Be careful what you read. It may change your life!
Franz Kafka wrote that books can “wound and stab us … wake us up with a blow on the head … affect us like a disaster … grieve us deeply.”
As we slide further into Summer, think about the books you plan to read the rest of this year.
What is on your to-read list? Is there a book with which you know you will disagree? Is there one that could rattle your cage a bit more than usual? Could we spend this year reading dangerously?
Tell us your book plans below. It will be “fun” to see what you come up with.
We readers like recommendations!
I’ve got a book that’s on the way
from the halls of Amazon,
and it should last until the day
that the baking summer’s gone,
a fine thick tome on engineering
the mighty Boeing triple-7,
with CATIA’s recent appearing
to make design-work a Nerd Heaven
of pure virtuality,
an abstract place of perfect fits
without the incarnality
of actually making bits
that show the stubborn dull pretences
of their tooling tolerances.
***
And when I’m done it’ll be a fine doorstop.
I am reading through all of Jim Rubart’s books in order. I’m on Memories Door now. Wow is all I can say. Rooms is still my favorite…
I’m thirty-one books into my goal of fifty books for the year. Please note that it’s almost an even split between physical reads (I’m including print copy and eBooks in that), and audiobooks. I’m not that fast of a physical reader. So far, I think I’ve done well reading a wide variety of authors and genres, including fantasy, scifi, historical, several non-fictions, a couple of contemporaries, one biblical fiction, and one memoir.
Right now, I’m reading a historical fiction in physical copy (A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy) and a scifi/dystopian on audio. (All That Glows by Lauren Smyth) They’re both good, but “All That Glows” has grabbed me and will not let go. I’m not even halfway through and already gasped several times. Dystopian can be hit-or-miss for me, so I’m glad when I find one that’s a hit!
I’m looking for a book that speaks to women in ministry, perhaps in a provocative way. I’m open to suggestions and having my thoughts broadened.
In light of our country’s 250th anniversary I plan to read more historical fiction and biographical books about the founding fathers and the revoltionary period. Recommendations welcome!
I’m reading the Sensible Shoes series by Sharon Garlough Brown. They are about a group of women who meet at a spiritual journey center and learn about drawing closer to God through spiritual direction practices. They each have their own weaknesses that God gently addresses: one is fear-based, another a perfectionist, control-lover. Another deals with life-long rejection, and the fourth is a pastor, forced to take an unwanted sabbatical and who hides her own hurts behind pouring her life out in ministry.
Also in the spirit of America’s 250th birthday I have some American history and politics books mixed in with adventure and mysteries in my TBR stack.
Several by David McCullough are waiting for me: 1776, John Adams, Mornings on Horseback, Truman, and The Pioneers. His book on the Wright Brothers was fascinating.
The Case for America by Bret Baier
Getting it Right by William F. Buckley, Jr. I have to reread some of his chapters to absorb them.
Theo of Golden
Letters of E. B. White. His writing is without fluff but appears effortless with superb wording. He describes not being satisfied with some of his articles, to the point of asking the post office to retrieve the envelopes sent to his editor after he dropped them in the mailbox.
Since I have been in hand splints since January, piano, guitar, composing, writing, and photography have been put on hold. Thus, I had to search for something unique that I could get my mind around. And I discovered an entirely new area of study. Cognitive Function and healing music. This has opened new doors for me. Four books I’d recommend :
Waking the Spirit by Andrew Schulman
This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Leviton.
Music Medicine by Christine Steven’s.
Musicophilia by Oliver Sachs
I don’t usually plan my reading, nor am I so methodical as to read from a book everyday, though I certainly read from my Bible everyday. Instead, I read almost exclusively from nonfiction books which either instruct me in biblically-based Christian living or inspire me to deepen my relationship with Christ Jesus or manage my wealth (as little as it is) or inform me about prophetic warnings to prepare for Jesus’ return, etc. I read mostly Christian-themed nonfiction books, but I sometimes read non-Christian-themed nonfiction books as well. I don’t dislike or reject fictional works, but I simply prefer literature that educates and informs me over something that entertains me through storytelling. Upon finishing reading a book, I usually take a break, unless I have another book of interest patiently waiting for my attention.
Atomic Habits has been on my shelf a while. I’ve been thinking a lazy summer day might be a good time to pull that out.
I’m currently reading Sacred Margins. 😊