Book Recommendations

I did some reviews of books that I didn't particularly care for (1, 2, 3, and 4). Let me pass on some really good books I'd recommend. Some are old. Some are new.


Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
- Erik Larson
Vintage, February 10, 2004
Novel
I've always had a fascination with true crime stories. Currently I'm reading In Cold Blood (which I picked up as a result of watching Capote). What Larson does in this novel to me is just amazing. Not only does he give a detailed account of the inside story on the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, he interweaves this with the parallel event of the serial killer H.H. Holmes, who built himself a death hotel near the fair knowing he could pray on tourists. I thought I'd be bored with the accounts of the fair but, far from it! Extensive research, great writing and an engaging story.

Fahrenheit 451
- Ray Bradbury
Del Rey; Reissue edition, August 12, 1987
Fiction
This is the first Bradbury book I've read. It's like the first time I read Jane Austen. I can't get enough. At the local used book store I bought several more well known Bradbury titles. First published in 1953, it's is eerie how relevant and looming this picture of the future still is. A rudimental description of the story would say it's about censorship. The 50th anniversary edition I read included a very interesting interview with Bradbury in the back. Fahrenheit 451 itself has been subjected to censorship. Smart, efficient writing style.


Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality
- Rob Bell
Zondervan, March 2007
Non-Fiction
This is one of the clearest explanations of the beauty of yourself and a sexual and spiritual being that I've ever read. I love the way that Rob Bell looks at the world and the Word like a kid hanging upside down on the monkey bars - new perspective = fresh insights. I highly recommend it for your kids. They'll get it.