List of Books Read 2008

Books Read 2008

Fit for Eternal Life - Dr. Kevin Vost
God Rides a Yamaha - Kathy Shaidle
Memorize the Faith - Dr. Kevin Vost
CompTIA A+ Guide to Hardware 4th Ed. - Jean Andrews
CompTIA A+ Guide to Software 4th Ed. - Jean Andrews
Network+ Guide to Networks 4th Ed. - Tamara Dean
Windows Vista Configuaration Exam 70-620 - Craig Zacker
Enterprise Support Technicians MCITP Exam 70-622 - Owen Fowler
Enterprise Support Technicians MCITP Exam 70-622 Lab Manual - Owen Fowler
MCITP Microsoft Windows Vista Desktop Support Consumer Study Guide Exam 70-623 - Eric Johnson & Eric Beehler
Network+ Guide to Networks 4th Ed. - Tamara Dean
The Way of the Cross - Josemaria Escriva
The Churches Most Powerful Novenas - Michael Dubruiel
The Way - Josemaria Escriva
The Forge - Josemaria Escriva
Furrow - Josemaria Escriva
My Own Kind of Freedom (A  firefly Novel) - Steven Brust
A Handbook of New Testament Greek Grammar - Dr. Peter Frick
Dark Hills Divide: The Land of Elyon Book 1 - Patrick Carman
Acoustic Ladyland Kathy Shaidle Unplugged - Kathy Shaidle
The World's Religions - Huston Smith
Worldviews - Ninian Smart
Fidelis: Borthpangs Book 1 - A.V. Horvath
Religion in a New Key - M. Darrol Bryant
The Sacred and the Profane - Mircea Eliade
The Sacred Pipe - J.E. Brown
Words of the World Religions - R.S. Ellwood Jr.
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching - D.C. Lau
The Book of Hopi - F. Waters
Meaning of and Necessity for Prayer - M.K. Ghandi
The Way Things Are - Huston Smith
Acoustic Ladyland Kathy Shaidle Unplugged - Kathy Shaidle
Dump your Trainer - Marriott and Paulsen
The Wrath of Zar - Shayne Easson
The Legacy of Ogma - E.A. Rappaport
What They Want You To Know - Carter Shepard & Carolyn Cummings
God is Not Reasonable - Irma Zaleski
The Shadow of the Bear - Regina Doman
The Dark Hills Divide - Patrick Carman
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne
Into The Mist - Patrick Carman
Lose Fat Not Faith - Jeremy Likeness
Infinite Space, Infinite God - Ed. Karina & Robert Fabian
Jhegaala - Steven Brust
Orphan's Journey - Robert Buettner
Beyond the Valey of Thorns - Patrick Carman
The Way of the Cross - Josemaria Escriva
The Way - Josemaria Escriva
The Forge - Josemaria Escriva
Installing Linux on a Dead Badger - Lucy A. Snyder
This book Isn't Fat it's Fabulous - Nina Beck
The Good Neighbors: Book 1 Kin - Holly Black & Ted Naifeh
Morte D'Urban - J.F. Powers
Stargazer - Patrick Carman
The Way - Josemaria Escriva
The Forge - Josemaria Escriva
Furrow - Josemaria Escriva
I Choose to be Free - Jacques Philippe
Time for God - Jack Philip
The Singer - Calvin Miller
The Song - Calvin Miller
The Finale - Calvin Miller
God Rides a Yamaha - Kathie Shaidle
God is Not Reasonable - Irma Zaleski
The Old Bird: A Love Story - J.F. Powers
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Kenny & The Dragon - Tony Diterlizzi
Signs & Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christioan Symbols - Mike Aquilina
Stardust - Neil Gaiman
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
Rivers of Fire: Atherton Book 2 - Patrick Carman
Morte D'Urban - J.F. Powers
Wheat That Springeth Green - J.F. Powers
CompTIA A+ Guide to Hardware 4th Ed. - Jean Andrews
CompTIA A+ Guide to Software 4th Ed. - Jean Andrews
Signs & Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christioan Symbols - Mike Aquilina
Tribes - Arthur Slade
Dust - Arthur Slade
Saving Mister Nibbles - Elliot's Park Book 1 - Patrick Carman
The Haunted Hike - Elliot's Park Book 2 - Patrick Carman
New Rules of Lifting - Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove
Orphan's Alliance - Robert Buettner
Skeleton Creek - Patrick Carman
Skeleton Creek - Patrick Carman
The Party - Barbara Reid
Skeleton Creek - Patrick Carman
Pink! What's a Penguin to think when he turns Pink? - Lynne Rickards and Margaret Chamberlain
Grumpy Bird - Jeremy Tankard
The Very Cranky Bear - Nick Bland
The Subway Mouse - Barbara Reid
The Party - Barbara Reid
Read Me A Book - Barbara Reid
Fox Walked Alone - Barbara Reid
Grumpy Bird - Nick Tankard
Destined to Live: A True Story of a Child in the Holocaust - Ruth Gruener
Exam 70-290 Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment - Craig Zacker
Exam 70-290 Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment Lab Manual - Mark Fugatt
Exam 70-290 - Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003- Dan Holme and Orin Thomas


I started keeping track of the books I finished reading in October of 1995, and movies watched in January of 1996. I have lists for:
All Books Read by Year
Favorite Books By Year
All Movies and TV Series Watched by Year
Favorite Movies and TV Series by Year


I also do a Top Ten List of books each quarter and for the year. They can be found here. I was also asked to pick a Top Ten Catholic Books I have read, you can find that list here (and occasionally I add a note when I come across something exceptional.)

Quotes of the Week - 2007-12-20

Quotes of the Week:

This weeks quotes mostly come from one book:

Fit for Eternal Life: A Christian Approach to Working Out, Eating Right, and Building the Virtues of Fitness in Your Soul by Kevin Vost
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”— I Corinthians 6:19

“You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”— Matthew 5:48
“The Church, without any doubt whatever, approves of physical culture, if it be in proper proportion.”— Pope Pius XII
"What exactly did Pope Pius XII (a most athletic pontiff who had a gymnasium installed in the Vatican) mean by proper proportion? He said that exercise remains in proper proportion when it:

• does not lead to worship of the body;
• strengthens and energizes the body rather than draining it;
• provides refreshment for the spirit;
• does not lead to spiritual sloth or crudeness;
• provides “new excitements” for study and work; and
• does not disturb the peace and sanctity of the home.

Physical culture, then, is a wonderful thing when it brings us closer to bodily perfection, to spiritual renewal, to vocational achievement, and to health and harmony within our homes."— Kevin Vost

“But if a man uses exercise, food, and drink in moderation, he will become physically strong and his health will be improved and preserved. It is the same with the virtues of the soul — for instance, fortitude, temperance, and the other virtues.”— St. Thomas Aquinas

“There is a need to find free time in order to exercise strength and dexterity, endurance, and harmonious movement, so as to attain or guarantee that physical efficiency necessary to man’s overall equilibrium.”— Pope John Paul II
“The highest merit should not be attributed to him who has the strongest and most agile muscles, but rather to him who shows the most ready ability in keeping them subject to the power of the spirit.”— Pope Pius XII

“Virtue, inasmuch as it is a suitable disposition of the soul, is like health and beauty, which
are suitable dispositions of the body.”— St. Thomas Aquinas

“Every virtue or excellence puts into good condition that of which it is a virtue or excellence, and
enables it to perform its work well.”— Aristotle
“To achieve excellence, we first must sweat.”
— Hesiod

“Virtue implies a perfection of power . . . Every evil is a weakness.”— St. Thomas Aquinas

“He has appointed a time for every matter and for every work.”— Ecclesiastes 3:17

“Now, there are short and simple exercises which tire the body rapidly, and so save time; and time is something of which we ought to keep strict account.”— Seneca
“I confess that we all have an inborn affection for our body; I confess that we are entrusted with its guardianship. I do not maintain that the body is not to be indulged at all; but I maintain that we must not be slaves to it.”
— Seneca

“The workout, understand, doesn’t produce muscle growth, but merely serves to stimulate the body’s growth mechanism into motion. It is the body that produces the growth, but only if left undisturbed during a sufficient rest period.”— Mike Mentzer

“Now the principal act of fortitude is to endure.”— St. Thomas Aquinas

“We should take walks outside so that the mind can be strengthened and refreshed by being outdoors as we breathe the fresh air.”— Seneca
“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified.”
— 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

“Too much or too little gymnastic exercise is fatal to strength. Similarly, too much or too little meat and drink is fatal to health, whereas a suitable amount produces, increases, and sustains it.”— Aristotle
“Unless we first tame the enemy dwelling within us, namely, our gluttonous appetite, we have not even stood up to engage in the spiritual combat.”— St. Gregory the Great

“He will have many masters who makes his body his master.”— Seneca

"There is nothing so constant as change. Meet it. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Learn from it.
The one thing you can be absolutely sure of in your life is change. It’s the only thing that never changes. The law of nature is that you either grow or you die; there’s no in-between. So, what have you chosen so far? Are you growing in every area of your life? Hey, it’s not enough to be growing and looking great just because you work out. That’s only a small part of your life. What about your emotions, spiritual life, family, friends, career, hobbies? Are they growing as your body does? Become a complete person and not an in-shape and great-looking version of an incomplete person. There’s way more to life than just working out. Go with the flow and embrace changes in all areas of your life. The change will do you good."— Robert Wolff, PH.D. Bodybuilding 101

"To strengthen the mind you must harden the muscles."— Montaigne
"Locked inside each of us is the person we want to be. Others might not recognize it yet, but I'm telling you, it's in there. The passion shouldn't die before we do. Even against rediculous odds, what propels you forward and seperates you from the rest? P.R.I.D.E., which stands for perseverance, Responsibility, integrity, determination, and excitement. If you have these five elements in your life, you can accomplish almost anything."— Sylvester Stallone - Sly Moves p. 201

"Sly's Top Ten Tips for Life
10. Believe it! Truly, it can be done and it will.
9. Every day - every few hours - see your vision materializing.
8. Don't discuss your dreams. Pursue Them!
7. If other people can steal your ideal, most likely they will. (not so fond of this one)
6. Don't be afraid of embarrassment while pursuing your goal. It's all part of being committed.
5. Being naive is business and in understanding human nature is a recipe for disaster.
4. Study people's success stories hard. Study their failures even harder.
3. Enthusiasm is like a wonderful disease -keep spreading it until everyone's infected.
2. Only choose a goal that - if you had to - you'd gladly pursue for free.
In order to achieve success, you've got to follow your passion.
1. Most Important: If it's not broken, break it. That's how new discoveries are made.
That's why everything that changes life is called a breakthrough."— Sylvester Stallone - Sly Moves p.186
"Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement. He is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - that is the only way out of a hole. This process of surrender - this movement full speed astern - is repentance"— C.S. Lewis

"Discipleship means complete dedication. It demands everything - the whole heart, the whole mind, and the whole of life, including one's time, energy, and property - for the cause of love. Half-hearted Christianity is worse than no Christianity."— J. Heinrich Arnold

Meme Booked by 3 - December

Meme Booked by 3 - December From Shelly's Bookshelf She adapted this month's questions from a reader.

1. Do you have any books you read every year/often?

Yes and no. I have books I read every year for a while, but eventually stop for the most part. The one's I reread often and most years are:

• Jacob the Baker - Noah benShea
• Jacob's Journey - Noah benShea
• Jacob's Ladder - Noah benShea
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
• God Rides a Yamaha - Kathy Shaidle
• Benchpress - Sven Lindqvist
• The Singer - Calvin Miller
• The Song - Calvin Miller
• The Finale - Calvin Miller
• Mother Macrina - Irma Zaleski
• The Santa Mysteries - S. William Shaw
• Jhereg - Steven Brust
• Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato - S. William Shaw
• Narnia - C. S. Lewis
• Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Way, The Furrow and The Forge - Josemaria Escriva
• Life After God - Douglas Coupland
  

1b. Or, if you don't have the time, is there any you want to reread?

• Too many to list. But a list of favorite books each year can be seen here.

2. Do you read holiday books? If yes, do you have any favorites?

• Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
• Starbright - Andrew M. Greeley
• The Santa Mysteries - S. William Shaw
  

3. Do you give books for gifts and/or like to receive them?

• Yes, and Yes, I tend to give a number of copies of my current favorite book.

3a.If you like to receive them, do you keep a wishlist somewhere?

• Amazon.com
• Amazon.ca

If you want to play join in the fun, I wont tag anyone specifically.

Catholic Carnival 150

The Carnival is up at 'The Third Way' this week's is called 'Hope, Love, Joy and Peace!' It is packed full of great posts.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

In Conversation With God Volume #5: Ordinary Time: Weeks 24-34 by: Francis Fernandez Carvajal

In Conversation With God
Volume #5: Ordinary Time: Weeks 24-34
By: Francis Fernandez
ISBN 0906138248
Scepter Press
7 Volume Set
ISBN 0906138191

When I started writing the reviews of this series last year, I did not think it would be that hard to write separate reviews on each book in the series. I think the books are awesome and would benefit any Christian in their spiritual life. The volumes that deal with special feasts or Easter & Christmas were easy to write about. But the volumes covering ordinary time are much harder to write about, so see my write-up below about the series as a whole, or check out some of the specific reviews linked below. And God bless.

Scepter Press in North America has just reprinted them again last fall.

About the Complete Series:

The complete series is worth the money, time and effort. This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year, as well as volumes 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings, depending on whether we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can all be read as a complete section, or part in the morning, midday and evening as they each have three sections. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year.

This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.

There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7; unfortunately the earlier volumes' indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.

Books edited by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Year of Faith Treasury: Prayer 

Year of Faith Treasury: Holy Communion 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Roman Pontiff 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Sacrament of Confession 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Faith

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Fortitude 

In Conversation with God:

Volume #1 Advent and Christmastide

Volume #2 Lent and Eastertide

Volume #3 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-12

Volume #4 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-23

Volume #5 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-34

Volume #6 Special Feasts January-June

Volume #7 Special Feats July -December

Complete Set 7 Volumes

In Conversation with God eBooks:
Volume 1 Part 1 Advent 
Volume 1 Part 2 Christmas and Epiphany
Volume 2 Part 1 Lent and Holy Week
Volume 2 Part 2 Eastertide
Volume 3 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-6
Volume 3 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 7-12
Volume 4 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-18
Volume 4 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23
Volume 5 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-28
Volume 5 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 29-34
Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January-March
Volume 6 Part 2 Special Feasts April-June
Volume 7 Part 1 Special Feats July -September
Volume 7 Part 2 Special Feats October -December

Books by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Overcoming Lukewarmness

Through The Winds and Waves

The Day that Changed My Life

Life of Jesus

...

Some New Stuff Some Old

It's been a while since I have posted. Life is crazy busy. I will get back to reviewing some books soon. Promise. I have not actually finished a book for pleasure since August, only school books. Between being in College, and being in University some volunteer work and all the other aspects of life, I just do not seem to have much time on my hands for reading and writing for leisure.

However with that said. I am part way into some books I would like to give plus to the books or authors before Christmas shopping , some new books not yet completed, and some standby favorites. So in no particular order:
Dr. Kevin Vost
Memorize the Faith:
And Almost Everything Else
Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 9781933184173
http://www.drvost.com/

I wish I had finished this book before I began my certification courses this fall. I know from what I have learned already that it would prove invaluable. Dr. Vost teaches us a number of tried and true techniques and tricks for memorizing the Catholic faith, but these are tools we can apply to any area of our life.

Dr. Kevin Vost
Fit for Eternal Life
Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 9781933184319
http://www.drvost.com/
This one is not available until later in December. However since corresponding with Dr. Vost and starting his other book, this one has been on my wish list since I first heard of it. For years now one of my personal goal's had been a striving to find a balance between body, mind and spirit. To be working on developing all three. This book looks like it is a tool geared at that balance.
Kathy Shaidle
God Rides a Yamaha
Northstone
ISBN 1896836240
http://www.fivefeetoffury.com/

This is a truly an amazing little book, well worth every penny, many times over. I have read it a number of times, not, and lent it to numerous friends who have all loved it. I now keep two copies of this book, my personal reading copy and a lending copy. Kathy's blog is worth checking out also.
Kathy Shaidle
Lobotomy Magnificant
Oberon Press
ISBN 0778010716
http://www.fivefeetoffury.com/

A great collection of poetry to make you think. This book was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. This book like all of Shaidle's is a great book. I wish she would publish some more books, either of poetry or prose.

Jim Manney (Editor)
The Best Catholic Writing 2007
Loyola Press
ISBN 9780829426113
http://peopleofthebook.us
This is the 4th installment in this series. It is a great way to discover some Catholic authors or read some stuff from some of the authors you already know. This year was no disappointment in that fashion. Ron Hansen's entry from A Stay Against Confusion is a little baffling since it was published in 2001. But it is still a great collection.
A.R. Horvath
Fidelis Suzeteo
ISBN 9780979127618
http://www.birthpangs.com/

I have just started this book but it looks like an excellent alternative to the Harry Potter books. It cam to me highly recommended and so I pass on the recommendation and will be reviewing it early in the new year. What I have read so far has left me wanting to read more. It looks like the beginning or a great series.

S. William Shaw
The Santa MysteriesLulu Press
ISBN 9781430322214
http://swilliamshaw.com

Shaw writes like a master even though he only has two books published. Both are great, and this one would be fun to read with the family over the holidays. I can not recommend Shaw;s books enough for you and your family, they are just great fun.
S. William Shaw
Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato
Lulu Press
ISBN 9781430322207
http://swilliamshaw.com

I absolutely loved this book, it was a fun packed adventure that I cannot wait to share with my children when they are older. This book will be a hit for any child on your Christmas shopping list.

Well those of some of my suggestions for books for Christmas shopping either for those on your list, or for yourself.

Career Focus Canada by: Lamarre & McClughan

Career Focus Canada:
A Personal Job Search Guide
4th Edition
Helene Martucci Lamarre & Karen McClughan
Pearson Prentice Hall
ISBN 9780132279918

This is a book that can be a great tool if you are approaching graduation, looking for summer jobs or looking to improve your skills and chances for that co-op job you really want. This new fourth edition that has just been released is geared specifically with the Canadian job market in mind. With a Canadian price tag of nearly $50 you might be asking why you would shell out the big bucks. This book has a number of tools that will make it worth the money and if you get that job you want, the investment will be more than worth your time and money.

This edition has a number of key tools to help you learn and apply what you learn. 'My Focus' is a key section at the end of each chapter on learning to Market Yourself. It also has a companion website at www.pearsoned.ca/lamarre that has a lot of supplemental resources. There are quizzes to test your knowledge, and a collection of web-links and a PowerPoint presentation to help you learn the material from each chapter. It also has a number of supplemental exercises in pdf format to complement the book. There are also plenty of samples and examples in the book for each lesson, resumes, cover letters, networking letters and more.

Written to cover a lot of topics in a brief space, the book is designed to be a tool used quickly and easily. It is not overloaded with too many examples, or too much theory. It presents information in each section and builds upon the knowledge from the previous chapters in a natural way. The book starts with sections on self-assessment and promotion, then moves on to the marking strategies and techniques. Then the major focus is on resumés, references and business communications. Finally, the book has a chapters dedicated to prepping for interviews, what to do and how to interview and what to do after the interview. It has tips and hints on all aspects of interviewing from what to wear to how to answer key questions.

Lamarre and McClughan write in a very fluid and accessible way. They present the information in a clear and concise manner. That, combined with the multitude of examples and brevity of the book, makes it a tool that packs a lot of punch into about a hundred and fifty pages. All in all it is a book that will help you no matter where you are in your career search - now as a student or even later when you are established and looking to transition jobs.

(First Published in Imprint as 'Imprint's Reading 2007-11-16.)