Since we are in the end of December, I decided to do a post about favorite holiday reads. My all time favorite is of course The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. But if you'd like to read something more contemporary, I highly recommend Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. This book was made into a movie a few years back starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. However, I think the book is much better. It is really a laugh-out loud impossible-to-put-down kind of read. As a side note, I used to read everything by John Grisham and this book really opened him up for me as a versatile writer who successfully crosses over to other genres from his usual detective story/legal drama/thriller type books.
Of course, Christmas is also the time to open up the gospels and read the Christmas story. If you are looking for other books on Jesus, there is a new book out called Zealot: the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. I started reading the book and will do a separate review of it once I am finished. But basically it gives a very good overview of the political and historic landscape in the beginning of the first century when Jesus began His ministry. I do not necessarily agree with all of the author's conclusions about Jesus but that is precisely the point. I do not think any of us can ever quite know what Jesus was like as a person. We can attempt and study the historic accounts and piece together other information about the time period, but ultimately, it all comes down to whether you believe that He truly was the Son of God. And that is not something you will get out of this book.
Of course, Christmas is also the time to open up the gospels and read the Christmas story. If you are looking for other books on Jesus, there is a new book out called Zealot: the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. I started reading the book and will do a separate review of it once I am finished. But basically it gives a very good overview of the political and historic landscape in the beginning of the first century when Jesus began His ministry. I do not necessarily agree with all of the author's conclusions about Jesus but that is precisely the point. I do not think any of us can ever quite know what Jesus was like as a person. We can attempt and study the historic accounts and piece together other information about the time period, but ultimately, it all comes down to whether you believe that He truly was the Son of God. And that is not something you will get out of this book.
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