Nice little write-up on the “The Shack” in USA Today yesterday. It’s not only a captivating book, it’s an inspiring story for authors everywhere. Even though publishers like Thomas Nelson might be purposefully publishing less books this year, if you’ve got something worth reading, it will find its audience.

I’ve got 4 books going on right now.

Closer than Your Skin by Susan D. Hill - Susan sent me a copy of this book a few weeks ago before it released. I’m about halfway through it and so far, so good. The book is very anecdotal in nature, which really works in this case. Susan seems to be more concerned with giving honest accounts of her own experiences than making profound statements about the nature of God. It’s a refreshing change from most Christian non-fiction. She’s basically saying, “Here’s what intimacy with God looks like in my life” as opposed to “here’s what it should look like in yours.”

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I’m more than halfway through this classic, as you can see. I found it a bit slow at first, but I warmed up to it fairly quickly. So much has been said about this book, that I won’t even try to add anything to the noise…at least not until I finish it.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - A book on writing that I am really getting a lot from. Lamott writes with her usual candor and wit about writing, something that I am trying to dig into more and more this year. Her thoughts on writing for the sake of writing, and not for the sake of being published, have already had a major impact on my mindset as I work towards finishing my book. This one is my favorite book to pick up at the moment.

Sex, Sushi, and Salvation by Christian George - I received a copy of this book last week from a promotional firm trying to generate some buzz for this new author. (Melissa found me through my Burnside connections). I haven’t made it past the introduction yet, but I like the premise of the book and look forward to getting into it.

I’ll try to write up some thoughts on all these as i finish them…

I think I read more in 2007 than I ever have, and I’m excited to keep that momentum going into 2008. So here’s a list of almost everything I read over the past 12 months, with a few thoughts about each.

Sex God, by Rob Bell

What I Remember of it: I liked this book better than Rob’s first effort, Velvet Elvis. It was a bit slow at the beginning before i saw where he was going, this book finished very strongly. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring the issues associated with sexuality, the afterlife, and the basic needs we have as human beings. I wouldn’t call it “life-changing”, but it definitely left some impressions on me that i’ll take with me from here forward.

Rating: 8 out of 10 mattresses

The Architect, by Keith Ablow

What I Remember of it: A decent beach read that kept me interested throughout. I wasn’t interested in some of the storylines that he had going near the end, but he did do a great job in creating an interesting villain.

Rating: 5 out of 10 rulers

A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God, by Larry Osborne

What I Remember of it: This book was a pretty good read. At first i was a bit skeptical that he was just providing a bunch of excuses for folks who weren’t as committed to their faith as others. Then i realized that he was speaking to me on a lot of issues, and that in many cases he was probably right and i was probably wrong.

I didn’t agree with all of the principles that he laid out in the book, but some were dead on. The “Glass House Living” chapter about how typical accountability groups aren’t effective was something I’ve been railing about for the past year. I also enjoyed his takes on “Spiritual Blind Spots” and being zealous for our faith.

I recommend this book to anyone who feels frustrated that they aren’t living up to the standards that they think they should be with regards to their relationship with God. It can go a long way to helping you realize what frustrations are healthy and which ones are not.

Rating: 6 out of 10 brains

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling

What I remember of it: Not much, as these have all begun to bur together for me. I remember it being a quick read that left me satisfied that i had just read a good book, but unsatisfied in that I wanted to read the next one.

Rating: 6 out of 10 brooms

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling

What I remember of it: Like the first Potter book, this one was an easy, enjoyable read. I like how she ties up most of the loose ends from within the book, yet keeps you looking forward to the next book in the series.

Rating: 7 out of 10 wands

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling

What I remember of it: in the same vein as the first 2 books, it was a fun read that kept me interested and made me go out to the bookstore for Book #4 almost immediately.

Rating: 6 out of 10 gryffindors

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling

What I remember of it: As I write this, I’ve only read 5 of the 7 books, but I think this is my favorite. Really enjoyed the Tri-Wizard tournament stuff and how the book ends. What keeps sucking me in deeper to the story is that there is a whole other story being uncovered in terms of what has happened a generation before at Hogwarts. It’s not just Harry’s story that is unfolding, it’s Harry discovering what happened to his parents and understanding the history that makes it interesting.

Rating: 8 out of 10 spells

On Writing Well, William Zinsser

What I remember of it: This book was recommended by Donald Miller, so I thought it would be worth the read as I endeavored to become a better writer. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Zinnser hammers home his points time and time again and makes a very strong case for his style of writing, which is essentially that less is more. Trim out the words that don’t serve any purpose, and trim out the details that could bore your reader and cause them to put your book or article down forever. This was definitely a book I’ll go back to every so often as I continue to write.

Rating: 7 out of 10 notebooks

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling

What I remember of it: Another great section of the story told by Rowling as she introduces even more backstory into Harry’s plight. Though I don’t think i enjoyed it quite as much as Book 4, (it was 870 pages…geesh), i still had trouble putting it down near the end.

Rating: 7 out of 10 dementors

In 2008 I hope to read The Shack (almost finished), To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter 6 & 7, The Blind Side, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and much much more.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting my top 11 albums of 2007, so stay tuned…

I posted the news yesterday that Don Miller’s next book will be out in early 2008 and will be titled Let Story Guide You. For a while now we were all under the impression that A Map of Eden, a story about his activist friend Adam Bybee, would be his next published work.

“Let Story Guide You” is actually the name of a lecture that Don has been giving over the past year. You can purchase it here i think, if you want to listen to it. ($9 is a bit steep in my opinion, though)

I followed that post up today with a quick little mini-interview with Don regarding his new book that we did over the email internetweb thing. here it is if you’re interested:

Bryan: Do you have an official release date yet for Let Story Guide You?

Don: Yeah, we are hoping to have it on the shelves on January 8th, which is of course very soon, so I am working pretty hard trying to wrap it up. It’s consuming my time right now. But it is a fun project, so that helps.

Bryan: Does the release of Let Story Guide You affect the future release of A Map of Eden at all?

Don: It does. I completed A Map of Eden and decided not to publish it. There were more than a few reasons, but in the end I did not feel like the book was ready. It needed another rewrite, which can take six months. I decided to put the next book on the front burner. I think that was good decision. A Map of Eden, though, will not see daylight for another few years. That was hard for me, but it was the right decision.

Bryan: Is it true that you originally wanted to call the book “A Story is Worth 1,000 Doctrinal Statements” but the idea was shot down by the publisher?

Don: Pure rumor. Actually, this is not a Christian book, as they say. It’s just a straight book about life and for people who want to live better lives. It is interesting writing a book that isn’t spiritual or religious in nature and I am greatly enjoying the experience. It’s increasing my faith in many ways because I feel like I am writing a book about the life God created, not unlike a botanist writing about plants. I find it a refreshing change for a moment.

Bryan: At what point did you realize that the “Let Story Guide You” lecture should be a book, or was it a book idea before it was a lecture?

Don: I was on a plane out of Portland and had the idea, then opened my computer and had the outline completed by the time I got to Washington D.C. I’ve never outlined a book before. Writers will understand when I say “this book was given to me.” And I feel that way when I am writing it, too. It just feels like the book is being given to me each day, and, well, I will take it.

Much thanks to Don for the timely responses. I’m excited to get my hands on this one. Who knows, maybe i can even finagle a pre-release copy??