Summer Reading List

I currently have four books sitting on my nightstand, three of which I am somewhere in the middle of. I have a week in Florida coming up in about 10 days, and then a week at the beach in August. I'm hoping to be able to finish at least some of them.

Here they are, in case you are looking for something new:
I obviously won't be finished with this one until the end of the year, but I can not sing the praises of this Bible loud enough. If you have ever attempted to read the entire Bible through and gotten stuck somewhere in Leviticus and given up, this Bible is for you! It is laid out in chronological order, with dates along the way to keep everything in perspective. For example, not all of the psalms are together, but split up according to when they were written, or at least collected, whenever it's possible to know that information.

This Bible has been an amazing tool for me this year. Reading the word of God straight through in this order has given me a perspective on God's relationship to humanity that I've never had before. This would be a purchase well, well worth the money spent. I hope to read it through every year.

Yes, before you begin to make fun of me, I already know I'm a geek. I am reading the Complete Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict. But I was a history teacher, remember.

The reason I'm enjoying this book is because it takes a totally complex subject and breaks it down into smaller sections, and is written to give the reader a historical overview of why Israel is constantly under the crosshairs. Of course the author has his own bias, but it's been a very interesting read so far. I didn't have any real understanding of the history behind the rebirth of Israel as a nation, and it's good stuff to know.

If you are looking for fiction, I started reading this one on one of the many planes home from Thailand. It's about a gardener whose dearly loved wife is kidnapped and held for $2 million ransom. Since he's a gardener, he doesn't have anywhere near that much money. So somehow he's got to get it. Lots of twists. I was enjoying it, but I just haven't picked it back up. Nothing against the book. I do plan to finish it.

I just heard about this book last week from a good friend, and it turned out that my mom had a copy of it. This is about a man who died in a car wreck almost 20 years ago, and came back to life after spending 90 minutes in heaven. It's his story of what he experienced and what life has been like since. I haven't started yet because I've been told once you pick it up you won't be able to put it back down. But I'm looking forward to it. Apparently he was pretty angry about being sent back. Can't imagine why.

I just read about this yesterday on the Living Proof blog, and I am very excited about it. If you watched American Idol two years ago, you'll remember Mandisa. Beautiful girl, amazing voice, incredible heart for the Lord. She's written her personal account of life on American Idol, and the journey of faith that it has taken her through. I'm ordering it today.

Let me know if there's something else I should be reading. I'll put it in the list. I never thought I would be one of those people who reads four books at a time, but somehow that's what I've become. It's kind of a spastic way to live, but that's life with three kids.

Happy reading!