some books I've read and maybe you can too

Confession: I am not A READER. I saunter casually through the New York Times best-seller list choosing pretty much by cover design. I hmmm noncommittally when assaulted with face-to-face impassioned recommendations. I don’t make eye contact in Barnes and Noble. Sometimes I even forget that reading is in the realm of possibility. (you may start your shaming now…) 

But, I do love books. 

I feel I must tell you that these are not necessarily my favorites, or the best, or the least objectionable, or the most recent…these are books that have stuck to me. Changed me. Made me think hard about big things. Made me laugh like a hyena late at night in bed…and so forth and so on. You get the idea. FYI: I’ve chosen to save most of my Christian worldview books for another list. I've also chosen to let you look these up on Amazon yourself. Think of the calories you'll burn!

1.     The Boys in the Boat

Took me a few chapters to warm up to Daniel Brown’s account of the American rowing team in the 1936 Olympics, but I’m pretty sure I spent the rest of the book forgetting to breathe. The stories of these boys,  what they were up against, and what was going on in the world in that decade make this book worth ignoring heaping mounds of laundry, dirty dishes, emails, and texts from loved ones. Not that I would know anything about that.  

2. A Long Way Gone

Ishmael Beah wrote this gripping account of how he became a boy soldier in Sierra Leone. It’s too sad to give any more detail than that. Because of its graphic violence, I will likely not read it again. But if I ever interact with refugee children from a war-torn country (yes please), although I may not understand them, at least now I know, and my heart is bigger and softer for it. 

3. The Reason I Jump

Naoki Higashida had autism. And he was thirteen. And he up and wrote a book about his life. Let this sink in.   

4. Frozen in Time 

You’re going to want several forms of heat readily available when you read this book. I’m not kidding. Mitchell Zuckoff writes a gripping account of WW2, the Arctic, humanity, bravery, duty, loss, triumph…you get the idea. This book brought all the feels.

5. Shoe Dog

Phil Night created Nike. This is his memoir. Need I say more? I loved watching him gather and interact with his business team most of all. Plus, let’s face it. Athletic shoes and business were two fantastically new worlds for me. It was pretty cool to walk through them with a well-seasoned native like Phil Night. 

6. James Herriot

Big animals. Big personalities. Big food. Big country. All set in the outrageous beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Warning: do not pick up this book if you are uncomfortable with bovines and/or someone sticking their arm up into one. There’s a fair bit of drinking and language as well. But, try as I might to stop, Herriot’s books get an annual read. 

7. Mitford

This Jan Karon series follows the life of an Episcopalian rector in a rural southern community. (stop laughing) The pages glow with small town and small church humor, and the characters are quirky and laugh out loud relatable. I seriously think I know some of these people in real life. These are hot tea, fuzzy blanket  and stormy weather books, and you will become addicted to them. Good thing Karon is prolific. 

8. The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness

I’m not sure why a friend gave me this book by Timothy Keller, *Looks into the middle distance* but I need it. It’s Scripture rich, engaging, short, and powerful. Right now I’ve got it on audio and it gets a listen every few weeks. Unless I forget. wink.

9. The Wright Brothers

I felt led to include a David McCullough on this list because it makes me look really good. It’s also a delightful slice of Americana. Two brothers invent in this book. And the odds are super against them. And then…they fly. So, yeah. You may want to pick this one up.  

10.    What I’m currently reading

Platform by Michael Hyatt. 

If you read this book, please do not notice that I have yet to take any of Michael Hyatt’s excellent and proven advice about how to grow your virtual platform. But someday, when I find my ducks so I can put them in a row, I will put them in Hyatt formation. And I dare say it will work splendidly. 

Of Time and the River by Thomas Wolfe. 

You guys, what this man does with English will blow. your. mind. The storyline is long-legged and awkward. The language can be unfortunate, and there may be some significant objectionable material ahead. Still, for now I find myself tearing off small shards of paragraph and chewing them slow like savory jerky until the flavor dissolves. Never you mind I’ve had the book for half a year and I’m less than 50 pages in. Reading Wolfe is rewarding work. 

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So, if you happen upon a 4’11” woman wearing fuzzy eye brow glasses darting around the B&N aisles throwing brightly colored books into her basket, just know it’s my attempt to mask my lack of bookish and be a reader like the rest of all y'all. And have pity. 

Beth