My summer reading habits are always a bit on the lighter side with mysteries, quick reads that don't take much focus, and audiobooks, so my list of recommended books today will be short. The good part is that the books that were well-written really stood out! (Like after you come home from a vacation where you ate everything in sight, and then you have that first home cooked meal with protein in it. Same feeling basically.) So let's skip the gas station snacks and get right to the meat and potatoes:
Fiction
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
This book.
It followed me around the house, in the car, front porch, laid open, spine cracked, underlined. It's a new friend.
Now, to be fair, I am a sucker for small town, coming-of-age, atmospheric writing. For part of my youth, we lived in a small town - we're talking five party phone system (where five households shared the same line and could listen in!), and my best friend lived on a farm and we thought playing in the mud was the best idea, and I ran across a field of wildflowers and would pretend fall like I was in the opening credits of Little House on the Prairie on my way to go visit my pastor dad at his church - so partly it's just that I relate in a way that makes me feel sentimental and that I could be friends with the kids in the book.
And partly it is because of the excellent writing. The view of life through 12 year old Cory's eyes is beautifully told, even the way he describes his bike (which he named Rocket) having a mind of its own was so imaginary, heartfelt and true to what you can see a kid thinking. The tension built around the mystery, the sadness and confusion you felt as he watched his dad struggle with seeing death and losing his job, and the humor of the kids' interactions and the description of the small town characters was spot on. And, yes, in one part, it brought me to tears. Which is rare for me when reading. (I have a stubborn part of me that refuses to be emotionally manipulated...I'll feel my own emotions, thank you.)
“No doubt about it, summer was on the wane. The mornings seemed a shade cooler. The nights were hungry, and ate more daylight.”
Rating: Five stars - Read it to see what a well-written book should be. Take your time with it. PG-13 for language. Similar books: Cold, Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
Non-Fiction
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
I'm late to the game on this one, having had this book on my shelf for years, unopened. But it made its way to the top of the to-be-read stack and it hit my life at just the right time. The subtitle is: "The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers." We - as humans - like to throw around our self-righteousness, and attack each other to gain a sense of power within ourselves. (As my college roommate used to say, "Who died and made you fruit inspector?" I always laugh when that phrase comes to mind.)
Seeing another person sin, we pile it on, withholding forgiveness and lording it over others (pretending we even have the right to do so). Or, we ourselves are the sinners and avoid looking at Jesus (the author and finisher of our faith), thinking he could never want to look on us, or be near us. To these perspectives, Ortlund brings the truth of who Jesus is. And spoiler: The truth is the opposite of both those positions. Only he can extend true grace. Only he can heal our wounds.
The reason that Jesus is in such close solidarity with us is that the difficult path we are on is not unique to us. He has journeyed on it himself. It is not only that Jesus can relieve us from our troubles, like a doctor prescribing medicine; it is also that, before any relief comes, he is with us in our troubles, like a doctor who has endured the same disease."
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. A thoughtful read, and - for lack of a better word - a kind read.
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
I've not finished this book quite yet, but it was another one that I have owned for years (and years). Funny story: I bought it after I saw it over the shoulder of a Cubs player when he was being interviewed and you could see it in his locker- I can't remember the name of the player, otherwise I'd tell you. wink Finally, I picked it up. Considered one of the recent classics of theology, Knowing God defines the attributes of who God is and encourages readers to understand that it's when we look at and learn more of who He is, our troubles, our own selves, our struggles become minimal in the face of the overwhelming truth of Who God Is. Packer is careful to point out that it is not just about knowing facts about God, it is knowing Him in our lowest moments, in actually knowing what it means to experience the love or grace or mercy (etc.) of God.
“We must seek, in studying God, to be led to God.”
Rating: 4 out of 5. Encouraging, and challenging to how/what I believe about God. And I love the message behind it, that the more we focus on God, the less it becomes about us. (Completely opposite of much of the message out there today.) Could some of you theologians argue some of his points? Probably. But still... it was a favorite of this summer.
And that's it for the summer list! I know - short and sweet. IF you are wanting more book recommendations, don't fret! There's plenty more here at these older posts:
Happy Reading! Let me know what you've enjoyed lately. I always love recommendations!
Thank you to those of you who have kindly supported me by giving to my Buy Me a Coffee account! I appreciate it so much!
Want to help support me?
Follow me on Instagram: BSideBecca
Follow me on Facebook: BSideBecca
Past Book Reviews: