Karl's Reading List

Published by Tyndall Momentum/Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, Illinois, 2017. Devotionals, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, are like a box of chocolates. Sometimes you get one that is super sweet and a bit sickly. Sometimes you get one that takes a bit of chewing to get through. And depending on your taste, you can sometimes find one that ticks all the right boxes , really satisfying your palate. Often, a single devotional will have days in it that get the flavour combination better than others, days that really speak to your soul (as only the best chocolate can), while others ever-so-slightly miss the mark.  Yet, a good quality box of chocolates will still be strong even when you find those slightly 'lesser' flavours. You can still appreciate the quality, flavour and craftsmanship that went into that coconut rough, and you eat it happily, knowing that tomorrow you'll get that salted caramel you were secretly hoping for. On the other hand, sometimes you get an expe...

Published as an audiobook by Hodder Children's Books/Hachette Children's Book, 2013. Narrated by Jan Francis. Book 6 in the 'Famous Five' series. Preceded by ' Five Go Off in a Caravan. ' Followed by ' Five Go Off to Camp. ' Originally published 1947. The interesting thing about this entry in the Famous Five series is summed up by a comment Anne makes towards the end of the story. As things are wrapping up, she tells the rest of the group that she is happy the adventure is almost over, and that she didn't even realise they were having one for most of it. Out of the series so far, this entry has perhaps the best balance in this regards. The second book, Five Go Adventuring Again , tried a similar slow-burn approach to the story and still held our interest, but seemed to be waiting for a revelation to come, whereas the third book, Five Run Away Together , simply made the heroes miserable until they did what the title suggests they did! In Five on Kirri...

Published by Bethany House Publishers: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1991. Book 2 in 'An Emerald Ballad.' Preceded by ' Song of the Silent Harp. ' Followed by 'Land of a Thousand Dreams.' Last year, Elise and I read Song of the Silent Harp , the first book in this series, and we blown away by how sad it was. Heart of the Lonely Exile still has some sad moments, but these are more spread out, and now the characters even get to have some good experiences!! We pick up where we left off: Nora and Daniel Kavanagh are living in New York, where Nora is being wooed by her old friend Michael Burke. Meanwhile, Evan Whittaker - the one-armed and stuttering Englishman - is also harbouring feelings for Nora, and Sara Farmington may have some feelings towards Michael.  A class love-square situation. Yes, the word 'heart' in the title of this book does have some significance, as much of the book is filled with angst, pining, and sweet declarations of love. And, having walked...

Published by Cape Catley Ltd: Whatamongo Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, 1991. When I was in primary school, I remember reading Uncle Trev stories; I guess there was a book of them in the school library. I have an Uncle Trev of my own, who is also a bit of a storyteller, so this book must have struck a chord with me. Having found this copy at a book sale somewhere, I began reading it quite some time ago with Elise. Then, I 'stole' it away to school, where I used chapters of it to help craft a new Level 1 (Year 11) English course that was focussing on Kiwi identity. For the rest of this year it has been sitting on my desk at work, so when I packed up for the year, I brought it home and finished it off myself. The set-up of Uncle Trev is very simple: a nameless young narrator, living in the 1930s or 40s, often sick at home, is regaled by the tall tales of his Uncle Trev. Uncle Trev will have some farfetched idea that will make farming life easier, or some farfetched adventure involvi...

With Dean Merrill. Published by Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2018 (1997). I recently did a sermon on prayer and fasting, and borrowed a number of books from our church library shelf that seemed to have some connection to the topic. I browsed a few for research (and read the entirety of Fasting by Derek Prince) and then took most of the rest back to church when the sermon was done. A handful, however, I kept to read later, and Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire was the first of these that I picked up post-sermon. I'm so happy I did, because this is an inspiring book, with a far more biographical bent than I was expecting.  The author, Jim Cymbala, is the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, quite a large church in New York that - aside from my parents-in-law playing some musical clips - I've had no exposure to. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire tells the story of the growth of that church from a small handful of people to a congregation numbering in the thousands, but (rightly) is far less focuse...

Published as an audiobook by Audible Studios, released 04-05-2021. Audiobook narrated by Ray Porter. Originally published 2021. This book surprised me, despite being very much what I expected. I know that author Andy Weir wrote The Martian (aka, the book that the 'Matt Damon growing potatoes on Mars' movie was based on) and expected that, like that book, this one was going to be a science-heavy piece of science-fiction. Tick. The plot of Project Hail Mary unfolds gradually, with protagonist Dr Ryland Grace awakening from a medically induced coma in a mysterious location, being tended to by a mysterious medical robot. To begin with, he is suffering from amnesia (Grace tells us that long-term comas are not good for people, and that it must have scrambled his brain), but as he slowly regains his memories he realises he is on a mission to save all of humanity. A "space bacteria" - given the name 'Astrophage' by Grace - is slowly consuming the light from the sun, a...

Published by Walker Books Ltd: London, 2018. There was a Christmas tree at work set up with mystery books underneath it. The wrapper for this one said something like 'Young adult dystopian climate change.' That about sums it up! When I think of Young Adult dystopias I usually think of a futuristic science-fiction world, either fallen apart (like The Hunger Games ) or still pretending to hold it all together (like Starters ). Dry is quite interesting in its difference; it takes place in a world that is - to all intents and purposes - our own. There is no futuristic science going on, no government conspiracies to deal with, no underground rebellion seeking to take down the president... its far more 'real.' And that adds to it's power. The only change from our reality is one that we feel could happen - an extreme drought has meant that the state of California is entirely out of water. This is the set-up, and the driving force of the plot: how do you survive, what do yo...

Published by Puffin Books/Penguin Random House: Great Britain, 2013 (2009). Book 5 in the 'Percy Jackson' series. Preceded by ' Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth. ' This final book in the Percy Jackson series does all the things final books should: it turns into an epic battle, it has some (mostly minor or villainous) characters die, and it wraps up the major story-arcs while allowing some characters to have room for development in the future. Knowing that there is a number of other stories featuring Percy Jackson following this series, it makes sense that another 'Great Prophecy' is also featured near the end of the book. In being all of these things, the story of The Last Olympian is in some ways the most predictable of the series: we know that Percy will face off against Kronos. We know that Grover and Annabeth (and in these later books, Rachel) will also have a part to play. We know that some people will die. We know (well, assume, but come on, i...

Published by Vintage: Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, UK, 2015. First published 1978. Way back in 2020, the second Booker book I ever read was entitled The Sea . Now, I have finally read The Sea, The Sea, which - despite the similar titles - is in no way connected to The Sea , other than that they both won Booker prizes and both are set near - surprise - the sea. In fact, The Sea is from 2005, whereas The Sea, The Sea is from 1978, meaning that The Sea was written 27 years after  The Sea, The Sea. See? Anyway, The Sea, The Sea follows retired stage actor/playwright/director Charles Arrowby who has moved to an old run-down house near the sea in England. He has decided to withdraw from society, and doesn't want to do anything except reminisce on his life, swim in the sea, and perhaps reconnect romantically with an old flame. The first part of the book, in which Charles looks back on his life and swims a lot, is the bit I found the most interesting. Actually, for a lot of this section I...

Published by Huia Publishers: Wellington, Aotearoa, NZ, 2023 (2021). This is the second book I've read by this author, and - I think - the second book by this author, too! The first book, Flight of the Fantail , was very weird, and in my review I mentioned that I was still processing whether I liked it or not. Falling into Rarohenga is somewhat similar in that way. We follow twin siblings, Tui and Kae, who live with their mother after their no-hoper father left. Tui is the academic, Kae is the musician slacker, and both have that semi-antagonistic-but-secretly-looking-out-for-one-another thing that many siblings do, both in fiction and real life. The twins arrive home from a bad day at school (Tui loses her prefect status and Kae is suspended) to find that their mother has gone missing, kidnapped by their father and taken into Rarohenga - the Māori Underworld. Tui and Kae then also end up on Rarohenga, and must try to rescue their mother while resisting the urge to eat anything fro...

Published by Whitaker House: New Kensington, PA, 1986. Quite a short book, I actually read this in a few hours while I was putting together a sermon on the topic of prayer and fasting. I have read a longer work by Derek Prince on this topic in the past ( Shaping History through Prayer and Fasting ), and wonder if this little book might actually be excerpts from that, but either way, it provides a good foundation to the biblical principle. The primary reason for (Biblical Christian) fasting, reminds Prince, is not to gain the health benefits that can come, nor to try and twist God's arm to do what we would like Him to do. Rather, "Primarily, the purpose of fasting is self-humbling." (page 6) Prince points out that throughout the Bible God promises blessings on those who are humble, and stresses that "We cannot transfer that responsibility to God. To pray, "God, make me humble," is unscriptural, because the reply of God in Scripture is always, "Humble y...

Published as an audiobook by Recorded Books, 2000. Narrated by Barbara Caruso. First published 1886. The sequel to ' Little Men. ' This is the last book in the series that began with Little Women , and, like the book before this one , focuses more on the next generation, particularly the boys who attended the school run by Mr and Mrs Bhaer (that latter of whom began life as Jo March). Now those boys have grown up, and as such this book has the distinction of being the only book in the series to almost exclusively focus on adult characters (unless you count Good Wives as its own entry, rather than part 2 of Little Women ). This really changes the feel of Jo's Boys, and unfortunately it is not always for the better. Good Wives at least had the ongoing relationship issues and tight family unit of the Marches to focus on. Jo's Boys, on the other hand, has a number of boys, now young adults, who have gone their own way and don't have much interaction with each other. Thi...

Published by Mallinson Rendel Publishers Ltd: Wellington, NZ, 2000 (1996).  Omnibus edition containing stories first published 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991.  Lynley Dodd stories are very cute and a huge part of any New Zealander's childhood - at least, I remember them from mine. The chance to now introduce them to Ezekiel is sweet, although at the age he is, we need to keep the pages at arms length to avoid unnecessary 'rippage.' This omnibus edition contains six stories, each giving a sense of the general Hairy Maclary vibes: detailed and subtly kiwi illustrations, good poetical story-telling with some good use of alliterative or onomatopoeic elements, an impressive vocabulary for a children's book (eg. bumptious, bustling, cacophony, caterwaul...) and a light touch of humour. The stories are easy to read for little kids with short attention spans, but also interesting enough that slightly older kids would appreciate them as well. The six stories in this volume a...

Published independently, September 12, 2024. eBook edition. My third LibraryThing prize, The Curse of the Smoky Mountain Treasure is the most professional-feeling read I've received so far. The version I read may not have had a cover attached to the pdf file, but - I mean, look at that! That looks pretty profesh too, right?? The story is well written and lightly-comedic; Kevin's mother has just remarried, and he now has a step-dad and step-sister, Anne. However, the celebrant at the wedding stumbles over the fact that Kevin has kept his old last name, and Kevin inadvertently becomes "and uh, um... Kevin." This, sadly, fits with Kevin's persona. He is a little bit glass-half-empty, and isn't quite sure what he thinks about the new family dynamic. He is even less sure about the 'familymoon' vacation the newly formed quartet are going on, considering it is camping and hiking, something that neither Kevin or his mum have any experience with, but that Kevin...

Published as an audiobook by Hodder Children's Books, 2013. Narrated by Jan Francis. Book 5 in 'The Famous Five' series. Preceded by ' Five Go To Smuggler's Top. ' Followed by ' Five on Kirrin Island Again. ' Originally published 1946. Done with Paddington for now, this became our next 'dishes audiobook', and our first Famous Five book in two years (wow, time flies)! Five Go Off in a Caravan is a simple set-up, with the four kids and Timmy - wait for it - going off in a caravan together for a holiday (what a surprise!), yet the story surprised us by introducing some quite intense elements, even for a story in this series! Making friends with a boy - Nobby - who has grown up in the circus, our heroes must deal with Nobby's evil 'relative' Uncle Dan, as well as Dan's associate Lou. Dan and Lou are extremely unpleasant, both in appearance (this book does continue the unfortunate habit of having the kids decide the villains are evil ...

Published in an omnibus edition: " Ordeal by Innocence "; " One, Two, Buckle My Shoe "; " The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding " as part of the "Agatha Christie Crime Collection" by Lansdowne Press: Australia, 1985 (1973). First published in omnibus edition 1970. First published individually 1940. Another Poirot mystery, I picked up this book as a 'light read' following my successful completion of Can You Forgive Her? Like most Poirot mysteries, the plot is so twisty that it is unlikely anyone would be able to unravel it entirely on their own; however, I did manage to pick up on some hints and clues so felt not-entirely-worthless-as-a-detective by the end. Poirot visits the dentist, and notices a little bit of suspicious behaviour going on in the waiting room. When the dentist is later found dead by suspected suicide, Poirot feels like murder was more likely, even as motives for a suicide come to light. Suspects include a vanishing mi...

Published by Oxford University Press. First published 1864-1865. Some books take longer to read than others. This book took me quite a while. I have read it as my main book, read it as an occasional book, put it down for periods, picked it up again.... overall I think it's taken me four distinct periods of time to get through, with the last period (back as my main book) taking eleven days. It is an older book, written in a slower style, and having previously read Barchester Towers by the same author, I was aware of that going in. And yet Can You Forgive Her? was a much harder read.  In saying that, the book was still enjoyable. Mostly.  At other times (particularly when my brain wasn't in a 'slow-and-steady' place) attempting to read it was a struggle, even boring. So, do I recommend this book? It depends. How good are you with slower paced reads? How much do you appreciate texts from another era, with social norms far different to your own? Do you enjoy satire touchin...

Published by Simon and Schuster UK Ltd: London, 2014. This is a weird book that's been on my classroom library shelf for quite a while. The main character, Travis, had terminal cancer five years ago, and agreed to have his head cryogenically frozen, in the hope that in the future it would be possible to attach it to a donor body. Now, he has woken up, only the second patient to successfully have the procedure complete, to find that everyone in his world, including his parents, his best friend and his girlfriend, have lived five extra years of life. Travis is sixteen, and the difference between a sixteen-year-old and a twenty-one-year-old is a much bigger difference than it would have been had Travis been an adult. Also, his girlfriend Cate is now engaged to someone else. The difference between a sixteen-year-old and a twenty-one-year-old is also small enough that it is conceivable that Cate and Kyle (his former best friend) would also still be keen to in-some-way have Travis back i...

Published by Puffin Books/Penguin Group: London, England, 2013 (2008). Book 4 in the 'Percy Jackson' series. Preceded by ' Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse. ' Followed by 'Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian.' I finally found a cheap copy of this book to add to my school library shelf, and - home sick for a few days - picked it up and raced through it. As book 4 in a series of 5, it is obvious that things are building towards the epic conclusion. Kronos (like the Voldemort of this series) is taking form and will soon be free to wreak havoc on the world, Percy's nemesis Luke continues to be a hindrance, and - at the end of the book - Percy turns 15. Considering that there is a prophecy that most characters believe refers to Percy, saying that when he turn 16 terrible things will occur, this is also significant. In this particular entry, Percy and his friends must journey into the Labyrinth of Greek mythology, searching for the inventor Daedalus who the...

Published by Passio/Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group: Lake Mary, Florida, 2011. This is a book on discipleship that my mentor recommended I read, and I am glad I did. It will take me quite a while to unpack it, but the insights will be helpful as our church seeks to grow in this area. Murrell is a pastor at Victory Church in the Philippines, a church which saw a large growth in numbers during his time in leadership, but Murrell points out, firstly, that numbers are not as important as lives changed and people growing, and secondly, that a lot of what has happened at Victory isn't directly to do with him. He takes the example of wikipedia (which the book title is based on), and points out that originally the creators of wikipedia had attempted to make an online encyclopedia written by - and checked by - experts, but that this slowed the project down to the point that it was untenable. When they opened the project to amateur writers, it grew rapidly, in numbers of articles an...