Book Reviews: June - December 2019
Boy do I regret not keeping up with these book review blogs! I now have about 40 books to report on from the second half of 2019. In all I believe I read 79 (that includes audio books, which is about 40% of my list). You can see the posts from the first half of 2019 here and here. I love sharing these with you all because I know so many of you are always on the lookout for something of substance.
As always, I have several categories: Spiritual Growth, Books I Read for Ministry Purposes (for growth in my ministry capacities, or Bible study books, or discipleship group books, or book reviews requested by online magazines, etc), Personal Interest Books, Books I Read with my Kids or for Homeschool, and Book Club Books (with the ladies from my old neighborhood).
And as always, I’m not great at rating. Almost everyone gets 4 or 5 stars. I can’t help it. They’re sort of listed in each category with my favorites at the top.
Feel free to leave a comment with your book recommendations for me in 2020 or a comment about what you thought about something listed here!
Spiritual Growth Books
The Bible - 5 stars - Last year I used the 5-day reading plan, which I have used for several years in a row. For 2020 I’m employing the Bible Project plan with a handful of friends. It’s seven days a week and includes videos every once in awhile, which are really helpful. For example, the two videos breaking up Genesis into two portions and explaining the overarching story of the book and where it fits into God’s story was handy! I’m also using Crossway’s Psalm Journal this year to read and journal a prayer each day. I know some people feel that reading the Bible in a year is too difficult or it’s more informative than transformative, but I always treasure the read-through and feel like it causes me to grow every single time. It takes about 20 minutes a day and it’s worth it.
Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy by Tim Keller - 5 stars - Keller is my favorite. This is quick read and worth reviewing every few months. Keller reminds us that life is all about our Creator, not ourselves. By his grace and with his help we need to neither self-promote nor self-loathe, we can simply trust Christ and his work in us and through us.
The Pastor’s Wife: Strengthened by Grace for a Life of Love by Gloria Furman - 5 stars - I read this with my friend Lauren whose husband has been a Church Planting Resident with us for the last two years. They’re launching out and planting their own church next month—we are equal parts proud and sad! This book gave us lots to chat about when we met. Furman is relatable, warm, and provides plenty of theological depth. This is a brief and encouraging read for any ministry wife.
Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler - 5 stars - Every mom at every stage of motherhood would be blessed by this book. I encouraged many of my mom friends to buy it and pass it out like candy canes at Christmastime. Jensen and Wifler help the reader see everyday mothering situations in light of the gospel. It’s truly practical and deeply grace-filled.
Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of "And" in an Either-Or World by Jen Pollock Michel - 5 stars - Pollock Michel writes so beautifully. I love reading her work because it’s like looking at art, savoring each detail. She always gives me much to think about. This book draws the reader into several mysteries of our Christian faith—she doesn’t arrive at neat and tidy answers, but lifts our gaze and widens our view of our mysterious, yet knowable, Almighty God. It’s a book worth lingering over.
Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age by Tony Reinke - 5 stars - This book is small but it packs a heavy punch. Each page had me seriously pondering my smart phone usage, my social media habits, and more. It’s a quick but deep dive into the history, sociology, and even theology of how all that we view is impacting our souls and lives. The book caused me to change some important things (ie: no more phone in my bedroom, stricter screen time controls, second-guessing what I share on social media).
The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough by Glenna Marshall - 5 stars - Marshall writes with warmth, transparency, and Biblical depth. She tells the story of her journey through suffering alongside God’s goodness and presence in her life and throughout all of history. This is a book that would be especially encouraging to someone in the valley, but also a solid and edifying read, no matter your present circumstances.
God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew Walker - 5 stars - This is an important book for our age. Walker writes with clarity and conviction, as well as warmth and grace. He rightly applies Biblical truths to some of today’s toughest questions. This is handbook for knowing what the Bible says, as well as how to respond in a gospel-centered way to the the gender issues of our day.
Reappearing Church: The Hope for Renewal in the Rise of Our Post-Christian Culture by Mark Sayers - 5 stars - Sayers is one the best thinkers of our time. He applies Biblical wisdom and truth to all the major issues of our day and he always makes me think more deeply. The message of this book is that our societal confusion and downfall is good news for the church—we who are in Christ have the chance to love others more deeply and shine our lights more brightly. This book is meant to be read in groups, but my husband and I read it on our own and compared thoughts after—while it’s probably better read in a group setting, we both benefitted from it and felt encouraged, rather than discouraged, about the days ahead for Christians in our secular age.
Books I Read for Ministry Purposes
What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Racheal Denhollander - 5 stars - Rachael Denhollander masterfully weaves her own experiences together with accounts of other survivors and the details of criminal and civil investigations to pull back the veil on our country’s hidden but prolific sexual abuse problem. With courage and clarity she tells her story and gives voice to others, rightly demanding an audience with our entire nation. This book will open the eyes of any reader to things we just don’t think about or talk about enough: the grooming of an abuser, the shame of a survivor, the silence of survivors, the reasons they don’t report, the loss of control for the survivor, and the innumerable other unseen ways we weaken and harm again those who’ve already suffered so much. This is an essential read for parents, coaches, pastors, teachers, and anyone in ministry or anyone who cares and interacts with the survivors of abuse—really, all of us.
From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness by Denise Uwimana - 5 stars - Uwimana recounts her harrowing experience throughout the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The 100-day clash between Tutsis and Hutus happened just over 25 years ago, and claimed the lives of over one million Rwandans, and yet the story is largely unknown, or perhaps forgotten, or maybe its gravity never fully wrestled with here in the West. What Uwimana and thousands like her endured is heartbreaking, unimaginable, beyond cruel and grisly. Her retelling is brave with far-reaching implications. While relearning the history of Rwanda is critical, the power of this story lies in its culmination. Indeed, the reader will glean lessons from history, lessons of the evil of which we are all capable, lessons of ethnic violence, and more. But more profoundly the reader will be in awe of the supernatural ability of Uwimana and others like her to forgive those who murdered their husbands and children, those who raped them and gave them HIV, those who stole all their physical possessions and unseen dignity too. Rwandans who lost much and who have forgiven much, have much to impart to Christians around the world.
Even Better than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible's Story Changes Everything about Your Story by Nancy Guthrie - 5 stars - My women’s Bible study went through this book over the summer. It was excellent and applicable for women who are brand new to the Bible, as well as women who have been studying it for decades. Guthrie traces a number of themes from Genesis through Revelation (this is Biblical theology) and teaches us how God’s plan A for all of creation will consummate in the New Heavens and New Earth, which will be even better than Eden.
Galatians for You: For Reading, for Feeding, for Leading (God's Word for You) by Tim Keller - 5 stars - I taught through Galatians this past year and this was a critical tool in my studies each week. This would be useful to anyone teaching Galatians, studying it on their own, or to use with a small group. Keller’s insights are invaluable and he draws on and shares a large body of other commentaries throughout the text as well.
Exalting Jesus in Galatians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) by David Platt and Tony Merida - 5 stars - Like the book above, I used this commentary in preparing to teach through Galatians this past year. Platt and Merida are helpful, challenging teachers. This would also be an excellent tool for personal study, teaching preparation, or group use.
His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God edited by Kristie Anyabwile and written by nearly 30 different contributors - 5 stars - This book goes through Psalm 119, with each author contributing a reflection on just a few verses at a time. It would be excellent to use as a month-long devotion. I loved reading each voice and hearing the stories and perspectives offered by each woman of color. I’m so proud to call a few of them my friends and I long to hear more from them in the days and years ahead.
Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life by Jeff Vanderstelt - 5 stars - This book is about becoming fluent in the gospel—understanding, loving, and embracing the gospel in such a way that you apply it to all of life. It wrestles with how to apply the gospel to your job, your neighborhood, your marriage, your parenting, everything. And then Vanderstelt helps you think about how to talk about the gospel in every facet of life as well. This is a great book to read with others in your church as you think about how to apply the gospel to your own life and how to share it with others. Reading it as a group will help you grow a gospel culture with others in your community.
The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon - 4.5 stars - This book is easy to read, encouraging, convicting, and full of practical ideas. We had all of our Gospel Communities at Redemption Parker read it this past fall. It led to great discussion and action steps for each one of us to love our literal, physical neighbors well. If you need motivation to love those on your street or in your neighborhood this is a great place to start!
Everyday Church: Gospel Communities on Mission by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester - 4.5 stars - Timmis and Chester write from Europe where I can personally testify the church is dying. In most contexts fewer than 1% of the population believe that Jesus is Lord and attend church on a regular basis. So if people aren’t seeking God or going to church, how can we Christians reach them with the gospel message? This book answers that question very well. It’s a bit academic at the start, but gets easier and more relatable as you go on. Another good read for a community group to do together.
Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication by Andy Stanley - 4.5 stars - I think my husband is an excellent communicator (I know I’m biased, but others think so too!) and this is probably his favorite book on communication. He gives it out to every aspiring preacher he knows. As my public speaking opportunities have increased I thought I’d better get to work on improving my craft. As the title says, this book will help you communicate in a way that leads to change in your audience’s life. Stanley teaches you to relate to the crowd and deliver substance that feels relevant to the hearer. It’s very helpful.
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo - 4.5 stars - While I don’t want to put my hope and trust in my own public speaking skills and abilities (or any self-loathing in my inability!), I also don’t want to be a terrible public speaker. As a Christian communicator I want to share the story of Jesus—the best story!—in a winsome and relatable way. In other words, I want to get out of the way when I communicate. Though written from a totally secular perspective, this book is very helpful for any public speaker. I learned some useful tips on how to keep it brief, how to be engaging, how much to practice and even memorize the messages I give, and more. If you ever have to talk in front of others, read this.
Hermanas: Deepening Our Identity and Growing Our Influence by Natalia Kohn Rivera, Noemi Vega Quiñones, and Kristy Garza Robinson - 4 stars - I genuinely loved hearing the voices of these three Latina Christian leaders. They each give a unique voice to what it’s like to be a woman, an immigrant or daughter of immigrants, a Christian, and a leader. Their stories are powerful and their voices are strong. They write with the warmth and conviction of a mentor and spur each reader to draw closer to Jesus. I can’t help but think what an important tool this book will be in the hands of any Christian Latina who is trying to find her voice and her role in the Kingdom. But it was also greatly beneficial to me, as a white woman, to learn from these sisters of mine.
Personal Interest Books
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - 5 stars - Believe the hype: this book has over 31,000 5-star reviews on Amazon and even though it’s about 360 pages I read it in 24 hours. Owens wove a captivating tale for sure! It would be a perfect beach read—I read it between Christmas and New Year’s to decompress and mentally take a vacation. It worked. There are two themes from the book that are haunting me, so I’ll probably write a quick book review in the next couple days.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin - 5 stars - This is the true memoir of Anthony Ray Hinton, a black man in Alabama who was wrongfully sentenced to death row for two murders he did not commit. He tells how he lived on death row for 30 years, survived the injustice and wrongful conviction and sentences, endured the death of dozens of other inmates, and finally was set free with the help of civil rights attorney and bestselling author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson. I could not put this book down. I learned much, wept much, and grew in my understanding of our broken justice system here in the United States. This is a must read.
Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang - 5 stars - This book is truly eye opening, as the authors debunk countless myths about immigrants and share statistics and stories about what’s really true. If you want to better understand the issues surrounding immigration, start here. Not only do they share sociological and historical truths, they also share important Biblical truths. I would love to see churches take this up and read it together, in order to be better prepared to respond to the migrants around us.
They Say We Are Infidels: On the Run from ISIS with Persecuted Christians in the Middle East by Mindy Belz - 5 stars - Belz is a journalistic heroine of mine and this book was truly helpful. From Iraq to Syria, Belz was on the ground for years covering the story of the Christian genocide (still) happening at the hands of Islamic terrorists. It’s a heartbreaking but important read for our generation.
Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes, Jr. - 5 stars - I learned a ton from this biography of the wife of the beloved and famous preacher of England in the 1800s. I was edified as I learned about Susie’s love for Jesus, her devotion to her husband and children, and her passion for equipping pastors and their churches. She’s an excellent role model!
Merry and Bright: A Novel by Debbie Macomber - 5 stars - I picked this up for a fun read after a very busy week of ministry and travel. It was a light-hearted and easy— basically an updated version You’ve Got Mail set in Christmastime. It was vacation for my brain with the added bonus of decent morals and no dumb extra sex, which is hard to find in a fun novel these days.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore - 4 stars - This is a fascinating and true story about women who painted with radium during the first half of the 1900s. Radium glows in the dark and was used to paint watch dials for soldiers in WWI and WWII. At first the dangers of radium were unknown, but as more and more radium painters succumbed to cancer, the businesses who hired them fought fiercely to cover up their misdeeds. It’s a book full of scandal and courage and truth. Super interesting.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell - 3 stars - I hated reading this book. It’s not my style, not my area of interest, not my thing. But I know it’s an important work so I did it. And I have to say, I have referenced its message at least once a month since this past summer when I finally finished it. Written in 1949, it’s a dystopian novel that depicts political correctness and government overreach dictating all the thoughts, speech, and actions of the population. The message is creepy, prophetic, and honestly coming true in a lot of disturbing ways.
With my Daughters/Homeschool
Growing in Godliness: A Teen Girl's Guide to Maturing in Christ by Lindsey Carlson - 5 stars - I read this aloud to my girls ages 15, 13, and 11 and it lead to great discussions and even some scripture memory. Carlson’s tone is warm and engaging, but also challenging, empowering the reader (or hearer in our case, as I read aloud) to step up and take action in growing in godliness. It’s a great balance of Biblical substance, relatable stories, empathy, and conviction. I’ve recommended it countless times already, as the market for good Christian books for teen girls is pretty lacking. I’m grateful to have this book to offer other parents.
Keeping Holiday by Starr Meade - 5 stars - This is a family favorite, which we have read over a handful of Christmases, with my kids understanding more as they’ve grown older. It’s a parable of sorts, following the adventures of a couple cousins through the town of Holiday. Beyond the surface the story explores the nature of our God and his relationship to us. A good Christmas read for families to enjoy together, especially with kids from about 9 years and older.
Mary Jones and her Bible by Mary Ropes - 4 stars - A true story that took place in Wales in the 1700s, this book is inspiring and a powerful reminder of how precious God’s Word is. I want to be like Mary Jones!
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope - 4 stars - More creative and engaging than a lot of our homeschool stories, this novel takes place during the time of the Revolutionary War and George Washington. We liked the mystery!
The Arrow Over the Door by Joseph Bruchac - 4 stars - Based on the true story of an encounter between Quakers and the Abenaki. Brief, hopeful, and interesting.
Murder for her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner - 4 stars - Creative, engaging, and some good suspense! The mystery takes place in 16th Century England.
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (The Samurai Mysteries) by Dorothy Hoobler - 4 stars - Another engaging story, which takes place in18th century Japanese Samurai culture. Honestly, a little scary for our tastes, but we’re a bit light-weight.
Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and The Trail of Tears by Alex W. Bealer - 4 stars - The true and very sad story of the Cherokee people being forcibly removed from their homeland. One in four died on the Trail of Tears and now only their names remain. A helpful and hard read.
Book Club
Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - 5 stars - A fictitious story about a man ordered by the Bolsheviks to spend the rest of his life in a luxury hotel in Moscow during the Russian Revolution. The story follows a transformation in the heart of Count Alexander Rostov. He’s a multi-faceted character, as are so many others in the book. It’s a substantial work, providing a lot to think about—not a quick and easy read, but more of a slow and chew-on-it kind of read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have recommended it to others.
Becoming by Michelle Obama - 4 stars - I think if Michelle Obama and I ever intersected, we’d be friends. So much of her story reminds me of friends I grew up with. We differ wildly in worldview, religion, women’s issues, marriage and more. For as deeply as we are divided over important things, I found her voice and personality to be warm and engaging. An interesting read and useful snapshot for understanding a significant part of American culture, as well as our first black president.
The Glitch: A Novel by Elisabeth Cohen - 3 stars - Funny and kept me interested, this novel explores the hamster wheel of corporate productivity many women find themselves on today, at the expense of their marriages and children and the ideals of their younger years. I can’t say I recommend it, but I enjoyed it with my book club.