The Bookshelf Tag

First of all, shout out to Justina Luther http://justinaluther.wordpress.com for this tag. And I appreciate everyone who reads or looks at this blog. It’s a work in progress and I’m still feeling my way through it, trying to discover what people want to read. Be on the lookout for Justina, she’s hot on the bloggers scale right now! Check her out to see all the awards she’s gotten so far! Way to go girl!

Note: Even if the links don’t work, please copy and paste in your browser. Thanks.

I’m changing the rules a bit. I’m tagging seven people, my fellow craftsman:

Amy Nowak – http://amynowak.com/

Guy Gourley – http://guygourley.wordpress.com

Christina Banks – http://christinabanks.com

Jen Sloniger – http://jensloniger.com

Natalie Walters – http://nataliewalters.wordpress.com

Simni Ogunyinka – http://www.pleasantwritersguild.com/

and last but not least – Meagan Briggs – http://theemptyinkwell.wordpress.com

THE RULES For ‘The Bookshelf Tag’: Answer the following questions about books, and then tag five other bloggers. You can answer the questions any way you want, whether it’s on your blog, in a video, or a combination of the two. Then remember to let whoever tagged you know when your post is up so they can read it.

1) Is there a book that you really want to read but haven’t because you know that it’ll make you cry?

I’m never afraid of a good cry. The only fiction books I stay away from are those that are horror (I hate horror), and more X-rated or R-rated romance or detective stories. Those are just lewd and disgusting.

2) Pick one book that helped introduce you to a new genre.

Master Potter, by the late Jill Austin, introduced me to modern allegory. It helped me realize that I could write an allegory about chocolate, the same way she wrote about a potter’s wheel.  I gave away that one for free on http://chocolatesaga.blogspot.com. If you want to read it, go back to the 2012 posts to get the story in its entirety. I also love Taylor Caldwell’s classic, The Listener and No One Hears But Him – they’re a ‘modern’ day allegory of meeting God in the Temple, but the stories are classic, and only a little bit dated.

And Blessed Child, by Ted Dekker, introduced me to the modern day thriller with emphasis on God’s presence. I love that book. It’s one of my all-time favorites. I read it about every two years.

3) Find a book that you want to reread.

Hmmmm. I’m thinking it may be about time to pull out Blessed Child and A Man Called Blessed again. What if we could all be like Caleb? I wish. Read it and find out why I asked.

4) Is there a book series you read but wish that you hadn’t?

I recently came upon the Ben Reese series, because I like mysteries and suspense. I read the reviews, and the reviews were right, but I needed to find out for myself.

The author, Sally Wright, had the first three books published through a Christian publishing house. After that, and especially the last one, the quality of not only the writing, but the compromise made it so that the last three books were not the best. The fourth one was OK, the fifth was sort of OK, but the last one, even though I wanted to know what it said and have it wrapped up, was disgusting. One reviewer, thank God, did warn about a torture scene. It was more a lewd scene with torture, and totally uncalled for. The ruthlessness of a 1950s communist could have still had the same effect without the graphic lewdness. So, if you like mysteries, read only the first three of the Ben Reese series.

5) If your house was burning down and all of your family and pets were safe, which book would you go back inside to save?

I’d like to be able to get all my photos and photo albums out, even though I probably couldn’t get near all of them. They’re the only things worth saving. As my challenger, Justina Luther said, books are replaceable.

6) Is there one book on your bookshelf that brings back fond memories?

The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, because God used this book to help me understand what being born again really meant. I grew up in the church, and being born again was preached, but I didn’t understand it. I’m not ashamed to say I’m a follower of Jesus. My trip to Israel earlier this year was meaningful – to walk where Jesus walked. In fact, the background picture on this blog is the Sea of Galilee at dawn from our hotel in Tiberias.

7) Find a book that has inspired you the most.

Many books have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, enriched me and taught me. But the one that changed my life is the Bible. It comes alive for me. But other than that, I love historical fiction/romance, a good mystery, suspense/romance is great, and non-fiction books.

8) Do you have any autographed books?

I have a few, some by authors you may not have heard of, like John Paul Jackson, Paul Keith Davis, James Goll. I also have one from Jerry B. Jenkins, Dennis Hensley, MacNair Wilson, and DiAnn Mills. Some are fiction, some are non-fiction.

9) Find the book that you have owned the longest.

Besides The Cross and the Switchblade, it would probably be a toss-up between Christy, by Catherine Marshall, and special editions of Gone with the Wind, The Captain from Castille, and The Robe I’ve had for probably 35 plus years. I never owned many books until college. I could tell you of others I used to own, but don’t have a place for them now, such as The Chronicles of Narnia – in paperback form.

10) Is there a book by an author that you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

I don’t know. Mostly I like what I read. It’s more likely I’m surprised I didn’t like it. I did read two biographical sketches, one of Elizabeth Smart, and one by Marie (Roberts) Monville. They’re hard to read, especially Elizabeth’s, but I’m glad I did. Marie’s story just showed me how far she and her first husband, Charles Carl Roberts, had drifted by the time he shot the Amish girls eight years ago. I live near there. That happened in our county. The poor man really had no one to help him deal with the loss of his daughter. If he had, none of that would have happened.

Thanks so much to everyone who looked at this. God is good. Let me know what you think!