To kick off the summer, we picked summer reading recommendations as a blog topic. I’ve been given freedom to recommend some of the fun beach books I read during summers that have no great spiritual message, as well as a few serious ones.
I’ll tell you a few of the authors I enjoy.
- Michael Connelly has the police/crime genre down. His Bosch character has been put into a program on Amazon Prime and has two seasons. Go to your local library and start with an early one.
- A good nonfiction book is Robert O’Neill’s The Operator. It came out not long ago. He was the man who killed Usama Bin Laden. Warning: authentic SEAL team language.
- If you haven’t read Andy Wier’s The Martian, it is a fun read.
- I really enjoy the entire series of Books by Daniel Silva about an Israeli spy. You learn a lot about art, history and such by reading his fictional works.
- David Baldacci is a local guy who has written a ton of fun reads for vacation. Several are in series so make sure you start from the beginning.
- The rich characters and vivid depiction of San Francisco make all of John Lescroart’s early novels enjoyable. I don’t recommend his most recent one Fatal. It’s in the genre of Fatal Attraction and I don’t find that topic enjoyable.
OK, now a couple of more serious ones.
- Timothy Keller’s book Making Sense of God* is a helpful follow up to his previous foray into explaining Christianity to skeptics.
- For devotions consider picking up a copy of Tim Keller’s daily devotionals on Psalms entitled The Songs of Jesus. If you get in the vacation rush, a few minutes with this book will renew and refresh you.
- Though it has been criticized by some, I recommend reading Eric Metaxas’ book entitled Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr Prophet, Spy*. I think it is a good read beyond whatever flaws it may have. It is well written and interesting, and timely as we move into a world more hostile to real Christianity.
Have a great summer! I hope to see you often. When you are gone, take the time to visit another church nearby. I’ve found those forays informational and sometimes refreshing.
In Him,
Don
* indicates this title is available in the church library