Get Reading With Me!
Interested in what books lie half-read on my nightstand? Read on below!
Probably the biggest question I receive in my DMs on Social Media is about my "get ready routine." (Of course that's not true, but iykyk) The second biggest question is "can I borrow five bucks?" although that's usually from my kids. Aspirationally, though, the biggest question I'd like to receive is "what are you reading right now?" So in solidarity with myself, let me answer that for you.
In general, I try to focus on reading one thing at a time. That never works. There's always too many different domains of reading to focus on. There's reading for fun. And, really, reading for fun in both fiction and nonfiction. There's reading for work, and a few categories there: Leadership. Pastoring. Biblical Studies. Art of Preaching. And so on, and so forth. So what seems to work better for me is to try to focus on one book at a time in any given area. So let me bring you up to speed where I'm at in each of these domains that you may go and do likewise, or, even better, tell me what I should be reading in each area.
For Fun: Fiction
I just finished Dust, by Hugh Howey. This is the third in the Silo trilogy, which is also in season 2 of its adapatation into TV (available on Apple plus). Any time a book gets a film or television adaptation, I sit up and take notice. Generally, this makes a good show since the scriptwriters have a proven platform to build on. More so, in my view, it's a mark of a great book and I should therefore check it out. So I grabbed this series on a half-off sale at Barnes and Noble and it has been excellent. Dust was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I tend to love near-future dystopian writing as it gives a view into what the writer thinks about issues like the p urpose of humanity, the nature of what it means to be human, what the common good can and should be, and so on. At its root, Silo is a book about the nature of the individual to resist authoritarian structures and the uncommon courage and heroism required to bring your community through something awful. If you're a fan of things like this, I'd check it out!
I’m really looking for some good next reads here. I’m currently contenting myself with popcorn spy novels on Kindle Unlimited, but I think I can do better. What should I check out next?
For Fun: NonFiction
Malcom Gladwell has long been one of my favorite writers. When I saw he is releasing Revenge of the Tipping Point, I realized that I had missed one in my collection. So I grabbed What the Dog Saw. Less a monograph in its own right than a recollection of some of his prior essays, it's still quintissential Gladwell. Paced like a story with learning like a textbook, I liked it quite well. I can't wait to hear what Revenge of the Tipping Point entails, especially after hearing his interview on the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast.
For Work: An Interlude
My friend Florin clued me in to the idea that one can become an apprentice of a master through the master's writings. He would say of himself that Anselm of Canterbury is his mentor for just this reason. This year (and I think of a year like a schoolyear, so this one is just getting started), I'm taking a page out of his book and trying to apprentice myself to masters that I'd like to be when I grow up. That has meant my devotional reading is primarily in Joshua and the Gospels, and it has informed my choice of books to read as well.
For Work: Preaching
I'm halfway through Tim Keller's Preaching. I like this title, because it just tells you what it is. I was challenged by one of my colleagues to read through it and think together about the purpose of what preaching even is or does. In Kellerian fashion, he's constantly encouraging us to focus on the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s much more about the why and the what than the how, but being a fan of Keller's work, I of course encourage you to pick this up and will perhaps share my more comprehensive thoughts upon my completion.
For Work: Biblical Studies
Tell it Slant by Eugene Peterson has been a constant recent companion. I had never realized the way that the Lukan parables that are so famously specific to his gospel are embedded in a travel narrative through Samaria. This makes the Lost Sheep sing even more--he's speaking to the 99 who are mad that he's chasing the 1! Insights like this abound in this reflection on the language used in the parables and prayers of Jesus. Peterson's rich wordsmithing and his lifetime of immersion in the corpus of the biblical texts shines through here, as is usual. At one time, I had sidelined Peterson since I didn't like the Message. Thankfully, I doscovered that in this I was exactly wrong. He has been a huge encouragement to me in the last two years, even if I still don't really like the Message that much ;)
For Work: Leadership
I just downloaded Deep Work by Cal Newport. I've been feeling fragmented in my use of time and sensing a need to prune things back to the basics. I'm hopeful that Newport's analysis of what makes us actually productive rather than just feeling busy will help me live that out. If you've read through it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
For Work: Discipleship
The coup de grace of how I've been spending my thoughtlife is John Mark Comer's Practicing the Way. It has made such a substantial mark that I'll be sharing a longform review of it in the near future. Stop what you're doing and get it.
I'll return to Words that Don't Mean Anything next week, so remember to like, subscribe, ring that bell, and tell a friend!