Professor Horner's Bible Reading System

You know I’m a reader. Years ago, when I picked up and read my Bible from beginning to end, just like I would any other book, my love of Scripture went from a bud to full bloom. My favorite way to read the Bible is still straight through, from Genesis to Revelation. I love seeing the big picture. But this year, my husband wanted to try Professor Horner’s Bible reading plan. He asked if I wanted to do it with him. 

This system involves ten “lists” of Bible books. You read a chapter from each list per day. (Ideally. The whole point is to get in the Word, not be bound to a “have to.”) It’s a bit hard to explain, but you can read about how and why Professor Horner has been reading this way here. (Hop on over there and read it. I’ll wait.)

Anyway, I didn’t want to report back until I’d tried it for a few months. I’ve been on track since January and I have to say I’ve loved it! While I’ve read the entire Bible through several times, this has me more saturated in Scripture than ever before. But my favorite part is the juxtaposition of chapters on any given day. A chapter from Leviticus might be on the same day as a chapter from, say, Romans—and one might give some small insight into the other. For instance, have you ever noticed how much the Psalms echo Job? I love that! Since each of his ten lists vary in length, you are never reading the exact same chapters up against each other. It is always changing. Therefore, there is generally some new relation to be made from one book of the Bible to another. 

That may not all make sense exactly, but this post isn’t really an attempt to get you to try Professor Horner’s system. My goal, like his, is simply to testify to the fact that time spent in the Word of God is practical and valuable. Whether reading fast or slow, Old Testament or New, Gospels or Prophecies, it all reveals who God is and how I am to live in response to that. And the more I read, the more His word illuminates itself and His character and my own imperfect heart. His truth becomes part of who I am. Through it, I am transformed. 

Oh—and one more little tip? Professor Horner’s system is one of several Bible reading plan options on the Youversion Bible app, so you can even keep up when you are on the go! 

So what is your BIble reading system? Do you have one? 

The Ratings Dilemma

So maybe y’all can help me with a dilemma. I really, really, really like the concept of Goodreads, the social networking site for readers. When it comes right down to it, some of the most meaningful conversations start over books. So this concept appeals to me, both as a reader and also as a writer. I mean, how awesome to connect with people who have read your books--and enjoyed them!

So in case you aren’t familiar with the site, here’s a huge simplification. You have a couple of different virtual bookshelves. Books you’ve read and books you want to read. For the books you’ve read, you are supposed to rate them, 1-5 stars. 

I get the reasoning. This way you find people whose reading tastes are like yours and you can judge beforehand whether or not you’d like to a read a title based on their rating. But here’s where things get dicey for me. Rating the books I’ve read. If ratings meant the same to everyone, there wouldn’t be a problem. But they don’t. Some rate a book 5 stars if it holds their attention and elicits an emotion. Some rate a book 5 stars based on the amount of romance between the main characters (even if it isn’t a romance!) Some rate a book 5 stars if it is a book struck a deep enough chord that they intend to keep on their shelves instead of give away or sell to a used bookstore. Some rate a book 5 stars if it is, well, brilliant. As in, a classic, a work of literature that has (or will) stand the test of time. 

Ok, maybe I’m the only one that falls into that last category. Do you see my issue? To me, a 5 star book is along the lines of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Bleak House, LIttle Dorritt, War and Peace--and even titles like Anne of Green Gables, Secret Garden, and Little Women. And yet, I know that many authors and readers would be appalled if I rated the books I often read in comparison to these. Giving a book 3 stars is almost the equivalent of hating it, or so many authors and readers think. If I want to find people who enjoy what I enjoy, my ratings have to have some correlation with theirs. 

So where do I set 5 stars? How do I rearrange my thinking so as to connect with readers, not alienate my writer friends, and yet still give my honest opinion? It becomes an especially weighty question when I know others are asking these same questions in regards to putting a rating on my books. (This is why I don’t do bookseller site ratings, either.)

For example: one reader gave me 1 star, saying that after only a couple of pages the reader realized the book wasn’t for them. Ok. So that 1 star didn’t mean the book was bad (because it never got read more than a page or two to find out), it just wasn’t what that reader wanted to read. Should they have rated it at all? Or does the 1 star simply serve to show others who have similar reading tastes that my book doesn’t fall into their category? 

Thus is my dilemma. Do I dive into Goodreads, figure out my own rating system (whatever that might be, even if others don’t always understand it) and become a part of a huge reading community? Or do I try to navigate Goodreads without actually rating any of the books I read? Yet I want others to know when there are books I enjoy. And I do enjoy books that aren’t necessarily genius. 

Please help! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

How Readers Read

Readers have different methods, just like writers do. They choose their books differently. They read their books differently. As a reader, I used to be a die-hard one-at-a-time reader. I simply could not start reading one book if I was in the middle of another. It just didn’t happen. As I got older and had children, I had to learn to multitask. Eventually that spilled over to my reading, too. I would have two or three books going—one in my purse, one on my nightstand, one in the living room. I could put down one and pick up another without batting an eye. Usually they were wildly different books, too. A piece of classic literature, a more recently published novel and maybe, just maybe a non-fiction book sprinkled in.

But in the nine months since I’ve signed my book contract, my reading time has constricted. And in that shrinking, I find I can’t divide my attention between multiple books. I’m back to being a one-at-a-time reader. (The only exception to this is reading on the fly from the kindle app on my phone!)

How about you? Do you keep multiple books going at one time or do you finish one and start another? Do you read all in the same genre or, like me, do you have to have to intersperse contemporary and historical and mystery and classics (and, okay, non-fiction if you must!)?

Reading List 2011

When my friend Carla mentioned that she’s looking forward to reading my book this year, it struck me how many friends I have with books releasing in 2011. Here’s just a partial list. I know there are more, but this is off the top of my head!

The Muir House by Mary DeMuth

Broken Wings by Carla Stewart

A Force of Habit by Alice Loweecey

Secrets of the Heart by Jillian Kent

Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

Springtime of the Spirit by Maureen Lang 

Journey to Riverbend by Henry McLaughlin

Patti Lacy has one due out in fall, but I don’t know the title. And I believe Gina Holmes' second book comes out this year, too.

And all of those authors are just the ones I consider friends! That doesn’t count other authors I simply admire or might have met once. Good grief! I think I’ll definitely have to schedule more reading time.

Is there a specific title or author you are looking forward to reading this year?

P31 Woman Magazine

I’m not really a magazine reader. Never really have been—except for Seventeen in high school. But just this week I got my first issue of P31 Woman in the mail. I received my subscription when I donated to P31 Ministries earlier this summer. I didn’t think much about the magazine part. As I said, I’m not really into that.

But I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a small magazine. Just about 15 pages, 6 short articles and some ministry news. And I loved it! I loved that the articles were short and to the point. And that each one hit on a very day-to-day issue with a very practical application to consider or implement in my own life.

So now I have something new to look forward to each month. And maybe next time I can savor the issue instead of devouring it as fast as a pan of fresh baked brownies!

A Book is a Book

eReading has changed my life. No, I don’t have a Kindle or a Nook. And I haven’t pre-ordered an ipad—yet. But I did get the free Kindle app for my ipod touch. I did it to see if I could be satisfied with a book on a screen. So I downloaded a couple of free “classic” titles and off I went.

Truth be told, I forgot about them for a little while. Then we had our travel day from the bad place after Christmas. What I thought would be seven hours of airport and airplane time turned into two days. Of course I finished the only book I had with me.

Now what? I couldn’t spend all that time with nothing to read! So I pulled out the ipod, adjusted the font size and coloring, and started reading. And guess what? I loved it! I loved it so much that I came home and bought a case for it that opens like a book. And now I love it even more!

I don’t know if I’ll ever have the money to plunk down for one of the larger ereaders, but that’s okay for now. I like what I have. My ipod fits in even a very small purse. And that has changed my life. I no longer have to carry a purse large enough to stow several books. And I don’t find myself in a situation where I’ve left a book behind or finish it and have nothing to read. In fact, now I look forward to being at an appointment or stuck in traffic or early for a ball game. I just power up and read. And with a screen that small, there is no losing my place on the page!

I’m not saying I’ll ever give up books with paper pages. My stuffed full bookshelves are testimony to that. But I’ve definitely seen the advantages of embracing the new technology. If only there weren’t so many books and so little time!

Reading vs. Writing

Catching up after Christmas and doing another round of edits on my book didn’t leave much time for reading in January. In fact, I only read two books. I can’t remember the last time that’s happened. I tend to average 4-5 books per month. I have for years and years. Yet here am I with February half-gone and I have yet to close a back cover and wish the story hadn’t ended.

It’s a hard thing, I’m learning, to balance the reading and the writing. I love to read. I hate not to read. And yet there are only so many hours in a day. And this coming from one who always reads at least a chapter before bed and carries a book with me at all times for those “unexpected” free moments! My “to read” stacks are growing higher, even as I’m longing to re-read some old favorites. How did I get in this mess?

Oh, yeah. I wanted to write. Isn’t every dream a double-edged sword? And here is mine. Maybe I need to talk my husband into a beach vacation this summer, even though neither of us cares for the beach. At least it would be time with nothing to do but read. Unless, of course, we found a historical site to visit.

On second thought, maybe a research trip would be as fun as a reading one!

Anticipation

I have a stack of new books in my “to be read” bookcase right now. (It was a particularly good Christmas for books at my house!) Because these are books that I picked out (either said I wanted or bought with gift cards), I am especially eager to delve into each one. The anticipation is making me nearly giddy!

I’ve already finished and told you about one. Two others have been started. When I finish ones that are worth your attention, you can be sure I will let you know! For now, I will savor them like a gourmet meal, stretching the pleasure to last as long as it can, yet eager to experience each new taste on my tongue.

All Creatures Great and Small

Years ago, I was struck, I think, by the poetical nature of the titles: All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, And yet, as a child spying them on the shelf at my grandparents’ house, I assumed they were boring, stodgy old books, unworthy of my attention. Not until years later did I learn the nature of those books—the memoirs of a veterinarian. That confirmed my first impressions. Certainly there was nothing in those books of interest to me. 

Until I saw the BBC series based on the books. Then I fell in love with the characters. But I still felt little use for the words that birthed them. This summer, that changed. On a trip to Pennsylvania I picked up a copy of All Creatures Great and Small in a coffee shop/used bookstore as I waited on my latte. I read the first page and was captivated by the words and the images they evoked. This was a book I could read! I showed it to my husband, who concurred. We bought the book. 

My husband got it first, needing something to read on the plane ride home. He loved it—but he left it in the pocket of the seat in front of him as we exited the plane. He asked me to find another copy. I finally remembered. He finished it. I set it on my stack to be read, finally picking it up a couple of weeks ago. 

The rest of the book lived up to the first page that had enthralled me. James Herriot’s use of language and imagery and description and humor keep me glued to the pages of this fascinating trip through time and space to experience Yorkshire of the middish-1900s. I enjoyed every page, both for what was said and how it was said. Now to find the rest—and the time to enjoy them!