Lisa notes

5 Books I Recommend—November 2020

By LisaNotes November 30, 2020 Books I Recommend, Daybook 18 Comments

That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.
—Jhumpa Lahiri

Below are 5 books I recommend from those I finished reading in November. See all my recommended books here.

This week I’m sharing 5 days of 5 favorite things. Here’s the schedule.

Nonfiction

1. The Color of Compromise
The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism
by Jemar Tisby

Jemar Tisby gives us a history of racism through the lens of the Christian church in America. It’s not a pleasant journey. But it’s an essential one to see. He offers insights on better steps moving forward. An important book. 

2. White Fragility
Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
by Robin DiAngelo

This one is written by a white lady to a white audience about how we as whites can learn to be less defensive when confronted about racial issues. DiAngelo helps us see things from a different perspective, a needed perspective, so we can step away from our blind biases.

3. The Paper Solution
What to Shred, What to Save, and How to Stop It From Taking Over Your Life
by Lisa Woodruff

If you want to get a handle on your paper clutter, this is an excellent place to start. This is a how-to book, broken down into manageable steps. I hope to put more of it into practice soon.

Fiction

4. Deacon King Kong
by James McBride

Set in the housing projects in New York in 1969, this novel begins with an old church deacon shooting a drug dealer. From there you see the ripple effects throughout the neighborhood of how people are affected by the shooting.

5. Transcendent Kingdom
by Yaa Gyasi

The author of this novel grew up in the largest city near me, Huntsville, Alabama. Her book is partially set in Huntsville as her family from Ghana acclimates (and doesn’t) to American culture. Both this book and Deacon King Kong have strong church themes running through them.

Reading Now

  • Always a Guest
    Speaking of Faith Far from Home
    by Barbara Brown Taylor
  • Searching for Certainty
    Finding God in the Disruptions of Life
    by Shelly Miller
  • Total Meditation
    Practices in Living the Awakened Life
    by Deepak Chopra
  • Attention!
    The Power of Simple Decisions in a Distracted World
    by Rob Hatch
  • The Lazy Genius Way
    Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done
    by Kendra Adachi
  • Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man
    by Emmanuel Acho

What good book are YOU reading this month? Please share in the comments.

My books on Goodreads
More books I recommend

sharing with Modern Mrs. Darcy

18 thoughts on “5 Books I Recommend—November 2020”

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I look forward to sharing about both of these books next month because, so far, they are both fantastic! The Lazy Genius Way is very practicable and easy to apply to individual situations, which I love. And Uncomfortable Conversations is very pointed and very down-to-earth, much like Emmanuel Acho’s videos (which I also love). It’s well-organized too–each chapter starts with a common question asked by whites, and he focuses on a clear answer.

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  6. Lynn D. Morrissey

    Thank you for these excellent recommendations, Lisa. I always appreciate them. And I’m glad you are reading Shelly’s Searching for Certainty. How I miss her. I woke just now, thinking: I can’t believe she has been gone one month, today. Her legacy lives on through her books. Perhaps you would consider doing a special post on Advent books. I’m reading Malcolm Guites’s Waiting on the Word, combining his wonderful poetry and others’, and rich essays to accompany each. His knowledge of poetry is breathtaking, plus, he is an Anglican Christian who lives in England. He brings that perspective. May you yourself have a blessed Advent. Oh how we need to be reminded of His “with-ness” and His second coming, beyond His first.
    Love
    Lynn

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  8. Anita Ojeda

    You always have such good books! I read Falling for Your Best Friend’s Twin (an indie book from a friend of mine) and it was a lighthearted, clean, and laugh-out-loud funny romantic comedy. I just finished listening to Endurance, by Alfred Lansing–the story of Shackelton and his epic Antarctic expedition. I also just finished listening to Rage, by Bob Woodward. Sobering.

    You could say I have pretty eclectic tastes ;).

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  9. Rebecca Hastings

    I definitely want to check out The Paper Solution! I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on things, but there’s still so much paper!

    I loved The Lazy Genius Way 🙂

    I just started Firefly Lane. I’m deciding if it’s the right time for me to read it. Is that weird?

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  10. sue

    I just finished a light novel on Scrapbooking which I will pass along to my friend who scrapbooks like a madwoman (I wanted to pre-read) and I’m readng Joykeeper by Suzie Eller (excellent and brand new) and Comfort of Night by Nylse, our blogger friend. Thanks for these great recs!

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  11. Jean Wise

    Just got Always a Guest too – I love that I can read one essay at a time. Love her writing and this way I slowly absorbed her wisdom.

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  13. Beth

    Such a good list of books and ones I have not read. I did read Searching for Uncertainty. Currently, I am reading Speak Up by Carol Kent, The Secret Letter, a WW2 novel based on true events, and How May I Offend you Today? All have been good.

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  15. Danielle Hammelef

    Your book recommendations are all ones that are new to me. I’m going to check them out! I hope you have a great holiday and best wishes for a safe and healthy 2021!

    Reply ↓

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