Summer Suggestions: Read a Good Book
by Denise Morris on 08/07/2008 at 11:06 AM
Honestly, summer is not quite as exciting once you are in the work force. You may take a week or two off, but the majority of those sweet summer days are spent indoors.
However, the sun stays out longer and we do get to enjoy the outdoors a bit more. Once you're worn out from biking, swimming or hiking, I recommend sitting outside with some lemonade and a good book.
I've been reading a lot more fiction lately, thanks to my new roommate and her stack of books that I've never read. She introduced me to one of my new favorites, Leif Enger's "Peace Like a River." It's well-written and quite entertaining.
I've also re-read a couple of Frank Peretti books this summer. Although his type of writing is not what I normally go for, it's been kind of fun to enjoy the suspense -- to cheer for the angels and encourage the prayer warriors to get to work.
I spent much of my spring reading through all of the Anne of Green Gables books and I also started re-reading good ole "Jane Eyre."
If fiction's not your thing, no worries. I also enjoyed these non-fiction reads:
"UnChristian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons (great insights into what people think of the church)
"Our Father Abraham" by Marvin R. Wilson (fascinating stuff about the Jewish roots of Christianity)
"Ask Me Anything 2" by J. Budziszewski (more great advice from Professor Theophilus!)
"Real Sex" by Lauren Winner (practical and insightful thoughts on chastity)
"The Promised Power" by Roc Bottomly (balanced view on the working of the Word and Spirit)
OK, that should be enough to get you started. If you're not into books, there's always the excellent articles that Boundless and TrueU have to offer.
What have you been reading this summer? Let me know -- I'm always looking for a good book!
1. Christina (in green) said the following at 11:53 AM on Aug 6:
I miss reading sooo much...
Problem is that work is INCREDIBLY more busy during the summer than in winter... And winter simply sucks for being outdoors...even in florida. The sun is gone when i go to work and when i go home =(
I've been reading Utopia and I also started a great new series by a polish guy. Its called the Firefish Trilogy. Its really cool :)
2. Tami said the following at 12:16 PM on Aug 7:
I plan to read What is the What by Dave Eggers, which is what was referred to on Amazon as a "fictionalized memoir" of one of the Sudanese lost boys.
Not exactly light reading, but I've been looking forward to it. That is, now that I'm not reading for a class. ;)
3. Becca said the following at 12:19 PM on Aug 7:
Reading is a big feat for me with 2 small kiddos but I've managed to get through several this summer:
1. Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster
2. A Return to Modesty by Wendy Shalit
3. Never Silent: How Third World Missionaries Are Now Bringing the Gospel to the U.S. by Thaddeus Barnum
Before the year is out, I plan to read a classic novel like Pride and Prejudice. I haven't picked one up since high school. Shame on me!
4. Michelle (of Kansas) said the following at 12:34 PM on Aug 7:
Earlier this spring semester at college, I read Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy, and it changed my whole perspective on how I approach Jesus Christ, relationships and ultimately my relationship with God. This summer, I've been doing a study on the book with several high school girls in my community. Definitely an amazing book!!
Other favorite books are the following:
When Dreams Come True by Eric and Leslie Ludy
Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones
Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
To name just a few...
5. Joy W. said the following at 12:41 PM on Aug 7:
I'm reading Mansfield Park right now. The last couple of summers I've read Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion. I can't believe I hadn't touched any Jane Austen until my mid-twenties, and now I'm making up for it!
I vastly prefer fiction to nonfiction, and I love the characterization in these novels! And, of course, there's romance without having to worry about smut! :-)
6. Ashley S. said the following at 12:45 PM on Aug 7:
Oh, lovely, lovely "Jane Eyre"! That is my most favorite book.
This summer, I have been reading "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" for the very first time. I liked "The Hobbit", but I'm not quite sure how I feel about LOTR yet. Only a few more chapters and I'll be done.
7. Tabitha said the following at 12:57 PM on Aug 7:
War and Peace and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The two combined are just enough to keep me busy, and different enough to keep me entertained.
8. Michelle (in the UK) said the following at 1:04 PM on Aug 7:
Classic Christianity by Bob George,
Run to Win by Christine Caine,
Blessed Life by Robert Morris,
Heaven is in this House, Bobbie Houston
9. Read said the following at 1:05 PM on Aug 7:
Okay, looks like I need to dispel the myth that only women read for recreation. So far this summer I've read Journey of Desire by John Eldredge, Shattered Dreams by Dr. Larry Crabb, and Heaven by Randy Alcorn (thanks to Dr. Ransom for turning me onto that last one.) I also plan to read Unchristian by David Kinnaman. I was supposed to read Me Talk Pretty One Day for my book club, but now that I've learned more about the author I'm reconsidering that.
10. Susie said the following at 1:14 PM on Aug 7:
One book that I am reading right now and quite enjoying is Church History in Plain language by Bruce Shelley. Very informative, and easy to read.
11. Marianne said the following at 1:26 PM on Aug 7:
Wow, amazing. Peace Like a River is one of my most favorite books. I, too, am going through Anne of Green Gables again this summer (isn't it the 100th anniversary of the first book this year?) I also have read Real Sex. I will check out your other suggestions since it seems like we enjoy the same kinds of reading. Thanks!
12. Priscilla said the following at 1:40 PM on Aug 7:
I totally agree with you, Suzanne, about how summer tends to pall when you're not on vacation (especially if, like me, you've just lived through a summer with the thermometer hovering around 40 degrees celsius!) I keep telling my school and college-age cousins to make the best of their long summer holidays while they have them.
Books, though, are my constant companions all through the year, not just in summer. Here were some of my favourites over the summer just gone by (thankfully, we've finished with the worst of the heat and are already in monsoon season):
I loved the Anne of Green Gables series too, and since I finally managed to complete my collection of all 8 books this year, I've been re-reading them. It's a wonderful world of innocence and imagination. I also love the Emily series by the same author -- at least the first two books, Emily of New Moon and Emily Climbs.
In fact, I've been gorging on kidlit this summer. Many of the older authors, especially, write much more than mere fluff. They can really relax and amuse and touch and teach you in ways that a lot of adult fiction doesn't manage to do.
I enjoyed Swallows and Amazons, Swallowdale, and Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome. (Those are really summery books!) I re-read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Having watched Caspian on the big screen, I was inspired to start a Narnia re-read . (There's also some excellent Narnia fanfic available on the internet, by the way. I agree that most fanfic is pathetic, but hidden in all the rubbish are occasional gems of writers who can bring a world alive. And the Narnia fandom has some excellent Christian writers as well, who write with CS Lewis' worldview, and whom you wish would start writing their own fantasy to counter the non-Christian worldview that seems to dominate the fantasy fiction scene these days. Incidentally, I've read quite a bit of Terry Pratchett recently -- while I relish his satire, I'm not sure I see eye to eye with him on a lot of issues...what do you all think?)
More children's stories: Just today, I read From Anna, Jean Little's sensitive tale of a visually handicapped German immigrant to Canada in the 1930s. I'm planning a re-read of Patricia St. John's wonderful children's books -- Star of Light, Treasures in the Snow, Rainbow Garden and Tanglewood Secret. (Does Christian literature have a better children's writer than her?) I also love her Twice Freed, the tale of Onesimus, the slave who is the focus of Paul's letter to Philemon.
In fact, historical fiction is one of my favourite genres -- both Christian and secular. I enjoyed John, Son of Thunder by Ellen Traylor and am about to start on Llyod C. Douglas' classic The Robe. I also read Valerie Anand's Crown of Roses, set in Richard III's reign and several of Bodie Thoene's Zion Chronicles series crafted around the birth of Israel.
Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre have also written an excellent non-fiction account of Israel's birth, titled O Jerusalem, but it was their other book on India's independence, Freedom at Midnight, that I read last summer.
I don't read too much non-fiction as a rule, but I did enjoy Paul Brand and Philip Yancey's Fearfully and Wonderfully Made as well as Max Lucado's deceptively simple Just Like Jesus. I'm planning a re-read of missionary Isobel Kuhn's autobiographical writings -- I am repeatedly challenged by her experiences, her commitment and her insight; even her failings. Check out By Searching, In The Arena, Stones of Fire, Nests Above the Abyss and Green Leaf in Drought.
Back with fiction, I'm just finishing the fourth book in Jan Karon's Mitford series: Out to Canaan. Her protagonist, the small town American Episcopal minister Father Tim, and I share nothing in common except our Saviour, and yet what a sharing that is! I've learnt with him to "pray the prayer that never fails: Thy will be done".
Once you get me started on books, I could go on forever, but I guess I should finish up this list for now. Thanks, Suzanne, for letting me share a passion.
13. Dr. Ransom said the following at 1:52 PM on Aug 7:
Great to hear the recommendation worked, Read, and that you really did read ... what'd you think of Heaven?
Last night I finished Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears. Now I'm going back to Bob Kauflin's Worship Matters, having already also finished Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. Before that, I quickly read through the shorter Young, Restless, Reformed by Collin Hansen.
And before that, as part of a church study, I had also finished reading How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Dougas Stuart. It's a great primer on the redemptive, God-centered metanarrative of Scripture and how to understand the literary forms of the books of the Bible and read them exegetically, with said metanarrative in mind.
However, that doesn't mean I only enjoy nonfiction. In fact, fiction is moving up a few notches on my to-read list. The other week I finally finished The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley, a slow-moving yet intriguing Christian sci-fi novel by Chris Walley (no, not that WALL-E). (The first half of the book is very slow-moving, yet things pick up, interestingly, once the characters find their sin natures again.)
Also, I read a short Bill Myers novel (The Voice) that was good, yet not very Christ-centered and seemed to imply the superiority of pacifism.
Currently, though, I will likely re-start on the nonfiction Worship Matters and alternate sporadic reading sessions between that and Ingathering, a collection of related short contemporary fantasy/sci-fi stories written by Zenna Henderson. (These rarely known stories were recommended to me by a certain special friend, and were also partly adapted into a '70s made-for-TV movie starring William "That Klingon $#^#$%! just killed my son" Shatner.)
Pressed all together like this, it may look like I read a lot. But really, it's not nearly enough ...
14. Heather Koerner said the following at 1:59 PM on Aug 7:
I read Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (of Little Women fame) at the beach this summer.
Sweet, well-written, moral, girly romance. Hard-working, poor and worthy girl finds the boy. Think of it as Jane Eyre lite.
15. Shannon K said the following at 2:10 PM on Aug 7:
I just finished reading Dickens' David Copperfield for the first time. It required a significant time investment (900+ pages) but was well worth it! At first, Dickens' penchant for coincidence was exasperating, but the story and characters became so engrossing that I failed to notice them after a while. As usual, there were a couple characters that had me wanting to strangle them, but others, like Micawber and Dora, challenged me to not just dismiss people who possess one of my pet peeves, but rather to consider their entire character and recognize their strengths.
Goodness, I'm sounding as long-winded as Dickens...but his books are always challenging and a treat!
16. Kate said the following at 2:15 PM on Aug 7:
In the long list of books that make my mother shake her head and wonder why she couldn't have a normal daughter . . . Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat, by Morris Dees and James Corcoran. A well-written account of the dangers that paramilitary groups pose to this country and how the militia movement began.
If nothing else, I get a giggle out of what people must think seeing a petite 5 foot tall girl lounging in the park with this cracked open.
And my recommendation for something lighter? Museum: Behind the Scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, by Danny Danziger. It has interviews with everyone from the Director to the night shift guard, talking about their jobs at the museum and why they love it so much.
17. Priscilla said the following at 2:24 PM on Aug 7:
Dr. Ransom (#13), you said you have just finished The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley. Have you read his earlier stuff, written under the pen name John Haworth? I enjoyed Heart of Stone and Rock of Refuge, both of which probably come under the genre of Christian thriller (Can't think of anyone else who really writes in that genre though -- and no, it's nothing like Peretti, no angels and demons, no supernatural stuff at all. Apart from of course, the presence and working of God in and through the lives of his people.)
18. Tera said the following at 2:30 PM on Aug 7:
For fiction I've been reading The Circle series (Black, Red, and White) by Ted Dekker. Dekker really whets your appetite for Heaven.
For non-fiction I've read Get Married by Candice Watters. Next on my list is either The Grand Weaver or Recapture the Wonder both by Ravi Zacharias.
19. Dan said the following at 2:48 PM on Aug 7:
This summer I decided to read the more "authoritative" books by and about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (an interest that began with the FoF Radio Theatre production about his life) after reading a post-war biography. I started with "Dietrich Bonhoeffer" by Eberhard Bethge (his nephew-in-law) which is considered the consummate biography of Bonhoeffer. It assumes the reader has an extensive knowledge of academic theology, so some sections are way over my head. For on-and-off daily reading I have been reading excerpts from his "Letters and Papers from Prison." Eventually I'll get to "The Cost of Discipleship."
Al Mohler had a list of ten new-ish books on his blog earlier this summer. Several caught my eye, but most are not in my library yet.
20. Christina said the following at 3:28 PM on Aug 7:
A Tale of Two Cities is kicking my intellectual tail and I'm loving it.
21. Mallie said the following at 3:47 PM on Aug 7:
Christina: I love a Tale of Two Cities. It's my favorite novel of all time. Just sets my little romantic heart a flutter lol. I'm about to read Witness by Whittaker Chambers. From communist spy to conservative hero, the man has always fascinated me.
22. Missy W said the following at 5:50 PM on Aug 7:
I read Lauren Winner's Real Sex a while back and really enjoyed it.
I just finished reading The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne and When God Writes You Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Both of which I highly recommend.
Now, I am reading three books - The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, Sacred Marriage by Gary Chapman, and Sacred Sex by Tim Allan Gardner. All are excellent so far though I think my favorite right now is Sacred Sex.
23. EmmaLee said the following at 6:25 PM on Aug 7:
This summer I tackled, survived, and loved the unabridged "Le Miserable" by Victor Hugo. In spite of it's gigantic size, it is well worth the read. I also read "Moonstone" and "Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins, a friend of Charles Dickens. They are a wonderful blend of romance and mystery, very cleverly written. I give them both a hearty recommendation.
24. Courtney said the following at 8:27 PM on Aug 7:
Like Priscilla (12), I feast on kids' lit whenever I get the chance. In my experience, kids' lit delves much deeper than most adult novels. I highly recommend author Jerry Spinelli, who penned the Newbery Award-winning novel "Maniac Magee." Not a baseball fan (or sports fan for that matter), I still found this book fascinating for its portrait of a baseball-loving boy dealing with racism.
25. Sasha said the following at 8:55 PM on Aug 7:
Oh, Peace Like a River is one of my very favorite modern novels. Such an incredible book. I had the great privilege of meeting the author a few weeks ago and he spoke briefly during a Q&A session about his sincere Christian faith...it was pretty cool. We need more Christians out there writing excellent fiction for the secular market!
26. Rachael said the following at 8:57 PM on Aug 7:
I started reading "When Sinners Say 'I Do'", by Dave Harvey. Of what I've read so far, I think a lot of people's mindsets could benefit from the practical theology, not just people who are married or desire to marry.
27. Nathan said the following at 9:30 PM on Aug 7:
I'm currently reading:
- "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist" by Geisler & Turek; it's been a very informative and well-writtien read so far...it does a good job of turning the tables on atheists
I'm going to read soon:
- "What's so Amazing About Grace?" by Yancey; I read the visual edition and was fascinated by it. So much that I bought a copy from Amazon so I can give to my Buddhist friend that I'm trying to witness to. I'm looking forward to reading the original (which I bought at the same time)
28. BDB said the following at 9:46 PM on Aug 7:
Apparently I need to read The Shack to figure out what in the world has everyone so upset.
Hey, here's a Wall Street Journal review of some book called Breaking Dawn. That must be a new book on investing...
29. Leah said the following at 10:42 PM on Aug 7:
Well, it's winter here, but I still enjoy reading!
I'm a diehard Harry Potter fan and converted my disdainful husband after I read the first chapter of the first book to him. Since then, he has made me read the first four books to him and we are on the hunt for the fifth. (I've read all of them but of course now have to read them to him!)
Harry aside, I love Lori Wick books. Particularly "The Princess" and the English Garden series.
Becca: Pride and Prejudice is very entertaining :D
30. Alex C. said the following at 10:48 PM on Aug 7:
I do most of my reading when I'm on the bus going to school, or between classes, or during lunch. During the summer I don't read as much, but I've still been able to get some done. Since summer started I read "Thinner" and "Skeleton Crew", both by Stephen King, and I'm almost done with IT. I'm having a Stephen King Marathon ^^. I've also been reading a lot of manga (japanese comics). I just finished collecting Death Note.
31. emsolideogloria said the following at 11:10 PM on Aug 7:
"God in the Dock", a collection of essays by C.S. Lewis. It took me several months of reading a few essays at a time but I'm so glad I read it.
32. emsolideogloria said the following at 11:11 PM on Aug 7:
Oh, and "Are Women Human" - a tiny, 2 essay booklet featuring Miss Dorothy Sayers was a fun and inspiring read that I just completed. I highly recommend it to humans of both genders. :-)
33. valerie said the following at 2:11 AM on Aug 8:
Yay, Tabitha (#7)! I'm reading "War & Peace" too...My husband has been on me to read it for a couple years now, but all he remembers is the military stuff. I'm enjoying the romance. Tolstoy really knows how to 1.) develop his characters and 2.) make me want to see Russia!
"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte was a good read. It reminded me a little of "Mansfield Park." Lit critics don't like both of them for the "moralizing"...but it's nice to have characters who strive to please God rather than men.
Another perspective-altering book I've read lately is "The Gospel in a Pluralist Society" by Lesslie Newbiggin. I love how he thinks.
34. Sarah Riley said the following at 4:50 AM on Aug 8:
Part-way through reading at the mo:
Zipporah by Marek Halter
Let Me Be A Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
Singing through the Night by Anneke Companjen
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood/John Piper and Wayne Grudem, editors.
Read in the last few weeks/months:
Sarah by Marek Halter
Get Married by Candice Watters
Be Still My Soul by Elisabeth Elliot
now and not yet by Jennifer A. Marshall
Picture books I can't get enough of and recommend to anyone with eyes:
Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusions by Al Seckel
One Million by Hendrik Hertzberg
35. kaarina said the following at 8:38 AM on Aug 8:
I'm reading "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell. I'm not one for romances, really, but the cultural divide in the story and the way Gaskell explores the growing union movement among English textiles in the 1800s is extremely compelling. And Margaret Hale and John Thornton are not nearly so irksome as Jane Austen's dashing heroes, who always gave me the rising urge to slap somebody.
I also read "A Crime So Monstrous", about human trafficking, by Benjamin Skinner. I would have enjoyed reading other books but I took summer classes and the only other thing I managed to squeeze in is "Arts, Culture & Cuisine: Ancient & Medieval Gastronomy" by Phyllis Pray Bober.
36. Ellen Traylor said the following at 12:55 PM on Aug 8:
Thanks to Priscilla, for the kind comments about my book, JOHN - SON OF THUNDER! You might want to check out all my other biblical historical novels on my website. Ellen Traylor
37. Lauren said the following at 2:15 PM on Aug 8:
Recently read nonfiction:
-How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Fee & Stuart
-Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
-The Lost Virtue of Happiness by Moreland & Issler
-The Vanishing Word by Arthur Hunt
-Making the Most of College by Richard Light
I'd like to read some really excellent Christian missionary biographies or autobiographies (along the lines of Brother Andrew's Behind the Iron Curtain, or David Wilkerson's The Cross & The Switchblade). Any suggestions?
Also, I've found that www.betterworld.com has really good prices (and free shipping!) on used books.
38. Tami said the following at 3:12 PM on Aug 8:
Lauren (37) -- An interesting autobiography is Created for Commitment by A. Wetherell Johnson, the founder of Bible Study Fellowship, who served with China Inland Mission in her early years.
I also love Answers to Prayer by George Mueller. His stories of faith and God's provision are very inspiring.
One of the classic missionary biographies is Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret. (Can't give you a review, as I haven't read it yet...)
39. Karen said the following at 4:07 PM on Aug 9:
1. Watership Down by Richard Adams ...one of my favorites--a true modern classic with a "journeying hero" theme as well as great social allegory. Forget that it's about rabbits, this is a SERIOUSLY good read. (Just check out the almost 1000 reviews on Amazon of fans from around the world!)
2. James Herriott's "All Creatures Great and Small," etc. If you enjoy animals, you won't be able to help being drawn into these warmly written and delightful stories of this man's life as a vet in Yorkshire. These are the kind of books you can pick up and start reading anywhere, they're jam-packed full of hilarious, heart-warming anecdotes.
3. Anyone read "The Last Days of Pompeii" by Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton? :^) This is another GREAT classic, a fabulous story as well as really bringing the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius to life--bonus is that the two main characters become Christians in the end! (What secular author today would have THAT happen?! :^))
4. "The Railway Children" by E. Nesbit. This is a children's novel, but it is SO well-written and interesting to read, I actually cry every time I read the book.
Hope these are some somewhat different offerings for you to check out.
40. Mad said the following at 11:01 PM on Aug 9:
I love summer reading and hearing others' recommendations. Some of my picks as of late...
Betrayed by Jeanette Windle, a former missionary who sets her adventure/suspense novels in South American countries. Her other books are great too.
Sense and Sensibility. I've been reading an Austen novel about once a year and love her characters.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I enjoy classics so much more now that I am several years removed from being required to read them. This was the second pick of my newly formed book club. If you like to read, consider forming a book club with friends!
41. Rachael said the following at 2:58 AM on Aug 10:
Lauren, you might like "Bruchko"... Haven't read that book in a long time, but I think I attempted to promote it to my friends several years ago. You might also enjoy some of Jim Elliot's writings (compiled by Elisabeth Elliot).
42. Leah said the following at 12:16 AM on Aug 11:
Oh, and the Trailblazer books are entertaining and educational, though aimed at a younger audience (12-16). I loved them when younger and still do. They are fictional stories set in non-fictional events.
eg.
- the story of a fictional orphan who lived in George Muller's orphanage; it contained the amazing story of how the orphanage was run
- the story of a fictional lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn, involving the story of the Tyndale translating the bible into english and King Henry receiving it
- the story of a fictional slave rescued by ex-slave Harriet Tubman (you Americans should know that name), the woman known as "Moses" by slaves all over America who rescued slaves in the night
etc
43. Christina (in green) said the following at 9:46 AM on Aug 11:
Priscilla (#12) and Heather:
ALL Louisa May Alcott books are awesome! Though I haven't read Under the Lilacs.
My favorite is Little Men and Joe's Boys :)
Also, The Five Little Peppers and How they Grew and all related books are delightful reads in the children's lit department, too :)
Those were my favorites, along with all L.M. Montgomery's books :)