Recent Reads, Volume XXV

A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend……

Chatter (Ethan Kross) – If you’ve ever found yourself spiraling thanks to your inner monologue, this book might be for you. It’s hard to get a balance between good theology that recognizes the Holy Spirit’s role in deep and effective long-term change, and practical guidance with steps we can actually take. This is no different, as the book is purely secular, but the underpinnings of why the answer isn’t to just ignore the voice in our head is solid and helpful. With the acknowledgment (from me, not Kross) that although results don’t rely on our efforts alone, results are not generally independent of our efforts, this could be a useful tool for redirecting that voice into beneficial channels that do some good.

Running Out (Lucas Bessire) – Bessire combines history and memoir as he researches aquifer depletion in the high plains of Kansas, and his family’s unavoidable part in that. The water crisis has only grown in the 18-ish months since this was published, and it was startling and sobering to read about the economics behind water usage, farming, and recharge rates. Beyond the environmental aspect, there’s also the relational aspect, as the author’s research played a part in a reconciliation of sorts between him and his father. I personally found parallels between water table depletion and recharge rates, and relationships that probably bear more thought and consideration. 

Women of the Word (Jen Wilkin) – In 5 years of tracking the books I’ve read, this is the only one (besides the Bible) I’ve read more than once. A friend invited me to join her and a few others in a study of this book, and I was happy to do so. The premise of the book is that more than anything we should be people who know and love the Word of God, and invest the time into knowing and studying it. (Wilkin is writing specifically to women, but there’s nothing necessarily feminine about this; it’s valid for men as well.) The book covers not only the underlying reasons for this importance, but also provides a practical method for studying. The method can be a little daunting at first, but there are plenty of small changes that one can make to elevate one’s study habits.

Excellent Women (Barbara Pym) – I don’t often recommend a book I haven’t yet finished, but this is more the exception. Barbara Pym has been described as a modern Jane Austen (or perhaps more modern would be a better phrase; her books are mostly set in the post-World War II era, which is no longer modern in many respects). I’m by no means an Austen fan, but after Slightly Foxed ran an episode on Barbara Pym, I decided to give her a try. Excellent Women, Pym’s most well-known novel, is about the life of one of those excellent women, those who remain unmarried and devote themselves to the good of society. Nothing extraordinarily exciting occurs (at least in the first two-thirds of the book), but I appreciate the dry humor and frank honesty of Miss Lathbury’s responses to the people around her. I find her very relatable (quite a difference from Austen’s character), and the bonus of having it narrated in a British accent is helpful as well.

So there you have it: 4 books I’m reading right now or have recently finished. If you’ve read any of these (or decide to after reading this post), drop me a note and let me know what you thought of them! And let me know what you’re reading right now too.