Blue Like Jazz

It's kind of funny that the first three books I completed in this challenge were re-reads. Oh well, it's been years since, and I honestly couldn't remember much of any of them.

The first book I completed in 2010 was Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's basically him rambling about his life and weaving God into his ramblings. However, they are brilliant ramblings. Like I said, I've read this book before, but all I remembered was that it read a bit like Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, and that I liked it. Sooo I gave it another go.

I finished it in about 2 days. That's how good it is.

I'm not going to give away anything, because I think everyone should read this book.

The part I identified most with this time around was Miller's chapter on Loneliness. Just in the past year or so I've become much more of an introvert, and it's been harder and harder for me to be friendly and social and not go crazy.

"I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes use. I need that much downtime."

"We see those cigarette advertisements with the rugged cowboy riding around alone on a horse, and we think that is strength, when, really, it is like setting your soul down on a couch and not exercising it. The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy."

Some other quotes:

"It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.

"I want my spirituality to rid me of hate, not give me reason for it."

"The entire world is falling apart because no one can admit they're wrong."

This book is one of the most honest, human, and relatable books I have ever read. Especially for me, because it seems Mr. Miller and I have pretty much the exact same mind. It helps me to read books like this, because I spend a lot of time reading other various theological books, and it's nice to get back to just life for awhile.

I want to ask you all to read this! Even if you're not a Christian, or anywhere near it, you should read this. I know I don't have a lot of credibility (reality check: none.), but from one human being to another, "read this book."

I didn't mean for this to turn into simply a book review, but I'm still trying to find a balance between talking about the book and giving the whole thing away. This one was especially hard, because I simply want to reiterate everything Miller said, but he says it much better.

Have you ever read any of Donald Miller's books? What did you think about them?

On Literature

"While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living." - Cyril Connolly

Funny, that's the second quote I've seen today about the aliveness of words.

I went through a phase one time where I was extremely frustrated and angry at words. They ran from me, and when they had the guts to stay, they messed up and landed in a heap on the ground, worsening things rather than helping. I suppose you could say that I got pretty cynical about them. I thought about how empty they were. They were really nothing, just made up, synchronized noises that we made with that big, awkward red muscle and those white fence posts in our mouths. I got angry, because I thought that they were a waste, and they made no sense. They were just noises that "represented" real things. And usually not very accurately, at that.

I guess I still feel that way, to an extent. But the thing was, I was trying to give words meaning, a purpose. And other than for primitive communication, they serve no purpose. We simply have to enjoy the beauty of them, as we would a sunrise or sunset. They really have no effect on our lives initially, but on our souls? Oh, they are of utmost importance, essential to life! We'd (I'd) go crazy if I reduced everything in this world to it's purpose. Truth is, there are some things that are simply for the enrichment of the soul. Sure, you can explain it scientifically, but that's just lame. Why not just enjoy the beauty of the unnecessary?

I started this post simply to say that I'm going to start blogging a lot about the books I read. Got a little side-tracked...a little. Not to be ironic, but the *purpose* of this post is just to kind of give an introduction to what I have decided to do with this small space of the internet universe that is supposedly mine.

One of my 2010 goals is to read 50 books. It will be a challenge, but I've already done two, and am reading three right now. The books will be of no certain type, just ones that have meandered their way on to my list. I'm also going to try to get through some books that have been on my list for years, but have never made it to the top. One of those being one I'm reading right now, Pilgrim's Progress. Which, in case you were wondering, is insufferably boring and blatent. But I'm going to finish it, because I'm just that much of an atychiphobiac. I fear failure, that is. On the bright side, I'm determined!

I don't have time tonight to blog about any of the books, but I will get around to it soon! I would love any book suggestions, insite, or opinions!