As of tomorrow, I’ll be done with my course work for this semester and I’ll be free to begin working through the titles that have been on my reading list for the past several months. Here are just a few of the titles I’m hoping to dive into:
- Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. Wright seems to churn out theology books like Ryan Adams puts out albums. But this looks to be one of his best. The tag line probably says it all: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. This one definitely tops the list right now.
- Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott. I picked up a copy earlier this spring. I hear good things, so I figured I’d give it a shot. Looks Blue Like Jazz-esque.
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This will be my first Lincoln read for the summer. Lucy, you were telling me about this book, like, three years ago. I’m counting on it being a good one!
- Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren. I’m not the uber-McLaren fan most people my age are, but this treatise on social justice looks pretty tasty.
As you can tell, my reading list is totally devoid of any fiction. Anything you’ve read recently that you’d recommend? As a rule, I generally don’t read Christian fiction or sappy, Nicolas Sparks stuff, but I’m game for pretty much anything else. Let me know what you’ve been reading lately.
already & not yet 
World War Z for some good Zombie fun. And, of course, The Shack.
Not exactly new, but “The Shaping of Things To Come, Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church” by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. It talks about what is lacking in Western Churches, and why people aren’t finding what they want in churches. Good read.
Scott,I read your review of The Shack. I might give it a try. Zombies…not so much.Lane,I read Frost & Hirsch for a class once. When you’re finished, I’d love to talk to you about it. It’s a great, enlightening, frustrating read.
Hi Jason!For a good fiction suggestion- have you read the Mitford series by Jan Karen? You might like them- especially given your line of work.
I heard N.T. Wright speak last night at Emory about his new book. Good stuff! I’d love to hear what you think when you’re done reading it.
T.H.Wright must be busy. I heard he was in Nashville two nights ago. I wonder why he doesn’t have a Huntsville tour date? :)Tricia,I’ve never read any of the Mitford books. I think Sunny tried to read one once and couldn’t get into it.
It feels so weird to not be badgering you right now about Chronicles of Narnia! I guess I COULD say that you should keep reading the series…Hope you like Team of Rivals–it’s really 4 bios for the price of one, and I came away from it even more interested in Seward (the Sec of State) than L. It’d be fun to read right now too, given the political climate over there–I’ve also read a bio called “Lincoln and Whitman” about how their contemporary lives inspired each other–but it’s rather boring unless you really LOVE both ppl–they never even met each other, so there’s a lot of conjecture made.I LOVE ANNE LAMOTT–ahhh, please enjoy her. The first read of Traveling Mercies is the best.Finally–I always recommend the essays of James Thurber for a fun, light read. Some are fiction, some are observational editorials/essays, and though they are quite dated now–he’s hilarious in a dry, witty way. I have The Thurber Carnival and have enjoyed that collection–you’d prob have to find it at a library though–not sure if he’s in bkstores anymore. I always read him while in trains or waiting at airports.
Scott’s right about The Shack.I’m reading Tim Keller’s The Reason for God. It’s pretty good so far.Also in the middle of John Adams by David McCullough. This book deserves every bit of the Pulitzer it won…
Gosh, Jason. You always get so many comments on your books/reading posts. I never have anything to say. I am so shallow!
I forgot to add that I want to read the new Wallis and Campolo books as the election season grows closer and closer. I might move one of them up to the top of the list.