Who Dunnit?

In my lifetime, I've probably read very few mysteries, although I've always been a fan of them. I love a good mystery, and used to love Nancy Drew growing up. So, imagine my delight at finding an old 1960 hardback copy of Murder on the Orient Express in a pile of books for the whopping sum of $.25. Of course, I snatched it up.
Agatha Christie was a favorite of my moms, and while I admit not having read any of her books, I've always enjoyed the movie adaptations.

So I sat down recently and at long last read an Agatha Christie book. After reading the first chapter, I was a little bit overwhelmed with a few of the French sayings of Hercule Peroit, not understanding any French. The reading was almost "too simple" otherwise, and I wondered if I was going to like the book after all especially sine this was the one story of hers where I clearly remembered the guilty party.

To my surprise, the story grew on me quickly, and I found myself a little bit enchanted by the mystery, and the character Hercule Peroit. Agatha Christie is brilliant when it comes to dialogue and once the background was laid, the story unfolds mostly through dialogue between the characters which is done brilliantly. In the end the clues which lead to the impossible all tie together in a mystery masterfully solved.

I did enjoy reading Murder on the Orient Express and would recommend it to keep you company on a dark and stormy night, or perhaps a long train ride home?

Summer to Fall Reading

At the meet and greet with Third Day I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Mark Lee and to talk to him about the book club. This summer he was running a summer reading "contest" and I was participating. I didn't expect to win anything, but I'd been involved in the book club for a while, and it really did get me reading again. For that I am extremely grateful! So I set about to make a summer reading list. I am still plugging away at the list, but not doing so badly. Mark promised to follow up on the summer reading club as it had rather fallen by the wayside. True to his word, he posted the following the very next day:

"OK, so today's mission, if anybody's still here to accept it, is to make your case for why you deserve a prize from the Summer Reading Club Committee. It could be a list of all the books you've read. It could be a GREAT review of one book you've read. You could go the sympathy route and try to get me and my committee to give you a pity award."

Hmmm.. so why should I win an award? I have nothing to compare myself, too, so I will make my appeal as to my accomplishments and let it go from there.

First of all, I had some misunderstandings in the beginning, and started a bit late. We were given the opportunity to write reviews for a book or two before things started, and I did just that, although one of the books I probably was reading when the contest started. This is my blog from June 12 (exhibit 1?) with a list of books and two book reviews (Pilgrim's Regress, and The Five People You Meet in Heaven.)
http://woman4life.blogspot.com/2008/06/summer-book-club.html

I did fairly well with my summer book list, finishing Pilgrim's Regress, Push My Life Into a Dufflebag, Emergence, Three, Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin, and am most of the way through God's Debris (should finish tonight) and UnChristian. I have written three reviews. I really accomplished more than I had first thought. Oh.. and I tried to bribe the judge with a bookmark. ;) (JK) Seriously, for those accomplishments, I would love to be considered as a winner.

However, whether I win an award or not, I have already received a very great gift. Between Mark Lee's recommendations, discoveries while looking for recommended books in the bookstore or online, Jacob Marshall's blog, etc., I have started reading again, and thinking, too. I met an author and bought his book (A Circle of Doors) and may read it next, and I feel my life has been enriched. Thanks.

--Melanie

Book Review No. 2

Scientific Facts in the Bible by Ray Comfort.
100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin

I ran across this book last time I put in a book order at Amazon.com because I thought it would be a fun, quick read, and in that sense I was definitely not disappointed with Ray Comfort's book.

Scientific Facts in the Bible is divided into topics by chapters. A lot of what is contained in the book are the citations of others, some I recognized, although many I did not. The design and layout make this book ideal to read when you just have small snippets of time. I found it an excellent book to read on my breaks at work.

As an in depth treatise on the topic of scientific facts in the Bible, the book does only a fair job. I doubt that it would convince a hard core, well educated athiest, for instance. There are some flaws in a few of the examples, but others were really good and thought provoking. There is a chapter of citations from men in history that didn't really fit in with the "science" theme, but I found them interesting just the same.

Overall, I found reading this book somewhat encouraging. I don't think I would use it to "prove" anything, but I can see using some of the examples and citations as a kick of point for further study.

The end of the book basically is written as an invitation. We're all invited. I wonder what your RSVP will say. :)

Summer Book Club

O.K., so it's not the most creative and interesting blog title ever, but I'm still in p.j.'s and I have to leave for work in 25 minutes. LOL

This summer Mark Lee is orchestrating a summer book club which should be a lot of fun. I had pretty much fallen out of the habit of reading whole books, and Mark pretty much inspired me to start reading again. It's not that I didn't want to, but I had no real direction. At any rate (I've noticed I use that phrase a lot), I get "credit" for the last two books I've read if I post them in a blog.

The last book I have read (or should I say am reading as I have about a chapter less and will be finished at work tonight) is the C.S. Lewis book The Pilgrim's Regress. The first few chapters and parts of the book can be tricky to follow, but I love it just the same. The other major challenge is that there are Latin phrases woven through parts of the story, and not speaking Latin, it didn't make for easy reading.* There are numerous times when the path that the main character takes sounded so familiar to me that I had to laugh out loud. The main character, John, who is a figment of the narrator's dream, is searching, and what he finds is a pretty good summary of a lot of the thinking that is out there. It is still relevant. :) I am particularly enjoying the end of the book where John's quest is finally being explained. I don't want to give away any of the ending, as I really do recommend the book. :)

The book I read just prior was The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. For those who are expecting a theological treatis on heaven, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, it is a The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a great fictional work with a great message. I laughed and cried as I read it and was moved. I highly recommend reading Mr. Albom's book. It's not difficult to read at all and I pretty much finished it in 2 halves of an afternoon... so that adds up to about an afternoon's read. LOL

If you want to get in little more reading, check out Mark Lee's summer book reading club on his blog here:

http://marklee.typepad.com/this_guy_falls_down/2008/06/summer-readin-2.html

Here are some of the books on my "to read" list:

Push My Life Into a Duffle Bag by John Roger Schofield (bass player for The Myriad),
I just received this one in the mail! :)

Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to bElieve the Bible is Supernatural in Origin (it was inexpensive, it interested me and it looks like it will be a quick read)

Three by Ted Dekker

God's Debris by Scott Adams

Emergence

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel

I'd like to find a few easier to read fiction books to toss in there as well. I several of the books already, so mainly I want to read some things I've had for a while but haven't read first. I have not read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, so I would love to do that. I have lots to keep me going. :)

Love, Peace, and summer reading fun! :)

--Melanie

* I found this website and it will be helpful for anyone choosing to read, "The Pilgrim's Regress." :) http://www.solcon.nl/arendsmilde/cslewis/reflections/e-regressquotes.htm

Cupcakes and Other Things

Cupcakes & Other Things
Category: Life


Well, I decided it would be a good idea to make a white cake. Now I've made it from scratch before, but I wasn't planning anything that elaborate. I just had been craving some cake for some unknown reason and it sounded like it would be good. Besides, I've had two white cake mixes in the cupboards for what seems an eternity. It was time they were used.

So, I mixed up the cake mix (eating what was probably several cupcakes worth of batter in the process) and put a dozen cupcakes in the oven to bake. I even managed to put a load of dishes in the dishwasher. The recipe on the box cited 350 deg. as the recommended oven temp, but it seemed a tad hot, and sometimes my oven cooks a little on the hot side, so I decided to turn it down to 325. Then I headed downstairs with book in hand and proceeded to read the rest of The Five People You Meet in Heaven. (It's a bood book, btw.)

Usually from where I sit in the computer room, at my desk, I can start to smell things baking about the time they are ready to come from the oven. I didn't smell the cupcakes. I forgot about them. A good 45 minutes later my mind starts screaming, ""Cupcakes!" But then I was rather puzzled as I expected to smell something - something burning, but I didn't. I had no idea what I would find when I got to the top of the stairs. The cupcakes gratefully are not burnt. Oh, they are even maybe a little edible, but they more have more of the consistency of a cookie than a cupcake. So I have 12 rather "dry" and slightly crunchy cupcakes, but hey, they are not burnt. They aren't even too bad served with very vanilla soymilk.

Pardon me while I take the last three cupcakes out of the oven. Hey, three good cupcakes isn't bad. LOL After all, there are only two of us here.

Note to self: If the front door is open on a warm spring day, don't rely on smell to alert you to the fact that the cupcakes are done cooking. LOL

Peace out,

Melanie