All Consuming : muddart

A review of "The World at Night: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:11:41 GMT

by Alan Furst

This was my first Furst novel, and it just made me hungry for more. His characters are incredibly believable (how’s that for an oxymoron), and his descriptions vivid.

His protagonist, a Frenchman named Jean Cason, is not some super-hero, but an ordinary guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances – Paris during the German occupation in WWII. He is an unlikely hero, who makes fatal mistakes, fumbles, gets nervous, and all the other things all of us would do in his shoes. But for this you like him all the more.

Well worth the read. Some of the best fiction I’ve read in quite a while.

Why I recommend "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:08:10 GMT

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore

by Jake Colsen

This book was really refreshing. I don’t recommend it for people just looking for the latest church fad, but only for people are really tired of “church as usual”, perhaps are feeling a little weary, and are perhaps wondering why they are not experiencing God’s reality in their religious life.

The thing I liked about it was it didn’t slam the church “institutions”, yet points us back to the core of the Christian walk which is letting the love of Christ work in us to love God and to love our fellow man. All else should flow out of that, and anything that is superfluous to that, well, maybe we should take a hard look at those things are determine if they are really necessary.

Thanks “Jake Colsen” for sharing your journey.

A story about "Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:18:07 GMT

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

by John Ehle

Well, I’m not really ready to write a formal review, but I will say it was good. It took me forever to read (I’m talking years from the time I first picked it up). I think it took me a long time for a couple reasons. First, the subject matter is emotionally heavy, so it’s not something you really pick up when you’re feeling like some “light reading”. Secondly, it uses a lot of original sources, which I like in a historical account, but sometimes, it makes it harder to follow (especially since the publisher used really small print for the long passages of original letters). But nonetheless, it was definitely worth the read, and I think important part of American history to know about.

Why I gave up consuming "The Artist's Way"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 14:55:45 GMT

The Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron

I’ve only given up temporarily. I am reading another book about writing right now, and want to focus on that one. Plus I just finished (FINALLY) reading “Fearless Creating” and want to process that one. I tend to pick up and read too many artist books at once, and then don’t do any of them fully.

Why it's taking me forever to finish consuming "The Evidential Power of Beauty: Science and Theology Meet"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 17:57:36 GMT

The Evidential Power of Beauty: Science and Theology Meet

by Thomas Dubay

This book is dense! Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mean dense in a bad sense, it’s good, but it is REALLY heady stuff. I gave up for a good long while (maybe more than a year), but now I am going to try a little at a time again.

Not "all that" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:30:10 GMT

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

by John Eldredge

From everything other women had said about this book, I expected it to be revolutionary, but honestly I found it just so-so. It seemed to make my soul all about getting flowers, and looking at butterflies, and well, to be frank I’m a little deeper than that. Of course, the author keeps saying it’s more than that, but that’s mostly what the book talks about. I kept expecting a moment to come when I said: “Wow! This author has seen into the depths of my soul!”, and believe me I have read books that have done that, but that moment never came.

I do think the book could be beneficial for men to read to understand how to pursue a woman in a way that attracts her, because many of the insights are true in regards to how women like to be romanced. But as far as “unveiling the mystery of a woman’s soul”, I don’t think the book came even close.

A story about "Latte"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:41:33 GMT

Latte

by Dunkin' Doughnuts

Didn’t realize it was a Dunkin’ Donuts latte until afterwards. I have to change to “not worth consuming”. Just don’t care for duncan donut’s lattes (unless they have changed a lot since the last time I tried one, which was quite a while ago. I’m not counting on it.

Why it's taking me forever to finish consuming "Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation"

nobody@allconsuming.net (muddart) — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 02:56:37 GMT

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

by John Ehle

I can only seem to read this a little at a time. But it’s very interesting. Just kind of dense with info.