Summer Reading List
Books I'm Reading and Books You Don't Wanna Miss
Summer is when I make space for more fiction in my life. I’m currently reading a massive tome I found in our neighbor’s “little library,” The Covenant of Water. I’m alternating between the audiobook (borrowed through Libby) and the hard copy, depending on where I am. I began by wondering how I would possibly make time for 31 hours of narration in one month’s time. I needn’t have worried. After just two weeks, I’m nearly finished. This is partly because I read faster than the narrator, and partly because the audiobook is accompanying me as I get ready in the mornings, as I walk to and from work, and as I dabble in watercolors on Sunday afternoons. It’s a captivating multigenerational novel set in India with a whole lot of heartache.
I also hope to read Theo of Golden (Allen Levi) and All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot) this summer. They’ve both come highly recommended. And my oldest daughter is urging me to read John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis.
As a child I’d easily read 100 novels in a summer. Our trips to the public library were voracious. I’d leave with armloads of books and devour them like candy. I wasn’t an athlete and didn’t go to summer camp. The summer reading program at the library was our main activity. We’d participate in VBS, play outside, and read—a lot. Those were the years!
Non-Fiction Recommendations
As much as I love fiction, non-fiction is still my bread and butter. I plan to wrap up my commentary on Exodus this month, which means I’ll finish reading a dozen different commentaries that I’ve been working my way through simultaneously. And I’ll make another pass through the books on the geography, date, and historicity of the exodus, including Where Was the Biblical Red Sea? by Barry Beitzel and Israel In and Out of Egypt by James Hoffmeier (just released!).
I also have a stack of unread or partially read books at home that is threatening to tip over, including The Anti-Greed Gospel by Malcolm Foley, Understanding Biblical Law by Dru Johnson, The Justice of Jesus by Joash Thomas, Andrew Rillera’s Lamb of the Free, John Swinton’s Dementia: Living in the Memories of God, and Nijay Gupta’s Paul for the World: A Grounded Vision for Finding Meaning in This Life—Not Just the Next. Which one should I read first?!
Have you seen the latest “Top Two Books” videos on my YouTube channel? You can explore the whole playlist here, or check out these highlights:
New and Recent Releases
In addition, I want you to know about some new releases to watch for this summer:
May 12 - Tish Harrison Warren, What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience. I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m hearing great things about it! I love everything Tish writes.
June 23 - Michael Rhodes, Reimagining Biblical Politics: What Scripture Says about Public Life and Why It Matters. This one is fantastic and so helpful. If you’re feeling the tension between right and left at your church, this is the book to help you navigate those waters. I was honored to write the foreword.
August 25 - Sandra L Glahn, A Woman’s Place is in the Story: Seeing Women in the Biblical Narrative. Another winner from Dr. Glahn!
And here are some recent books that I would love to see on your reading list:
JP Foster, The Gospel and My Black Skin: Confronting the Past, Reclaiming the Future
Heather Surls, Beyond the Jordan: Dry Places, Misunderstood Peoples, and Imperfect Attempts at Prayer
Brad Gray and Brad Nelson, Bringing Heaven Here: How the Lord’s Prayer Can Change Your Life and Our World
Carmen Joy Imes, Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters
What are you reading now? Drop a photo in the comments!
I loved Theo of Golden, so wholesome. I'm currently reading Everything is Tuberculosis and loving it (and learning loads).
The Unseen Battle by Joel Muddamalle