Books…

I’m seeing commercial after commercial about the new movie coming out, Project Hail Mary. It’s based on a book written by Andy Weir. I read it a couple of years ago because of a recommendation from our pastor, Mike Woodruff. He often suggests books about faith and spiritual growth and frequently refers to classics like Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia and how they relate to the Bible. I was rather stunned when this book turned out to be about sci-fi aliens. I loved the book and am excited to see how they adapted it to the big screen (though I know the movies are never anywhere near as exciting as my imagination). Looking back at other reading ideas he’s put forth, it is a very interesting collection. Here’s a link to some of the reading he’s recommended in the past.

I will admit to being a complete book geek. I love to read and have a collection of books that I’ve accumulated over the last 30+ years that number in the thousands. Amy and I love our house and we’re remodeling yet again, but the one thing that’s missing, as far as I’m concerned, is a library. As I point out the things we haven’t used in years that I believe we should donate, she has no problem hinting at the many crates full of books I have downstairs awaiting a proper display. She believes that fondue set will be used again someday, and I believe, one day, I’ll get my library.

If you’re wondering how I came to have so many books, I’ll admit that many came in the usual way… needing something new to read at the airport, seeing an author on TV, getting an ad from Amazon about “the best fiction books of the year.” But a large number of my collection came in a unique way.

Several years ago, the Barnes and Noble stores were going out of business in Chicago. All of the hardbacks in the store were on sale from $2.99 to $5.99. This was my chance to load up on reading material for a couple of years and I took full advantage. On my first trip, I loaded up a shopping cart and headed for the checkout line. At the time, I was driving a 2-door Jeep Wrangler, and as I packed all the books into the back seat, I noticed I had room for more. The next day, and the day after that, I returned for two more cart loads. I don’t recall how many days I returned, but let’s just say, today, more than 10 years later, I still haven’t read all of those books. Many more have been added since then and I am not in need of reading material in the near future.

So, what do I read? Anything!!! Fiction, non-fiction, biographies, educational, spiritual, self-help, travel – you name it. On a daily basis, I’m reading at least four books at a time. Two are constants – the Bible and Billy Graham’s Wisdom for Each Day. The third is something to enhance my life. Since I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, these have included things about ALS research, biographies of those who lived with ALS, outside-the-box thinking, and more than a couple of books about Heaven.

To be honest, I’ve not finished most of the biographies written by or about those with ALS, and I have more than twenty of them. I know how they all end and it’s not anything I care to hear about over and over again. I’m too busy living life to think about getting to the final chapter.

The fourth category is where I spend the most time. I call it my “for entertainment purposes only” book. Just like a fish in a pond, any good bait can get me to take hold. It’s the book I read at the end of every day to shut my mind down and get me to sleep. The current bait was provided again by our pastor, Mike Woodruff, whom I mentioned above. He’s been teaching about the book of Revelations which inspired me to go back and read the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It brings the apocalypse to real life and is more than a little eye-opening in many ways.

If you’re thinking my reading can be a little deep, let me tell you – it’s not always so. A series I’ve thoroughly enjoyed through the years is the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. It’s a fictional account of orphans adopted by the government and trained to be assassins. Orphan X is followed through his life after the program is dropped and the orphans are no longer needed. When I say “for entertainment purposes only,” I mean it.

That fourth category has included biographies of 70s rock stars, the story of the Lakota Indians and George Custer, science fiction, the classics, Chicago history and much more. As I said, with the right bait, I’ll consume anything.

One of those 70s rock star biographies was about Steven Tyler so here he is…

That’s enough about me and my reading habits. Maybe I’ve inspired you to find a new book or two…

Thanks for reading this week.

Keep finding joy wherever you can, then share it.

And….Happy 1st Birthday to my biggest supporter (next to Amy)!

God bless.

Coach