What’s on your nightstand? Nov ‘12

Just started

Jesus: A Theography
by Leonard Sweet, Frank Viola

I’m seriously considering choosing “Jesus” as my One Word for 2013. So this is a great book to have beside me. It traces Jesus from Genesis through Revelation in one connected narrative. Very interesting so far!

The Good and Beautiful God
   Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows
by James Bryan Smith

A book about spiritual transformation—clarifying the truths we need to believe about God. What we think determines our behavior, not vice versa. This book highlights what is revealed about God through Jesus and provides activities for soul-training to embed the message deeper.

Renovation of the Heart
Putting on the Character of Christ
by Dallas Willard

Being transformed into the character of Christ isn’t a passive experience. A great book to read alongside The Good and Beautiful God (Willard is one of Smith’s mentors).

Charity and Its Fruits
by Jonathan Edwards

A classic Edwards’ book on love from 1 Corinthians 13, one phrase at a time. I started this one a couple years back (chapter summaries here) but stopped midway. It’s worth the slow speed it takes to decipher the language and Edward’s long and complex sentence structures.

Lost in the Middle
   Midlife and the Grace of God
by Paul David Tripp

It’s a little rambling so far, but Tripp always provides solid meat if you stick around. This one is about how to make peace with where you are in life, and since I just had a significant birthday Sunday, and am settling into my empty nest as of August, this is a timely read.

A Year of Biblical Womanhood 
   How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband Master
by Rachel Held Evans

Rachel takes up a variety of “biblical” practices for one year to get to the heart of what it means to be a woman after God’s own heart. She’s taking quite a bit of heat in the evangelical world for this book (and in oh, such a rude manner—please can’t we at least be polite when we disagree???), but from what I’ve read so far, the character assassinations are unwarranted. Read her writings yourself before you disagree with what you’ve heard she believes. 

Finished from October’s nightstand

Evolving in Monkey Town
   How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions
by Rachel Held Evans

An interesting spiritual autobiography of how she rescued her faith from a know-it-all mentality to a stronger faith of trusting in God with unanswered questions. I relate to much of her journey myself.

Pain
   The Gift Nobody Wants
by Paul Brand, Philip Yancey

Such a good book, even my second time through! Another autobiography of sorts. Dr. Brand tells of his experiences in treating leprosy patients and what he learned—both from a medical standpoint and a human one—about the wonders of pain. I still don’t want pain, but this book helps me be more appreciative of its benefits.

A Woman’s Right to Rest
   Fourteen Types of Biblical Rest that Can Transform Your Life
by Denise George

If you’re tired, you’ll get permission here to rest. Denise has chapters on fourteen different types of rest found in the Bible, and provides examples how you can access each.

The Twisted Scriptures
by W. Carl Ketcherside

I hate that I finished this book already. Ketcherside works through several troubling passages of scripture that have proven difficult for churches to work through. He has such valuable insights that are worth reading and putting into practice immediately.

Unshakeable Faith
   8 Traits for Rock-Solid Living
by Kathy Howard

This is a study book that works through the gospels and the epistles of Peter, demonstrating how his faith grew over time, and helping you grow your own faith in similar areas. I enjoyed working through this one with the group at Do Not Depart, with our co-writer at the blog and author of this book, Kathy Howard. She’s the real deal.

Erasing Hell
   What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We Made Up
by Francis Chan, Preston M. Sprinkle

I didn’t agree with all of Chan’s scriptural interpretations, but still a worthy read about hell and eternal destinies and God. It will make you think and think again.

You’re Already Amazing
   Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be
by Holley Gerth

A sweet book affirming our identity in Christ. Gerth writes with such grace and personality, interspersing scriptures with her own honest stories of insecurities and victories.

The Hobbit
   or There and Back Again
by J. R. R. Tolkien

Prepping for the movie. I last read this in high school so it needed dusting off. I alternated reading the paperback with listening to it on CDs, performed by the marvelous talents of Rob Inglis.

Creating Space
   The Case for Everyday Creativity
by Ed Cyzewski

A delightful little eBook about giving yourself permission and taking up your responsibility to create. And it’s NOT just for the creative types. (I recommend it especially for my blogging friends who feel guilty taking time to blog!)

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What good books have you read lately?

I’m making progress on my Fall reading list, but I’ll be cutting it close. How about you?