I know what you read last summer ...

by Shaun

The weather is changing nicely here in Reno.  It's getting quite cold some nights, and I fully realize that summer is over!  So, before everything switches over to fall/winter mode, I'm looking back on books I read this summer.  I was really happy and inspired with everything I read, so they are all tops, just organized in topics here -

Most fun:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
A delightful, imaginative book about a boy and his life on the Autism Spectrum.  It's told first person from him, and so is quite a ride, both inside his mind and outside with where his life goes.  A great book to have fun with, enjoy great writing, and finish quickly!

Manna and Mercy by Daniel Erlander
Loaned to me by staff at the Lutheran church I'm working for.  I had no idea this creativity was going on inside liturgical churches.  The subtitle to this book reads, "a brief history of God's unfolding promise to mend the entire universe," and I think it does a wonderful job.  It appears handwritten with frequent drawings, and you wonder how theological history could be so fun.  It is very inspiring, and a good introduction to what these Reno Lutherans see for the world.

Eye-envy books (great visuals):
Jesus for President by Chris Haw and Shane Claiborne, art direction by SharpSeven
I was looking forward to Shane Claiborne's next book, and this is a skilled telling of the gospel offering a truly "different way" than what our current American culture seeks and prizes.  Very good content!  But, what I didn't expect was such a visually engaging book.  These guys know that telling this story in a different way is better suited using all types of art.  Therefore, the artwork in this book tells the story in another unique way - it makes the book.  I will reread this one frequently, it works well that way.

Radical Simplicity by Dan Price
Re-read this great gem - mostly because Kyndra and I moved in to such a small place and I wanted to read about the life of one who chooses small/fitting places to live with nature in good ways.  It was great, again.  And, his artwork flows his ideas through the pages.  His attention to detail and description reminds me of Thoreau and even makes me sketch some things I see from time to time (though I'm terrible at it).  Great, small, timeless piece of art!

Manna and Mercy by Daniel Erlander
Much like Radical Simplicity in it's art-type.  Read above!

Reading & Writing:
The Best American Non-Required Reading of 2007 edited by David Eggers
I picked this up, simply because I saw that Sufjan Stevens had written the introduction to it.  The introduction is worth the price of the book (though, just spend 10 minutes reading it at the book store, and you're good to go there).  It's a fine collection, and since I jumped from piece to piece in random order, I'm not sure that I've read everything in there.  But, the piece so far is an excerpt of a graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, Fun Home.  Very creative and hard hitting - another example of great art!

Sick of Nature by David Gessner
Because I'm looking toward grad school for Literature & Environment, many people are telling me to enjoy reading other topics, as school will be filled with the nature lit stuff.  Well, this book just called to be read and was loaned to me by our neighbor that is finishing his PhD in the L&E program.  I will save nature reading for the program, but this one looked too good.
So, within the nature lit genre, Gessner is pushing the limits.  And that's clearly his goal in this book of essays.  Because I've done (and enjoyed) some reading in this area, this book was a breath of fresh air and really opened up my ideas on what is (and could be) going on within this genre that I want to study.  I'm so glad to see it!  If I write, publish, etc, I imagine it existing outside typical scholarly research; Gessner gives me hope for multiple creative styles in nature lit.  Yes!

The Lutheran Handbook
An introductory book, usually given to youth in the ELCA church.  It reads much like The Pocket-guide to the Bible by Jason Boyett, only it's all about Luther, Lutheranism, and includes funny explanations like - "how to deal with distractions during a seromn," etc.  Another example of the fun creativity I'm discovering around the church I'm at.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Finally dove into this classic - Newbery Medal winner - first bought when Richard taught it to his class at school a while back.  I did not expect it to be about what it was about, and it was a sweet surprise.  Definitely a contender for best summer reading!  Just perfect storytelling ... and a challenge to utopia!

Most Challenging:

In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
A classic I first read years ago.  Short and to the point, like all of Nouwen's writing.  It was meaningful to read it while beginning this new job in ministry.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
I had never read this, but had heard so much about it.  I remember first hearing about it at a  Thoreau Society gathering where some youth were sitting at dinner talking about their favorite books.  When one girl mentioned this book as her favorite, I remember wondering to myself "how in the world could a Thoreau fan also love some horror based book, probably some sort of Friday the 13th scenario?"  ... I was wrong on the book.  Very different.  Since then I have read some Vonnegut, found his essays always been perfectly written and I found this book uniquely challenging.  It challenged my thoughts on war, but also my ways of storytelling.  This author could tell a good story, in unforgettable ways.  May he rest in peace.

Good Memoir-ish:

A Christianity Worth Believing by Doug Paggitt
I was anticipating this book - waiting to read more of Mr. Paggitt's own story - I really enjoy listening to him and hearing his ideas for church and community.  The book has good ideas, but I prefer him in person.  But as a challenge to Augustine's overwhelming influence in evangelical Christianity, this  is a good text. 

Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote
Kyndra and I read this great book on our drive out to Nevada from Dallas.  Great stories about a faithful pet, and life-lessons from a "freethinking" dog.  Perfect summer reading.  I look forward to checking out more Ted Kerasote!

And that's the reading of summer 2008.  Good season of reading, and lots to tackle before the year's end.  Currently enjoying The Fidelity of Betrayal by Peter Rollins, and hopefully will enjoy some good fiction soon. 

Happy reading,

-s.o