Summer Stretch

It’s summer time “and the livin’ is easy” … well, maybe not exactly “easy,” but summer does offer a change of pace. Most of us will find some vacation days (daze?) with which we can interrupt the ordinary routines of the year and take a break. And, even if you don’t have some days off on your calendar, there’s something about summer that invites an afternoon in the hammock or a little time spent in a park or at poolside on a sunny day.

It’s those moments that beg for a good book—something that can take our mind into new territory, something to read that stretches or comforts or startles or encourages us. For the last few years, I’ve recommended a summer reading list in my pastor’s column. Here’s the 2008 edition. Yes, yes, I know that my interests may not exactly be your “cup of tea,” but still I think there’s something in each of these books you’ll find worthwhile.

The Grand Weaver (Zondervan), by Ravi Zacharias, is one of those “discussion books,” the kind you read and then want to discuss. Zacharias is a storyteller who illustrates his ideas with real life. In this book, he explores the many threads in life that are woven together by God’s unseen hand. It’s an interesting and easy read, straightforward and thoughtful. It’s the kind of book you’ll recommend to someone else—and then want to talk about it later.

The Shack (Windblown), by William Young, is the book everyone seems to be talking about these days. A fictional story set in the Pacific Northwest (okay, that Pacific Northwest thing is enough to peak my interest), The Shack has been extravagantly praised and roundly condemned. For a few readers it provokes nothing more than a “so what’s all the fuss about?” response, a kind of flat, “no big deal” effect. But, for most, this book stirs profound emotions, both for and against. Maybe it’s the “where tragedy confronts eternity” byline, maybe it’s the fact that the stage is set by the murder of a young girl on a family camping trip, maybe it’s the premise that God shows up as a black woman named “Papa.” In any case, this is a story you will not soon forget. And, another book that you’ll eventually want to process. With somebody.

First Ladies (Volume II): The Saga of the Presidents’ Wives and Their Power, 1961-1990 (Quill), by Carl Sferrazza Anthony. Don’t let the long title overwhelm you or suggest that this is some sleepy historic tome. Au contraire: this is a lively real life drama that seamlessly weaves together the stories of seven American women who find themselves following one another into the White House. From the stunning challenges facing the just-31-year-old Jacqueline Kennedy to the shy, self-conscious housewife who became Barbara Bush—and Ladybird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, and Nancy Reagan all in between—this exceptional narrative will inspire and impress. The bond that develops between this singular class of women is especially moving. You’ll also have some sympathy for Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama as they approach 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (and Laura Bush, too, as she prepares to leave).

The Lazarus Life (David C. Cook), by Stephen Smith, takes a fresh look at the familiar story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, recorded in John’s Gospel. Smith wrestles with life moments we all face, from time to time (“God is far away and unresponsive,” “My life is defined by disappointment,” “Everything feels and looks hopeless,” “If only …”), and finds parallels in Bethany so long ago when Jesus showed up at the house of Lazarus, finally, after his sick friend had died. It’s an interesting treatment of the biblical history and a book filled with life lessons. You’ll lay this one down feeling better than when you picked it up.

We Survived: Fourteen Stories (Westview Press), by Erich Boehm. This is a classic, first published in 1949 and now reintroduced (in 2003) with some thoughtful reflection, new introductory material, and follow-up. It is an anthology of fourteen stories, each true, about “the hidden and the hunted” in Nazi Germany. Written shortly after the war, the narratives have a compelling immediacy that is spellbinding. Some of the contributors were Christians, others Jews, still others political or cultural foes of Hitler’s Third Reich—but all share this in common: they lived in an upside down world, where wrong was right and night was day, and survived to tell about it. Their amazing commitment to life itself and to a life that did not compromise their values and soul is breathtaking. No fiction could trump these tales of incredible fortitude, resiliency, and triumph, even in the face of impossible odds. Whatever you’re facing this summer, We Survived will remind you that you can, in fact, face it.

Okay, so there’s the Summer List for 2008. But, remember, never replace your Bible with these (or any other) titles. As you read the Scriptures, you’ll be able to properly interpret the rest of what you read. There’s never a substitute for God’s Word.

But, with that in mind. Read on. And, enjoy. And, oh yeah, don’t get sunburned in the hammock; you’ll have a hard time putting some of these books down!