Top 5 books with an interesting subtitle I've read so far this year
Friends, our reading year is half over! (I'm not the only one who measures time this way, am I?) If you follow any sort of reading challenge for the year, I thought I could help you fill in some of the categories with what I've been reading so far this year. (For what it's worth, I chose these categories from this popular reading challenge.)
Previous Top 5s:
Top 5 books published in 2017 I've read so far this year
Top 5 books about an interesting woman I've read so far this year
Category: A book with an interesting subtitle
Anyone else intrigued with the words that come after the main title? Sometimes it's my favorite part - although in one of my picks, I actually wish the author'd gone with something different.
1. At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider (Thomas Nelson, 2017. 288 pages)
To be honest, I'm always afraid I won't be unbiased enough to give a proper recommendation for a friend's book. Then, I swing too far the other way and don't give it enough kudos. I'm trying to get better at that because I'm lucky to have a surprising number of friends who've written books. Tsh is a friend, AND this is is a great book. She tells the story of the nine months she and her husband took their 3 kids (ages 10 and under) on a trip around the world. If you are a traveller, you'll enjoy learning from the Oxenreider's travel savvy. If not, you'll still enjoy the book for it's winsome reflections on the need for all humans to know a place called home. Reading Tsh's book felt like chatting over a relaxed dinner with friends - both enlightening and comforting. This was a book I didn't want to put down, and I wholeheartedly recommend.
2. To Alter Your World: Partnering with God to Rebirth Our Communities by Michael Frost & Christiana Rice (IVP Books, 2017. 240 pages)
I read this book for Englewood Review's latest print journal, and will post a link when my (thumbs up) review is available online. In the meantime, subscribe to ERB here!
3. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Beacon Press, 256 pages)
We read this together with our church's reading group (Apostles Reads). Written in 1967, this is the last book Dr. King wrote before being assassinated in 1968. The title alone felt important for our current political climate in the U.S. I will write a longer review soon, but for now I'll say that this as provocative and prescient as anything I've ever read/heard from Dr. King. I'm grateful for the group of thoughtful people who were willing to read along with me, and engage in the deep conversations the book initiates.
4. Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters -- And How to Talk About It by Krista Tippett (Penguin Books, 2008. 240 pages)
For the past year or so, I've been listening to the On Being podcast with Krista Tippett. This is my first time reading her, and I feel like I've found another important mentor. Tippett is eloquently skilled at communicating her own faith while intelligently engaging people of all faiths to share their own stories. This is a rare skill, and I want to grow in it.
5. The Way of Letting Go: One Woman's Walk Toward Forgiveness by Wilma Derksen (Zondervan, 2017. 240 pages)
I read this newly-released book for a review at one of my favorite book recommendation sources, the Englewood Review of Books. Once the review is published, I'll update here. In the meantime, if you are hoping to become a person able to live in the freedom that comes with radical forgiveness, add Derksen's book to your must-read pile. It's a hard and redemptive story, as characterizes most profound Gospel stories. (update: The book review can now be found at ERB's site here).
I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!
What are some of the best books you've read so far this year?
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Here's all the books I've read in January, February, March/April, & May/June.
Go to my reading lists page to see my reading lists from 2016 and previous years.
Here's my Goodreads page. Let's be friends!
p.s. there are all kinds of affiliate links in this post because I'm trying to be a good steward, and when you buy something through one of these links you don't pay more money, but in some magical twist of capitalism we get a little pocket change. Thanks!