Books are among my favorite things in the world, and I own too many of them, and too many of those I own I have not yet read. Recently (since my retirement a few years ago) I have begun to avail myself of the services of my local public library more frequently than I have in many years, and I find this a considerably less expensive way to satisfy my reading desires without depleting my discretionary funds. But alas, my typical pattern is to check out six or seven books at a time, and end up reading only one or two before they must be returned.
I have made it my goal in the last few years to spend some time reading every day, and most days this happens. This past fall I took a 9-day bus tour with my father, and as I had my Kindle with me, I completed three novels between sightseeing stops. But the itch to read still seems barely to have been scratched since I have found myself with a bit more time on my hands. So I have a hefty stack of books in my “to read very soon” pile, and I supplement those with books from the library, especially newer releases that I don’t particularly care to purchase for myself. (And I’m grateful for family members who frequently gift me books or bookstore gift certificates to help feed my habit.)
Here are just a few of the books on my “to read very soon” pile:
- Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
- Wendell Berry, The Hidden Wound
- Nicole Etcheson, Bleeding Kansas
- Thomas Fox Averill, ed., What Kansas Means to Me
- Bob Dylan, The Philosophy of Modern Song
- Brian Zahnd, The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross
- Jane Ferguson, No Ordinary Assignment (currently reading this)
- Tim Alberta, The Kingdom, the Power, And the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism
And there are many more, thank God.
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(Posted in response to 1/27/2024 prompt.)
doug heacock: words 