Top 5 books published in 2017 I've read so far this year
Friends, our reading year is half over! (I'm not the only one who measures time this way, am I?) If you follow any sort of reading challenge for the year, I thought I could help you fill in some of the categories with what I've been reading so far this year. (For what it's worth, I chose these categories from this popular reading challenge which is maybe not the best fit for this blog.)
Category: A book that's published in 2017
It'll be fairly obvious that I'm not a "hot off the presses" kind of reader. I've been fortunate this year to have the opportunity to review several new releases, and many of them are on this list. What's your favorite newly published book?
1. At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider (Thomas Nelson, 2017. 288 pages)
To be honest, I'm always afraid I won't be unbiased enough to give a proper recommendation for a friend's book. Then, I swing too far the other way and don't give it enough kudos. I'm trying to get better at that because I'm lucky to have a surprising number of friends who've written books. Tsh is a friend, AND this is is a great book. She tells the story of the nine months she and her husband took their 3 kids (ages 10 and under) on a trip around the world. If you are a traveller, you'll enjoy learning from the Oxenreider's travel savvy. If not, you'll still enjoy the book for it's winsome reflections on the need for all humans to know a place called home. Reading Tsh's book felt like chatting over a relaxed dinner with friends - both enlightening and comforting. This was a book I didn't want to put down, and I wholeheartedly recommend.
2. The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus by Dorothy Day (Plough Publishing House, 2017. 149 pages)
Promoted in a line of "Backpack Classics" in Plough's Spiritual guides, this little book provided the perfect introduction for me to become better acquainted with Dorothy Day's personal reflections on faith and ministry. I enjoyed D.L. Mayfield's encouraging introduction to the book. You can read an excerpt here: Confronted by Dorothy: A Christian Activist Reckons With a Modern-Day Saint.
3. To Alter Your World: Partnering with God to Rebirth Our Communities by Michael Frost & Christiana Rice (IVP Books, 2017. 240 pages)
I read this book for Englewood Review's latest print journal, and will post a link when my (thumbs up) review is available online. In the meantime, subscribe to ERB here!
4. You Carried Me: A Daughter's Memoir by Melissa Ohden (Plough Publishing House, 2017. 160 pages)
The well-documented and dramatic details of Melissa Ohden’s survival stand on their own as an important memoir, and are made more valuable by an invitation to readers to consider their own experiences of suffering. See my full review here.
5. The Way of Letting Go: One Woman's Walk Toward Forgiveness by Wilma Derksen (Zondervan, 2017. 240 pages)
I read this newly-released book for a review at one of my favorite book recommendation sources, the Englewood Review of Books. Once the review is published, I'll update here. In the meantime, if you are hoping to become a person able to live in the freedom that comes with radical forgiveness, add Derksen's book to your must-read pile. It's a hard and redemptive story, as characterizes most profound Gospel stories. (update: The book review can now be found at ERB's site here).
I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!
What are some of the best books you've read so far this year?
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Here's all the books I've read in January, February, March/April, & May/June.
Go to my reading lists page to see my reading lists from 2016 and previous years.
Here's my Goodreads page. Let's be friends!
p.s. there are all kinds of affiliate links in this post because I'm trying to be a good steward, and when you buy something through one of these links you don't pay more money, but in some magical twist of capitalism we get a little pocket change. Thanks!