5 Books I Recommend – August 2018
Here are 4 non-fiction books and 1 fiction book I recommend from what I finished reading in August, including a 1-minute video review of a favorite.
Once a month we share our current reading list at Jennifer’s.
Books I Recommend
NONFICTION
1. The Secret Lives of Introverts
Inside Our Hidden World
by Jenn Granneman
Are you a social introvert? Or a thinking introvert? I learned a lot about introverts in this enlightening book. Jenn Granneman has done her homework. If you don’t have time for the book, read some of her blog posts at Introvert, Dear. So good.
[Click here if you can’t see the 1-minute review about The Secret Lives of Introverts]
2. Inspired
Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again
by Rachel Held Evans
This is an interesting take on Rachel’s journey with the Bible. Her questionings didn’t erase her faith in God, but rather they increased her faith. This isn’t my favorite book of Rachel’s due to her style choices this time: it was written in many different formats—poetry, script, prose, retellings, etc. (Notably, so are the writing in the Bible itself.) But this book is still valuable reading.
My full review here of Inspired
3. Prayer
40 Days of Practice
by Justin McRoberts
Sit with a one-sentence prayer. Gaze at artwork about it. Pray it throughout the day. This small book is more about what you do with it instead of what it offers you. It gives you seeds which you can plant on your own in your prayers with God.
4. The Desert and the Sea
977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
by Michael Scott Moore
A true pirate story. Ironically, Michael Scott Moore was an American journalist in Somalia writing about pirates, when he was kidnapped by pirates in 2012. For the next 2½ years, he was kept on sea and on land by Somali pirates. He tells a compelling story of his life during those years and shortly after his rescue. Highly recommend.
FICTION
5. Lincoln in the Bardo
by George Saunders
After five minutes in this book, I stopped reading and googled it instead. What is this book? I didn’t realize it was an experimental novel. It’s written almost like a play, with many voices, fictional and historical, alternately speaking during one night in a cemetery in February, 1862, where President Abraham Lincoln had just buried his eleven-year-old son Willie. I’m glad I stuck it out; it’s a weird but fascinating tale.
READING NOW
- Station Eleven
by Emily St. John Mandel - The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood - How to Be a Perfect Christian (a satire)
Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living
by The Babylon Bee - Raise Your Voice
Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up
by Kathy Khang - Bring Me a Vision
A Story of Redeeming Hope
by Pam Ecrement - Resist and Persist
Faith and the Fight for Equality
By Erin Wathen - God of Tomorrow
How to Overcome the Fears of Today and Renew Your Hope for the Future
by Caleb W. Kaltenbach - Reframing the Soul
How Words Transform Our Faith
by Gregory Spencer
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What good book have you read this month? Please share in the comments.
My books on Goodreads
More books I recommend
Bring Me a Vision is in my pile as well. Really looking forward to it, and I was intrigued by the book about Introverts. What a great title: we do tend to have a “secret life.”
Bring Me a Vision has been really interesting so far. It’s amazing to hear these real-life stories of how God keeps chasing after us. I had to set this book aside for a little bit, but hope to return to it again this week.
Hi Lisa! I’ve slowed some due to summer scheduling but did have a chance to read a couple. I am currently reading a fascinating book: Superheroes Can’t Save You. It is epic examples of historic heresies. The first two chapters have shown Superman and Batman and links them to a heresy. I’m now in Ant-Man territory. 🙂 I’ve also read Immeasurable by Skye Jethani, which was very good. After 50 years of Ministry and Acts of God by Bob Russell were also very good.
The Superheroes book sounds fascinating, Bill. Although I admit I’m not a big superheroes buff. 🙂 I heard yesterday at our night of worship at church that putting on our garments of praise is our superpower. Love that analogy!
The Lincoln book and the pirate book sound intriguing! Thank you for the suggestions!
Both those books had a plot line that kept me wanting to read more. Even though I knew the ultimate ending in both books! ha
You know the introvert one would pique my interest. 🙂 Social introvert sounds like an oxymoron, but I think it would fit my youngest. I would not have thought he was an introvert originally because he has always seemed outgoing, can easily strike up a conversation with strangers, etc. But he does like a lot of down time alone.
Sounds like Moore got much for material for his pirate piece than he had planned on at first! Which is probably why he wrote a book. Sounds intriguing. Lincoln in the Bardo does sound weird. I only read the Babylon Bee occasionally, but I’d imagine that book would hit the satirical nail right on the head.
I’m sure you would be able to appreciate much in the introvert book like I did, Barbara. 🙂 I related to so much of what she shared. It was especially interesting to hear about the four types of introverts, which helps explain why introversion can look so different from one person to the next, as in the case with your son. My youngest daughter also weighs on the introvert side, but she stays on the go far more than I ever could.
The book about introverts sounds interesting! I’ll have to check out the blog! I’ve just finished The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton and I loved it. It’s the first one of her books I’ve read and I was slightly nervous when I found out it was almost 600 pages long as I usually prefer shorter books, but it is such a good story I just wanted to keep reading and finished it in just over a week!
I’ll have to add The Clockmaker’s Daughter to my to-read list if 600 pages kept you interested, Lesley! 🙂 I can be intimidated by those big books too, especially when it’s a library book and I know my time will be short. It’s especially troubling to me when I start a Kindle book without knowing the number of pages, and discover it’s super long. ha.
I read Kate Morton’s The Lake House earlier this year and really enjoyed it. It was long too, but it didn’t seem like it!
I enjoyed Station Eleven. See what I read this month at Girl Who Reads
Good to hear you enjoyed Station Eleven. I’m about 3/4 into it, and am really enjoying it. The author is beginning to show peeks of how the stories might weave together. Wish I could just sit and read all day! 🙂
I most definitely need to read the book about being an introvert, because I most certainly am. Thank you for linking to her blog, I’ve added it to my reader!
I’ve been wanting to read Lincoln in the Bardo for some time. I am really glad I read your review before cracking open the book myself!
Have a great week,
Sherry @ Ubiquitous Grace
I subscribed to the Introvert Dear blog about a month ago and have really enjoyed it. If you’re on Twitter, you might also follow them there. They show some of the funniest cartoons that you could probably relate to as much as I do! 🙂
I would have saved myself some angst if I had had a heads-up on Lincoln in the Bardo. ha. I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading it, but it is good to be prepared for how different it is.
I really like how you write about books – concisely and with good information. Your list of books is so wide and interesting! Thank you for sharing your reads!
Thanks, Patricia. I love getting to share the books I read. Makes it twice as much fun.
Wonderful review, Lisa! I especially liked the video!
Thanks, Stacey. I’m still not comfortable doing the videos, but trying to push through for something different. 🙂
I just finished, Lies Women Believe. Fantastic book. Every Christian woman should read this book. It’s kind of lengthy, but worth the read. She hits just about every lie we have believed at some point in our lives.
I started Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul David Tripp. I’m going through a biblical counseling series at church, and this book is one of the recommended reads. So far, it’s a great book.
My next book is Because the Time is Near by John MacArthur. That’s about end times so it might take me a while to read it. Haha.
Glad to see you recommending Lies Women Believe! I read it awhile back, then re-read it again. Definitely an excellent book.
Paul David Tripp is one of my favorite authors. I can’t remember if I’ve read that particular book or not; the title sounds so familiar but that doesn’t mean I read it ha.
Let’s make time to talk about books this weekend! 🙂
Good list! I already have my eye on “Prayer” due to the quotes you shared. Powerful ones.
It was an interesting month of books. I may try to get Jeff to read (or listen) to the pirate book if our library will get the audio version. If you read Prayer, let me know what you think. It was a little different, but was intended to be different.
The introvert book stands out to me especially! Thanks for sharing!
The book on introverts was really very good! I think there are a lot of us introverts out here in the blogging world. 🙂
I’m currently reading Hunting Hope, Here I Am, Send Someone Else and Making God Smile. I never read just one book at at time unless it is high suspense. The book on introverts intrigues me. Lisa, I always appreciate your reviews.
I like how you read, Debbie! 🙂 I never read just one book at a time either. Unless it’s a library book with a fast-approaching due date. lol. At the moment I am overreaching in the number I’m reading, but there are several library books that will be due soon, plus books to review that I’ve had awhile.
Thank you for sharing these, Lisa! I always love others’ book recommendations.
You’re welcome, Ronja. I always enjoy talking about good books! There’s usually a few I DON’T mention as well; I’m trying to get better about closing a book that’s not good instead of feeling compelled to read every book until its bitter end. lol.
Adding The Secret Life of Introverts to by TBR list. And I just subscribed to The Introvert Dear podcast. Have you read Quiet by Susan Cain? It’s more on the research-heavy side compared to the more practicality of what it sounds like The Secret Life is like, but still fascinating info on introverts!