Here’s a rundown of the 9 books I read in August. This brings my 2024 total to 61 books.
This was an epic reading month. The first five books of this log will end up on my list of favorites for the year. The first book logged will likely be my book of the year.
I fly to Nicaragua tomorrow. Here’s to plane flights and good books! Happy reading!
(I must always clarify that I read many books with which I disagree. I learn the most by reading things that do not represent my position.)
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
Allen Levi has done many things. He has spent time as a lawyer, singer/songwriter, judge, and now writer of great books. I read his two books this month – both will appear on my list of favorites for the year. Theo of Golden is currently the frontrunner for book of the year. If it holds the top spot, and I’m sure it will, it will be my first work of fiction to be named my book of the year.
A stranger shows up in the small town of Golden Georgia. He visits a coffee shop where 92 framed pencil portraits of local residents are on display, the work of a local artist. Inspired, the stranger sets to purchase all the portraits and quietly bestow them to their “rightful owners” – those depicted in the artwork.
It’s a masterpiece. I read the final hundred pages as slow as I could in a poor attempt to make it last longer. I wept numerous times in the story and I grieved when it was over. I read books in hopes of finding one this good.
The Last Sweet Mile by Allen Levi
When his brother, Gary, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain cancer, Allen Levi canceled all of his gigs to take care of his brother. This memoir details the last 365 days of Gary‘s life. It is an ode to brotherhood and a life well-lived. The book is beautiful. Each page is reflective. Each page is purposeful. With each page Alan introduces us to his brother. By the time I turned the last page, I mourned Gary‘s death and I longed for deeper friendship.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Ruben, an asthmatic boy in the Midwest, finds himself on an adventure searching for his outlaw older brother. It’s a tale of murder and miracles. This book came to me through the recommendation of a friend. I waited far too long. It’s fiction at its literary best. From the first page, I had no clue how it would end – until the very end.
This Beautiful Truth: How God’s Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness by Sarah Clarkson
Clarkson shares beauty growing through the cracks in the concrete of mental illness. It’s vulnerable, reflective, and points to the bigness of God. This book will not speak to everyone, but for those who have the ears to hear – it shouts. Clarkson’s work is poetic and filled with imagery.
Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves
Here’s a fun book about the Trinity. Yes – you read that correctly. Reeves writes with a sense of playfulness and humor on a theologically foundational topic. I’ve had a few brushes with Trinity deniers in recent days. This led me to want to study the topic a bit more. Reeves does great work dealign with the Trinity from all angles to include from the Bible and the perspective of church history.
How Not to Waste a Crisis: Quit Trying Harder (Practicing Change Series) by Tod Bolsinger
I love leading people, but I don’t love leadership books. Yet, I have benefited much from Tod Bolsinger’s previous two books. I happily pre-ordered this series of small books. The series is designed for each book to be read in a single sitting and to be put into practice. The books are helpful, practical, and full of illustrations. This first volume presents crisis as an opportunity to stop trying harder and begin embracing adaptability. Bolsinger argues that we have to deliberately resist our default reaction to jump in with both feet, relying on the best practices of the past, hoping that this time it will have a different result.
Invest in Transformation: Quit Relying on Trust (Practicing Change Series) by Tod Bolsinger
The second volume speaks of transformation via trust. Leaders must learn how to invest in trust for the purpose of transformation. Bolsigner claims that nobody cares if your institution survives, they only care if your institution cares about them.
Leading Through Resistance: Quit Pushing Back (Practicing Change Series) by Tod Bolsinger
This third volume tackles facing loss. As teams wrestle with uncertainty, leaders need to chart a new, steady course. Bolsinger argues that the pain of change includes the possibility that some may find it impossible to commit.
The Mission Always Wins: Quit Appeasing Stakeholders (Practicing Change Series) by Tod Bolsinger
This fourth volume is my favorite in the series. The mission always wins. Decisions need to be made not for the sake of stakeholders, but for the purpose of furthering the mission. Bolsinger is right to argue that there are always stakeholders who are deeply committed to keeping things the way they have always been. Yet, facing losses and taking stakeholders through those losses to a new, fruitful expression of the organization mission is at the top of the leadership job description.
Jeff Gravens 