Bible Delight: Heartbeat of the Word of God: Psalm 119 for the Bible Teacher and Hearer by Christopher Ash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A wonderful devotional commentary on Psalm 119 that is broken up into 22 chapters covering each section of the psalm. The author gives his own translation, which I always enjoy. The book is full of wisdom and practical application. Perhaps the most striking thing is the author does not become boring despite many of the themes repeated throughout the psalm. It would be helpful for anyone preaching on Psalm 119 or just for regular devotional study.

The more I read Christopher Ash, the more I like him.

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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A riff off of Kipling’s, The Jungle Book, where instead of a boy growing up among animals, he grows up among ghosts. It is dark and scary at points, but I did not find it too much so. A junior high kid should be just fine reading it. There are many stories that weave together into one big story. Gaiman keeps the reader’s attention with details and plot movements, but the book is not breakneck pace. There are moments of great danger and great peace. Bod, the boy in story, slowly learns and matures, as we all do in one way or another.

The back of my edition contains Gaiman’s speech for winning the Newbery Medal. In that speech he says he set out to write a book about childhood, but he ended up writing a book about parenting. That is truly the case. The book is a good reminder that all parents must set their kids loose at some point to make their way in the world. We cannot keep them behind fences forever, no matter how scary the world might be.

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