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Summer’s nearly hear—a fact revealed by the sudden propagation of reading lists! Yesterday, I shared how we’re encouraging reading over the summer for my oldest daughter (we’re also doing something similar for our middle daughter—her goal is to master most or all of the first set of the Bob books). Emily is currently starting to read The Robe by Lloyd Douglas, which, while unlikely to take her all summer, will certainly play a key role in her summer reading.
And then there’s me. I’m pretty regularly setting reading goals for myself, whether it’s a few books that I hope to read sometime over the course of the year, or looking at ways to dig back into my library (this last one I’ve gotten a bit behind on, but it’s recoverable!). So today, I wanted to share a few books I’m planning to read (or have already started) during this summer:
The World is Not Ours to Save by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson. I’m already a little less than half done this one, and it is outstanding. It’s very encouraging to read a book related to my first one that doesn’t make me feel like I’m going nuts for what I wrote in Awaiting a Savior!
Why We Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. It’s been about five years since I read this, and I’ve been looking forward to doing so again. (I might also revisit Why We’re Not Emergent, but we’ll see.)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien. It’s been 25 years since I last read this book. I’m pretty sure I’m due.
Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It’s not left my Spring to-read pile yet. It will get done. (Another re-read.)
What is Biblical Theology? by James Hamilton Jr. This looks like it’ll be a short, punchy read. Plus, I love the subject of the book.
Facing Leviathan by Mark Sayers. I received this book at Band of Bloggers this past April and it looks compelling—good leadership books are hard to find (hopefully this is one!).
Stardust by Neil Gaiman. This is another re-read for me, a compelling fairy tale for adults (with minimal shady content, which is always appreciated).
So that’s a few of the books I’m hoping to read this summer. What’s on your list?
Last year I went deeper into Tolkein with The Silmarillion. It was fantastic. It’s essentially Tolkein’s world’s version of Genesis… complete with King James language and everything.
Cool; I’ll have to add that to my list of “get to—someday” books 🙂
I want to finish Piper’s The Pleasures of God, which I’m currently halfway through. I’d also like to end my year-long hiatus on Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev and finish it. From there, I’ll have to poke around my bookshelf and find something that looks good. I started Sense and Sensibility last September, so I might have to pick that up and restart it. Other fiction options are Dracula, Les Mis, and Frankenstein. For theology/Christian living, I’ve got a lot to choose from. I’ll probably try to get one or both of yours read (especially since they’re short), and then do something heavier like Keller or Piper.
I’m currently reading “The Cost of Discipleship,” It has been 10+ years since I read it last, and it’s hitting me like a ton of bricks this time.
If you like Gaiman’s stuff you might also like Neverwhere which is more of a modern-day fairytale. Another good book of his is Good Omens which he coauthored with Terry Pratchett. It has been a long time, but I believe the ‘shady content’ is kept to a minimal in these as well. Warning: To anyone reading this, please do not take my suggestions as a blanket endorsement. I read these a long time ago and I can’t rightly remember the content. I simply remember enjoying them.
Read both years ago (and re-read Good Omens last year). Very enjoyable books. Although, yeah, not books that can be given blanket endorsements. But then, what book can? (Beside the Bible, that is…)
I tried to make it through Fellowship last year and wasn’t quite able to. It moves at a slower pace and I kept loosing interest.
What I remember about it was the first 100 or 150 pages were really tough to get through, but after that, it was pretty compelling. At least, that’s what I remember from 25 years ago 🙂
Kinda like the movies “and we’re walking… and walking…”
I always have a difficult time with Fellowship. Once I get to Two Towers, the rest of the series goes very quickly, but getting there is difficult. Especially the Council of Elrond… that’s very dry.
I’m just about finished Sayers’ “Facing Leviathan” – I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. It’s a very different read.
My summer reading order just arrived. A few books on the docket:
Charles Marsh “Strange Glory: The Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer”
Steven Parissien, “The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car”
Iain Murray, “D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones” (2 vols)
Your reading it also reminded me I had it; we’ll have to chat about it when I’m done 🙂