Karl's Reading List

Published by Corax Books: USA, 2025. Looking for a book for my reading challenge that was "set in the Arctic or Antarctic", I noticed this book on the LibraryThing giveaway list for July. Nome seems Arctic-y, right?  Well, author Engelhard points on out, on page 259, that: "You may think of Nome as "the North," but its as far south of the pole as Mexico City from Kansas, one hundred miles shy of the Arctic Circle, at the same latitude as Fairbanks (Yet it decidedly looks and feels like the Arctic)." That last bracketed part is my salvation for this challenge. And anyway, the challenge says "set in the Arctic," not "set in the Arctic circle," so I'm calling this close enough. Early on in No Place Like Nome, the author mentions an online review that accuses his books of being "embellished ramblings" (page 40). He embraces this term, insisting that he will not be telling all the well-known stories of the area, but instead foc...

Published by Ferguson Publishing: Nelson, New Zealand, 2024. Once a month, the Nelson Ministers Fraternal meets on a Tuesday morning. I try to attend as often as I can. Last time, another minister had brought this book along with them, and was offering it around for someone to read. I jumped at the chance, especially when I realised it kinda fitted the brief for 'Black History' in my Reading Challenge this year.  I mean, it's about the history of an African man! Neither writer is a professional author - Ross Ferguson is actually a local dentist and retired minister - and that lack of professionalism does show at times - there are random quotation marks at times; some sentences are incomplete; the authorial voice changes from Ross to Custodio and back without warning or reason - and yet the story is an interesting one, if (sadly) similar to others you may have read. Custodio was born in Angola, grew up during a civil war in the country, had both parents die when he was young...

Published by Golden Press: Auckland, Christchurch, Sydney, 1975. First published 1845. This abridged edition (by Joan Stevens) first published 1955. This book is part of the New Zealand Classics series, which I have several of. It also has the distinction of forming the basis for a recent historical novel, Jerningham, which creates a fictionalised version of the author's life.  As the title suggests, Adventure in New Zealand tells the story of Edward Jerningham Wakefield's adventures in New Zealand. Jerningham was the son of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and nephew to both William Wakefield and Arthur Wakefield, the former of whom was one of the founders of Wellington, and the latter of whom was notably killed during the Wairau Affray.  All of the Wakefields were involved in the New Zealand Company, an organisation that today is viewed with much suspicion. Jerningham, of course, paints a much rosier picture of the NZ Company's dealings, putting any fault over land-sale controver...

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 by Collins: London and Glasgow, 1963. I had the wrong idea about what this book was to begin with. Not drastically wrong, but just wrong enough that there were points I began questioning whether I was reading what I thought I was reading. What I thought I was reading was the book that inspired the movie Bridge on the River Kwai. I've never seen that movie, but I know it was popular when it came out, and it is one I'd like to see eventually. It turns out, though, that Bridge is a fictional story based around the building of an actual bridge on an actual River Kwai by British prisoners-of-war, and that Miracle is the non-fiction account of one of those prisoners. The bridge itself is only mentioned briefly. At points it is quite intense, as many prisoner-of-war stories (and, sadly, especially prisoner-of-war stories set in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps) can be. And this intensity is added to by the way the author describes the spiritual journey of the prisoners in ques...

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2022. Audiobook uploaded to Audible 2022. Narrated by the author. In reviewing this book, I find myself strangely glad that I have such a small readership for my blog. Why? Because in seeing how Scientology attacks those who speak up against them, it would be more intimidating to publish this review if I was well-known! I mean, I still would ... but I'm not sure I'd enjoy being picketed and torn apart in the media for it. I kinda doubt they'll bother for me presently. This was a free book on Audible. It tells the life story of the author, Mike Rinder, who grew up in Scientology, rising to various prominent positions, before eventually leaving the organisation and turning whistleblower. When he joined it was still the early days of Scientology, and many of the 'higher-level' beliefs of Scientology (such as the existence of the evil alien Xenu) were either not-yet-developed or were closely guarded secrets, only revealed to members on...

Published by Auckland University Press: Auckland, NZ, 2021 (2020). I am fascinated by the historical figure Te Rauparaha, one of the greatest of the Maori warrior chiefs who were living around the time of the first European settlers. Te Rauparaha achieved a lot in his life, particularly in the area of warfare, and as such he is a very controversial figure (depending on which iwi you talk to). Born as the youngest child in his family (when younger children were not expected to do as much) Te Rauparaha led his tribe, Ngati Toa, to settle Kapiti Island, and from there launched a series of campaigns which ended up conquering much of the lower North Island and the majority of the South Island! He is most famous now for writing the haka 'Ka Mate' (sung by the All Blacks), but his life has so much more to it than just that! This manuscript, translated carefully from te Reo (and with extensive editorial notes) by Ross Calman, was written by Te Rauparaha's son Tamihana Te Rauparaha....

Published as an audiobook by Blackstone Audio, Inc in 1998. Uploaded to Audible 18-04-2012.  Originally published as 'An Authentic Narrative of Some Remarkable and Interesting Particulars in the Life of John Newton. Communicated in a Series of Letters to the Rev. Mr. Haweis, Rector of Aldwinckle. And by him, at the request of friends, now made public' in 1764. Updated after Newton's death. Narrated by William Sutherland. Inspired by having heard a bit of John Newton's story in The Roots of Endurance , I decided to give this audiobook version of his autobiography a go. As the extended original title states, this is written as a series of letters from Newton to Reverend Haweis, obviously at the request of Haweis to tell some of his story.  Newton, as befits a man overcome by the grace of God in his life, focuses a lot on God's providence and sometimes as a result (and suiting the style of the day) doesn't go into details about his life  as much as a modern reader ...

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 by Coverdale House Publishers Ltd: London, 1972 (1970). Another one of those 'timely' books that God will bring along at just the right moment, Nine O'Clock in the Morning is the true story of Dennis J Bennett, an Episcopal (American Anglican) priest who, after 'investigating' some 'fired-up' parishioners, ends up receiving a baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Along with some others in his church who have similar experiences, Bennett and his wife Elberta find their faith refreshed and more 'alive' than they had found it previously.  However, it is not all smooth sailing, and eventually Bennett is asked to resign from his role. Speaking of this time, Bennett is very gracious towards his previous church, stating: "Contrary to popular report, there was no "split" at St. Mark's. The "opposition" group was actually very small! The majority of the church had no idea "what had hit them." My o...

Published by Chatto & Windus: London, England, 2002. Translated by Esther Tyldesley. When I started the Alphabet Soup challenge, I knew that some letters would have a few less options to choose from, and felt that X would probably be the hardest. As I approached this letter I did occasionally glance ahead, and would see one or two books at most on display at any one time. In the end, when I went to get a book out for X there was only one fiction book currently in the library by an X author. Skimming through it I was unimpressed, so I browsed through non-fiction for only the third time in this challenge.  The Good Women of China is a collection of biographical stories told by Xinran, who for eight years ran a radio programme in China called Words on the Night Breeze dedicated to telling the stories of Chinese women. Fifteen such stories, including Xinran's own upbringing, are presented here, including some so traumatic that she was never able to share them on air.  The f...

The end of 2021 marks the end of 5 years of book-list keeping. The aim of keeping these lists in the first place was the hope that it would inspire me to read more. Each of the years I have kept this list I have ended up reading more books than the previous year, so I guess it has been successful! In fact, in 2021 I have read so many books that I think I'll have to reign myself back in a bit next year, slow down a bit (although I have said that before). At the start of last year I decided to start reviewing the books I was reading (I had already been doing so with the Booker books before that). The aim of this element was to inspire me to write more, something I've been telling myself that I want to do since I was a child. And, although this has been a slower process than getting back into reading, I am also seeing growth in that area. Some day maybe I'll have something I can show for my efforts there too. Anyway, with this fifth year of reading lists drawing to a close, ...