Purpose in Prayer

A short but powerful book written about 100 years ago by EM Bounds, a Methodist minister. It's a bit heavy - not a book to be read at one sitting - but contains a lot of sound advice for Christians everywhere.

There are many examples of praying people, both in recent history and in Scripture, with clear results from their devotions. There is inspiration, encouragement, and instruction too. All Bible verses are quoted from the Authorised Version, adding to the slightly old-fashioned feel of the book, but I found it well worth persevering.

As with any book of this type, I wasn't sure I agreed totally with every word - and yet, overall, I found it very useful and encouraging. Recommended.

Death on the Nile

This is one of many Agatha Christie novels which I had not previously read. It's quite long - over 400 pages, although fairly wide-spaced - but I was so gripped by the time I was about a third of the way through that I read it in just two days.

I'm not really a fan of thrillers, but from time to time I do enjoy this style of crime fiction, with a good mystery to puzzle out, and almost no gore. This particular novel revolves around several people, in particular the beautiful and wealthy Linnet, her friend Jackie, and Jackie's fiancé Simon. The blurb on the back of the book, disappointingly told me what would happen in the first part of the book and who would be murdered. However this wasn't too much of a spoiler - there were no surprises early on, just a large cast to be introduced. Knowing who the main characters were was a bonus rather thana problem.

Most of the book takes place on a cruise along the Nile, so there's a bit of local colour as well as a clearly defined set of possible suspects. Once the murder happens, action is rapid and very well-organised. Hercule Poirot just happens to be on the cruise, and naturally he solves the puzzle. But despite several clues, mentioned by Poirot more than once, I had no idea 'whodunnit' until he had explained.

The characterisations are a little flat - not surprising with the number of minor characters, but I felt even the main ones were rather caricatured. However this style of book revolves around the plot rather than the people, and as such it was excellent. Recommended.

When the Siren Wailed (by Noel Streatfeild)

I love Noel Streatfeild's books. They're mostly about children, and intended for children - but are so well-written that I continue to enjoy them, and re-read periodically.

It's a long time since I'd read 'When the Siren Wailed'. It's the story of a family of London children during World War II. As the story opens we learn that they're very poor, often hungry, but very much loved. As rumours of war circulate, they acquire gas masks, learn about blackouts, and are evacuated to a village in the east of the country. They're luckier than most - their hosts are strict, but caring, and there's plenty of food - but there are sufficient comments about unhappy evacuees to paint what's probably an accurate picture of what life was like for many.

There are scenes in London too, no doubt from the author's experience during these years, which clearly portray the mixture of fear and excitement that accompanied air raids. The horrors of war come through quite clearly, in unsentimental and non-gory language, and the characters are easy to empathise with.

The ending was a bit abrupt, tidying up a lot of loose ends at the same time, but on the whole I thought it an excellent book. Suitable for children of about 7 or 8 upwards, I think this should be recommended reading for anyone studying World War II (particularly at primary school). One or two very moving moments and a vivid picture of life 60 years ago. Excellent.

Over Hill and Dale

This is the second autobiographical book by Gervase Phinn, recounting anecdotes from his days as a school inspector in Yorkshire. I found the first book a little stilted, but enjoyed this one a lot more. A little like James Herriot's books about being a vet, each chapter is complete in itself, but there are also ongoing friendships and characters who recur. By the end of this book I had quite a clear picture in my mind about some of them, and am eager to read the other two sequels.

There's light humour at times, particularly in the innocence or earthiness of some of the children, but it's written without a hint of condescension. The author often comes across as one who asked a stupid question, or an ignoramus knowing little about country and farming life. There is criticism of some of the teachers, and old-fashioned styles of education which he comes across, but even these are shown in context: sometimes schools were battling against prejudice, against children who hadn't any wish to learn anything, or parents who had no time to encourage their children at home. In general, though, the teachers are commended, and the schools shown as happy places for most of the children.

There were some very moving parts of the book too. By the time I was two-thirds of the way through it was difficult to put down, and I was sorry to reach the end. Recommended to anyone who knows anything about education and schools.

Cabbages for the King

Oh, I do like Adrian Plass's books! He's my favourite living Christian author from the UK, and I re-read all his books from time to time. They're down-to-earth, yet full of thought-provoking analogies and metaphors. He uses satire and direct humour to make points without being pushy, and he pokes gentle fun at some of the odd ideas people sometimes get within churches without being offensive.

This book is a collection of bits and pieces, loosely organised in four categories. He talks about truth - real truth - in Christian circles; about being vulnerable; about people; and about what we do. He shares anecdotes of family life, amusing poems and sketches, and general commentary on what he observes. I chuckled aloud in places and was moved to tears in others - despite having read this before - and found myself, once again, relieved that such a wise, yet ordinary man is able to bring his insights to so many. Highly recommended.

A Severe Mercy

I had never before heard of Sheldon Vanauken, who wrote this biographical book. I thought it would be interesting because it mentioned CS Lewis on the front - and indeed, the great man did come into it, as a friend of the author in the latter half of the book. Several of his letters are reproduced.

But I was soon caught up in the story, irrelevant of famous friends. The author describes his falling in love, the deep kinship he and his girlfriend - soon his wife - experienced, the plans they made, the 'shining barrier' they built to ensure nothing would destroy their love. Yet it's all rather poignant because in the very first chapter - almost the first page - we learn that the book is written after the death of the author's wife.

It's also clear that while the two young people are agnostics, even pagans (in the classic sense) when they meet, they will eventually become Christians. But knowing these apparent 'spoilers' does not in any way spoil the story. Instead it adds to the suspense as he backtracks to their first meeting, their amazing friendship, their hopes and desires.

Very moving in places, encouraging, inspirational, and thought-provoking.

Against her Nature (by Elizabeth Buchan)

This is the second novel I've read by Elizabeth Buchan. It has an interesting premise: two tall and somewhat feminist girls find themselves kindred spirits, despite very different backgrounds. One is from a privileged wealthy background, the other was abandoned as a baby and brought up by an austere and fanatically religious aunt. Both are interested in finance, and determined not to be caught up in domesticity or parenthood.

But there's also a huge strand about banking, finance, insurance, and risk in general, which I found confusing and rather dull. The period of the book revolves around a stock market crash, and people suddenly finding themselves responsible for huge debts which they had underwritten. All rather horrendous, and all way too jargonish for me to appreciate it. I had to skim sections to get to the people-orientated parts of the book, which I enjoyed, although I couldn't really empathise with any of the characters.

I did finish it - I was interested enough to find out what happened - but it felt like rather an effort at times. It would probably be of more interest to someone who is interested in financial institutions and insurance.

Church: Why Bother?

Philip Yancey seems to be one of the few sound, sane voices in evangelical Christian writing today. His books are inspiring, yet down-to-earth. He uses anecdotes and Scripture to illustrate his points (never to 'prove' them) and I find his books very encouraging.

This one is rather shorter than most, and addresses the age-old question: why should Christians bother about church, when churches are so often boring or old-fashioned. He only really answers the question briefly; the bulk of the book looks at what church can be, what it should be, and what its significance is. Yancey talks briefly of his background in a fundamentalist and racist church, yet he sees even that as having had some value in his upbringing. He describes, too, his increasing cynicism about churches in general, and a gradual change in his attitude when he began attending one in Chicago. It was by no means perfect, yet in some ways it displayed God's grace and a good picture of what it means to be 'family' - accepting all ages, all races, all income levels equally. Loving people with problems, caring about those who smelled, or talked during the sermons, or had mental problems.

Very readable and encouraging without being at all pushy. Yes, Yancey concludes, church is worth bothering with, despite its many problems. But it's just his personal opinion. Highly recommended.

The Barnabas Factor

This short (160 page) book is an excellent light read, about encouragement in the Christian life. (Derek Wood, the author, does not appear to have a web-site.)

It's a well-blended mixture of fictional anecdotes in the life of a typical church, Biblical examples with brief explanations, and the author's own comments. He makes several excellent points about the importance of encouragement in the Bible, and how lacking it can be amongst today's Christians. We find it all too easy to criticise, or pour cold water on people, and when we try to be encouraging it's easy to overwhelm them.

Instead, this book advises us to learn to listen, to pray for wisdom, and to consider what encouragement really means. It's not about blind praise (which can, at times, be discouraging) and it's not about trying to persuade people to cheer up. Instead we need to learn to care about people, to meet them where they are needy, and to give them genuine encouragement - seeing their good points rather than their bad ones. We shouldn't necessarily avoid conflict (Barnabas, greatest example of encouragement in the Bible, had a sharp disagreement with Paul at one stage) but should certainly avoid judgementalism and negativity.

Nothing deeply profound or new, but I enjoyed the interludes in the fictional congregation, which made the points as clearly as any explanation, and it was a good reminder of the need we all have to be appreciated and encouraged. Recommended.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

The last published (and considered by some the least important) stories about Sherlock Holmes by the Victorian writer Sir Arther Conan Doyle. They do feel like a bit of a muddle; some chapters are preceded by comments that the case can only just be published, due to the people concerned, and a couple of them are supposedly written by Holmes himself, rather than his usual biographer, Watson. Each story is complete in itself, and as usual the amazing observation skills and intuition of the great detective show themselves as he uses his brilliant logic to solve difficult cases.

Nothing too gory, and pleasant light reading, on the whole. Despite being around 100 years old now, the language isn't particularly dated and the society of the day is taken for granted, since Conan Doyle actually wrote during the Victorian period rather than researching for historical settings. So class consciousness is taken for granted, and people are quite formal with each other, using 'sir' and titles, in a way that seems almost impolite to modern readers. Nevertheless, these aren't grating since in the context they're clearly acceptable, even expected.

Recommended to any adults or teenagers who enjoy light mysteries, or Holmes' peculiar brand of problem-solving, but this book is nothing special.

The Theft of the Purple Plug

I wanted to like this book, I really did. Steve Flashman has done a lot of work amongst youth in the UK, and this was apparently his first foray into fiction for children. The blurb on the back said that it was a Christian allegory, so I was expecting a more modern and fast-paced version of something like the Narnia series.

Alas, I was disappointed. The plot resembles the Narnia books inasmuch as Tom, the hero, is magically transported to another world, where he has to help the inhabitants solve a big problem. At the end is an example of love and sacrifice, which is supposed to be the Christian allegory part.

That's where the resemblance ends. There's almost no character development. There's a lot of plot, but much of it is told in conversation or author's comment rather than being shown. Tom learns a lot but we only know that because of what he says or thinks - there's nothing convincing about it. The creatures he meet have bizarre names that might perhaps appeal to children of about eight or nine, reared on fast-moving and silly cartoons of the Scooby-Doo variety, but they're not remotely plausible. A far cry from the fauns and giants of Narnia!

Then Tom's whole role seems rather far-fetched. He joins in the quest with a will, but most of the time seems rather superfluous. I didn't feel at all emotionally involved at any point, and while technically the writing wasn't bad, it wasn't good either. It felt rushed, as if it could have done with a lot of editing. A pity, because there was some quite good potential in the plot.

The end of the story is so rapid that the entire thing seems rather pointless. I gather there's a sequel, which perhaps would tie up some of the loose ends, but I believe books should be complete in themselves. I haven't the slightest desire to get hold of the sequel, anyway.

Out of the Saltshaker

This is an encouraging book, written some years ago and intended for students, but relevant to Christians of all ages. Rebecca Manley Pippert uses anecdotes and Scripture to show what evangelism really is - or should be! Rather than trying to use set formulae or lists of points, she talks about being friendly with those around us, caring for them, meeting their needs and taking them as they are. Christian outreach, she explains, is something that will come naturally if we care enough about God, just as we might talk about our other interests. Unfortunately many people are put off by the pushy nature of some Christians who want to share God with those around them, but have no idea how to go about it. The author of this book points out that it's not our responsibility to convert people - that's the work of the Holy Spirit. Instead it's to be ourselves, and to care. Sure we can bring God into conversations, as appropriate, but friendship is important in itself.

Well-written, interesting, and very thought-provoking.

Silas Marner

For some reason I had never read this classic novel. It was written in 1861 and was apparently historical even from that perspective, being written about bygone days when weavers still plied an important trade. George Eliot - pen-name, of course, for a female author - writes a good story, although it's very long-winded and philosophical in places. I found it quite hard going for the first few chapters as she describes the places, the style of people, the trades and so on. Fascinating social history, but not my usual light bedtime reading.

However once the story got going, I found it enjoyable and quite moving in places. Silas Marner is a hermit - not old, but hurt by circumstances, and he keeps himself to himself. Then - about half-way through the book - dramatic events take place and his life is changed forever. We see him partly through the eyes of the villagers, whose opinions change as his actions do, and also through the Squire and his family, who also have significant parts to play in the story.

It's not a long book - less than 200 pages - and the plot isn't all that exciting. I was slightly disappointed that there's a sudden gap of 16 years just after it started to get interesting, but perhaps it's just as well. It worked, anyway. I had guessed what part of the climax was going to be a couple of chapters before it was revealed, but that in no way detracted from the drama. And then it became poignant - so that I now think of the book as enjoyable, rather than thinking about the tedium of the early chapters. None of the humour of Jane Austen, but still recommended.

Feet of Clay

This is the 19th Discworld series by the phenominally successful Terry Pratchett. As with most of these novels, there are several concurrent threads. Two old men are murdered, and the Watch - in particular Sam Vimes - want to find out who did it, and why. Lord Vetinari is being poisoned, and Vimes tries to discover how as well as who and why.

Alongside this there are gender issues, racism issues, and questions about what life really is. This is the book where 'golems' are introduced for the first time: the Discworld equivalent of robots. Are they to be treated like another species, or as independent tools? There are quite a few philosophical discussions about whether something not technically alive can commit murder, and whether it has any rights. There are even debates towards the end of the book about the nature of atheism: is it a religious belief in its own right?

All in all, a very thought-provoking book, set amidst the usual Discworld brand of pseudo-mediaeval technology with plenty of classical references and irony that can all too easily be missed.