released 11-06-2019.  Narrated by Bob Souer. John Piper is one of my favourite living theologians. He has an incredible passion for God's Word, and the resources available on his website Desiring God are ones I often find myself referring to when writing sermons. This is the first book of his I have read/listened to, as usually I am reading/listening to sermons or podcasts by him instead. In this book - apparently the third in a series - Piper looks at the lives of John Newton , Charles Simeon and William Wilberforce, all of whom faced great opposition in their lives and yet continued to endure in their faith. Each of the three gets a section of the book devoted to their lives, with Piper taking us through the biographical elements, but also more importantly the theological convictions that made these men tick. It comes as no surprise that Piper attributes their endurance to their devotion to God, but it is fascinating to ...

Published by Gollancz/Orion Publishing Group: London, 2011. The first book in the 'Wax and Wayne' series: ' The Alloy of Law '; 'Shadows of Self'; 'The Bands of Mourning'; 'The Lost Metal.' This is the first novel in a series from Brandon Sanderson that is also a sequel series to Mistborn , the trilogy of books I just finished . However, rather than pick up with the same characters, Alloy of Law takes place three hundred years later, with a new cast and a world that has shifted on technologically. Whereas Mistborn was set in the 'classic fantasy' era of swords and horses, this series takes place in a city that has trains, guns, and elevators. It has definite allusions to the era of the Wild West, and feels to be about at the late 19th or early 20th century by our standards - there are one or two motor vehicles but mostly people still use horse-drawn carriages. Within this world we meet our heroes, Waxillium (Wax) Ladrian and his 'dep...

Published by Dragonsteel Entertainment/Tor Books: New York, NY, 2008. The third book in the 'Mistborn' trilogy: ' The Final Empire '; ' The Well of Ascension '; ' The Hero of Ages .'   It wasn't long until I got out book three (spoilers for book two will follow). The Hero of Ages wraps up the first Mistborn trilogy, following Elend, Vin and their allies as they seek to defeat the ever-expanding reach of the mists, as well as facing the increasing power of Ruin, a dark 'god' who Vin inadvertently released from its prison in the second book. Now that Elend is a Mistborn Allomancer as well, he is finally able to be more hands-on in the warfare side of the struggle, and the dynamics between he and Vin are more complicated than before, but also more trusting. This is particularly important because Ruin is able to hear whatever someone speaks, meaning that the duo must occasionally keep their plans secret even from one another. Between books two a...

Published by Corgi Books: London, 2006 (1997).  First published 1996. I remember Hogfather being one of my favourite Discworld novels when I was younger, mostly because of one scene in particular. The wizards of Unseen University become aware that there is an 'excess of belief' in the world (because, unbeknown to them, the 'Hogfather' - who is Discworld's equivalent of Santa - has been 'killed'). This excess of belief, coupled with the wizards being in a fairly magical location, means that as they discuss hypothetical beings who could conceivably exist - such as a 'hair-loss fairy' or the 'god of hangovers' - these beings begin to spring into existence. The wizards joke about this, positing the existence of an "odd-sock monster" who eats one sock from pairs put into the laundry. Then, when the odd-sock monster inevitably springs into existence, the wizards discuss going into the laundry area to look for it, while also admitting some...

Published by Tor Books: New York, NY, 2007. The second book in the 'Mistborn' trilogy: ' The Final Empire '; ' The Well of Ascension '; ' The Hero of Ages .' Having read a few heavier or less-professional books recently, I felt it was about time to return to something read more for pure enjoyment and escapism. Thus it is that I got The Well of Ascension out from my local library and picked up the world of Mistborn once again. Spoilers from the first book in the series,  The Final Empire,  will follow. Now that the Lord Ruler has been defeated and Elend has been crowned king, the group of survivors from the first novel are trying to figure out how to rule an empire that is quickly breaking into pieces. Vin is struggling with the fame and responsibility that comes from being seen as Kelsier's 'heir', as well as struggling to trust those around her, particularly the kandra OreSeur, who she associates strongly with Kelsier's death. She is als...

Published in ebook format by  William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers, August 2012. First published 1929. The second of two Agatha Christie short story collections I read online while researching a Year 10 mystery unit, Partners in Crime was also my first exposure to Tommy and Tuppence, an investigative duo who also are husband and wife. Their entry into Private Investigation is an interesting one - they are hired by the Government to impersonate the previous head of an investigative firm, who has been arrested for 'indiscrete dealings' including, it is assumed, espionage. Neither Tommy nor Tuppence have had any experience as Investigators, but Tommy in particular is a fan of mystery fiction and is eager to learn (though of the two, Tuppence has a greater immediate knack for the role). The collection of stories is more connected than most Christie short story collections, with earlier cases sometimes influencing latter ones in some way, and the way that Tommy in particular wan...

Published by RWG Publishing: Litchfield, IL, 2021. This book is written by a good friend of mine who also attends ChristFirst Church! This is the first time I've reviewed a book written by someone I know well and its an odd experience (I also know the author of The Earth Cries Out which I rated last year as one of my top 5 New Zealand-authored books , but I haven't done a full review of it yet).  Not Many Fathers  follows Kenaz, and later his son Othniel, as they take part in the wilderness wanderings and eventually the conquest of Canaan. Othniel is mentioned only occasionally in the Bible, but one thing that is known is that he becomes the first Judge (as in 'the book of Judges'). Cottle points out that as a close relative of Caleb, Othniel was one of the few men in that generation of Israelites to have a 'father figure' survive into Canaan, and suggests that this is one of the reasons why Othniel could rise to prominence, since most other men didn't have ...

Unpublished at time of review. After I put up last year's list I was contacted by Marie, who is a friend of mine on Facebook, and asked if I would like to read a copy of her (currently) unpublished autobiography. Knowing only a little bit of her story, I realised that it was likely to be quite a heavy read. Wow. It is. Marie tells her life story openly and bluntly, not shying away from the 'ugly' elements, including a lot of drug use, taking up a life of prostitution, and even some mental health struggles. It is not an easy read at times, but Marie keeps the story moving along. Eventually she meets Jesus and we begin to see His power at work in her life. This is not the end of the story, however, and Marie goes through a number of further ups and downs, battling her addictions and desires even as she becomes more and more aware of God walking with her. This  is  a story of redemption and hope, but the raw unedited look at the pre-Christ portion of her life (a much larger se...

Published as an audiobook by Podium Audio, uploaded 21-07-2020. First published 2015. Narrated by Tracey Llewelyn. This free audiobook caught my eye when I was browsing Audible, probably partially because it's series title is " The Old Curiosity Shop ", which ties to my love of Dickens (a link that even the characters acknowledge). In this book, the first of that series, we follow Sarah Lester, who has become the owner/operator of the second-hand store 'The Old Curiosity Shop' following the mysterious disappearances of both of her parents. Sorting through a pile of postcards, Sarah suddenly finds herself transported back in time, taking on the identity of a maid in the home of Lord Grey. Just as she getting used to this life she ends up back in the present, only to later 'lump' into another life, then another and another...  It's an interesting premise, and Sarah is an interesting protagonist in that she knows a lot about historical artifacts (it comes...

Published in ebook format by HarperCollins: New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, August 2011. First published 1924. I read this collection of short Poirot stories while researching mystery fiction for my Year 10 mystery fiction module . Each of these short stories is narrated by Poirot's friend Captain Hastings, and involves Poirot solving a short case of some description. I think of Poirot mysteries as the most intricate of Agatha Christie's books, so it was interesting to read a collection where, by the necessity of being short stories, the mysteries Poirot solved were not as convoluted as, say, Mrs McGinty's Dead . In fact, in one or two instances I even was able to spot the clues and figure out at least part of the mystery before 'the reveal.'  The opposite problem also emerges in some of these stories; because they are shorter, Christie doesn't always drop enough clues for the reader to figure it out themselves, relying instead on the 'reveal' to fill...

Published as an audiobook by Audible Studios. Uploaded 08-12-2015. Narrated by Rosamund Pike. First published 1813. I read Pride and Prejudice many years ago and remember finding it funny, but listening to it with Elise has reminded me just how funny it really it. Austen (as well as Rosamund Pike's narration) has a talent for describing both scenes and characters in a way that highlights their eccentricities and draws the most laughs possible from the goings-on. Both Elise and myself had laugh-out-loud moments throughout the story, often at times when either Mr or Mrs Bennett was taking a more prominent role. Austen also makes sure that even her more ridiculous characters, such as Mr Collins or Lady Catherine, have enough 'grounding' that you could picture the character existing - they are more than just one-dimensional punch-lines. This is possibly why Pride and Prejudice remains such a beloved classic to this day; although some language choices show that the story was wri...

Published by Marshall Morgan and Scott Publications Ltd: Basingstoke, Hants, UK, 1987. This book was recommended to me by my parents and my grandmother, from whom I borrowed the copy I read. The author, Jennifer Rees-Larcombe, tells her story of learning to care for others, inspired by a remark made by her son that Jesus "hasn't got arms any more to cuddle sad people" (page 16). Rees-Larcombe gradually learned to open her home and life to others far more than she had been doing, and later in life began to receive similar care after being diagnosed with "a disease rather like Multiple Sclerosis " (page 9).  The book is full of examples of caring for others (both by and to the author and other stories that she has learned of) and the impact this can have on both giver and receiver. It also highlights how often caring for others can help others on their faith journey. Knowing that people can often feel inadequate when faced with difficult situations, Rees-Larcombe...

Published by Allen & Unwin: Crows Nest, New South Wales, 2017. A book on sale at a local bookshop, I got Have Sword, Will Travel with the intent of simply adding it to my classroom bookshelf and forgetting about it. However, I decided to have a read of it first, and wound up quite enjoying it. The story is simple yet fun: two children - Odo and Eleanor - find a magical talking sword (Biter) stuck in the mud of their drying up river. When Odo accidentally wakes the sword up by cutting himself on it, Biter decides that Odo must be a knight, and seeks about training the boy. Biter also determines that they need to go on a quest, and so the two children set off upriver to find out what has happened to the water. Along the way, the duo encounter mysterious creatures and other knights, fight a muscular dwarf, and begin to hear rumours of a dragon that may need vanquishing. Throughout the adventure Eleanor is a little resentful of Odo, particularly because Eleanor has wanted to be a knigh...

Published in an omnibus edition: " The Murder of Roger Ackroyd "; " They Do It With Mirrors " and " Mrs. McGinty's Dead " as part of the "Agatha Christie Crime Collection" by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd.: London, 1969. Originally published 1952. Elise and I have watched some murder-mystery movies before (such as Knives Out and the Kenneth Branagh Murder on the Orient Express ) but until now we have not read one together. I didn't know anything about the plot of Mrs McGinty's Dead when we began it, but selected it solely because it was the last remaining book in my Agatha Christie omnibus edition (until maybe someday I get another one). As a shared book, I'm not entirely sure whether this worked. We enjoyed it, but because we tend to take a while to read through a book together, we did find ourselves losing track of which character was which at different points. If we ever read another mystery together, I think we should make s...

Published by Longman Cheshire Pty Limited: Melbourne, Australia, 1989. Here is a book that I have read solely to get some ideas in putting together a unit of work for some of my English students. I selected the book from a pile being given away by my former Head-of-Department, and when I noticed that some of my students had an interest in mystery fiction, I pulled the book back out and read through it for ideas. For what I have been working on, it is a helpful, if slightly 'light' resource. McRobbie breaks the mystery genre down into its different elements - so chapters on such things as plot, settings and 'The Detective' - and intersperses them with original pieces of short mystery fiction. As someone who enjoys the 'whodunnit' genre, these stories are not very complicated, but then, that's not the point! Although for most of the stories I found myself going, "Well, of course its that person, they just said [insert incriminating statement here]," ...

Published by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited: Middlesex, England, 1977 (1967). After a few 'heavier' or 'denser' books, I felt the need for something a bit 'lighter', and so pulled an older anthology off my bookshelf where it has been sitting for years. This is definitely an older- style book as well - very English and mildly dated, though not distractingly so (the most notable example is one character who keeps saying "I dig it"). There are eight stories within, and although they are all fairly straightforward, I was surprised that some took a slightly darker turn! High Quest by Donne Avenell stands out to me as the most unexpected of the stories. We follow John Killick as he travels to the Alps, retracing the footsteps of his grandfather, Henry Killick. Henry and his climbing companion Albert Blythe were killed trying to climb the north face of  'the Henker', which so far no climbers have successfully scaled. When Killick arrives in the r...