Proclaimer Blog
Summer reading
It hardly seems possible to pick up a newspaper or magazine at this time of year without being confronted with a list of essential summer reading. And if you can't beat them, why not join them? Our own holiday begins in a couple of weeks and I'm starting to load up the kindle (yes, I know, I prefer real books too – but I read fast and Mrs R won't allow me to take enough books away with me to fill the time).
And here's the curious thing. I find it very difficult to read Christian books and unwind. I know that should not be the case, but it is, and has been ever since I became a pastor. Perhaps it's indicative of the fact that I'm poor at self-discipline. Maybe. But what I know is that as soon as I start reading a Christian book I start applying it to my own heart and the hearts of those I minister to. I critique it as a possible bookstall volume. And so on.
So, I've developed a defence mechanism which is I don't read Christian books on holiday. I just don't. I read plenty of them at other times, but on holiday I stack the pack with some fiction and non fiction that has been waiting in line. I also take the opportunitie to read through again and again the next book I'm preaching on – not with a view to crafting sermons, but just getting to know the book.
So here, if you're interested, is the first part of my summer list. I don't really mind whether you like it or not, but I think there is great value in using downtime to relax and if reading helps you relax, then it is worth planning properly for:
- Ecclesiastes is our autumn preaching project at church. I aim to read through this a few times. 1 Samuel is my Cornhill teaching project next spring. Ditto.
- I'm very gripped by the look of The Great Tamasha by James Astill. This is a book about cricket in India, its success, corruption, influence. It looks very interesting and satisfies two of my great loves: cricket and, er, India.
- In the past I've enjoyed some of Zadie Smith and her new novel NW is, as expected, gritty and realistic. It's also about London so has been added to the pile.
- Terra by Mitch Benn just sounds silly. But it's good to have at least one silly book to laugh at (previously this space has been filled with books by Jasper Fforde)
- A commonplace killing is a crime story with a difference – the difference being the setting of immediate post war austerity – a time which intriques me very much.
- I've also got to finish off the Pulitzer winner Behind the beautiful forevers by Katherine Boo, an addictive but grimy and depressing book about a Mumbai slum. I've also already finished one of my holiday books – Forgotten Land by Max Egremont – an extremely moving book with unexpected gospel.
And what have you planned…?