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June 10, 2010 21 Comments

Ann's Ambitious Summer Reading List

Oprah’s got a summer reading list. So does Swarthmore College.My High Calling Blogs colleague and friend L.L. Barkat has a sort-of summer reading list, too.Knowing I’m a word-girl, L.L. assumed I had one, too.And I guess I did. Informally. In my head.In fact, L.L. suggested we HCB folks all share our summer reading lists, so I started assembling and grouping the titles I was considering, warning her that my list is a mish-mash of unrelated works; that this list will reveal how ping-pongy I really am, bouncing from one random topic to another.But I did it. I generated a list.Welcome to my scattered and ambitious approach to summer reading.

Ann’s Ambitious Summer Reading List

I’ve updated the list with the strike-through feature indicating books that I’ve finished reading.

  • The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.
  • Death by Suburb, by David L. Goetz. Both this book and The Help were recommended to me by multiple people. I decided to pay attention and picked up both, placing them top of the list.
  • The Right to Write, by Julia Cameron. This is the High Calling Blogs current book club selection, so I’m working through it, though I’ve only posted about it once.
  • Saint Francis, by Nikos Kazantzakis. The only reason this is on the list is because I borrowed it from a friend and need to return it.
  • Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. I need to read this quickly to be ready for a book club discussion I was invited to join.
  • Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, by Jostein Gaarder. One of my sisters-in-law has her doctorate in philosophy. I asked what I might read to get an overview of philosophy, since I know so little—I needed something accessible and interesting. This was her suggestion.
  • Total Truth, by Nancy Pearcey. This book comes highly recommended by a worldview instructor I admire. She said this is the one to read if I only read one book about developing a Christian world view.
  • The Universe Next Door, by James W. Sire. But I decided to read more than one book on developing a Christian world view, so I’m going to attempt to read this one, too.
  • Green Mama, by Tracey Bianchi. Tracey’s stopping by NotSoFastBook.com next week on her blog tour with a guest post, so stay tuned!
  • Barbies at Communion, by Marcus Goodyear. My High Calling Blogs colleague (actually, he’s my boss’s boss) has come out with a book of poetry. Be sure to click on the link just to see the cover art.
  • God in the Yard, by L.L. Barkat, the same High Calling Blogs colleague (actually, she’s my boss) who recommended I generate this list. God in the Yard is a twelve-week course inviting readers into the days and nights of her daily outdoor solitude.
  • Let the Crow’s Feet and Laugh Lines Come, by Dena Dyer, yet another High Calling Blogs colleague with a new book release!
  • Miscellaneous. I’m facilitating a writing course in the fall, so I’ll be looking through stacks of material to evaluate what might work well for the students. I’ll be skimming many writing, grammar and reference books—too many to list. Also, I’m researching some topics for possible books I might write in the future. That process has me flipping through numerous related titles, none of which I will read cover to cover. So they don’t count.

My book stack is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the last three titles on my list, but I have plenty of words to consume in the meantime.What’s on your list? (pssst…there’s no better time than the lazy days of summer to read about slowing down in our fast-paced world.)Related:Ann’s A Summer Booklist: What’s Up On the StackThe Camel’s Summer Reading List Ann’s Ambitious Summer Reading List Glynn’s What I’m Reading this Summer L.L.’s A Sort of Summer Reading List Cheryl’s My Summer Reading List is Getting Out of ControlDan’s 7 Fascinating Books (for your summer reading list)Charity’s Summer is Time for…Reading?Heather’s Summer ReadingCheck in at High Calling Blogs on Friday for a round-up of summer reading lists, including a long list that Laura Boggess plans to tackle.

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Filed Under: books, creativity, high calling blogs, lifelong learning, mind, reading Tagged With: summer reading, summer reading list

Comments

  1. Carrie says

    June 10, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    ack. things fall apart was required summer reading for me 3 times back in school and thus i have an aversion to it.

    i’m working on the girl with the dragon tattoo series right now.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 10, 2010 at 6:34 pm

      I read a little bit about the book before having my daughter pick it up at the library. Sounds like things fall totally apart. Is there anything redemptive or hopeful to look forward to?

      Reply
  2. L.L. Barkat says

    June 10, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    Oh dear. I hope you didn’t feel compelled! It seemed like it could be fun to share our lists.

    Well, in any case, I had fun reading yours. 🙂 (Does blog reading count for summer reading?)

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 10, 2010 at 6:42 pm

      You inspired me to get organized–I’m grateful!

      Reply
  3. Charity Singleton says

    June 10, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    Ann — Just finished Things Fall Apart. I am . . . .

    {SPEECHLESS}

    Hope you keep reading. It’s really quite a unique book.

    And now, I am going to try to put together a few books on my summer list.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 11, 2010 at 8:37 pm

      Just finished The Help, and due to the urgency of the deadline, I’m going to launch Things Fall Apart.

      Reply
      • Charity Singleton says

        June 12, 2010 at 2:29 pm

        I would love to talk with you about The Help. I enjoyed it on so many levels. Also hoping to talk with you about Things Fall Apart on Thursday (no pressure!).

        Reply
  4. Cheryl Smith says

    June 10, 2010 at 10:36 pm

    I have a few more to add to my list. Will update shortly.

    And funny, I never thought of Marcus and L. L. as my bosses. Guess I need to suck up a little better. 🙂

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 11, 2010 at 8:39 pm

      I called them “colleagues” and “bosses,” but we’re really all just friends.

      Reply
  5. Glynn says

    June 10, 2010 at 11:44 pm

    I’ve read Pearcy’s Total Truth — it’s a good one. And Barbies at Communion. And I’m working through God in the Yard. These are great recommendations, Ann.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 11, 2010 at 8:41 pm

      Thanks for the note about Total Truth. It’s pretty thick (guess it has to be if it’s the TOTAL truth), so you make it sound like it’s worth it! I have an advance copy of God in the Yard, so I can read it, but I need to get a “real” copy, along with Barbies.

      Reply
  6. laura says

    June 11, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    I dear. Now I have more to add to my list. As if it weren’t long enough! I’m book crazy! One day, I will catch up on all these good reads, though.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 11, 2010 at 8:41 pm

      From one book lover to another: Let the list grow! Just gives us more to look forward to!

      Reply
  7. Megan Willome says

    June 11, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Seriously? You guys keep lists? Ask me in August, and I’ll tell you what I read over the summer. So far I’ve finished “A River Runs Through It,” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” “Eat, Pray, Love” is on my desk, courtesy of a friend. After that? We’ll see.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 11, 2010 at 8:42 pm

      I don’t usually keep a real list like this one…L.L. encouraged us to, so I pulled it together. Mostly I just have a bunch of things I want to get to. So I wrote them down.

      I like your approach of just reading and reporting back afterward!

      Reply
  8. Trish Southard says

    June 11, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    Looking forward to “God in the Yard”.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      June 11, 2010 at 8:43 pm

      Did you order it? I can get LL to sign it for you when I come to Texas! Or you can order directly from her and get her to, if you’d like.

      Reply
  9. shrinkingthecamel says

    June 11, 2010 at 10:07 pm

    Death By Suburb – Just the title lures me in. When people make those strong kinds of recommendations, well, there must be something to it. I’m going to keep my eye open for that one.

    Good luck on the world-view thing. I am not sure I have a world view, let alone a Christian world view, other than the one I get from being in the global business world.

    Reply
  10. Heather says

    June 12, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I read Death by Suburb. Some good stuff in it. It was the title that got me. Right now, I have my eyes on one called Will God Get Me A Double-Wide Trailer?

    Reply
  11. shepherdsgrace says

    June 12, 2010 at 10:15 am

    Just finished To Kill a Mockingbird, which is one of my all-time absolute favorites.

    Just started reading Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond Our Appetites [Paperback]

    Lynne M. Baab (My daughter just finished this one and really like it)

    and Ishmael a Lamplighter story, only picked this one back up because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to read and don’t have anything new in the house…

    Reply

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