Exceptional Titles: A Running List of My Favorite Books (and movies, etc.) and the Reasons I Like Them... in No Particular Order
by Tripleguess
July 9, 2007 to Present
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost, the world will not have it."
--Martha Graham
This isn't a complete list (unless I've recently croaked -- always a possibility, granted), and I don't give detailed reviews here, but you can follow the links for reviews and other information about said titles, including purchase possibilities. I'm still mad that I grew up in church and somehow never heard of "Mere Christianity" or "Orthodoxy" until my 20s. This, in spite of the fact that I've always been a reader.
So, with an eye towards making up for lost time, I present you with my literary and film discoveries. Many of these titles have been vitally important to my life and have a big influence on my daily decisions. Enjoy. =)
Spiritual and Relational
Educational and Socio-Economic
Historical
Artistic and Related
Origami
Fiction
Recommended Manga
Way Cool Movies
Main
Crying Wind, My Searching Heart and When the Stars Danced by Crying Wind
Awesome autobiographies; "Crying Wind" was and is one of my first and favorite books.
The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov
A history of persecution in Russia -- written by an ex-Soviet persecutor.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Brilliant Christian apologetics.
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Profound observations concerning Heaven and Hell. Reads like a fairy tale.
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
Ditto. This one is not well known, yet is at least as brilliant.
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Foolproofing Your Life: Wisdom for Untangling Your Most Difficult Relationships by Jan Silvious
Are you dealing with someone close to you who's fun, talented, and friendly -- until he doesn't get his way? Read this. Please. It could save you from years of misery. Vital reading for gentle, agreeable people, especially women.
Big Girls Don't Whine: Getting on with the Great Life God Intends by Jan Silvious
An empowering look at the attributes and advantages of can-do maturity, as opposed to the fussy helplessness of immaturity.
Smart Girls Think Twice: Making Wise Choices When It Counts by Jan Silvious
A wonderful, thicker title about thinking your choices through carefully in the light of God's word and then following them through without regret.
Moving Beyond the Myths: Hope and Encouragement for Women by Jan Silvious
Great antidotes for the nagging half-thoughts that lurk in the female subconscious and keep it feeling inferior and hopeless.
Please Don't Say You Need Me: Biblical Answers for Codependency by Jan Silvious
A discerning look at the dangers of co-depenedency.
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Out of Egypt by Jeannette Howard
It may have been written for lesbians, but this book is solid gold for any women who doubts her self-worth (especially as related to gender) and feels disconnected from God as a loving Father. Priceless.
Restoring Sexual Identity by Anne Paulk
Important for understanding lesbianism.
The Heartache No One Sees: Real Healing for a Woman's Wounded Heart by Sheila Walsh
Aimed at women who've been stomped by life and aren't sure they can get back up again.
Occult Bondage and Deliverance: Counseling the Occultly Oppressed by Kurt Koch
Important, penetrating observations concerning the occult, dispelling the caps-and-wands nonsense of popular media.
Educational and Socio-Economic
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
A fascinating look at both the shortcomings and amazing abilities of the "adaptive unconscious."
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
Again, absolutely fascinating. Learn about that extraordinary phenomanon known as "the tipping point."
The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education by Grace LLewellyn
Wha? A healthy, non-statist approach to learning and education -- the natural way. Just as applicable for adults who feel their educational shortcomings and want to do something about it. I might not agree with everything in it, but it's still a refreshing, healthy read.
Tears of Rage by John Walsh
From parent of a murdered child to crusader for missing and exploited children. CONTENT WARNING: If this were a movie, it'd be rated R for disturbing content.
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments by Richard Maybury
Awesome economics that are... get this... easy to understand, and actually make sense!
Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard Maybury
I won't say I agree with everything in here, but it certainly challanges the feeble mindset which pleads "I was just following orders!" and "But it's (il)legal!"
The Clipper Ship Strategy For Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments by Richard Maybury
Awesome economics, applied.
The Great Siege: Malta 1565 by Ernle Bradford
The incredible story of the Knights of St. John and the people of Malta in the face of very stacked odds.
Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg
Manjiro was the first Japanese to visit the U.S. of A (as far as we know). Fun reading, neat cultural insights, great historical nonfiction.
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle by Joanna Cole (Author) and Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
A fun, informative introduction to middle age castle life. Very absorbable layout.
Pyramid Quest: Secrets of the Great Pyramid and the Dawn of Civilization by Robert M. Schoch
Makes a fascinating case for the pyramids of Giza being sophisticated astronomical "markers" (among other things) and pretty much rejects the traditional "way-too-fancy tomb" explanation. Goes a bit off the deep end towards the last chapters, but stimulating reading nonetheless.
Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
An entertaining novel set in a darkly futuristic world. The sci-fi/Clarke's Law factor is played upon in several creative ways, touching on situations that would be more disturbing if the tone of the book did not keep them sufficiently abstracted and therefore somewhat detached from the reader. Satisfying conclusion. It'd be nice to a see a sequel sometime.
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan
An excellent resource for anyone who wants to tap into their creativity but feels (for whatever reason) unable to do so. This book is meant for everyone, not just artists.
The recycler/penny-pincher in me can't resist taking any kind of castoff material and turning into something useful -- for free! BUT I have two requirements of any recycling project: 1) the end product must be useful, and 2) it must be attractive. In other words, it's got to be practical. I will not be the maker of thrift store junk. It's too embarrassing. ^^;
So far the only two projects that really meet both parameters are my Blue Jean Blankies and Tomoko Fuse's lovely origami boxes. Oh, and origami paper airplanes. I am sure there are other worthy recycling projects out there, as well as other good origami books, but I just haven't met them yet. The blankies are popular with anyone who gets one, and the origami boxes are pretty and sturdy as long as you don't use them to hold rocks or chunks of metal. I get a lot more satisfaction out of folding old activity notices into boxes than from pitching them wholesale into the recycle bin. Tomoko-san's modular patterns use up a lot of paper, too -- you need at least four sheets to make anything worthwhile and I've heard that some of them take twelve.
Quick & Easy Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse
I'd like to see this one, as the reviews are very positive, but it looks like I'll have to wait until it's available...? Here's hoping they get more soon.
Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse
I bought this one and had so much fun with it that my workplace is pretty much out of colored scratch paper. No decent paper is safe from me now! What I like most about these modular patterns is that the resulting boxes are sturdy as well as pretty. Yes, they're actually usable!
Joyful Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse
I was able to look at a physical copy thanks to Link+, and it seems like just as much fun as her other books.
Fabulous Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse
One look at the cover sold me on this one! Well -- the reviews helped too.
Origami Paper Airplanes by Didier Boursin
Now this is a fun title. Good for using those stray sheets left over from making boxes. I have no trouble giving these away at work.
E-Depth Angel by Mayshing
A beautiful color mecha/sci-fi manga.
Black Cat volumes One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty by Kentaro Yabuki
A surprisingly healthy, thoughtful shonen manga. Fewer of the usual clichés than most manga. Minimal fan service (one page so far, but I haven't read them all).
12 Angry Men
Put twelve people together in one room, keep them there for nearly 96 minutes, and make it fascinating to boot. That's what this 1957 movie somehow accomplished.
Marked Woman
A surprisingly deep 1937 movie about gangsters, "clip-joint waitresses," murder, and... well, just get it and see. =)
Munto and Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time
A pair of little known OAVs that shot to the top of my favorites after a couple viewings. They remind me a little bit of Kingdom Hearts... a little bit. Otherwise, hard to describe. All the "official" reviews I've read seem to have some kind of beef against it, but I think it's just about perfect. (For me, anyways. =D) Content Warning: One very brief, mild fanservice scene in each OAV (slightly worse in II).
At last check, Amazon was no longer stocking these titles; I'd suggest a search on froogle.google.com, where you'll see some specialty stores that still carry them. Check the seller ratings and be careful who you buy from. Prices are generally $10.00 for the first movie and $16.00 for the second. I got a set from Anime Castle in January of 2009, but they don't seem to carry it anymore either.
Munto 3 was announced and featured on several Kyoanibon covers at the Kyoanibon website, but as far as I can tell, it has been changed into the so-called TV series "Sora o Miageru Shojo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai" -- or, on this side of the Pacific, just "Munto TV." Japanese updates can be seen at Munto.com.
However, Munto TV is NOT really a new TV series in the sense of being new material. It is merely footage from the original OVAs (cleaned up a bit, to be sure) with a few new scenes added to OVA 1 and some cut out of OVA 2. There are 2-1/2 episodes of "new" material tacked on to the end. Unfortunately, all of the new footage is jarringly different in style from the old, and there is (IMHO) a big disconnect between the "new" material and the old storyline -- style changes, story changes, and worst of all characterization changes. It's not horrible, but for someone who was looking forward to a real continuation of the first two OVAs, Munto TV was a big disappointment.
The so-called "new Munto movie" was more of the same: recycled footage with a few seconds of new scenes. You can read a summary here on LJ.
There is also a new manga based on Munto coming out in Japan. (Wasn't the whole Munto franchise originally spawned from a manga? Guess we've come full circle.) As I know of no English scanlations and there certainly isn't a Western release as of this update, it remains to be seen where this new manga will take us. At least it seems to feature new drawings instead of recycled ones.
Howl's Moving Castle
If this animated feature isn't a classic, it should be. I favor this over the book, which I also enjoyed.
The Privileged Planet
A powerful example of the Intelligent Design school of thought, macro scale. Very well put together.
Unlocking The Mystery Of Life
A powerful example of the Intelligent Design school of thought, micro scale. Also very well put together.
Icons Of Evolution
It's really something to see a member of the public school staff first affirm her belief in Darwinism, and then defend the continued use of Haeckel's falsified embryo drawings...
NOVA: Mystery of the Megaflood
A fascinating look at the possible natural causes of the Channeled Scablands.