Karl's Reading List

Published by Multnomah Publishers: Oregon, 2000. This little book was very popular in Christian circles when it first came out, and I remember hearing about it, but I'm not sure whether I read it or not. It doesn't really matter if I did read it; it was so influential that I got the gist of what it was about anyway! The titular prayer is found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, where 'Jabez' makes his only appearance in the Bible, in the midst of a long genealogy. Wilkinson stresses: "Something about this man Jabez had caused the historian to pause in middrone, clear his throat, and switch tactics. "Ah, wait a minute!" he seems to interjet. "You just gotta know something about this guy named Jabez. He stands head and shoulders above the rest!"" (page 14) After repeating the two verses to us that contain all of Jabez' life, Wilkinson then uses the rest of the book to break the prayer into chunks and talk about why he thinks it is so effective. For ...

Published by Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group: Bloomington, Minnesota/Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2005. Book 1 of 'Chronicles of the Kings.' One of my favourite Old Testament figures is King Hezekiah. I've even done two sermons talking about him. So, when I noticed this book series on my mum's book shelf (while we are staying at their house, between house purchases) I was interested enough to pick it up. The book is an easy read, and only took a few sittings to get through, but despite the easy nature and a subject that I was predisposed to like, Gods and Kings didn't really 'grip' me as I read it. I was wondering why, and eventually clicked that the narrative is a very 'literal' read - every feeling of every character is explicitly stated: he felt sad, she was angry, etc. This all makes it feel very... shallow. Weirdly. I miss the metaphors. I miss the 'show, don't tell.' I want to feel engaged by the text, but I only feel inf...

Published by Gefen Publishing House Ltd: Jerusalem, Israel, 2026. A very interesting book about a little-known community of people, Endless Exodus tells the history of Ethiopian Jews, from the stories about their possible historical origins, to the the modern desire for many of them to undertake ' aliyah ', or emigration to the nation of Israel. The book is presented in coffee-table format, with wide pages and prominent photographs throughout. Indeed, the history - while interesting - is less of the focus than the photographs themselves, providing a context for the photographs rather than the other way around.  I found this book fascinating, in highlighting a faith community that I had very little knowledge of, and providing an insight into how people in other parts of the world live. Recommended for anyone who enjoys history, geography, religious studies, and anthropology. Completed 10 February 2026. Previous Book ~ Next Book (LibraryThing Prize Books) Previous Book ~ Next B...

Published by Tyndale Publishers. Accessed via the Bible App at: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/10819-the-one-year-chronological-bible Five years ago Elise and I spent a year reading a chronologically arranged NLT version of the Bible , occasionally using the NIVUK audiobook version narrated by David Suchet to give my narrating skills a rest. This year, we once again did the chronological plan, but this time around chose to listen to the entire thing rather than use our physical copy (which we have lent to my parents anyway). This is, I think, the first time since beginning this blog that I am re-reviewing a previously reviewed book. I have re-read some books, but so far only ones that I read before I was writing reviews. But, this is a good book to break that trend, both because it is the Bible(!) and because listening to a (mostly) different version in a (for me) different format means that there were some different things that jumped out this time around. I do remember point...

Published by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago: United States of America, 1981 (1979). This book is actually a commentary of the book of Judges from the Old Testament, but is a far easier read than most similar books. This is because the author uses a variety of preaching techniques, including parables and illustrations... I do wonder if this actually started out as a series of sermons... Judges is not an easy book to interpret. Firstly, it is narrative, meaning that it needs to firstly read as history, but it is also Scripture, meaning that there are lessons or spiritual truths that can be gleaned from throughout. Inrig does a good job of acknowledging both aspects - highlighting the story and looking for the life lessons, some of which are emphasised by the illustrations he chooses to include. In doing so, he is able to go beyond simply commenting on the book of Judges itself, and instead give thought provokers that the Christian reader can apply outside of that context. An exampl...

Published by Profile Books in association with National Trust: London, 2012 (2011). This is a very readable history of England, from the time of the early Saxon kings up until the publication of the book in 2011. Jenkins clarifies early on that his focus is on England itself, rather than Britain as a whole, only bringing in other parts of the world as they interact with England. In practice this does mean that Britain often features (particularly once Wales and Scotland are to some degree 'absorbed' into the larger nation) but on the whole a reader of this book would need another resource to find out about those nations. I've always enjoyed English history, and my interest in it grew after working at Westminster Abbey from 2008-2009 during my OE. Although I knew some of the main facts of the various monarchs, particularly post-William the Conqueror, Jenkins fleshes them out well, somehow making certain elements more memorable than I had previously found.  The feud between H...

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 ...

Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, Illinois, 2002 (1995). Book 3 in the 'Mark of the Lion' series: " A Voice in the Wind "; " An Echo in the Darkness "; " As Sure as the Dawn ." The final book in the Mark of the Lion series, As Sure as the Dawn changes its focus from Hadassah and Marcus to Atretes, the German gladiator who appeared in A Voice in the Wind . Picking up where that book left off, Atretes is an angry wreck of his former self, betrayed by the woman he loved and grieving the apparent death of his son. However, early on he learns (from Hadassah) that his son is still alive, and sets out to reclaim him from the woman who is now raising him: a Christian widow named Rizpah. As with the previous two entries in this series, As Sure as the Dawn focuses a lot on the relationships between the main characters, with Rivers' pre-Christian background as a writer of Romance fiction skillfully helping us to care deeply about ...

Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, Illinois, 2002 (1994). Book 2 in the 'Mark of the Lion' series: " A Voice in the Wind "; " An Echo in the Darkness "; " As Sure as the Dawn ." The second book in the Mark of the Lion series, Echo is hard to talk about without spoiling certain elements of the previous entry, A Voice in the Wind .  That earlier book has such a good ending that I would encourage people considering the book to go and read it before carrying on reading this! So... spoiler warning... Hadassah has survived being thrown to the lions thanks to the aid of the surgeon Alexander, but has been hideously scarred as a result. Keeping her features hidden from the world, she now works with Alexander as an assistant, her faith in God manifesting itself through compassion for Alexander's patients and prayers for healing. Despite her new live bringing hope to those around her, Hadassah worries what will happen if the Valer...

Published by Howard Books: New York, NY, 2013. This novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Author Lee portrays Judas not as a out-and-out traitor, but more someone that just doesn't get what Jesus is all about. He is somewhat sympathetic - much is made of the fact that in Matthew 26:50 Jesus calls Judas "friend" - and even the betrayal itself is reinterpreted as an attempt by Judas to save Jesus rather than condemn Him. This doesn't entirely align with the Judas we see in Scripture, although technically all the 'beats' of Judas that we get in the gospels are covered. As one example, Lee softens Judas's thieving from the moneybag - it does happen but only for reasons that Judas deems as important to Jesus. So, with a main character that doesn't quite match the historical figure, Iscariot is an odd beast of a novel. In some ways I found myself struggling to 'buy in' to the story as I foun...

Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, Illinois, 2007 (1996). Also: New International Version (Anglicised), Audio Edition, published by Biblica, Inc., 2013, narrated by David Suchet. Found online at https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/?recording=nivuk-suchet This may be the longest I have taken to read a book without leaving it for an extended period of time. At the start of the year Elise mentioned a desire to read the Bible chronologically using this version that she had purchased some time in the past. We desired to do this together, pacing ourselves by keeping roughly to the reading plan outlined within. As a Christian, I deeply value the Bible. I try to read at least a few verses most days (although realistically it is sometimes less often than this) and often I find that the different verses I read will either speak into whatever situation I am going through at the time, or come back to mind at a future time. I believe that God speaks through His ...

Published by Fourth Estate Limited: London, 2000. This non-fiction book follows the lives of some of the early fossil-hunters of England, the first individuals to begin uncovering evidence of the existence of the ancient world. Four of these individuals are highlighted enough to feature on the cover illustration (Richard Owen, Mary Anning, Gideon Mantell and Reverend William Buckland), but two in particular are focussed on in depth: Mantell and Owen.  Mantell is presented as a somewhat tragic figure, devoting his life to the ancient world to the detriment of his own personal and financial security. He is the one who discovers and names two of the three earliest dinosaurs known to the Victorian world ( Iguanadon and Hylaeosaurus ), and he is instrumental in presenting these creatures to the public, yet he continually fails to gain the recognition he deserves, or the financial benefits he needs in order to truly be labelled a success. Misfortune also has its hand in Mantell's life, w...