I set a goal to read seven books this month. I knew this was possible, given that I read at least two books at week last year. Midway through the month, I realized that this goal was NOT happening on its own, so I developed a new strategy: I had to read at least a book a week, and that meant dividing how ever many pages the book had by seven and getting those pages read! I did somewhat "cheat" (or take the easy way out) to meet my goal, as the last two books I picked to read to get to my goalwere only about 100 Libby pages each. I did not know that when I checked them out to read, but it worked in my favor. (I also ended up returning to a quick fiction read between them because, well, I was tired of nonfiction!) I will argue that since I read several very long books, it was only fair to add a few shorter, easier reads to meet my goal this month. Anyway, here is my list:
18) Breaking Free From Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good by Jess Connolly —I have seen many Christian women post about this book. I have followed Jess Connolly on social media for some time, after having read, Wild and Free. This book surpassed all the expectations I had for it, in spite of my exposure to media about it. More about flat out shame than about the body, this is a freedom call to women, encouraging them to live out the good God has put in them, to worship God in their bodies, to repent, and to bring about revival in the land. Connolly does a great job portraying the nuances of a just and righteous God with a loving and gracious one, and it hits home. God is good, and we can live out of and for that goodness. Amen and amen!
19) 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam—I started reading this book after seeing the 168 hours concept referenced in one two many other books I had read (eg Loving My Actual Life and Life Reimagined). In the beginning, the book really rankled me, to the point that I started, and finished, reading another book first. Then I decided to get back to this one. There is certainly a point that this book is at Maslow's level of self-actualization. People in developing countries and other forms of poverty do not really have time to categorize their 168 hours and learn to manage them better. Still, I did glean some things from this. I have choices. If I choose to do housework, it is really a hobby (since, technically, I could hire it out—if I wanted to, but also, if I could afford it, which is another discussion). Multi-tasking is switch-tasking, which wastes time. In the end, a good summary of the question this book leaves readers with is that of Mary Oliver, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do. With your one wild and precious life?” Perhaps those of us in first-world countries could do more than we are. It is a thought at least worth giving a little time to ponder.
20) An Uncertain Inheritance: Writers on Caring For Family Edited by Nell Casey—A collection of essays on caring, and being cared for, this book is a tender testament to the fragility of life. Written by authors from many walks of life, this book covers care for many types of people: aging parents, partners, children with special needs, and even self. In a nation that touts independence and strength, this is a testament to the need for and benefits of care, uncertain a process as it may be.
21) The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father One Day at A Time by Jonathan Kozol—An account of Psychiatrist Dr. Harry Kozol's battle with Alzheimer's disease, and his son's care for him during that 14 year period, this is a timely memoir about memory and the inability of the loss of it to truly steal a person's entire humanity. Dr. Kozol realized he was slipping, and eventually he had to live in a care home, for his safety and for the well-being of his wife, but in the end, he outlived his wife, living until 102 and leaving in his wake a legacy of good patient care and prolific scientific writing. This is a sweet book to read for those caring for ailing parents now, or for those who do so in the future. Decidedly non-Christian/non-religious, it still has something to offer in terms of detailing the end of a life well lived and not taken too soon.
22) How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life by Caroline Webb—This was quite a tome, and at the same time, not too hard to read. About working life, this book incorporates anecdotes, psychoeducation about cognitive biases, and practical ideas about how to use the deliberate mind instead of the “defend” mind. With tips and tricks for working with people and tending to tasks like e-mails, this book has a little bit of something for everyone. At least a skim read, or topical read might be good for many.
23) Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh—What a delightful, and poignant read! Written in 1955 by the wife of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh during a solo trip to the beach, this collection of essays is as timely now as it was then. In each essay, the author describes a shell from the beach, and what it teaches her about being a woman, wife, and mother. She touches on the demands of these roles; the need for moments of stillness, freedom, and creativity, and the ebbs and flows of these characteristics in relationships. She writes of herself as a feminist, yet she must be an old wave feminist, because she speaks highly of marriage and of the great need for men and women to work together. She writes of busyness and the need to stay present. Truly, this book is a timeless gift, one that even Lindbergh’s daughter says she rereads every time she goes to the beach, even 50 years after the book’s first publishing. I might consider re-reading it in the future as well.
24) Mending the Doctor's Heart by Tina Radcliffe—Dr. Sara Elliott has been on the run for some time: from her father's expectations, a failed relationship, etc. Dr. Ben Rogers is running, too, trying to avoid swamping grief. Both find themselves in Paradise, Colorado vying for the same job. As in many romance novels, they expectedly fall for each. There are some plot twists I did not expect, however. There are also some poignant messages about selflessness and self-sacrifice, and a note that forgiveness, both of self and others, "is an act of faith." Yes, the book may be cliche in its beginning and end, but this meat in the middle is heart medicine, and for that reason, worth the read.
25) What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: 8 Principles for Finding God’s Way by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend—A short and concise book, with contents that are not necessarily earth-shattering, this could still be a resource for people lost in the muddle of life and seeking God's way out. With brief chapters, real-life stories, and highlighted quotes, this is easy to read. It is decidedly Christian, however, and would be of most use to those who understand what true saving faith means.
26) Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding Church by Rachel Held Evans—Long ago, I read Held's book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood about her experience trying out biblical practices of being a woman (especially the Old Testament ones). In this memoir/expose, Evans explores her evangelical upbringing, church disillusionment, leaving church, and seeking to find it again. With stats and Scriptures, Held shows a lot of ways that the church is failing Christians, or making it hard for believers to stay in church. After all the pain she experiences, however, in the end, she concludes, “I can’t be a Christian on my own. Like it or not, following Jesus is a group activity, something we’re supposed to do together.” While I cannot get behind everything Evans believed (she has since passed away), I think that this is a valuable read for believers seeking to understand the deconstructing/exvangelical/dechurched (whatever we are calling it) movement.
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