Read but not Reviewed (Recommended Anyway)

While I like to respond to as much of what I read with a thoughtful opinion in the form of a quick review, I don't always fulfill this desire. I am a fairly slow reader because I have to digest every word. Then, I want to be truthful and thoughtful when I do write my opinions down. When life gets hectic, I find that just fulfilling the normal duties of a small-church pastor can keep me from setting my thoughts to keyboard. So, I thought I'd just give a quick recommendation concerning a few books I read in the first part of the year (and then maybe I won't feel so bad about getting to the next--freshly read--review).

Compound Murder (A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) by Bill Crider (Minataur, 2013). As with anything by Bill, and especially starring the Blacklin County Cast headed by Dan Rhodes, I heartily recommend this book. I read it around Christmas and the next installment is supposed to hit stores next month, so I thought I'd better at least mention this one (4 reading glasses).

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Harper Collins, 2000 edition). I finally got a chance to give this classic defense of the Christian Faith a good solid read and found it to be timely and quotable. This is a book anyone should read. It has my highest recommendation (five reading glasses).

Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels (IVP Books, 2008, 20th Anniversary Edition). This one is a modern classic on prayer, It is another challenging read with much advise. I recommend it for the Christian who wants to dive deeper into their own prayer life. (4 reading glasses)

A Year with C. S. Lewis

I must admit that, aside from the books in the Chronicles of Narnia, I have only read one of this master’s works through. That’s why this devotional book is so good. The great works of Lewis are arranged in bite-sized pieces to make them digestible for even the most lethargic of readers.

I used this book as an aid to my devotional reading over the past year (2006) and found that the short selections from some of Lewis’s most thought-filled works were no longer too deep to wade through. I discovered great passages from The Great Divorce and The Problem of Pain. I encountered the best slices of Mere Christianity and was able to walk away saying, “That was good.”

The editors of this one-year devotional have brought to us a collection that allows a few glimpses of Lewis from Narnia to Screwtape and everything in between. Along the way you will find snippets from Jack’s life that will make you feel you had a window on his life. If you like C. S. Lewis, you’ll enjoy this daily walk with him; if you like to have challenging, thoughtful readings to insert into your day in about five or eight minutes, you need to try out this volume.

--Benjamin Potter, March 2007