Monday, August 04, 2008

What Non-Books Do You Read?

Book talk. It's one of the many things I like about blogging.

I like to hear about that great book someone else has discovered. I like to hear about classics, old favorites that people keep going back to again and again. And, of course, I like to talk about books that I'm reading or have read.

But this time, I want to ask about non-books:

1. What are some of the journals, newspapers, and magazines you regularly read? Why those?

2. Which single publication would you want delivered if you could get only one?

3. Is there a subscription you'd like to add to your current list?

4. Do you think you receive too many serials? Not enough? Or are you with Goldie Locks in "just right" territory?

5. Do you read non-books mostly on-line, or mostly paper-in-hand? (Or do you mostly print off stuff that you found on-line?)

13 comments:

Adam Gonnerman said...

1) The Christian Chronicle. Online I read Wired pretty frequently, almost daily during weekdays. My mother sends me a subscription to The Edina Sentinel, from the county where I grew up. I mostly just read the obituaries in that one.

2) Tough questions. I only really receive The Christian Chronicle and The Edina Sentinel at home.

3) I'd like a subscription to Christian Century and also Sojourners. The former I had in NM and had to give up with our extreme austerity measures when we moved (or fled?) to NJ.

4) No. I need more.

5) I read mostly online, but I prefer hard copy. Easier on the eyes and easier for me to focus attention.

Matthew said...

Just a few thoughts, I read Newsweek and Hockey News. Also, I get Interpretation, it is a scholarly journal that is not too high up there. I love reading too.

Frank Bellizzi said...

Adam,

The Christian Chronicle is what I'd pick if limited to just one.

From one of your previous comments, I was under the impression that you receive the Stone-Campbell Journal. No?

You're right. You really should expand your list of serials.
Maybe you already do this: I've never subscribed to the Christian Century nor Christianity Today. Both of them are available at many public libraries, which is where I always read them. With those two you've got a pretty good handle on what's happening in among a lot of Protestants anyway.

Oh, and stay up with The Edina Sentinel.

Matthew,

Interpretation is one fine journal. As you know, using it in our context requires some filtering and translation. But the content is meaty, and the reflections tend to be very wise.

I think every preacher should have an idea of what's in Newsweek or Time, etc.

I wouldn't take too many sermon illustrations from the Hockey News.

Adam Gonnerman said...

Frank,

A year or so before I moved to Brazil for mission work I had a subscription to Stone-Campbell Journal. While in Brazil I just couldn't afford it, and by the time I was in NM I was too conservative for it. Now that I'd probably enjoy it again, I can't really justify it in the budget.

I really, really, really don't have enough time to run to the library, and you'd probably be surprised at how poor the theological offerings are in public libraries in my part of New Jersey.

SteveA said...

1) The periodicals I receive paper copies of:

Parabola: Tradition, Myth and the Search for Meaning

The Wilson Quarterly

Biblical Archaeology

The Christian Chronicle

AARP Magazine

2) Parabola

3) Would like to subscribe to many more things. Leaven and the Stone-Campbell Journal are two of them I'd consider. I think I'll let my Biblical Archaeology subscription lapse and am wondering what one to replace it with.

4) I spend way too much on line reading all kinds of things. Have recently begun reading "The Other Journal.com" a product of Mars Hill Graduate school.

Frank Bellizzi said...

Steve,

I had never heard of the Wilson Quarterly. What's it like?

Arlene Kasselman said...

Frank, on a slightly different note, I would highly recommend Relevant Magazine. It may be helpful with the college age kids you are dealing with.

Frank Bellizzi said...

Arlene,

That's such a Frank title. I already like it.

SteveA said...

Frank,

I had to leave out of town suddenly. Just got back online.

Below is what wikipedia says. It is easy to Google to find the Wilson Quarterly homepage. I have read for a number of years and do not detect any overt partisanship in it, in any direction.
-----------------

Wilson Quarterly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wilson Quarterly is a magazine based in Washington, DC and published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. It was founded by James H. Billington when he was director of the center. The magazine covers politics, policy, culture, religion, science, and other fields. In 2006, it won an Independent Press Award from Utne Reader.

Leland V said...

I started to make a mental list of periodicals and decided I am probably spending too much on subscriptions. However, I pass along most of them to other people so I am also subsidizing their reading opportunities.

First Things
Christianity Today
Restoration Quarterly
Stone-Campbell Journal
Conversations
Books and Culture (recipient of a 1 year free subscription)
Christian Standard
WSJ

I have not learned to enjoy reading lengthy articles on line. If I want to read more than one page I print a copy.

Frank Bellizzi said...

Leland, that's a nice list. I like to pass journals along to other people, too. I'm currently getting:

Amarillo Globe-News (our daily)
Christian Chronicle
Restoration Quarterly
Reflections (bi-annual journal of theology)
Time
Christian Studies
AARP (I'm currently a junior member of that high-powered mob; no joke)

A few other publications, mostly freebies like alumni magazines and newsletters of various sorts.

At the libraries, I occasionally read

Christianity Today
Christian Century
New York Times (esp. Sunday book review and NYT magazine which almost always contains an article about religion)

and anything else that jumps out and grabs me

Anonymous said...

I've been wanting to comment on this post all week, Frank, but am just now getting around to it here late on Friday afternoon. (It has taken me all week, too, until just moments ago to get a new blog post up, so you'll have to read it!)

We get Newsweek, which I like to read and keep up with, although I don't care much for some its political slants.

I also get Christian Chronicle, which I like a lot. I'm on Bobby & Tammy's email list, so am always getting news alerts, etc, from them and read some of the CC's news online.

I get New Mexico magazine, as a gift from my mom, which I like a lot for the pictures and stories about places much different than around here.

we get AARP, which I always immediately throw away because I never get around to reading it and it clutters up my house! Which reminds me - how on earth did you get to be a junior member of AARP? That's disgusting that you are that YOUNG!

We get Reader's Digest, which sits in the bathroom unread, any more. I used to love it, but just never read it now, so am letting my subscription lapse.

We get the Picayune Item (local paper) every day, of course. (Since Tom is publisher!)

I read a got bit online. I go to NOLA.com (New Orleans/Times Picayune home page) every day, go to MSN.com every day and read a lot of blogs every day. I read articles online that sound interesting, even if some are long. I read Newsweek articles online sometimes, too, because I can read them ahead of when the magazine comes.

I used to get a whole lot more magazines (including Christianity Today), but have cut way, way back over the past few years. I spend a lot more time online, so never seem to have the time to sit down and read magazines, although I will when I go visit my mom.

I need to get back in the habit of sitting down and reading magazines, actually. I certainly think it is BETTER and more satisfying than reading online.

Don't y'all think?

Cheers & Blessings to you all today!

Dee

Stoned-Campbell Disciple said...

Wow. What "non" book do we read or get? Well I get ...

Leadership
Restoration Quarterly (must have)
Stone Campbell Journal
Journal of Biblical Literature (SBL membership)
Christian Chronicle (through PV)
Christian Studies
Biblical Archeology Review
Sports illustrated

I read NY Times Book Review most every week but do not get it. I usually flip through Time or US News & World Report

I used to get Homiletic but I let that go ...

Bobby V