What Are You Reading?

I love reading. A lot. My reputation as a nerd is so well established that I often get asked "what are you reading?"  Cooler people probably get asked "what movies have you seen" or "where have you traveled?" or maybe "where did you get your clothes?"

As a undeniable nerd I have never had those questions asked of me. Maybe its because if you stepped into my office right now you would see no fewer than nine books out, 3 of them recently finished and the others in some state of completion. I can't wait to see my nerdy genes showing up in my daughters!

One of the things I always get excited about is when I come across 'reading lists' from people more famous and influential than myself. I find them to be a fascinating peek into that person's life, personality, and disposition. I especially love to see them for people that are obviously committed to learning and dialogue and understanding others. These lists really are a fun way to learn about what fascinates and intrigues someone. It also usually helps me add new things to my reading list.

I'm not famous and I don't have people lining up to learn more about my disposition or likes and dislikes but I still felt like sharing a bit of one of my passions and pastimes with whoever might be reading this blog (thanks Mom!). Here is a list of some of my favorite books from the past few months:

• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. This is quite simply the best book I have read in many years which, given the volume of reading I do, is saying something. Following a variety of narratives of real life folks this book documents what is known as the "Great Migration". Under Jim Crow oppression millions of African Americans fled the south seeking refuge in cities in the north and west of the United States and the author picks up on several streams and storylines in this decades long migration. I was heartbroken reading a history of racism and oppression that reached out from what I thought was a more distant time/place and into more familiar time/place, challenging many assumptions that I have held regarding race in this country. The personal accounts given are intimate and inspiring. This book is both a tragic and triumphant testament to some of the stories that belong to our nation. 
• Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power by Andy Crouch. I have waited years to find a book like this that digs into the issue of power in a profoundly Gospel centered manner. Crouch gives a refreshing and needed perspective on issues of power, privilege, and injustice by examining the good, fruitful, and God-honoring ways that humans are to bear His image. Too often the terms used in discussions of power are defined by psychologists, sociologists, economists, politicians, musicians, and others who have no biblical framework or motivation. This book truly is redemptive in the way it re-captures the language of power, privilege and injustice which allows Christians to bring the full weight of Scripture to the discussion. This is a refreshing, challenging, and indeed, powerful read for anyone thinking deeply about what human flourishing looks like and what bearing the image of God truly means.
• The Chosen, The Promise, My Name is Asher Lev, and The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. After ignoring my wife's suggestions for years I finally read The Chosen this spring. In the weeks after I read the 3 other books above because I couldn't get enough of Potok's writing. Written about about the coming of age experiences of young orthodox Jews, Potok reveals a fascinating world of deep faith, strong family bonds, and the struggle to make one's faith personal when entering adulthood. These books are beautiful and profound and, while from a Jewish background, gave me much to think about with my own Christian faith. 
• The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien. If you've read Tolkien's more famous works on middle earth and haven't explored The Silmarillion you are missing out. Rich in imagery and epic in its storytelling, the book leaves you with profound sadness over the way things go wrong in that world while also encouraging you through stories of sacrifice, redemption, and hope. It is a bit like the Old Testament to The Lord of the Rings New Testament. You can read the New without the old and appreciate it deeply but when you understand the hopes, promises, failures, and fears of the Old it becomes much richer and more beautiful
• Angela's Ashes and Tis' by Frank McCourt. Another book recommended by my wife, this one left me laughing and crying. Given my work in a context of urban poverty I appreciated the manic pace of life that McCourt's storytelling gives as it is reflective of much that I have seen in the lives of those in poverty. There is a weightiness to Frank's life but also a levity and humor that is very refreshingly lacking in pretense or even the bitterness that can sometimes come with hard childhoods.

Here are some honorable mentions from the past several months:

• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson. 
• My Antonia by Willa Cather
• Any Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. This will always be on any list I put together regardless of what else I have been reading.
• Last Woman Standing by Winona LaDuke
• The Grace of Silence by Michelle Norris

So if you've made it this far in a post that could be boring for some, please take a minute and let me know what is on your reading list. I tend to binge on books and read them in big groups so I can go through them quickly. I'd love to add some new material to my list so catch me up to speed on what I'm missing out on.