They just did a “beach reads” segment on the Today Show… which is a better title than a segment on: “Books for people who don’t read books but want to have a book with them while they goof off so they look more studious.”
So, everybody–what books do you suggest others REALLY read this summer, and why? Give me the title, author and the reason others should read it.
(Feel free to suggest any genre, any subject, any kind of book other than romance novels–which was the focus on the Today Show segment)
I highly recommend Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis. This was one of the most compelling books I’ve read in a long time. True story. What happens when an 18-year old picks up and moves to Uganda? A Jesus revolution. Katie is changing lives one at a time in Uganda. A truly powerful story.
Thanks, Josh.
Here’s the link to this book, everyone:http://www.amazon.com/Kisses-Katie-Story-Relentless-Redemption/dp/1451612060
I always just say pick something you will enjoy because reading is just good for the brain. For me, every few years NPR interviews and author and I want to read their book. This summer I want to read Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat (http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Religion-Became-Nation-Heretics/dp/1439178305). The last NPR book I picked up was in 2005, 47 by Walter Mosley (http://www.amazon.com/47-Walter-Mosley/dp/0316016357/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340896178&sr=1-1&keywords=47+in+books ), which was a really good mix of juvenile SF and historical fiction.
Cool
G.R. Evans’ book “Roots of Reformation: Tradition, Emergence and Rupture” is on my nightstand. I recently finished Chris Guillebeau’s “The $100 Startup” and would highly recommend it. “Christian Anarchism” is also an interesting read.
Nice… haven’t read those
Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace. Because he sees so clearly something few people–in the church or elsewhere–are paying attention to. Plus, he’s a great writer.
Nice pick
The Art of Manliness Collection by Brett and Kate McCay
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440322481/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d1_g14_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0N2T5N8VB3YXWMRZBSW9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
Two books for the price of one there, and under $20!!!
I’m also immensely loving Shaun Lovejoy’s ebook, Measure of our Success: An Impassioned Plea to Pastors. http://www.amazon.com/Measure-Our-Success-Impassioned-Pastors/dp/0801014603/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340900453&sr=1-1&keywords=lovejoy
And to scratch that fictional itch I’ve been going with Glen Cook’s dark fantasy, The Chronicles of the Black Company. http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Black-Company-Glen-Cook/dp/0765319233/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340900528&sr=1-1&keywords=chronicles+of+the+black+company+by+glen+cook
Huzzah for reading!!
Nice list… haven’t read any of them.
E. B. White is my all time go to for this sort of reading. I’ve read and re-read his novels and essays countless times. When I am on a beach, I want to be reading his works.
Collum McCann has been another one for me lately. My buddy recommended his books to me a while back and I’ve read most of what he has authored now.
“Resilience Thinking” by Brian Walker was way out of my normal sphere, but was decent.
In the last couple months I’ve read Eric Weiner’s “The Geography of Bliss,” Tony Cohan’s “Mexican Days,” J. M. Coetzee’s “Waiting for the Barbarians,” Robert Harris’ “Imperium” (though “Pompeii” was far better), Paul Theroux’s “The Stranger ath the Palazoo d”pro, and J. Maarten Troost’s “Lost on Planet China.”
The book I’ve enjoyed most this year though was Louis Menand’s “The Metaphysical Club.” Menand has convinced me that history should more often be written by English professors than by those of the namesake discipline.
Nice list! I need to read a few of these. Heard of McCann but haven’t read him–should