I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.
Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God’s Word and Keep People Awake by Phil Campbell and Gary Millar. When D.A. Carson says, “I would make this little book mandatory reading for seminarians everywhere, and then urge them to read it a couple more times during the course of their ministry,” I pay attention. I first read Saving Eutychus back in 2013 and profited from it immensely. Last week, after talking with a fellow staff member about preaching convictions, I decided it was time for another read and I was challenged afresh. Campbell’s chapter “Dead, Dull, and Boring” is perhaps the best one stop shop for practical tips on preaching clearly. Millar’s initial chapter on the relationship between preaching and prayer is a most welcome start to a book on preaching, full of stimulating conviction. Tolle lege!
The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap Between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness by Kevin DeYoung. It would surely be a stretch to call The Hole in Our Holiness “a modern classic,” but I’m tempted to be stretchy. DeYoung hits all the right points in our contemporary struggle to understand what the Bible says about gospel holiness. We have our elder candidates at IDC read through THIOH during the final two weeks of training and so I was grateful to have a forced rereading. If you’re looking for a sure and steady guide to help you navigate the ocean of sanctification, this is it. Pastors will especially want to have copies on hand as THIOH is an extraordinarily useful book for discipling.
Harlot’s Ghost by Norman Mailer. A few months ago I happened upon a list titled, “The Best 10 Books on the Cold War.” As an armchair Cold War historian I took the clickbait and was surprised to see a venerable historian recommend Mailer’s fiction book as essential reading. Considering I had a few long plane rides around the corner I purchased an old copy and dove into the two-time Pulitzer winner’s 1,200 (!) page novel. Mailer clearly had done his homework as the narrative spans all the essential Cold War events and even brings out some surprising conclusions. Readers will be disappointed the Mailer didn’t tie up the loose ends (as he evidently planned to write a sequel), but since I came to it more for historical interest I was more than satisfied.
The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory. I remain convinced faithful historical fiction is the easiest way to get one’s mind around what life was like in ages of old. One age of continual interest for many—including myself—is the Tudor court of England. What would it have been like to live during the reign of Henry VIII, the madman who seemed as content murdering his wives as marrying them? Better yet, what would have been like to be one of those wives? That is task Gregory takes up in her latest Tudor tale, The Taming of the Queen, by focusing on Kateryn Parr, the last of Henry’s wives. If you don’t know the story, I won’t ruin it for you here. Just know that Gregory’s work proves the old maxim to be right: truth really is better than fiction. Trust me.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. After seeing Ng’s debut novel dominate the bestseller lists for months on end and find its way onto multiple bestseller lists I thought, “Why not give her a chance?” Well chance I did and Ng had me from the first line, “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” The story that unfolds is one of pain, coming of age, and the difficult work of understanding loved ones. Ng effortlessly probes the depths of human relationships while simultaneously keeping the truth around Lydia’s death full of intrigue. I admit to being a bit disappointed when that truth unveiled itself, but I cannot disagree with all the hype surrounding Everything I Never Told You. This is excellent work.
The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. I ended up finishing Harlot’s Ghost faster than expected and so I needed something breezy to occupy my time in the sky. For over a year Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles were in the Kindle queue and so, out of necessity, I finally dove in. What a joy this dive has been! As the series follows the Clifton family through the 20th century I expected it to feel something like Follet’s The Century Trilogy. But Archer is no Follett—and I mean that in a good way. In place of the salaciously captivating storylines Follett loves, Archer leans on some good ‘ol storytelling. What’s unique about the Chronciles is how Archer tells his tale through multiple vantage points. I raced through the series’ first four books (Only Time Will Tell, The Sins of the Father, Best Kept Secret, Be Careful What You Wish For) in less than a week and am due to finish the most recent one this weekend. If you’re looking for a safe saga that just might keep you up at night, this is it.
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