Summer is here and with the summer often comes the opportunity to slow down, vacation and rest. One thing I love to do during the slower summer months is read. If you are like me and you are looking for some books to read this summer, here are some titles to consider. I think you’ll enjoy them.
MEMOIR
Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
In this book Donald Miller takes you on a road-trip across the country in a Volkswagen camping van. As he goes, he wonders about God, life, beauty and the open road. This book always reminds me that life is meant to be lived, not just endured.
HISTORY
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
This book is all about the Olympic runner Louis Zamperini. It is a great summer read that details the strength and weakness of the human spirit and the wondrous power of the Holy Spirit to change lives.
CLASSIC
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
This book is hands down my favorite. Steinbeck’s narrative brilliance has made it a masterpiece. East of Eden is set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley. It is a sprawling and often brutal story that follows the intertwined destinies of two families who helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
FUN
Love Does by Bob Goff
If you want a little more whimsey in your life this summer, Love Does is a must read. This book, from one of the world’s most delightfully engaging people, is full of musings, stories and reflections on following Jesus and loving people.
THEOLOGY
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I reread this book every few years. Lewis has a way of making the core doctrines of the Christian faith deeply accessible. If you haven’t read this yet, I highly recommend this book to you. It will solidify your faith in Jesus.
Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson
No book has done more to shape my understanding of what the church is than Practice Resurrection. In this book you will learn how to grow up to maturity in Christ with other people.
TO READ TO YOUR KIDS OR TO AWAKEN YOUR INNER TWELVE-YEAR-OLD
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This book is about a young girl named Minli who lives in poverty with her parents. In the evenings, her father recounts to her Chinese folklore about dragons and the Old Man on the Moon. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an epic adventure to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune. This stunning fantasy is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and When the Sea Turned to Silver. I read all three of these books to my kids this past year and we loved them.
Charlie Sandberg is a Colorado transplant from Minnesota who enjoys writing, reading, running and spending time with his family. He is the teaching pastor at Faith and has been a member for 15 years. He loves helping people know and love Jesus by teaching the Bible.