by John Chandler

A.J. Jacobs is one of my guilty pleasures, and I’ll read anything publishes. He makes me laugh, often. I suppose it doesn’t need to be all that guilty though, but because there is thoughtful engagement weaved in with the humor.

This one wouldn’t be the first one I’d recommend to someone new to his books, if only because I didn’t find the subject matter as interesting. No regrets for the time I spent reading it, though.

We used a recent family road trip for some classroom time by listening to this book together.

I always find books that are story based to be easiest to listen to as audiobooks, whether true life or fiction. But this one was tough to follow along. As a rewrite of all the ancient tale of Greece, it reads more like a history book. All of us struggled, and all of us agreed we’d probably find it more accessible and interesting if we’d read the hard copy instead. In fact, my kids did.

This book was recommended by one of the many hospice chaplains we have in our church community. He’s read about and seen his share of grief, so the suggestion wasn’t taken lightly.

It’s about Sandberg’s own grief at the unexpected loss of her husband, and how she found a way forward after.

I’d say it is more nuanced about coping with grief and loss, than the adversity and resilience that the subtitle names. But, they aren’t so different I suppose, and her experience is helpful for seeing one’s own loss and imagining what should come next.

A helpful book for anyone in formal leadership, or just wants to have influence with others. Keltner is a research psychologist who makes the case that power and influence aren’t taken or exerted, but earned through a selfless and humble posture.

Not necessarily new ideas here, but ideas that aren’t widely practiced either. And this is one of the most helpful books I’ve read for outlining them. It left me both encouraged and challenged.

A double-meaning with the title here. Francis Spufford is not apologetic for maintaining his Christian faith though the stereotypes of English professors might cause you to expect otherwise. The book is also unapologetic in that it is not your typical apologetic full of facts and arguments for beliefs.

We end up with a well-reasoned for why being a Christian continues to make sense for him. And why it might for his reader too. Thoughtful and off-color. And a book I’ll suggest to others trying to make sense of Christian faith. In fact, I already have…

This is the third book Katherine Applegate I’ve read through with my two youngest kids in our nightly bedtime reading ritual. All three have been engaging, moving, and beautifully written. This one, though, was a thoughtful and timely social commentary on difference and hospitality. Fiction at it’s best.

I actually finished reading this book about 6 weeks ago. (I’m behind in posting in here, among a number of other books.) But now that I’m circling back to it, I recognize that I’m also slow to implement it.

Most of the books by Greg Boyd that I have read, even those written at the popular level, focus on broader theological ideas. This one is unlike any of those in that it is intended to teach a specific means and practice of prayer. (Of course, it does lay some thoughtful theological groundwork for it, as one would expect. )

The style of prayer described in the book was new and challenging for me. But, I’m also challenged by how difficult it is for me to implement practical ideas that come out of reading. I value rhythms, and think I work best in rhythms. And yet, when a book like this offers new practices, my patterns become a barrier to figure out how to incorporate them.

This book came to my attention three times last fall in conversations (or overhearing conversations!) so I queued myself on the long wait list for the library.

A tough book to read as it alludes to the experiences and effects of trauma that van der Kolk has seen through decades of practice. Yet hopeful as well as he describes tools and experiences to help us all find a way forward.

Very helpful for me to read both as a person and a pastor. From the pastor perspective, I see so much of spiritual growth and formation being tied to this kind of work. From a personal perspective, we’ve had trauma and challenge in our own family in recent years. These chapters both help name that and imagine a way forward.

The tour of “Best of 2017” lists continued with Little Fires Everywhere. The title is justified in the first chapter as we find literal little files all over a house. Yet, the continued reading of the book builds layer after layer onto the plot of metaphorical fires building in the lives of two very different families.

I’m drawn to fiction with well developed characters. While a few were left out, this book was full of them.