In my Breathing In category of posts, I write about various art forms that not only interest me but sort of infuse with artistic fuel. Every artist needs to breathe in art, and not just their primary focus. I’m first and foremost a musician, but I appreciate most other arts—even [...]

Stanley’s little book (less than 100 pages) is fantastic for people who are searching to know and understand God, whether they’ve never been to church before or if they’ve been “saved” for a long time. He breaks down the commonly-held view that adherence to things like the Ten Commandments and overall morality will assure us a place in heaven.

It has been some time since I’ve had to read a book as an assignment. Most books I read are either for enjoyment or to learn something. I just finished a book that was neither enjoyable nor instructive. Despite its brevity at only 115 pages, The Sacred Meal by Norah Gallagher was a test in my resolve to finish a book. Normally, I would have just tossed the book aside, but I was compelled to finish it so I could write this review.

I wanted to catch you up on some books I’ve read recently. … As with Elephants, I really enjoyed this rather short novel (230 pages) about an English-language newspaper in Rome. Each chapter explores different characters somehow affiliated with the newspaper, including aging reporters and cantankerous editors.

Regrettably, the Christmas season for most is a month-long (or more) frenzy that distracts us from the heart of Christmas: that Jesus came willingly to be humiliated and die for our sins. I see it on the faces of those who come to worship on Christmas Eve. Pure exhaustion. And the work isn’t even done yet. To help us stave off the commercialism and busyness of Christmas, we began reading stories as a family that help us focus on the Christ of Christmas. A friend introduced us to Arnold Ytreeide’s trilogy of Advent books.

I recently stumbled upon an author whose writing elicits such giddiness. The first book I read of Richard Russo’s I didn’t actually read but listened to. Those months I commuted from Toledo to the small town where we now live I needed something to make the 3-hour drive go by quickly. I perused lists of award-winning books available for purchase/download, and Russo’s 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner Empire Falls sounded interesting enough.