I’ve always been a summer reader. Who doesn’t love a good fiction book by the pool? But this year (though the fiction was relegated to summer), I read all year-long. More books than ever before in one year.
One reason is my circle of author friends has expanded and this seemed to be the year of book releases which is so fun! But I’ve also found the more I read, the more I have to write. And– the more I’ve read the more I’ve hungered to learn more.
Author Anne Lamott is right when she says, “Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul.”
Along the way I’ve shared on Instagram many of the books I’ve read and liked, but a few stand out. The ones you see pictured + one more that found its way to Fayetteville with my daughter are the ones I haven’t forgotten. Here’s why these topped my list:
The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Enneagram certainly isn’t new but it sure burst onto the scene this year. I for one loved what it has shown me about myself and how it is helping me understand others better. If you don’t know your “number” I highly recommend starting with this book. It gives a great overview of what the Enneagram is and each of the nine numbers. From here there is more you can learn– more books, podcasts, even seminars. I found both of these authors’ podcasts, Typology and The Enneagram Journey, respectfully, helpful in nailing down my number after reading this book.
And Still She Laughs by (my friend) Kate Merrick
Oh my goodness, I fell in love with this author through her writing and then met her in person and loved her even more. Kate’s knack for storytelling with such vulnerability AND humor and above all Truth is refreshing.
Her story is one of tragic loss- her daughter to cancer. She brings the reader into her suffering and weaves it in with the stories of different women in the Bible who also suffered. But like the title declares, she still laughs. How it is possible to hold on to hope and joy, to trust in God’s goodness and love like she does is what makes this book one I will give again and again.
Therefore I Have Hope by (another friend) Cameron Cole
The same theme as above, this friend too has lost a child. His book and voice are totally different from Kate’s but I love it just as much. Cameron shares his story over three parts: The Initial Shock, The New Normal and The Long Haul. Through each of them he expounds upon twelve theological truths that comfort, sustain and redeem in tragedy.
This book was named WORLD magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year for Accessible Theology.
Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
This book creatively walks the reader through the course of a mundane day and ties simple acts, like making your bed and eating leftovers, to real Christianity. In other words, real life as a Christian is not lived on the mountaintop and therefore our growth and faith is more tied to the routine moments of life. Our problem is we want extraordinary. And as Warren says, “Our addiction to stimulation, input and entertainment empties us out and makes us boring– unable to embrace the ordinary wonders of life in Christ.”
I loved how thought-provoking this book was. It even became the foundation of two different talks I gave this fall on rest and time.
Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper
This was a great follow-up read to Liturgy of the Ordinary; it’s subtitle: “Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World.”
“A world permeated by God’s grace and filled with his presence” takes being in tune to the wonder of God, and not so distracted by the things of this world. Each chapter ends with what Cosper calls a “pathway,” or a practice, for seeing more of God and his grace admist all that clutters our thoughts and lives.
And not pictured- If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey
If you aren’t familiar with Jamie Ivey, she has a wildly popular podcasts. But as the one in the interviewer’s seat, I knew very little about her. What she reveals in the book about her past, as you can guess from the title, left her hiding and full of shame. But her finding freedom through growing in grace and her understanding of who Christ is for her and who she is in Him is what I loved reading. I had no idea how sound her theology is, and was so encouraged to think that with her platform so many people will hear of the same freedom and grace of the gospel that is missing from so much Christian teaching.
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I’ve got new books on deck, but always loving hearing your suggestions. If you have some you think I should read, or would like me to review, please send your comments.
Happy Reading!
