Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller.
These are my most recently read books:
The Future of Music, (David Kusek and Gerd Leonhard)
A thought provoking look at the current and near-future state of the music industry, not to be confused with the record industry. The authors postulate and support a return to the 'music as service' paradigm, as opposed to the current 'music as product' model.
tuesdays with Morrie, (Mitch Albom)
A very quick read but one full of wisdom. I found myself nodding in agreement in so many places. Life is too precious to squander our moments living unconsciously. There are so many ways to say it - Scripture says to "walk circumspectly", pop self-help has the "big rocks first" philosophy, "be here now", "live life like you mean it" and so on.
Boomers Really Can Put Old On Hold (Barbara Morris, R.Ph.)
I'm usually interested in health and longevity reading but this book was popcorn - all air and little substance. Probably the most useful part of the book is the list of suggested reading at the end.
Saddam's Bombmaker (Khidhir Hamza)
I read this earlier in the year when the news media was still scoffing at the possibility that Saddam was actively pursuing developing "weapons of mass destruction" (I am so tired of hearing that phrase...) I don't think Hamza's story sounds so far-fetched anymore. All in all, not bad. It reads a little like a spy novel.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (JK Rowling)
870 pages, but I finished it easily in a week. If you liked the preceding HP books you'll like this one.
A Hard Day's Write (Steve Turner)
A fascinating read for me. It gives insight into the background of the songs that changed a generation. Most of them are not as meaningful and mysterious as I had thought; still, Lennon and McCartney's (and Harrison's and Starr's) skill at crafting memorable pop tunes from obscure everyday events is nothing short of amazing.
The Heart of Worship Files, (Matt Redman)
Another gem, full of insight on the subject of worship and leading worship, as well as insight into the hearts of some of today's best known worship songwriters. This is one I'll keep by the bed and re-read a few pages from now and again.
The Second Coming of Steve Jobs, (Alan Deutschman)
Over the years I've read several books about the inhabitants of Silicon Valley, Apple Computer in particular. Jobs is a central figure in many of them. He's a study in contrasts - a creative visionary and an abusive megalomaniac. This book picks up with Next Computer and Pixar and follows through the revival of Apple by the iMac.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, (David Allen)
Like so many self help books, this one in long on motivation but short on specifics. I guess that's not entirely a bad thing - at least in my experience the problem isn't so much knowing what to do as it is just doing it. My synopsis of the high points: collect all your "loose ends" in one place and methodically sort through the list. (I made a list - Allen uses his in-box) Deal with everything in turn, but just once. From this point on, discipline (the elusive magic word) yourself to keep handling things that way. At least once a week, go over your list, culling out the fluff and scheduling steps toward accomplishing the rest.
Shards of a Broken Crown, (Raymond E. Feist)
Next to JRR Tolkein, Feist is probably the best fantasy author I've read. This is (I think) the eleventh of Feist's books I've finished. I had a little trouble finishing "Shards" - I don't know if it's my tastes or his writing that's changing, but I found this last book less engaging than say, "Magician". Still, I have little doubt that I'll eventually read more.
On deck: Eight Steps to Seven Figures, Charles B. Carlson, CFA, Finding Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, To Know You More, Andy Park, Rekindled Flame, Steve Fry, The Craft and Business of Songwriting, John Braheny, Sonar2 Power!, Scott R. Garrigus, Home Recording for Musicians, Jeff Strong, Hogfather, Terry Pratchett.
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