100 books

This is a very handy little book. It basically a whole bunch of the stuff that they use on QI (one of my very favourite TV programmes), all in one handy volume. And it was a Christmas pressie that I got stuck into early! Great bathroom book, all divided up into little sections. Marvellous!

I had to read this for a review for Youthwork Magazine. And lets face it I was always unlikely to read it aside from that. Its pap.. simplistic marketing bilge for the rich and brand conscious. There we go.. teh bit I can't say in Youthwork!

I've been plodding away at this on and off for over a year and have finally gotten through it! Truss is obsessive about punctuation- and the resultant read is actually not bad. She wends her way thourgh the major marks, finding their role and place with a whole bucnh of research that is worthy in and of itself. It does make you feel woefully inadequate as a grammarian though. I may never write again!

This is one mammoth book. Genuinely, it 800 pages and on each one is some little gem of knowledge about London. Its taken me about four months to wade through it, but I;m glad I did. Ackroyd's great- because he is a classy historian who doesn't discount teh spiritual element of any city. Whilst he doesn't mention the history of the church (this is a truly social history in that sense) he does talk about the strongholds and foregeign gods of the City. Anyone who would seek to make a difference in London would be well advised to read this- its salutory warnings of the resilience of the City are spot on. I like it!

Another DDo read this one but its very good on helping me to work out where I stand on baptism. I'm becoming less baptist by the second pretty much! Michael Green writes really simply which made this a quick one or so in teh UL in cambridge.. Where I also looked at other books, just not deeply enough to call it reading!!!

This is a pretty standard text for wannabee vicars. It explores the models of leadership as practised by the church throughout the ages and takes a look at how we might want to exercise leadership now. Michael Green is a lovely lovely man and that comes through in the text. He genuinely cares and I like that. On the downside, the book is a little dated, its written pre women priests, and certainly doesn't look at the current hot potatoes of women bishops and gay clergy (well openly practising gay clergy anyhoo!).. Again, only really worth reading if you're in the Church of England!

Good read this one. I'm not entirely sure I agree with this guys central premise (which is that Anglicanism in the UK should abandon its parish system and grow new churches using school halls and new worship centres.. ).. Its certainly given me some stuff to think about. Not really one to read unless you're working in the Anglican church.. or want to..

I loved this book. Although its basically a text book for work I have really, really enjoyed it. The book is well written for a start. Its well put together, practical and inspiring. Though it talks about priesthood its appropriate for anyone in leadership. Again I find the Anglican communion more and more inviting. Its great!

What to say? I actually greatly enjoyed this book. I think I’ve read it at a time when God is calling me back to understand all that he has created me to be. To hear that I am woman and beloved and romanced has got to be good just now. This IS an American book and you should bear that in mind when you pick it up. There are no examples of women in church leadership over men, which makes a point in and of itself. But at the heart of it is some stuff that I think we maybe all need to receive, that God has created us to be pursued, to have a unique place in an adventure, and to be romanced (or maybe that’s the same as pursued). I’ve already recommended this to two people. Must be a good one.

This is a slightly dry Anglican text about what Anglicanism is about. Its great swat up material for a meeting with the Vocations Officer. But in the course of 100 pages he does a really good job of confirming all the good things I have been thinking about being part of the Anglican Commune on a more formal basis. Its actually really worth a read I think, especially if you're thinking, well what the heck is the whole place about.. I liked it!

This is a tiny wee management book which Flanster lent me ages ago.. I put off reading it for ages cos I don't like American management books.. But its a good un.. very fitting for this moment.. Worth a look if you're pondering change!

This is a must read. I love this book. There's no rules of thour shalt just a gloriously practical look at the transformation that can occur when we stop trying to fix ourselves and just get some disciplines in place instead! He's great- no wonder this is a classic. I'm inspired!

Great book. Two guys on big motorbikes go round the world.. via a mafia house in the Ukraine, some nasty mud in Outer Mongolia and a crash in Canada. The book is linked to the TV series/ film which I;ve not sen, but love the way its written.. I;m a bit of a Ewan fan so.. but well worth a look.

I'm a donkey! I read this ages ago and forgot to review it! Its a really beautiful collection of essays and thoughts about, well essentially lust and sex but at the same time none of that. He writes about moving beyond the little things that obsess us. Its a really beautiful little book.. well worth a read. He just writes so well!

I was pottering around the monastery last night looking for something to read after Bonhoffer. And I stumbled on this. It’s a very lovely little 100 page book that talks a little about entering into a deeper life of prayer. Its full of quotable quotes, and in that sense could be mildly annoying (you find yourself thinking, do you not have anything original to say lady?!) But there are some little gems in there too- particularly a very succinct explanation of centring prayer.. If you can find it I reckon its worth a read.

As I picked this up yesterday to finish it off I found that the book marker in it was a plane ticket for the 6th July. And I think there has been good reason as to why its taken so long to get round to finishing one of the seminal works on community. It starts really slowly. Maybe it’s the translation, maybe its me but this is a book that took a lot of getting into! But it is worth sticking with! The chapters on the Day alone and on confession are wonderful! I still prefer Vanier but am beginning to appreciate the Bon!

The little tag line that goes with this book really does sum it up well. It simply says “Insights From Manchester’s Impacting City Wide Prayer Movement”. And that is essentially what the book is. Its not a manual telling you three easy steps to bring revival to your City, but it does tell you (in a very accessible and down to earth style) what has happened in Manchester in the last ten years. The principles of united prayer are there, but you need to dig them out rather than reading a simple checklist. There are names that you will recognize, places that are familiar and a story which you may have seen little snippets of if you have read Youthwork over the last few years. I enjoyed reading Frank and Debra’s story. But do accept it for what it is- there are no “how to”’s until you reach page 157 (out of 214 pages!). If stories inspire you, then read on. Frank and Debra articulate the journey in prayer if one city in a wonderful way. And as you read it you just know that the st...

I’d been eyeing this book up for ages as I popped in and out of bookshops. I finally took the lunge just a couple of weeks ago and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I still don’t fully understand why this journalist took it upon himself to write about the London that exists below those terribly hard on your feet pavements (he was sacred of the Tube before he started the book!).. but I’m glad that he did. From the Underground to sewers, to crypts to wine cellars, he explores them all. Its all kind of exciting! Certainly helped me to understand a bit of London (and has made me even more of a tube geek!) I think you will like it!

Err... I think I finished this one.. book written by the Catholic Worker Movement founder- Dorothy Day. It charts her journey from Communism to Catholicim with remarkable care.. looks at some of the most difficult times in US history and comes out all reflective and smiley. Sorry that is not a good review of what is a pretty remarkable story. Its not told in the most gripping of ways but is still a very cool one.. wonder if its easily avaiable in the UK?

This was one of those books that looked at me from the shelf and said " you need to read me!".. so I did! I've always had a cautious liking for Tony Benn.. I think he may be a little crazy but he was a wonderful parliamentarian. In this little book he talks about some of the things that influenced him. He has that slightly strange thing where he has so many Christians influences in him, but just one or two tiny things mean that he can't accept the church. Its all very odd one way or the other. The back of the book cataloguies some of his speeches.. I particularly like the one on the ordination of women!