Book Reviews - Pandemic Edition

I haven't shared what I've been reading lately since February!  Yikes!  I have a lot of catching up to do.  I finished 11 books.  I did start a few others that I never finished.  For this post, I'll start with the most recent books I have completed and work backwards. 

1.  My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Oh boy, this was a good book!  I read it in a day.  This story is full of complicated family dynamics, work place drama, and murder.  You can guess who the killer is.  

2.  Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke

This book is good.  It wasn't for me but maybe someone who is wondering about Jesus and struggling with religion would like it.  He isn't anti-church, but he points out that Jesus is who we should be following not a religion.  If you have ever heard him speak in an interview or event he talks fast.  I find myself not being able to follow him and he writes a bit the same.  At least that's how I felt in this book.

3.  I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

I highly recommend this book.  Austin is a Black woman who has worked in Christian and non profit spaces often as the only Black person on staff.  She chronicles her life in this memoir.  Some things she dealt with were no surprise but many others were eye opening.  

4.  Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

I like Francis Chan's writing.  Another book I would recommend.  This book serves as a good reminder of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.  He talks about how we (the American Church) is really good with the first two but we forget about the Spirit.  He provides examples of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and in the lives of people he knows.  

5.  Essentials of Baking

A book about baking.  Of course I loved it!

6.  Open Season by CJ Box

This was a pretty good book.  It's the first in a series of books about a game warden.  For me it was about a life that I have no clue about, plus some murder and conservation.  

7.  Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

This was a very quick read.   Meaning I read the headings and bullet points.  A business book that was recommended from a church communications blog I was reading.  I read this on a slow day during the stay at home orders.  

8.  How to Lead When You're Not in Charge by Clay Scroggins

Another book recommendation from that communications blog. This one was better and applied more to my work life.  I'm not really in charge of anything but I'm also in some positions of influence.  If you find yourself in that same position this is a good read.

9.  The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons

I really enjoyed this one!  Interesting characters.  The story starts in the past and jumps to the present with the main character dealing with the implications of the past.  His dad died by suicide, or did he?  A girl who was like his little sister disappeared, they think.  Her dad is a politician, currently the vice president looking to run for president and something is off about him.  The main character was a boy hacker given a second chance to stay out of jail and join the military.  He did and the story picks up 10 years later. 

10.  Coronavirus and Christ by John Piper

This book was just what I needed to read at the beginning of the pandemic. It was free to read then and I think it still is.  Here's a link.  Piper reminded me that God is bigger than any virus.  Piper uses the Bible to remind us that God is at work.  

11.  The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

So good!  WWII historical fiction was my favorite genre a couple summers ago.  I burned myself out before I had a chance to read this book.  I'm so glad I did.  My pastor and coworker both read it so we had a good little book club meeting at work one day.  

If you made it this far, you must love books!  Thanks for reading along with me!  What have you read lately that you just loved?