My Summer Reading List 2008

June 23, 2008

By the Staff and Readers of ninetyandnine

Hopefully summer will give you the chance to breathe a little clearer and take time to tackle a new title as you relax (or travel to your destination). We asked a number of people across the nation to share their summer reading list to give us all a better idea on what's good.

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Mark Johnston is the Lead Pastor of The Journey in Newark, Delaware as well as a national speaker.

John Adams by David McCullough--I find this era in American history riveting, which is unusual since I'm a Canadian. It just feels like a time when personalities were painted in starker colors--the good guys were really good (full of integrity) and the bad guys were really bad (total scoundrels). Less of the grays and browns that so characterize modern politics and relationships.

Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley--Built around the analogy of a baseball team, this book swings away at principles like: “Clarify the Win;” “Think Steps, not Programs;” “Listen to Outsiders;” and “Replace Yourself.” Great stuff . . . even for the non-athletic pastor or other church leader.

The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath by Mark Buchanan--Take a deep breath… and then another… You'll be doing that often while exploring the skillful prose of Buchanan, who is, incidentally, Canadian. He'll gently chide you for the swinging pendulum of responses to the fourth commandment your human nature is tempted to embrace; and help you find a holy balance in obedience to God's directive to rest. It's such a good book that I blogged about it, and shamelessly offer the link should you care to peruse my much less skillful prose.

Marjorie Kinee works full time for the State of Michigan, edits and publishes The Apostolic Writers' Digest, hosts her church website, designs her own greeting cards, enjoys reading, studying and the occasional sudoku; and is “Nana” to nine grand children.

The High Places by David Sanzo--Second read; to be done (studied) in-depth with notes. Bro. Sanzo presents a fascinating concept of dimensions which has broad applications not only in church life and in our personal walk with God, but also to the world we interact with on a daily basis.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky--Common table fare, salt sits there and does its thing--the only rock we eat. The idea of its history in one volume was intriguing.

Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion by David Brinkley--Picked this one up at my library's used book sale and began reading right away. Set as journal entries from November 1981 through August 1995, Mr. Brinkley relates stories behind the stories he may have reported on the Nightly News; a real look behind the scenes.

Guard Your Tongue by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin--I study the writings of Orthodox and Conservative Jews and usually keep at least one title from this rich resource group simmering on the back burner. Much of their teaching is useful in explaining Old Testament laws and Scriptures. Gleanings from several of the rabbis add spice and flavor to my writing endeavors.

Andy Smith is a husband, father, pastor, author and struggling Christian who lives in Maryland--thankful for the opportunity to be all of those.

Gracism by David Anderson--Identifies our prejudices and our pre-judgments. Calls us to an active self-inspection. A walk through the Epistles.

Jim and Caspar Go To Church by Jim Henderson--Challenging to our myopic perspectives. So many times we're way too close to the forest . . . can't edit our own work. Jim is a “recovering Pentecostal” and Caspar is an open-minded atheist. They take a road trip or two and invite us along.

Crucial Confrontations by A quartet of researchers/authors--Speaking the truth in love is a biblical directive. Confrontation is a way of life for the growing Christian congregation. This is a business book with 25 years of research, but the theory, and subsequent applications, are priceless. They ensure that real work of growth gets done.

Debbie Simler-Goff is a freelance writer who writes for various print and internet publications.

Jack London's Martin Eden annotated edition by Dr. Dennis Hensley, Ph.D.--London's autobiographical novel (the initials spell “me”) has impacted readers for almost a century. He was the first writer to earn a million dollars strictly from writing--and he died when he was 40! I want to learn his secrets.

Quiet Places: A Woman's Guide To Personal Retreat by Jane Rubietta--This book is a guide for personal prayer retreats. Each chapter is meant to be used for one retreat focusing on a specific area of spiritual growth. I've done two retreats and used two of her chapters. Now, I want to finish the book!

My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.--This book caught my eye because my own grandfather has had a great impact on my life. Dr. Remen's grandfather, an Orthodox rabbi, taught her the importance of blessing others. This book tells the story.

Inside The Mind Of Unchurched Harry and Mary by Lee Strobel--The title explains its content. I am currently teaching several home Bible studies--one of which is to my boss. I'm hoping this book will help me understand how to engage the world better for Christ.

The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey--Yancey is one of my favorite authors. His book What's So Amazing About Grace really challenged me. I'm expecting this book to open my eyes wide to see Jesus in a whole new way.

Alison Andrews of Texas wishes she were relaxing by the beach with a good book.

The Department of Lost and Found by Allison Winn Scotch--Natalie Miller has it all--until her world comes crashing down: she's diagnosed with breast cancer, her boyfriend dumps her, and her job is in jeopardy. Natalie uses her unexpected down time to examine her life and make some decisions about the type of person she wants to be. I hear this isn't a depressing book, and I'm interested in the idea of a huge negative event becoming a positive when the character decides to choose better for herself.

See You In a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America by Logan Ward--“Manhattan freelance writer Ward and his wife, Heather, faced a steep learning curve when they abandoned harried, technology-driven lives for a year not just in the country but in the country as it was a century ago,” says Publisher's Weekly. This is the kind of thing I would never do in a million years, but I think I'll enjoy reading about it.

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews--A 16-year-old girl rebels against the strict rules of her Mennonite community and longs for her older sister and mother, who have both left. I'm interested in the way Toews examines faith and family in this edgy coming-of-age novel.

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson--I read Gilead some time ago and fell in love with it. This is Robinson's earlier novel, and although it sounds much different from Gilead, apparently it is another one to read slowly in order to savor its beautiful writing.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe--This is an important book--maybe the important book--about the coming of colonialism to Nigeria. I've often seen it on book lists of great novels, so I'm going to read it this summer.

Stephen Cousino lives and works in Northwestern Vermont where he is hoping oil will be found on his property after spending a small fortune to heat his house last winter. He may be burning the midnight oil this fall as he starts graduate school and grapples with research methods and statistics. He will enjoy his summer reading books he wants to read, rather than books he has to read.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara--This is a historical fiction novel about the Battle of Gettysburg. It brings to life the events of July 1-3, 1863 and is worth reading before taking a visit to the battlefield itself. Gettysburg is probably the best preserved battlefield of the Civil War.

Lincoln by Gore Vidal--Historical fiction that traces the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. This book brings out the sheer political genius of Lincoln, as well as the horrible cost the Civil War had on him personally.

The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen--This book is about Nouwen's seventh month stay in the Genesee Abbey in upstate New York. It has many gems in it that are applicable to one's spiritual life. According to Nouwen, the book was more enthusiastically received by Protestants than by Catholics. Pentecostals interested in deepening their spiritual lives will find something of value in here.

General John Buford by Edward G. Longacre--There is not much written about this very capable Union cavalry general during the Civil War. His approach to dismounting his troops to fight was unconventional at the time, and his two brigades of cavalry that held back the Confederate advances on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg are probably the reason why the Union forces won the battle at the end of day three.

The Book of Lights by Chaim Potok--This may be Potok's most mature work, although it is no longer in print. The story traces the life of a Jewish young man with a gift for the Kabbalah, a collection of Jewish mystical teachings. He ends up as a chaplain in Korea (Potok was actually a chaplain in Korea, as well) at the end of the Korean War, and begins to wonder how another portion of the world (Asia) seemed to get along just fine without the influence of Judaism, which he had been brought up to think was God's gift to the world.

Wendy Scoggins is a child of God living in the Dallas area and pretty much considers any other identifier as less important, if not completely irrelevant.

The Shack by William Paul Young--It was too controversial for Christian publishers and too “Jesus-y” for the secular publishers, but when it was self-published by three Christian authors with a marketing budget of a mere $300, in less than a year The Shack sold over a million copies, quickly blazed its way up the bestseller list, and currently enjoys top ranking on the New York Times Trade Fiction Bestseller List. I have yet to talk to someone who's read this book who doesn't call its portrayal of a very personal God “life-changing,” but don't read this book if you prefer to have your religious stereotypes reinforced and your theology remain unchallenged. Eugene Peterson calls this book “The Pilgrim's Progress of our generation.” Find out why--and don't wait for the movie!

Sarah k. Holland has just finished her Master's in English, and is looking forward to reading whatever she wants!!

Invisible Man by Ralph Waldo Ellison--Written in the early stages of the Civil Rights movement and published in parts in the late 40s and early 50s, Invisible Man was a marvel of modernist writing that won Ellison the National Book Award in 1953. In his speech Ellison said he didn't want another protest novel. I love the premise and approach, and can't wait to see if the read is as good as promised.

Like Night & Day: Unionization in a Southern Mill Town by Daniel J. Clark--This work is by a recent professor of mine, and the few pages I've read reveal it to be an accessible read that shows a union at its very best, protecting those it is meant to protect while encouraging the growth of U.S. business.

The Cold War and the Color Line by Thomas Borstelmann--
A new work that shows the role and response of the United States to the decolonization of the third world in the midst of the Cold War with Russia--especially in light of the racial issues leading up to and following the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I'm a few chapters in and so impressed with Borstelmann's handling of the topic as he moves back and forth between domestic and foreign policies in the handling of race, all while using an East/West lens of containing communism.

TJ Clayton lives in Charleston, SC with his wife Victoria. He's currently pursuing his masters in Psychology. He is trying to decide whether to go on and complete his Ph.D. or raise awareness for the PWCFUCMF (People Who Choose Fun but Useless College Majors Fund).

Right now I'm halfway through The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky--It's not light Summer reading, but the characters are rich and entertaining. The Idiot follows the story of a simple minded but virtuous man that Dostoevsky paints as the Christian ideal. Dostoevsky's Christian perspective and the way his books take on Christian themes have always interested me.

In a Pit With a Lion by Mark Batterson--Batterson is one of the most innovative and influential young pastors in the evangelical world today. He pastors National Community Church in D.C. His church also owns and operates Ebeneezer's Coffee House, which has been voted one of the best coffee houses on Capitol Hill.

The Chris Farley Show by Tom Farley and Tanner Colby--I'm a student of comedy. I also love memoirs and biography. So what better than a biography about one of the 90's funniest actors? This book follows Chris' life from a troublesome child to the SNL favorite.

A Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. This book is a few years old and I've been meaning to read it for a while. Just haven't. However, this summer I intend to do just that.

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