Finally, a better reading month! I finally finished a few books (eg number 74) and found weekend time to consume a few more. It's been a good months of books overall:
73) Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa TerKeurst—Written after the author’s reconciliation with her husband and before the divorce that ultimately ended her marriage, this is a powerful treatise about what forgiveness is and isn’t. Rich in theology and shared in a personal way through personal stories, this is a call to remember the good, cover sin with the blood of Jesus, leave bitterness behind, and walk forward in freedom and peace. Although readers realize that TerKeurst’s forgiveness didn’t end in ultimate earthly reconciliation, the value of reconciliation with God shines brightly through this book. For that, the book is one people should add to their lists and not forget to read!
74) Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins—This book was a business book, outside my normal course of reading. I read it because I wanted to learn more about leadership and how to be a good leader. This book did give me some input on how to build a great business or organization. Get the right people on the bus. Lead humbly. Have a mission. Get buy-in. The book was a little beyond my scope in terms of research, going into great detail, especially in the appendices, about stocks and profits and so on. I could probably do a little better understanding a book more about the people side of good to great, than the economics side.
75) The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher with Mary Pilon—Engaging, intriguing, and infuriating, this book gives an inside look at professional running, specifically under the now defamed coach Alberto Salazar. Goucher bars no holds, talking openly about sexual assault, pay inequities, the fertility treatments she needed to get pregnant, getting wrongly diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and more. This book includes language, graphic content, and political statements, but those are all very real inside the world of sport. The book seemed to end a little abruptly, without much comment on Goucher's life now. The book was about her professional running, career, though, so I understand. I just hope that she might now write a book about the longer race of life, especially life as a runner with focal dystonia.
76) Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke, MD—Pros for this book are that the author writes about science and psychology in approachable, readable ways. She writes through stories, those of her patients, and those of her own, about how the world of plenty has harmed us, and how we could do better to balance pleasure and pain. Lembke writes some about the power of “prosocial shame” and the value of connection. Major cons are the explicit references to sexual and substance addictions that could themselves be triggers for people who struggle with these issues. I think the author's heart is good, but this book is way too unbalanced on the con side for me to recommend it to anyone.
77) Before You Lose Your Faith: Deconstructing Doubt in the Church Edited by Ivan Mesa—While not the most scintillating treatise on deconversion, this collection of essays asks hard questions about why people leave the church. The book challenges current pastors and churchgoers to consider making space for doubt, to enrich theology of suffering, and to make a way for people to see the real Jesus. For those deconverting, it challenges the idea that deconstruction is radical. It is more so the norm. Finding true faith is what is truly radical. Considering the issues raised in this book might point readers closer to truth faith that lasts.
78) Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Who We Are in Christ Edited by Melissa Krueger—This was a solid book—solid in that it challenged and encouraged me to found more of my identity on and in Christ. Each chapter goes through a way that identity has been stolen, the truth about identity in Christ, and how Christ can transform believers more into His image as a result. The chapters each have a scripture memory verse and discussion questions as well, making this a great resource for womens' study groups. I came away from reading this renewed, refreshed, and reminded that my identity rests in Christ, not in what I do, who I know, or anything else. Christ is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through [Him]” (John 14:6, NIV).
79) 100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self by Annie F. Downs—This is really a great, very thorough devotional! I thought it would encourage me to go out and do crazy things, so I was honestly a little hesitant to start. As I read, though, I found encouragement to be a good wife, friend, employee, etc. Downs covers well all aspects of wellness: emotional, mental, spiritual, etc. Each day's reading is 1-2 pages, and contains a verse and a challenge question. I really recommend this book!
80) Coming Home: Essays on the New Heaven and New Earth Edited by D. A. Carson and Jeff Robinson, Sr. —When I opened this book, I expected to read some dense theological explorations of the end times. Instead, what I found were more practical, consumable essays about what the future of a new heaven and new earth mean for Christian living today. Written forms of addresses from the 2015 Gospel Coalition, the chapters of this book encourage readers to study their Bibles, act righteously and justly today, and look to God to give the final answers about what the new heaven and new earth will be like. The authors encourage readers and pastors not to shy away from difficult topics, but to embrace them so that they can learn more about God and have more empathy for believers around the world, even those who think differently about end times and justice matters. This is a reasonable, and fairly quick read for those looking for some fresh perspective on the eternity of home.
81) Mountain Sanctuary by Lenora Worth—This was a sweet story about a washed up cop who meets a single mom trying to rebuild her life after losing both her mother and her husband. There is a lot in this book about faith, biblical truths to give readers pause, and a reminder that ultimate sanctuary is in God the Father. Although this book ends as expected, and a bit abruptly at that, it was a sweet restful read, perfect for a weekend respite from the trials of daily life.
82) A Season of Forgiveness by Brenda Coulter—This book starts with a bang, literally, a gunshot that could have killed Victoria Talcott, but did not, thanks to the divine intervention of the McGarry brothers. Victoria has always tried to live a safe life, worrying, and double-checking constantly in an attempt to make that happen. Now life is anything but safe. While working to find her equilibrium, she spends time with her rescuers, one of whom she can fall for, all but the safety part. Meanwhile, Victoria is also trying to keep her job as library archivist safe. She believes she has a means by which to do so, only to discover it means that doing so would mean disclosing a secret kept safe for years, a secret kept safe by a man who decided long ago that “Real love forgives....Every single time, it forgives.” Filled with challenges to believe, trust God, have faith, and seek scripture, this book definitely has some twists and turns, all of which ultimately result in reconciling love, God's saving, forgiving love most of all.
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