Once again this month, I was a slower reader and more of an audiobook listener, but...I did fit in some good end of summer books. I am proud of myself and thankful for that. Here's what I listened to and read this month:
70) Street God by Dimas Salaberrios with Dr. Angela Hunt—Think of this book as a modern Run Baby, Run meets Cross and the Switchblade! Written in his own words, this is the story of Dimas Salaberrios, a middle class youth born to unmarried parents, who started dealing drugs at age 11, went on to be a big kingpin, and then came to Jesus. I listened to this as an audiobook while running, and honestly, I am not sure I could have read it, because it was intense. I am talking about very violent experiences, hard drugs, demon possession, and exorcism. Dimas talks about his "trial and error" sanctification, his overseas missions, his church planting under Tim Keller, and more. This is a true, "come to Jesus" book, charismatic and convicting, about a man who wanted to become a street God, and instead took God to the streets. I am unclear what Salaberrios is doing now, but his story is a testimony worth hearing or reading!
71) The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachael Hauck- With four main characters and times alternating between 20 years in the past and the present, it took me a little bit to get into the story, and then a little while longer to get people and places straight (or at least mostly). After that, I was engrossed in the story of the Four Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Snow), best friends relegated to serve as counselors at Camp Tumbleweed the summer before their transition into college. When they couldn't have the best summer of their lives, they vowed to give their campers the best summer of theirs. Along the way, they faced lies, truths, spiritual questions, and even some danger. The author weaves the story together in truly heartwarming ways, and with literary devices that I can only attribute to writing genius. She does it all while pointing to the constant, never-ending friendship of Jesus, too. I think this truly is the best book I have read all summer!
72) The Song by Chris Fabry—Think of this as Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, but where the male character is the struggling one. Based off the movie by the same name (which I have not seen), this is the story of Jed King, son of musician David King, a man who vows to forgo his father's sins, but then falls right back into them. Parts of the story seem a little bit cheesy (like the names), and I would say the plot's crisis resolves a bit too quickly. Overall, though, the book was poignant and powerful. I especially appreciated the almost seamless integration of passages from Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon. Not exactly a biblical retelling, but a story that incorporates biblical truth, this is a story I enjoyed reading. It is edgy, but not inappropriate, and ultimately testifies to the power of God's love and redemption, songs all believers need sung over them again and again.
73) Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have by Annie F. Downs—This is classic Annie F. Downs writing: personal, easy to read, entertaining and poignant. In this book, written from various coffee shops around the world, Downs shares moments when she had to be brave in her life. She was brave when she stayed to work at a college campus ministry, brave when she packed up and moved to Nashville, and then to Scotland, and back. She shares her reticence to take these brave steps and testifies to how God supported her all along the way. She challenges readers to take courage from God, be brave, and do the next right thing. Although I did not find anything in this book earth-shatteringly unique, I did find the book prompting of some introspective thought. With as quickly and easily as this book's pages passed, I would say it is worth a few days to read this book and get encouraged about living bravely from a woman who has done it herself, many times over.
74) Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.—Stress is not bad, but too much of it is. In this book, psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour explores the rising sources of stress for girls, and the anxiety that can result. Not all anxiety is bad, she states, but it is bad when it become overwhelming and paralyzing. Covering issues like academics, gender, and stress, Damour uses composite stories to bring to life to the struggles of girls, along with her clinical expertise about how to handle these issues. Written for the every person (though I listened to this book via audio), and perhaps every parent, this book documents the role that adults have in helping normalize everyday stress and reduce pathological stress. The end goal is to help girls face stress well, bravely, because under pressure, carbon produces diamonds.
75) Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey to a Life of Meaning by Rebekah Lyons—Rebekah Lyons thought that moving to New York City with her family would be an adventure. Instead, it became a freefall into anxiety, and a search for meaning. In the end, she learned about surrender and trust in God. Although I didn't agree with quite everything Lyons writes, and don't think that everyone has the luxury of freefalling to find purpose, I think it is valuable to think about who God made me to be and surrendering to it. This book is both personal and philosophical, convicting and compassionate. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of it.
76) On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher—I had a hard time getting into this book. I dipped my toe in, but then it was just slow swimming. Paul Grayson spends his retirement income to buy Three Sisters Island and Camp Kicking Moose, the place where he met his wife. He hopes to enlist the help of his three daughters: Camden (Cam), Maddie, and Blaine, but they aren't having it, until they get to the island and sense some of its charm. There are some sub-characters and subplots that really deserve some mention: Captain Ed and his lobster, Peg Legg and her restaurant/store, schoolteacher Seth Walker, and Cam's son Cooper and his ball of string. When I step back and look at the book from that angle, it really is well crafted. It also has sweet lessons about family, forgiveness, and love. I would say that the tide had pulled me in by story's end, but then getting the next book required a hold. Will I read more in this series or will the waters ebb out before the next book comes in? We shall see....
77) Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith From Fear by Jinger Vuolo with Corey Williams—Jinger Vuolo grew up a Duggar, indoctrinated into abiding by the tenets of the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP), as taught by Bill Gothard. Then she and her sister Jessa married godly men who encouraged them to seek understanding of God through the Bible, and that changed everything. In this book, Vuolo unpacks lies that she believed under Gothard and biblical truths that set her free. She bravely shares the fear-based religion she practiced under Gothard and how she has disentangled her faith from it, rather than deconstructing her faith. This book reads more like a devotional than a tell-all and is filled with Scripture. I applaud Vuolo for writing it and pray that she and others who grew up under the IBLP continue to find freedom through faith in the Jesus of the Bible.
78) Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight—Not quite a memoir, not totally a business book; part story and part philosophy, this is Phil Knight’s tale of building Nike. From being a boomerang kid with a master’s degree and an interest in war history, to a world traveler who started Blue Ribbon shoes somewhat on a whim, to building his company, Knight sure had a ride, and not without challenges. He nearly went bankrupt several times. He endured lawsuits. He had enemies. He admits time and time again that he worked too hard and didn’t give his family enough time. This was an engaging read, but also one that saddened me some, in that it reads like Ecclesiastes, pointing to all the important, but meaningless toil it takes to build a business. In the end, Knight writes about trying to find meaning, but it rings hollow. Though the Alberto Salazar controversy (and other mistreatment of Nike athletes) keeps me from being a fan of the brand, this book does give me empathy for Phil Knight, as well as respect. He built an empire, even if it’s one of shoes that will, in the end, fall.
79) On a Coastal Breeze by Suzanne Woods Fisher—The hold came in pretty quick, so I continued reading about Paul, Cam, Blaine, and Maddie Grayson as they navigate life on Three Sisters Island. There are really meaningful parts of the story, about fear and forgiveness and love. Cam and Seth finally figure things out. Maddie resolves some pain from the past with the arrival of childhood classmate Ricky O'Shea. Blaine continues to search for meaning. I liked the story, and somehow it still seemed to lack some nuance and death. I plan to read the third book, but I am just really not sure what I think of this author/series.
80) Getting Good at Being You: Learning to Love Who God Made You to Be By Lauren Alaina—I was not sure about this book when I started listening to it, as it seemed to be all about self-love. As the book went on, however, I came to enjoy learning Alaina's (runner-up on American Idol) story. She wraps up the book well, too, encouraging people to serve others and be who God made them to be. Read by the author, this was an enjoyable (reasonably) short audiobook that left me with some feel-good feelings.
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