Art Books, III

One last post about art books for today - this batch is mostly picture books and books that are just fun to look through. I hope you like them!

15. 10 by Marion Bataille // I haven't seen this one in person, but since it's by the same author as ABC3D, I'm sure it's really neat.

16. ABC3D by Marion Bataille // I looked through this whole book twice when I saw it. It's a pop up book with the whole alphabet in it, and the way the letters are presented is so creative!

17. Farm Anatomy by Julia Rothman // The topic of this book doesn't directly have to do with art I guess, since it talks about farm life, but I love the wonderful illustrations by Julia Rothman.

18. 642 Things to Draw // I saw this in Anthropologie and it's really neat! I definitely need some incentive to keep on drawing, and this looks like a fun way to do it.

19. The Exquisite Book // I mentioned this before, and it looks really neat. I like that it has fold out pages (I know that thanks to online pictures).

20. Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney // I love the Design*Sponge blog, and the book looks neat, too. There's a special Anthropologie version with 16 extra pages.

21. Hyperactivitypography from A to Z // This is a typography activity book that looks like fun. Some things don't look entirely G-rated, but the design is good and I like the concept of an activity book about typography.

22. Paul Thurlby's Alphabet by Paul Thurlby // This is meant for kids, but I love it. I actually blogged about Paul Thurlby in my inspiration series. This is one of the books I saw while I was shopping, and I really liked it. It has such fun, vintage illustrations.

Any favorite books from today's list?

Art Books, II

I have more fun art books to share with you today! If you missed part one, check it out here so you know what's going on with these weekend posts.

8. Indie Publishing by Ellen Lupton // I got to flip through this one in a gift shop, and it looks really cool. It talks about all kinds of independent publishing—from "real" publishers to handmade books.

9. Colour Mania // This looks like a fun design book. I really like the colorful cover, and from Amazon's preview, the inside pages look filled with design inspiration.

10. Little Book of Letterpress by Charlotte Rivers // Another book I got to look at in person while shopping recently. The cover is actually letterpressed (whoa!), and the book itself is full of pretty letterpress items, organized by company.

11. Little Book of Screenprinting by Caspar Williamson // Haven't seen this one in person, but if it's anything like it's letterpress relative, it's bound to be very cool.

12. How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith // I found this one at a gift shop recently, too, and it's really excellent. The cover is made of cardboard which is way cool, and almost any book about making books is lots of fun.

13. Fingerprint No. 2 // I don't know much about this book or the first version, but it's about using handmade elements in design which I think is a neat concept.

14. Fingerprint // The first in a series of two about handmade design elements. I love the idea of not only using the computer for design, and these books seem to support that.

So do any of these books sound especially interesting to you?

Art Books, I

Recently I got to go to an art museum and to Anthropologie and other places with some friends (it was delightful!), and I kept running into neat artistic books along the way. I was able to pick up and hold some books that I'd seen online, and this reminded me of all the neat artistic books that there are in the world. I didn't buy any books, because if I had bought all the ones I wanted, it would have cost many $. But I took note of the ones I could remember, and I wanted to share them with you, along with some other graphic design and art books I've heard about on the internet.

So I thought I'd do a little weekend feature about art books. I'll post part one today, and parts two and three will follow on Saturday and Sunday. I hope you enjoy a peek at some of the books on my wish list!

1. Making and Breaking the Grid by Timothy Samara // Grid systems are big in graphic design and while I know basically nothing about them and this book looks way over my head, it looks good!

2. Just My Type by Simon Garfield // This looks like a book for a type nerd like me. Something that would be interesting to read—informative and fun.

3. Logo by Michael Evamy // This is an anthology of logos—it looks packed with lots of great logos.

4. Type Addicted // I know very little about this book, but it caught my attention because of the topic (typography!) and also because the sample images I saw on Amazon looked like they had some unusual type ideas shown.

5. Paul Rand by Steven Heller // I don't know anything at all really about Paul Rand's life so I'm not sure what this book says, but he did some excellent logo design and it would be interesting to learn about him.

6. Vignelli Canon by Massimo Vignelli // This is a book with designer Massimo Vignelli's rules and standards of good design—it seems like a great resource! Recommended by a designer who knows what he's talking about and available as a PDF.

7. Symbol by Angus Hyland // Similar to Logo, this is an anthology of symbols. Again, this seems like a vast resource!

Do any of these books jump out to you as being really cool?

Book Things

I really like books. Although I haven't had much time to read for fun lately, I enjoyed reading a lot over the summer and I'm becoming a bit more of a book person. And I wanted to share a few fun book-related items I've found recently.

This idea is so cool looking! Wouldn't it be fun to charge your iPhone in a book? However, I find it a bit ironic that a book (old, paper, not uniquely 21st century) is helping to charge a newfangled piece of technology.

You can find lots more neat book chargers from the Inbook shop on Etsy.

I also really like these neat book wallpapers on Shelterness. I'm not sure how I found them originally, but they are neat! Here are two I like (see more here.) I really like the black and white color scheme of this one.

And the way the book pattern is only over a small section is a neat idea, too. It makes the room look interesting but not super busy.

This Kindle case made from a book is kind of a similar concept to the iPhone charger above. I like the idea of making an eReader look more like an actual book. It's from Ela's Idea on Etsy.

I saw a similar idea in this tutorial for a laptop case on Dollar Store Crafts. You can check that out too!

Another fun book related thing is this wood sign from Slippin Southern on Etsy. I like the typography and the rugged, distressed look it has.

Slippin Southern has some other fun signs. I really like this one. :)

I'd love to know what you think of these little book-related items. I hope you like them!

Book Recommendation

So awhile ago I posted about what books I wanted to read this summer. I haven't read all of them, but I have been reading, and today I wanted to share a book recommendation for one I just finished. I know this has nothing to do with graphic design, but I still wanted to post it. :)

I just finished Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. I really enjoyed it, and some of his thoughts were so helpful to me. Kevin DeYoung is a great writer - I love the way he says things clearly and boldly, but also graciously.

The main gist of what I got out of the book is that God has my life all planned out, but it's not my job to figure out His plan beforehand. It's not a secret or a riddle I have to solve. GOD is the one who is in control and reigning and promises to work all things for my good (Rom. 8:28). This is such a helpful, and as the title says, liberating approach to God's will.

I thought I'd share a few quotes that I liked from the book. I hope they make you want to read the whole thing. :)

We must live our lives believing that all of our plans and strategies are subject to the immutable will of God. Therefore, we should be humble in looking to the future because we don’t control it; God does.

Anxiety is simply living out the future before it gets here.

God wants us to stop obsessing about the future and trust that He holds the future.

God never assures us of health, success, or ease. But He promises us something even better: He promises to make us loving, pure, and humble like Christ. In short, God's will is that you and I get happy and holy in Jesus.

Worry and anxiety are not merely bad habits or idiosyncrasies. They are sinful fruits that blossom from the root of unbelief....Worry and anxiety reflect our hearts' distrust in the goodness and sovereignty of God.

...we can stop pleading with God to show us the future, and start living and obeying like we are confident He holds the future.

If you've read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. And if you haven't, I'd recommend that you read it or if you're younger, talk to your parents and see if they think you should read it. :)

Also, please check out this book at Barnes and Noble, and Kevin DeYoung's blog. You can also download chapter one for free right here.

Two Little Books

I just got these two graphic design books, and I really like them.

Buy here.

Buy here.

They are helpful tools, and the cover is even designed nicely! I like the simplicity, colors, sans serif font, and the way the text is arranged in creative shapes. Some of the examples in the books are a little dated because they're not brand new, but other examples are really great - these books are pretty comprehensive about their topics and truly give a variety of ideas about layout and about "graphic effects and typographic treatments."

I enjoyed flipping through them and I'm sure I'll look at and reference them again in the future. I would also love to see this one and this one by the same author.

Summer Books

Summer is well on its way. The school year is quickly drawing to a close, the weather's getting warmer, and we've got a whole summer ahead of us that will go SO fast. It's hard to believe it's summer again. I'm excited for summer and all I'm doing. I want to get some reading done over the summer, and while I always tend to make a big book list and not get through it all, I still made a list this year. I thought I'd share some of the things I'd like to read.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Just started this. I'm not really into it so far so I can't tell what I'll think. I'm going to keep going until I figure out where the story's going.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
I've been wanting to read this for awhile! Hopefully I'll get around to it this summer.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Another one I've been wanting to get around to... hopefully it will happen. :)


On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Classic on writing and I want to read it. Since I happen to like writing a lot.

I also have two audiobooks that I'd like to listen to:

I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
I almost don't believe I haven't read this yet. But I want to do it this summer, especially since I happen to have the audiobook.

Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
I got this as a free download during a special sale I heard about, and I just started it. It's quite good so far.

What things do you all want to read this summer?

Books to Eventually Read

To be honest with you all, I don't read that much apart from assignments.  But I do enjoy the things I get out of reading books, so I keep thinking about reading even when I don't do it for pleasure on a regular basis.  So I thought I would share a few of the books that are on my "I think I'd like to read this sometime" list.  I put links to Amazon for each book in case you're interested in buying one or just learning more about it.  Maybe you've read some of them - if so, please speak up!  I'd love to know what you thought of them.

Understanding Exposure, 3rd edition by Bryan Peterson | I know this is a great book on photography.  I'm sure I would learn much from browsing through!

Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho | Looks like an interesting and readable source for some helpful business ideas.

Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper | This book looks so interesting and helpful.  I would love to hear John Piper's perspective on what it looks like to use our minds to think in a way that honors God.

Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey | Still haven't finished Saving Leonardo, but I'd love to read this one, too.  I think it will be a beneficial tool for me in understanding things like worldview and evangelism.

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke | This book is not actually out yet, but it comes out in a few months and I'm really excited to read it.  I'm so interested to read about how to read books of all kinds from a Christian perspective.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok | I loved My Name is Asher Lev, and I would like to read this other work of Chaim Potok's as well.  It's on my shelf waiting to be read.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn | I don't know a whole lot about this book, but I like what I have read so far of Russian literature, and I'd like to read this too.

What books do you all like?  Are there any on your "to read" list?

Photo Tip and a Book

I've been enjoying using the Curves tool in Photoshop CS5, and I've been trying out the "auto" curves button.  It will automatically fix things in your photo like color balance, brightness, and contrast.  It doesn't always give the desired effect, but sometimes it works brilliantly.  On this photo of the book Saving Leonardo, all I did was crop it and hit the auto curves button.  What a difference!

Before | After

So here's a photo-editing tip for you: try auto editing features.  It's not an automatic recipe for a great edit, but sometimes it works wonders, especially on photos that have major lighting problems like the one of my book did.

And by the way, Saving Leonardo is a good book.  I haven't finished it yet, but I've been interested by the comments Nancy Pearcey, the author makes on worldview, history of art and culture, etc.  It's a very "heady" read - it makes you think.  But in a good way.  If you're looking for a good read on worldview, I recommend it.

ESV

The Bible is the most wonderful book ever, and not just because it's a good book, but because it is the very word of God to all of us.  Isn't that amazing?  Listen to this verse from 1 Timothy:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

When you think about it, it's so good that Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for us.  And it makes reading Scripture an astounding privilege.  Every time we read God's word, we get to read the words God Himself has spoken.  Wow.

One thing I love is my ESV Study Bible.  The ESV (English Standard Version) is a great translation of the Bible, and the one I've used for a good long time.  The notes in the ESV Study Bible are so helpful, too.  Several times, the notes have really helped me see and understand something new about God.

I highly recommend the ESV Study Bible.  They're not exactly cheap, but it is so worth the investment.  They come in different editions, and I've made a little collage about it.  You can click on each image to be taken to the version's Amazon page.






I also wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the graphic design of the ESV Bible.  Of course, no graphic design could ever come anywhere close to being as important as the content of the ESV Bible, which is God's very words, but graphic design can be a good tool to help people be drawn towards that content and not be distracted from that content.  The ESV does this very well, and I thought I'd explain why I think they do.

First, the logo for the ESV translation.

Sorry for the small size - the logo I found on the internet was rather tiny.  Hopefully you can still see the logo well.  I like this logo.  The typography in particular is great.  The way the monogram is intertwined is well done, and I like the way the end of the "S" is the same width as the end of the "V."  The gold/brown color is very good, too.  I think that the way the logo looks like a seal is very elegant.

The main thing that's great about this logo is that it's not distracting.  Sometimes, logos are meant to grab your attention, but I really don't think that was the intention of this graphic designer.  The goal of this logo, I'm assuming, and the goal that it accomplishes is to point the viewer to the Bible.  However, the fact that the logo is well designed is important.  It sends a subtle message with its professional look to increase the ethos of the translators - it's a visual signal that the translators care about accurately translating the words of Scripture, which is something of essential importance.

This logo, however, is only present on the traditional version of the ESV Bible, without the study notes in the ESV Study Bible.  But the graphic design of both types of Bibles is something that is well done.  Here's a picture of each.

The one on the left, the standard ESV Bible, has graphics that compliment the logo I talked about above.  Like the logo, the graphics look professional and yet unassuming - they don't scream for attention, but draw the reader's attention to the title and the fact that this book is the Holy Bible itself.

The ESV Study Bible, on the other hand, takes a different approach to the graphics.  Although the graphics for this Bible are more colorful and bold, they still don't detract from the most important thing: the Bible itself.  I think the main way this design accomplishes that is through the use of simple shapes.  The use of triangles and squares is interesting, but simple.

I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into some of the graphics of the ESV Bible.  And I want to take one more minute to say yet again what an amazing tool the ESV Study Bible is.  If you don't have one, I'd highly recommend it!

A Basket of Summer Fruit

Susannah Spurgeon was the wife of renowned 19th-century British pastor Charles Spurgeon.  Her writing is wonderful, and I love her devotionals.  One of them, A Basket of Summer Fruit, is available for free online, and since it is available for free for people to print, etc. I decided to design a book cover and layout for it.  I had fun with this.  The cover is right here.

I used a wood texture from a photo I took, and some free brushes from online to design the cover, and the back cover matches it!

I uploaded the book to Blurb and you can buy it here.  Please note that I do not make any profits whatsoever from this book.  I've set the prices to Blurb's normal prices for all their books, and I'm not getting anything out of the deal!  I just hope you like the book if you choose to buy it.

But why in the world would you want to buy this book you know nothing about?  I can tell you why I like it...

• The writing is deep and rich.
• Susannah Spurgeon is a wonderful example of a woman who loved the Lord and depended on Him through all circumstances, even adversity.
• It has been an encouragement to me, and it just might be an encouragement to you, too!

The book consists of devotional readings that are several pages long each.  I'll share a quote from the book to give you a little sneak peek of what's inside.

Does it not make your heart leap to know that your Lord takes pleasure in your praise? In His ears are ever sounding the eternal symphonies of the universe—that majestic chorus which began "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy;" but He turns from these to you, and with infinite tenderness and love, bends to listen to the grateful songs of His redeemed ones, as they bless Him for all His benefits.
- Susannah Spurgeon

Have a great day, everyone, and feel free to buy the book or read it online if you would like to hear more of these excellent truths that "Susie" reminds us of in  her book.

P.S. It was brought to my attention that a few pictures were missing from yesterday's post.  I'm not sure why that happened, but I've done my best to fix it, and you can still view the post here.

Books of the Year

Hi everyone!  Because of my love for books, I thought I would tell you a little bit about some of my favorite books of 2010.  The year is almost over, so now is the perfect time!  I've never been one to read constantly and all the time, but when I do read, I often find books that I really love, and such was the case this year.  These books cover different topics, from classics, to design and other hobbies, to books that have helped me know God better. 

I've created an image map below that allows you to click on each book and head straight to a web page where you can purchase the book.  Following the image map are short reviews of each book, going from left to right, top to bottom on the image map.








The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett | I still haven't finished this book, but I love it so far.  Every single prayer is so rich and so encouraging.  I love reading the prayers of Puritans from a few hundred years ago - it's so encouraging to know what Christians back then were praying!  I read with a pencil and mark up my copy a lot because there is so much to benefit from and something in particular sticks out to me almost every day.  I highly recommend this book to you all.  I think you will be very edified by reading it.

The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington | This was also a very encouraging book.  I blogged about it a couple months back when I was reading it.  I love the way it constantly pointed me back to the gospel, and to the two "bookends" of the Christian life: the righteousness of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  These truly are the two most essential truths of our daily lives as Christians, and it is so wonderful to have a clear, well-written reminder of them.  This book is also highly recommended.

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok | I think this may very well be the most influential piece of classic literature I've read to date.  It's definitely one of my favorite books.  It's not a happy, lighthearted read by any means, but it has such depth and I was fascinated by its depiction of art and how art interacts with the rest of life.  It's extremely interesting, and I think those of you who enjoy creative things would really like it.  It does have some themes and sections that aren't appropriate for a younger audience, so I'd recommend that you only check it out if you're, say, 15 or 16 at the youngest.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams | This is actually not technically a book - it's a play.  But I thought I would include it all the same.  Again, it's not a happy book, but its commentary on the futility of dreams is fascinating.  I'd recommend it for high school students and older.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | I read this over the summer, and found it very interesting.  I liked the way the story was depicted through the eyes of a child, and how well Harper Lee accomplished that viewpoint.  The commentary on Southern culture and social issues was well done and very interesting.  It does have some themes that wouldn't be appropriate for younger students, though, so I'd say that I'd recommend it for high school students or older.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy | Yet again, not a happy book, but this book's commentary on death and the feelings and questions faced at death was truly poignant.  Another reason I liked it was because it's Russian literature - Russian literature and history fascinate me!  I'd recommend it for high school students or older, because of a few parts that are not appropriate for younger teens.

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn | This book was great.  It was another summer read, and I really enjoyed the information and compelling story about persecuted Christians in China.  It was really neat to see how the main character, Ben, changed over the course of the story.  I definitely recommend it, but if you read it, beware that it is very intense and real, and also has some themes that might be hard for younger teens to read.  So, I would recommend it, but call you to consider it first!

Logo Design Love by David Airey | My favorite graphic design book.  It's a great guide to creating logo design, and it's especially helpful because some of the concepts apply to all types of graphic design, not just logos.  It was so helpful to me!

The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby | A great, hands-on guide to SLR photography.  I really like all the tips this book gives, and how practical it is.  Highly recommended to all you photography enthusiasts out there!

52 More Scrapbooking Challenges by Elizabeth Kartchner | I don't think I've read this book cover to cover, but I've come very close as I've thumbed through it time after time after time.  The ideas are great, and so many of the pages and scrapbookers featured in this book are totally beautiful.  Definitely recommended for any scrapbookers out there.

Now, what have been your favorite book(s) of 2010?  I'd also love to know if you've heard of or read any of these books.  It's always fun to find out that other people like the same books I do.

P.S. If you scroll down to the bottom of my blog, I've added some lists of things I'm enjoying!  These will (hopefully) be updated from time to time with what I'm currently liking, listening to, and reading.

Some Art News

I read about this new book coming out on this blog and this blog.  I was so excited to hear that a Christian artist is taking on the project of illuminating the four Gospels - how neat!  As someone who enjoys art and specifically design, it's always so wonderful to hear about Christians in the art world.  The Four Holy Gospels, illustrated by Makoto Fujimura, is available on Amazon for pre-order. I'd love to see a copy of this when it comes out...it looks amazing.  You can watch a video about the project below, and read more here or at Makoto Fujimura's website.  I'd definitely recommend taking time to watch the video.  Even though it's over 8 minutes long, it's so worth it and a very interesting documentary on the Four Gospels project and Makoto Fujimura's vision for art.




Fujimura - 4 Holy Gospels from Crossway on Vimeo.

Random Ramblings

Hi there, everyone.  I actually have another post planned for today (that will be going up soon!), but in the meantime, there are things I wanted to tell you, and I needed another post to do it in.  First of all, I want to share a book I've been loving lately.

This book is The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett.  It's a collection of wonderful, very rich Puritan prayers.  I've been trying to read one every morning for the past few days, and I've been enjoying them so much!  They are packed with truth that it is so good to remind myself of.  I have been writing lots of notes in the margins because so many things stick out to me!  If you don't have this book, I highly recommend it.  You may be able to find at some Christian bookstores, but you can also order it on Amazon.com.  The prayers are only one page long, so it's not hard to read, and I am certain you will benefit from reading this book because it's so packed with treasures!  It's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites, next to the Bible, that is.  I'd like to share a quote from this book with you, so here it is.

O Lord God, who inhabitest eternity,
The heavens declare thy glory,
The earth thy riches,
The universe is thy temple;
Thy presence fills immensity,
Yet thou has of thy pleasure created life, and communicated happiness;
Thou has made me what I am, and given me what I have;
In thee I live and move and have my being;
Thy providence has set the bounds of my habitation,
and wisely administers all my affairs.
I thank thee for thy riches to me in Jesus,
for the unclouded revelation of him in thy Word,
where I behold his Person, character, grace, glory,
humiliation, sufferings, death, and resurrection;
Give me to feel a need of his continual saviourhood.
- From "God the Source of All Good" in The Valley of Vision

I hope you enjoyed that quote.  It was such a great reminder to me of the fact that God is amazing and omnipresent, and yet he has blessed me so wonderfully - most of all with the gospel!

Another thing I wanted to share with you is something that me and my friend, Jalynn, are working on.  Can you guess what it is?

It's a blog!  See?

So what is this blog about, you ask?  Jalynn and I are going to do another diptych project, like this one we did this past summer.  It's going to be more on-going this time, so we've created a blog to chronicle our project!  Please check out our blog, The Bird and the Plum.

Oh, and I will definitely still be blogging here every day, too.  But either Jalynn or I will try to post once a week on The Bird and the Plum to share our diptychs.

Also, I wanted to share a neat web shop that I found recently.  It's called Inkello Letterpress.  There are lots of neat letterpressed items to be found here.  Here's one thing I like: mini matchbook calendars.

Aren't they so cute?  I really like the color and font choice, too.  If you want some fun paper goods to look at, I'd recommend Inkello Letterpress.

That's all for now!  But check back later today for a big announcement!

A Good Book

I read Logo Design Love this past summer, when I was getting more and more interested in graphic design, and in the process of starting my business.  It was such an interesting read, and I loved that it was simple to understand, highly practical, and fun to read.

It's written by David Airey, a brand identity designer in the UK.  His insights about having a graphic design business and designing logos are very interesting and helpful, and I learned a lot from this book!  I highly recommend it to any graphic designer, aspiring graphic designer, and anyone who would enjoy an easy-to-read but informative book about logo design.

You can buy it here on Amazon, or you can get a free chapter if you click here.

Note: I can't necessarily recommend everything on the Logo Design Love website or on David Airey's blog, but there are some interesting design articles to be found if you read with discretion.

Two Posts in One Day

...but this one will be a short one.  Please go read one of yesterday's posts at Justin Taylor's blog.  It's about C.S. Lewis' advice on writing, and it's brief but very good.  It's a great, helpful summary of many important characteristics of what good writing is.

Safely Home and Satisfaction

I recently read a book called Safely Home by Randy Alcorn.  It's a very good book.  It's well-written, enthralling, and encouraging.  I would recommend it.

The story centers around two men, one who is a Chinese man being persecuted for his Christian faith, and the other who is an American entrepeneur who doesn't have a strong Christian faith.  These two are former college roomates, and during the story, they meet up again in China.  The book provides what I believe to be a very realistic picture of what persecution in China is really like.  And it also contrasts that with the luxury of modern day America.

One section in Safely Home that really stood out to me was a part about where we should find our true satisfaction.  It takes place near the very end of the book, as one of the characters is talking with Jesus in Heaven, called Charis in the story.  I thought this quote was especially insightful.

"When you longed for a great house in that world," the King said, "you were longing for my house.  You just didn't know it.  My children there never dream too big, you know.  They dream too small.  Like Ben Fielding once did, they set their sights far too low.  They choose to play in the mud on a cold rainy day when I offer them open green meadows in the sun, clear flowing streams, majestic mountains, and endless beaches and blue skies that stretch to the stars themselves, starts that are gateways into innumerable words beyond.  The sons of Adam try so hard to be satisfied with so little--which keeps them from ever being satisfied at all."

I thought it was very interesting that this quote says that we as humans set our sights too low on earthly things, instead of on the good things God has for us and on Heaven.  I've always thought about this concept in the reverse: we need very little on earth, so we need to be content with less.  I think that's a true and helpful statement, even after reading Safely Home.  But this quote in particular helped me to see that we actually need to want more than we want now.  We need to desire and find our satisfaction in what God has for us, not even the best earthly goods.  We need to aim higher, not lower.

Isn't that an interesting way of looking at things?

Book Snapshot: The Death of Ivan Ilyich

A book about death sounds rather depressing, doesn't it?  But Leo Tolstoy apparently thought that it was an important topic to think about it, and I do too.  That's why I'm glad he wrote this book, and why I'm glad I read it.

Although this book is quite short in length, it has a very deep message.  It's compact and focused, and examines the meaning of life.

The book begins with the announcement that Ivan Ilyich has died.  It describes his funeral, and the way his friends and family respond to his death.  Even from the beginning of the book, it's easy to tell that the society Ivan Ilyich lived in was permeated by a love for material pleasures.  After establishing that, Tolstoy goes back in time and talks about Ivan Ilyich's life, which, similarly, was filled with a pursuit of pleasure and monetary gain.  Finally, it turns to the time when Ivan Ilyich was dying, and discusses his thoughts about what life really means.  He wonders what a meaningful, "good" life is, and begins to think that maybe he hasn't achieved it.  The end is rather cryptic, but it has a general feeling of hope: could there be one last hope for a dying man who lived his life for himself and himself alone?

I would recommend this book because, even though it's by no means a light read, it clearly shows the dissatisfaction that people feel when they have lived their lives pursuing selfish gain.  While the message is someone of a dark one, it can and should point readers to the fact that despair at having lived a pointless life is not the end of the story: Jesus died to redeem selfish people just like Ivan Ilyich.  And ultimately, me, you, and each person alive would've been just like him apart from the grace of God.  I know I would have.  But, thanks to God's mercy alone, I have a different story.  Because Jesus died for my sins, my life doesn't have to be pointless like Ivan Ilyich's was; it can be a life of worship to God.  And even though I fail hopelessly every day, His grace is always enough and He will help me to keep on growing in my love for Him.  In addition to that, this book reminds me that death doesn't have to be a fearful thing for those who are Christians; we have eternity with God to look forward to.

Quick notes: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy is an insightful, concise book that will make you think about the reality of death and hopefully also point you to the greater reality of eternal life after death through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Recommended for ages 15+ (beware of some inappropriate content).

To those of you who stuck with this little post series and read all my reviews, thank you so much!  They were very fun to write.  I hope some of you are encouraged to read these books.  I think they are all worth reading.

Book Snapshot: My Name is Asher Lev

Welcome to part two of my book snapshot post series!  This time, I'll talk about one of my current favorite books, My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.  When I picked up this book, I had no idea it would be what I think is the most life-changing fiction book I've read to date.

And the cover has excellent graphics on it, too, which is always a plus for me.  Actually, I checked out this edition from the library on purpose because it had such a cool cover.

Back to the point, though.  This really is one of the best books I've read.  It's about a Jewish boy named Asher growing up in post-WWII Brooklyn, New York.  His father works for the Rebbe, traveling and "helping the Jews in Russia."  Asher, on the other hand, is more interested in art.  He has a gifting for it, and he compulsively draws all the time.  The book focuses on Asher's journey as he grows up to be a man, and how he tries to find out how to reconcile his Jewish heritage with his all-encompassing love for art.  It's a very intense, "thinking" kind of book, because you're right with Asher in his mental struggle the whole time.

It was very interesting for me to read about how Asher tries to fit Judaism and art into his world.  But even more than that, this book impacted me because I saw Asher's confusion and lack of guidance in life.  Ultimately, he didn't have a defining purpose in life.  It seems from the description in the book that, for Asher, religion was more tradition and culture than an actual passion to know God.

In some ways, I think I'm a lot like Asher.  I love being creative and doing my own kind of art - graphic design and other creative endeavors.  But in a very essential way, I'm night and day different from Asher.  By the grace of God, I do have a hope and a defining purpose in life.  My love for art doesn't have to define me the way it did Asher; it can simply fit into the "big picture:" Jesus died for my sins and ransomed me from the bonds of sin.  I'm God's child now, and my ultimate goal in life is His glory.  So art is just another thing I can do for God's glory.

I loved this book because it showed me what I would have been apart from the grace of God.  In a sense, all secular literature does this, but I found that the story of Asher Lev hit me closer to home.  And it made me so grateful for grace.  Grace that saved me, grace that sustains me, and grace that motivates me to want to all things for God's glory instead of my own...which is a desire that could only be born of grace and never my own nature.

Quick notes: My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok is an intriguing book that provides a well thought out commentary on human nature and art.  Recommended for ages 16+ (beware of some inappropriate things and don't be afraid to skip certain pages if needed).

Check back on Monday for the final installment of the series: a review of The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy!

Book Snapshot: To Kill a Mockingbird

This summer, I've been trying to read some more classic books.  Three of them are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, and The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy.  Even as I'm typing this now, I'm realizing the vast diversity of this little collection.  The settings range from the mid-20th-century deep south to Russia.  The characters range from a couple of school kids to a dying man who ponders whether or not his whole life has been worthless.

And yet they are all classics.

I thought it might be fun to highlight a couple things about each of my summer books, so I'm going to give you a little snapshot of each of these books.  I'll post one at a time to avoid having a monstrously long post.

First up, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  This is a very famous book, even in spite of the fact that Harper Lee never wrote another novel.  It's known as a book that honestly and insightfully comments on the injustice of racial prejudice in the south during the Civil Rights movement. 

But as I started reading the book, I was surprised by the broad focus it has.  I had expected it to focus in on the Civil Rights movement almost exclusively, but instead, it gives a genuine and poignant glimpse into life in the south through the eyes of a child.  The main character, Scout, does witness racial injustice, and that is a part of the story, but the story also includes the adventuresome escapades of Scout, her brother, Jim, and their friend, Dill.  I really enjoyed the enchanting yet starkly honest view of the south as depicted in this book.

However, there are some things about the book that I liked less.  One was a "thematic element" that would be inappropriate for children and young teens.  I'll spare you the details, but if you skim over the SparkNotes description or find some other description of the book, it should be pretty obvious.

Another thing that disappointed me about the book was the ended.  The concept of "killing a mockingbird," while very winsome and insightful when it is introduced in the book, is, in my opinion, taken too far in the ending.  But I'll let you judge for yourself.  If you have read the book and have any thoughts about it, I'd love to hear!  The comment section is wide open.

Quick notes: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a well-done commentary on what life in the south is really like.  It is an entertaining read and makes some very insightful points, however, there are some elements of the book that are less than ideal.  Recommended for ages 15+ (but if you're a teen, ask your parents about it first before you read it!).

Next time, I'll tell you about My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.  Come back tomorrow!