Daniel Kelly
"...the amazing and true story of a fan growing up in a small town, dreaming of one day making it into the NFL. Without any college or pro playing or coaching experience and against all the odds, his dream came true....It's a story of overcoming the greatest adversities life has to offer. Perhaps the most incredible part is what he found on the other side of the dream."
I came by this book in a strange way. The author sent me a copy, including a note of thanks for a sermon he heard me preach that gave him the oomph to "lay it all on the line" and tell his story. That, of course, makes me want to give this a raving review.
56/5: This was home to the New York Islanders hockey team.
Robert J. Bandisi
"Eddie Gianelli is a pit boss at the Sands, Las Vegas, 1960. After twelve years, he's got the whole town wired, but he's still surprised when Joey Bishop drops by his table and invites him to meet with Frank Sinatra in the Rat Pack's private steam room. Frank asks Eddie to find out who's been sending threatening letters to Deano..."
This is the first of a series of Rat Pack Mysteries (I read the second, Hey There, You with the Gun in Your Hand, last year). It sets up the story as a long memory of an aging Eddie, after the Sands is demolished. There is certainly more sexuality and vulgar language than Hey There..., but it's still a thoroughly enjoyable read. While the mystery element is present, it feels more like an homage to Vegas and the Rat Pack than a nail-biter of a thriller.
56/5: That the guy?
Thom S. Rainer
"It is impossible to grow to spiritual maturity by yourself. You must be connected to the other parts of the body. This wonderful little book explains the power of belonging to a church family. (Rick Warren) If you love your church, are frustrated with your church, or don't understand why membership matters, I encourage you to pick this book up and read it. (Matt Chandler)"
I've copied the above endorsements because I agree with them. This is an easy, short (79 pages) read, but it packs a wallop when it comes to nailing down what kind of "church member" God calls us to be. If you don't feel connected in your local church, read this book and start living up to its challenges.
56/5: I was a young businessman in my early twenties.
Kent Hartman
"If you were a fan of popular music in the 1960s and early '70s, you were a fan of the Wrecking Crew - whether you knew it or not. On hit record after hit record by everyone from the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees to the Grass Roots, the 5th Dimension, Sonny & Cher, and Simon & Garfunkel, this collection of West Coast musicians established themselves as the driving sound of pop music - sometimes over the objection of actual band members forced to make way for Wrecking Crew members."
My kind of book...behind-the-scenes tales of the creation of some of the most iconic songs of the 60s and 70s. Thoroughly interesting and enjoyable.
56/5: But all personal preferences aside, at least a song should be played cleanly and correctly before committing it to tape.
Philip Gulley
"Master storyteller Philip Gulley returns to the winsome ways of Harmony, Indiana, the small Midwestern town that captured the hearts of readers in his acclaimed debut novel, 'Home to Harmony.' ...follows the happenings of an eventful year spanning two Easters, in which Quaker pastor Sam Gardner and the members of his flock discover surprising answers to life's challenging mysteries."
"Surprising answers to life's challenging mysteries" sounds a lot heavier than this is. This has the same infusion of humor and real-life-osity as "Home...", but with more of an overarching narrative and fewer chapter-length episodes tied up with pithy moral statements. Engaging and pleasant.
56/5: Sometimes when their hips are touching, the stirrings unsettle him and he'll slide away.
Alan Scott
"HAS THE NAME 'CHRISTIAN' LOST ITS POWER? I know there’s more. Don’t you really know this too? That fish on the back of your car really DOES mean something. Its purpose should be more than merely enticing someone to honk and wish you a nice day if, indeed, you didn’t just cut them off. The best music --- the music and song we long to hear --- has not disappeared. We’ve just stepped strangely and temporarily off the stage. I sense God wants to bring us back for a first-pumping encore. Let’s scream, cheer, write, pray, search, and hunger until the real music plays again. Maybe Christians and Jesus followers everywhere will raise their Bic lighters into the air and begin wearing, again, the impeccable name of Jesus. Let’s explore some specific strategies to help get us there."
Alan is a great guy I've had the privilege of knowing and working with...and now I've had the privilege of reading his book. He's got a light and breezy style that makes even challenges to a deeper walk with Christ easy to read and understand. Dig this quote: "Maybe we've dropped our nets, and turned the American Church into something pursuing self-actualization. 'Bless me, feed me, make me worship, and if you don't, I'm just going to go somewhere else'."
56/5: Landscape - Dr. Luke writes in his first chapter of Acts how Jesus commanded His followers to, "...not leave Jerusalem, but wait..." (Acts 1:4). Portrait - Mary and the baby were a threat and an embarrassment to the hopes of a Messiah.
Phil Vischer
"Phil Vischer's dream, known to the world as VeggieTales, changed the landscape of children's videos. But most people have no idea of the intense struggle its creator would endure as he desperately tried to build - then witnessed the tremendous fall - of a new media empire for God."
This is, once again, my kind of book...a peek backstage into the world of entertainment...but with the addition in this case of a testimony of real-life struggles and questions and goals and, at long last, giving up and letting God do HIS thing, instead of asking Him to bless PHIL'S thing. I was never aware of the financial downfall and massive layoffs described in this book, and Vischer winds things up with not only what he learned spiritually, but as a business leader as well. A truly interesting read!
56/5: As daunting as that challenge appeared, an even more daunting challenge was staring me down first: Where would I get the money to buy the gear?.
Spencer Johnson, M.D.
"...a simple parable that reveals profound truths about change. It is an amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a "Maze" and look for "Cheese" to nourish them and make them happy....you can discover for yourself how to deal with change, so that you can enjoy less stress and more success (however you define it) in your work and in your life."
I was given this book 14 years ago by my then-manager. I ran across it in my search to expand the offerings at Dewey's Gently Read Books (a now-defunct Facebook page of mine) and realized that just now would be an excellent time to reacquaint myself on how to deal with change (i.e., there's a ton of uncertainty at work right now). It's a little book (94 pages) with a lot of truth in it.
56/5: He took in some deep breaths and felt invigorated by the movement.
Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm
"The Project Gutenberg eBook, Illustrated by John B. Gruelle and R. Emmett Owen"
I don't really need to explain these stories, do I? Other than to say that it was cool receiving this at no cost through iBooks and that the unfamiliar stories in this volume are just as...strange and magical...as the familiar ones; and that the familiar stories are not very much like their Disney counterparts at all. I've been reading this in spurts and starts for quite a while...one or two stories here, another one there...and just happened to have finished it at this time.
56/5: Landscape - A good meal of milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts, was spread on the table, and in the back room were two nice little beds, covered with white, where Hansel and Grethel laid themselves down, and thought themselves in heaven. Portrait - Not long afterwards the two brothers arrived.
Justin Lee
"Nicknamed 'God Boy' as a teenager, Justin was committed to his evangelical faith and felt destined for a life in Christian ministry. But he had a secret: though he struggled to accept it, he also knew that he was gay. In this groundbreaking book, Justin recalls the events - his coming out to his Christian family and friends, his disillusioning experiences with the 'ex-gay' movement, and his in-depth study of the Bible - that transformed his life and faith, and led him to become one of the leading voices on the church's most polarizing issue....With grace and authority, Justin shows how people on both sides of the debate can respect, learn from, and love one another."
I've been waiting for this book to come to the library for many months...ever since Pastor Dave (https://www.blogger.com/profile/15915136880489138506) told me about it. Capsule review: TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT! Everyone...absolutely everyone with any interest or concern or opinion about the issue of homosexuality and faith should read this book with an open mind and a tender heart. You can agree or disagree with Lee's interpretation of pertinent Bible verses, but the pressing need - and possibility - for mutual understanding and compassion has never been expressed so compellingly.
56/5: He blamed both mothers and fathers, but in his view, fathers got the lion's share of the blame.
