To Have and Have Not

Report by Mark

1 star

I feel like I should report on this book because it is the book I got on our Barnes & Noble Christmas trip but it was junk so I'll keep it short.

Its about a Harry Morgan, a rough guy who starts running contraband between Cuba and Key West. He is pretty much a jerk to a lot of people, kills some people for petty reasons, makes money and then (*spoiler alert) loses it, gets shot and suffers for a while, then dies.

After being to Key West several times I did really enjoy the description of the area and culture there. I also have always admired Hemingway's literary style. But if you want to read Hemingway don't start with this book. It is very disjointed and in the end has no redeeming qualities. After finishing it I went online to see if I was missing something and found this: film director Howard Hawks, who adapted the novel for his 1944 film, claimed that Hemingway had told him it was his worst book, and a "bunch of junk". I agree.

PROOF OF HEAVEN

Report by Mark

4 Stars

Proof of Heaven is a remarkable story of a neurosugeon's near death experience (NDE). Dr. Alexander is a Harvard trained academic neurosurgeon who abruptly gets very sick and spends about a week in the ICU in a coma after contracting a crazy rare brain disease. The story of his medical miracle is interesting in and of itself, but the unexpected spiritual experience he has is even more fascinating. He was raised Christian but for many years had been very skeptical about religion. He describes a journey to a spiritual realm where he travels through different levels and eventually comes to be with God and although he doesn't see God he communicates with him and is taught many things.

Both Melissa and I read this book and have since had many interesting conversations about our perception of the afterlife and spirituality. There are several parts of this book that sound like they come right out of Gospel Essentials such as when he is describing God's purpose for putting us on earth or when he talks about coming to realize that God is a person like us with personality but a perfected body. But much of his book is a struggle to express things that he feels our words and minds could never really grasp.

I really liked the content. It will make you think and reexamine the lenses we view the afterlife through in our church. It also will be a source a great conversation. The writing itself was average but not bad. It is a quick and easy read. I would recommend it for everyone, especially those who are skeptical about NDEs.

CLOUD ATLAS

Report by AJ

4 Stars

Cloud atlas is a collection of six remotely connected chronological stories.  The first is about a man traveling the pacific in the 19th century and the last takes you to a distant post-apocalyptic future.  The book starts with the first half of each story, then presents the endings of each story in reverse order, chiasmus style.  I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read.

Pros:

• I loved the writing: each story is told using a different medium (letters, journals, interviews, etc...) and voice.  You never would have guessed it was the same author writing all of the stories.  I thought it was brilliant!  Also, very pretty writing to boot.
• Every story is fun to read, exploring every theme from love, to aging, to colonization and racism, to 1984 big brother type stuff. 

Cons:

• You know how the first chapter or two of every book is the worst because you have to get used to the authors writing and become acquainted with hosts of new characters? That happens six times in this book.
• I still have a sense that there should have been a stronger theme connecting it all.  It felt a little ADHD.   

A Civil Action

REPORT BY AJ

5 STARS *****

A civil action is the true story of a Boston Lawyer who takes on a case that consumes his life--think little guy against powerful corporate bullies.  Jonathan Harr (the author) convinced all of the lawyers and parties involved in the case to let him be a fly on the wall throughout the process, so he was able to capture all of the emotion and action (down to every last glare and fist pump) which makes it read like a novel.  I really enjoyed it, but the legal themes might not appeal to everyone.

Pros:

• really interesting expose to the legal world if you interested in law but aren't one of the attorneys in the family.  
• Page turner (took me about two weeks while in school; 500 pages)
• Themes of substance: ambition, justice, greed, virtues of an adversarial legal process, accountability

Con: Sometimes it gives you the feeling that you're working 100 hour weeks along side the characters in the book.

The Fault In Our Stars

4 Stars

I really liked this book.  I liked this book in a "I-want-to-get-sucked-into-a-book-really-fast-and-not-put-it-down-till-it's-over" way.  This book really sucked me in and I read it at the cabin in less than 8 hours (I think Kelsey read it the next day is the same amount of time).  It is about two teenagers that have cancer and fall in love.  It sounds really cheesy and Nicholas Sparks-y, but it was really good, I promise.  It is about more than dying and teenage love.  It was fun writing, and I laughed out-loud throughout the whole thing, besides the end when I was cried like a baby.  I would definitely recommend this book, especially to Mom, Jenni, Melissa and Jenn (Sarah and Kelsey already read it).