Literary Lists

As we near the end of the year, it seems like all kinds of organizations are busy giving out awards. I'm not sure why we as humans have such a compulsion to do this, but awards are everywhere. Most Valuable Player. Best Picture. Employee of the Month.

Ok, maybe not that last one so much (as Demetri Martin says, "Employee of the month is a great example of how someone can be a winner and a loser at the same time"), but we do love to give each other awards. Maybe we like it because it makes us feel safe or because if we praise another person's efforts, we feel justified in soaking in everyone's admiration when we do something praiseworthy. Maybe we're just an awful lot like Wemmicks.

Anyway, I'll leave any further commentary on why we do the whole award thing and its ramifications to the Wemmicks. If you don't know what those are, you'll be doing yourself a favor if you find out and read about them, trust me. For now, the thing that got me inspired to write this entry is a specific aspect of the awards process. A lot of awards, particularly in sports and entertainment, have finalists. Instead of voting between every single football player, for example, a group of finalists is selected to be voted on. These select few qualifiers are the cream of the crop from which the eventual award-winner is sure to be chosen.

But really, I'm not sure why we always have to narrow it all the way down to just one winner. I actually kind of like the idea of recognizing the top 3 or so entrants in a category as all being excellent. And besides, I don't have delusions of grandeur so bad that I think I have any authority to confer any big awards. I do, however, like sharing things I enjoy with others. Also, I wouldn't want to share only one thing in a category, when there are several I like. I think the idea of a top 3 is much nicer :)

So, today's category is: literature! Despite the fact that my house is nearly being overrun by them, I still really like books (and reading in general). As I sit in my room and look at the books I have while I type, I see several different categories emerging. I'll give you a top three books or authors in various genres for you to check out if you want, along with brief explanations for my choices. Also, feel free to tell me about your picks: just click on the comments link at the bottom of the post. And the categories are:

Books of the Bible:
(note: I realize this may be slightly heretical since all of Scripture is equally valid and inspired [see 2 Tim. 3:16]. However, I wanted to include the Bible in these lists and lumping any other books with it in a category is even more blasphemous! So, these are just the books of it that have meant the most to me in my journey so far, not that they are any better or worse than any others.)

1. Psalms-- I almost always feel that the prayers of David and the other psalmists are the cries of my own heart. I have taken more encouragement from this book than any other, by far. Plus, the poetry of it is beautiful, which is another plus since I love poetry. I could go on about this book forever, but I'll just say that you could do much worse than starting each day with a psalm. That's what I do.
2. Colossians-- As you may have noticed from my recent posts, I just keep coming back to this one. It's so simple, yet the challenges in it are more than we can master in a lifetime. I like how it takes all of Paul's theological prowess and just brings it right to the bottom line.
3. Matthew-- The story of Jesus' life is indispensable, because he is the model we are supposed to follow. Add to that the Sermon on the Mount, a great assortment of parables and miracles, and you've got yourself a book you can live by.

Nonfiction Authors:

1. C.S. Lewis-- Put simply, the man's prose style is unparallelled (in fiction or nonfiction). His thoughtful yet extremely readable expositions of doctrine and faith put him squarely at the top of my list. Even when I disagree with him, reading his words makes me glad to be associated with Christianity.
2. Dan Allender-- His books have been a huge help to me in navigating the messy and henceforth largely unknown world that is my emotions. He is quite insightful and able to cut through confusion to a strong central point.
3. Wayne Grudem-- Known mostly for his Systematic Theology, this guy is very definitely systematic. I don't know of a better teacher for doctrine and theology. Also, I probably identify with him so well because of his exhaustively analytical and logical style. Some have said that I am, in fact, a bit analytical myself. Maybe.

Fiction Series:

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, plus the Hobbit and Silmarillion (J.R.R. Tolkien)-- Anyone who knows me even a little should have seen this one coming a mile away. The breadth and depth of this story is amazing, and I think it holds some valuable spiritual lessons as well. Where it really succeeds, I think, is in creating a world with its own hidden lore that feels as if it really existed and could be explored further if you could just find some more books about it. I don't believe it can ever be matched.
2. The Sherlock Holmes mysteries (Arthur Conan Doyle)-- I've always loved mysteries, and there really aren't any better than these. Finely crafted, suspenseful, and funny as well, they are the perfect reading for a dark and stormy night.
3. The Time quartet (Madeleine L'Engle)-- I know, I know, you were probably expecting the Chronicles of Narnia in this spot. They are great, but there's seven of them and I only really love three, plus C.S. Lewis already made the finals on another list. So, how about A Wrinkle in Time and its companion stories about the wonderful Murry family? The strange fantasy world of these stories is truly fantastic, and I really like the mind-bending plots as well. And despite the fact that they get a bit mystical, there are some solid spiritual lessons to be found here as well. A dark horse favorite of mine, and really worth reading.

Poets:

1. Robert Frost-- My all-time favorite, and unmatched master of making rhymed poetry profound and haunting. He was truly a craftsman, and the way he blends form and content is inspiring to me as a poet. There will never be anything like his poetry as far as I can tell.
2. Mark Strand-- A more contemporary poet whose work I think will stand the test of time and one day rise above the rest of his generation to be included in the canon of great literature. He sees life from a different angle, and he shows it to us beautifully and with just the right amount of words.
3. John Donne-- Kind of an old-timer, but absolutely unrivaled in spiritual depth and density. I'm not sure anyone ever has or will work so much theology into poetry so successfully. His poems can be a bit of a puzzle, especially due to slightly antiquated language and convoluted syntax, but the knots are always worth untying.

Children's Authors:

1. Shel Silverstein-- I could have easily included him on the poets list as well, but his pictures and poems together are what really make him unique. They've been making me laugh for years. You have to watch out, though, because right in the midst of all the humor he sometimes says something so poignant and profound that you can go from laughing to crying before you know it if you aren't careful. Quite an achievement, if you ask me.
2. Dr. Seuss (aka Theodore Geisel)-- These books are just classics. They have a charm and offbeat humor to them that really sets them apart, both in the words and pictures. Also, I challenge anyone to read the last page of Fox in Socks correctly the first time through without laughing. I'm not sure it can be done, but I love it.
3. Donald Sobol-- Wait, who? Another guy whose creation's name (Encyclopedia Brown) became more famous than his own. Maybe it just happens to mystery writers a lot. Anyway, as I said, I love mysteries, and these were my favorite as a young kid. They don't always seem too baffling now, but at the time they were just the right kind of challenge, and I identified with the main character. I get nostalgic just thinking about these stories.

Children's Authors (Picture book subdivision):
(note: call me childish, but I still love kids' books, and I wanted to include some more. These coming ones, while they do have words, are most memorable for their amazing pictures.)

1. James Gurney-- Creator of the Dinotopia series, which is actually quite a memorable set of stories as well. However, I know for a fact I will always think first of the astonishing pictures of this island of dinosaurs whenever these books are mentioned. It is so beautiful that I won't even waste my time trying to describe it.
2. Graeme Base-- His fanciful and fun picture books with their poetic accompanying stories are some of the most lasting memories of my childhood. Beautiful artwork, funny writing, and a touch of mystery: a perfect combination.
3. Martin Handford-- Not so much an author, I suppose, as an illustrator, but I'm pretty sure his Where's Waldo books can claim more of my time than any other picture books. I spent countless hours searching for Waldo, the Wizard Whitebeard, Woof, and the various other characters, and I loved every minute. The drawings are still very cool (and hilarious) to me now.

And last, but not least,
Comic Strips:

1. Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)-- As I mentioned previously in the post announcing its arrival at the bottom of my blog, this is without question the finest comic strip ever created. It is so far and away above its competitors in my mind that this is one category I almost did just pick a winner in. By way of my promised further explanation, the main reasons I think this strip is so great are that it's extremely funny while also being very smart, while also remaining truly real (even though Hobbes' reality is purposefully never resolved). I love Calvin's immense vocabulary (for anyone, but especially for a six-year-old), and his immature take on the big questions of life, which are somehow still profound even in the midst of being hilarious. I can't even really explain how this was pulled off, I just know it was. The artwork is fantastic too, especially when any of Calvin's alter-egos (Spaceman Spiff, Tracer Bullet, Stupendous Man) enters the scene or when Calvin's imagination (think dinosaurs) is allowed to run wild. All told, the sheer quality of this comic makes reading today's pathetic comics page kind of depressing, but it's so worth it.
2. The Far Side (Gary Larson)-- This is one of the strangest and therefore funniest comics ever, to be sure. The one-panel design has its limitations, but they are actually used to their fullest capacity. It's bizarre and unexpected, but that makes it great. Also, it was really the first media of any sort that I know of to tap into the innate humor of the cow. Enough said.
3. Peanuts (Charles Schulz)-- It should really say something about the quality of this comic that it's still running long after its creator's death. I know it trailed off a bit at the end, but the early ones really were funny and endearing like few other comics have been. No list of comics would be complete without this strip. Its characters are iconic and its enjoyment timeless. Now enough of this listing... I want to go watch a Charlie Brown Christmas!