Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office
This one is a little easier for me since one of our criteria is books that changed our lives. Here are my five:
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis— This book started me on a quest to read (and collect) every book by and about C. S. Lewis. I found that the things he said resonated with me. In fact, he could put into words ideas I had not been able to express.
Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle— I’ve read and reread this book so many times I’m on my second copy.
Prayer by Richard Foster— This book changed my life. It came at a transition time and opened up a whole new world for me.
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott— This book is filled with rich examples of the Hound of Heaven– the God who pursues.
Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh— Simple seaside devotions to chew on for a lifetime.
I promised when I started on Monday I would not include friends or clients’ books otherwise I would have added Magnificent Prayer by Nick Harrison. I’ve used it twice fror yearly devotions and it never gets old.
Those are my Favorite Five. What are yours?
Bird by Bird.
Blue Like Jazz.
The Ragamuffin Gospel.
The Jesus I Never Knew.
Crazy Love.
I won’t cheat today, but I could. You know I could.
Love playing.
~ Wendy
These favorites are constantly changing, but here are some that stick out in my mind.
1. Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I recently lost my mom, so this book has been a wonderful encouragment. We have so much to look forward to.
2. The Invisible War by Donald Barnhouse. I read this for research and found it a great reminder of God’s power.
3. The Checkbook of Faith. A devotional by Charles Spurgeon.
4. I loved reading The Genesis Record by Henry Morris. I learned so much.
5. Incidents of Travel and Adventure in the Far West With Colonel Fremont’s Last Expedition by Solomon Nunes Carvalho. Another book I read for research. Carvalho was Fremont’s photographer on his last expedition through the west. What fun!
This was a fun exercise for me. What I ended up with was the list of books that I recommend or turn to the most. Books that deeply changed the way I think and enriched my understanding of God and/or the world. Here it is:
1. Wealth and Poverty by George Gilder – This book has shaped my political and religious understanding of economic issues.
2. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Fee & Stuart – This book opened the Bible for me in ways only the Holy Spirit has exceeded.
3. God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life by Catherine Mowry LaCugna – A difficult, but rewarding, read. I don’t agree with everything in the book, but it has helped me understand the nature of God. This is the best book I was introduced to in seminary.
4. The Shaping of Things to Come by Frost & Hirsch – This is a recent read that is shaping the way I think. When I read it, I kept thinking, “That is so true! I’ve always felt that way. Why don’t we do things this way in the church?”
5. Reagan: A Life in Letters by Skinner and The Reagan Diaries ed. by Brinkley – These two books paint an amazing picture of a remarkable man who was a dedicated writer. His letters and diary entries tell you more about the man than any history book you could ever read. Lots of material here and very interesting, especially if you are old enough to remember the events that he is writing about. You will wonder why we have stopped writing letters and keeping diaries, and long to take up both practices.
Fiction impacts me most. So . . . a few that truly did:
This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness (Frank Peretti)So spiritually real.
Deadline; Safely Home (Randy Alcorn)
Secrets, Unforgotten (Kristen Heitzmann) Oddly enough, her portrayal of co-protagonist Lance just got to me. It was like living in his passionate skin.
Demon . . . a memoir (Tosca Lee) So profound.
I cheated, I know. Too bad. 😉
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis
Lord of the Rings, Tolkein (sorry my list is unoriginal)
Spurgeon’s Autobiography (2 fat volumes)
Martyn Lloyd-Jones Biography (2 fat volumes)
I love some that others have mentioned, like Donald Grey Barnhouse (The Invisible War) and Frost & Hirsch (The Shaping of Things to Come).
I also like all the Louis L’Amour books, but let’s keep that hush hush. Ditto for Jack London.
Bill
Walking on Water – pure magic
Bird by Bird – ‘nough said
Zen in the Art of Writing – the word ‘Zen’ is included for marketing purposes only, confesses the author
Green Shadows, White Whale – this is a novelization based on the time Ray Bradbury spent in Ireland writing the screenplay for Moby Dick for Director John Huston, so I hope it counts. I laughed out loud.
Come Away, My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts- I read a portion of this devotional every day
On Writing – by Stephen King
This is really difficult for me, because I probably read more nonfiction than fiction (which might be saying a lot) due to being a reviewer for a magazine for 10 years and specializing in certain areas of nonfiction.
But here goes: (not counting the Bible)
1. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
2. Heart for God by Sinclair B. Ferguson
3. Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner
4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
5. Discovering God’s Will by Sinclair B. Ferguson