I just love reading! It’s one of my favorite activities to unwind, learn, and remind myself of God’s truth. My Amazon wishlist is full of new book titles I can’t wait to dive into and I’m hard-pressed to leave a bookstore empty-handed when I get the chance to browse the shelves.
Even though I haven’t been able to read as much this year as I would have liked, I still find opportunities to settle down with a good book whenever possible. Since reading has such a special place in my life, I wanted to take the time to share what I’ve been reading lately.
You may have found yourself between books or just looking for something new to add to your bookshelf or borrow from the library. Whatever the case may be, here are five books I’ve been reading lately that I think you’ll enjoy as well!
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
This is a book I’m reading for for the second time! John Mark Comer shares how he wrestled with the question, “Who am I becoming?” Although outwardly he appeared successful, inwardly things weren’t so pretty. His trusted mentor gave him this advice: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”
This book offers a roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive through the chaos of the modern world. You’ll discover how hurry is the root cause beneath so much of the anger and anxiety of our cultural moment.
Most of us are just too busy to live an emotionally healthy and spiritually vibrant life. The love, joy, and peace that form the nucleus of Jesus’ kingdom are all impossible in a life of speed. We must, as Dallas Willard said, “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.”
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore
I loved this book and have recommended it to several friends who have also loved it. Beth Moore unveils her own story in this memoir. She tells it with surprising candor about some of the personal heartbreaks and behind-the-scenes challenges that have marked her life.
It’s a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof that if we took the time to hear people’s entire story, we’d all walk around less slack-jawed.
Beth shares, “I saw this life of mine going differently than it has. I saw myself turning out better than I have. I expected to have more riddles solved. More people sorted out. More grays dissolved to black and white. I needed neatness from God. What I got was a tangled-up knot.”
Rebel With A Cause by Franklin Graham
I just finished this last weekend and I loved it! It’s an older book, published in the 90’s but the content is timeless. This autobiography tells the story of how God took the rebellious life of Billy Graham’s son, Franklin and turned it around in his twenties.
I loved reading how Billy and Ruth Graham parented their prodigal.
Franklin candidly shares his life story from his beer-drinking, motorcycle-riding teenage years to his position as president of Samaritan’s Purse and World Medical Mission.
You won’t be able to put down this real-life account of how he overcame his rebellious ways to claim his spiritual heritage.
Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
Many of us are old enough to remember images of two young boys walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling and how their lives would play out from that point on.
This is that story from Harry’s viewpoint. Before the loss of his mother, Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. But grief changed everything.
I really appreciated Prince Harry sharing his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. As a life coach, I saw the layers of attachment struggles. Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom. I confess, however, I prayed for the author as I read as I would love to see him come to a personal relationship with Christ.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again, not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving – every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits – whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.
Secrets of Sex and Marriage by Shaunti Feldhahn and Dr. Michael Systma
This is a book Mark and I are reading slowly together–just a few pages a night! It’s giving us great conversation and large doses of knowledge and wisdom. Because any Shaunti Feldhahn book will be based upon research, this is the book so many of us are looking for when we’re silently asking, “What’s normal in the bedroom?”
Most people are curious about sex and would love a few answers. “Are we normal?” “Why isn’t my spouse as interested in sex as I am?” “I don’t want to feel pressured, but don’t want to disappoint my spouse either–what do I do?” “How do we handle the impact of medication, menopause, porn, ED, pain . . . ?”
Most importantly: “How can we get on the same page and create a thriving intimate life?”
Sex is one of the most common marriage issues (for example, almost 80% of couples are mismatched in how often they want it), but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Relationship researcher Shaunti Feldhahn and renowned sex therapist Dr. Michael Sytsma have identified eight simple, transformational factors to help you move from disconnection to delight. It’s a must read for any married couple!
Which of these books made your reading list? I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading or your top book recommendations! Just leave a comment below!
Want to add some of my books to your reading list as well? Check them out here!
Love this list. I’ve read at least half of them, but now have some great reads to add to my list! For time’s sake – I “read” using Audible for many books. For my fave non-fictions, I often buy the paperback later for reference.
Danna,
I wish I could do audio books but I’m such a visual learner and I need to see the page! Mark reads on a tablet but he’s like you–he wants paperback for his favorite non-fictions!