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So, anyway, my friend

[info]sudge

mentioned that he was asking all his friends to recommend three books each. Well, I can’t be bothered trying to pick three, so I’ll just go for a bunch of titles that jumped out at me when looking over my shelves:

Moondust: In search of the men who fell to Earth, Andrew Smith
The story of the Apollo astronauts who walked the moon and what happened to them after they returned home. Really interesting stuff, and worth it for the slight subplot featuring the guy who denies we ever went to the moon. I think Buzz Aldrin sorted him out though.

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian faith, Rob Bell
One of the new wave of pastors, Bell is cool. A nice slant on faith, and got me interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity…

The Man Comes Around: The spritual journey of Johnny Cash, Dave Urbanski; The Man Called Cash, Steve Turner
Because Johnny Cash was the coolest man on Earth.

Roaring Lambs, Bob Briner
Quite an influential book a few years back, all about living out your faith in the day-to-day world rather than retreating into a Christian subculture. It’s been a while since I read it though.

Anything collection of American humour journalist Dave Barry’s columns (for instance…)
Because he’s not well known enough in Britain and he makes me laugh.

Red Moon Rising, Pete Grieg
The story of the 24-7 Prayer Project, and a book I keep recommending at church. Not sure anyone’s listened to me though, so here we go.

The Cuckoo’s Egg, Silicon Snake Oil, High Tech Heretic, Cliff Stoll
For a guy who knows a fair bit about computers, Stoll’s pretty suspicious about them, but he’s so chilled out and Californian about it, you can’t help but agree. Snake Oil and Heretic are his musings on the digital revolution of a few years ago, while The Cuckoo’s Egg is about how, as computer administrator at university, he stumbled across an East German hacker hijacking their network…And one of the books features a recipe for cookies.

The Irresistable Revolution, Shane Claiborne
There’s something hippyish about Claiborne, but this book on how he discovered a sort of communal Christian living in urban America is great. Love the bit about how a bunch of homeless people occupied an empty cathedral and their struggle to be allowed to stay there…

I’ll probably have remembered another ten by tomorrow morning…

5 thoughts on “”

  1. drsedgley

    Can’t see anything on Sudge’s blog, so am posting the reply here.
    This is a tough one, for three reasons. Firstly, I feel the pressure of having to select sufficiently intelligent books so that I appear intellectual. Secondly, I’m sure I’ll change my mind tomorrow. Thirdly, I’m sure that Sudge will have read most, if not all of these.
    So, in the absence of an ACTUAL limit, I’m going to list a few that spring to mind.
    All-time Faves
    Lords and Ladies – Pterry Pratchett
    Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits – Dave Barry
    THHGTTG – Douglas Adams
    Nineteen Eighty-four – Eric Blair (George Orwell)
    Animal Farm – Ditto
    The Antipope (Robert Rankin)
    Current recommended reads
    44 Scotland Street – Alexander McCall Smith
    One Good Turn – Kate Atkinson
    You Don’t Have To Be Evil To Work Here, But It Helps – Tom Holt
    Tune in tomorrow for a completely different list.

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  2. sudge

    Thanks alot for the recommendations guys!
    Rich, you know, I havent even read 1984? I have it, I just havent read it. What kind of student am I?? I havent posted anything on LJ for quite a while, to my shame, Uni has been breathing down my neck quite heavily, but that will soon be over! Then it will be personal reading and updates-a-go-go!
    Matt, some of those books sound awesome! I saw Moondust on my lecturer’s bookshelf in his office, so I’ll take that as one of his recommendations and take another few from you. Johnny Cash, of course, for the reason you cited. Roaring lambs sounds pretty cool, as does the Dave Barry stuff! I hope I get to do as much reading soon as I’d like, I could very well read all the suggestions!

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    1. matthewhyde Post author

      You know what we should do? Get these guys in touch with the guys who do the JLI/Powergirl/Question stuff, and ask them to adapt a couple of issues of JLI, in which…
      (WARNING SHOT IS FIRED TO GIVE NON-COMIC GEEKS THE CHANCE TO RUN)
      …Guy Gardner, having experienced extreme head trauma caused by both Batman (“One punch!”) and either Powergirl’s cat or a mouse, is concussed into being the nicest, most sensitive dude on the planet. He also completely loses his edge.
      And then Lobo turns up and causes chaos. Can any of the JLIers stop him…?
      (They can when Guy gets ANOTHER blow to the head, which fixes him…)

      Reply ↓

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