August 2024 Book Reviews

August is already over! We've started a new homeschooling year & I'm trying (very hard) to be more zen. I think I might be doing it wrong...

Anyway, here are the books I managed to finish in between!

All Who Are Weary: Finding True Rest by Letting Go of the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry by Sarah J. Hauser

Anyone else feel weary at times? You might feel it because of over-commitment & burnout. You might feel it because of loneliness or worry. Maybe you just feel like you will never measure up. There are so many burdens we carry & this book helps pull your focus from those crushing weights to the Savior who has told us to cast our burdens on Him. The author's honesty shines through as she discusses her mental health battles & the ways she's felt this weariness. The candid stories lend gravity to her message. She's been there, done that & this is how she found her way through it. Such a refreshing read!

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

This novel was a read aloud with my kids. We took our sweet time reading it, but once we got to the final chapters, they didn't want me to stop. It's a precious story set during WWII. The children are among the London transport that sent children away from the bombings in the city to be in the seemingly safer countryside. While the 3 main characters are dealing with this, they are also grappling with the loss of all the stability in their life. The oldest, William, bears the weight of caring for his younger siblings. The middle, Edmund (yes, the Narnia inspiration is clear), gets himself into mischief. And the youngest, Anna, sweetly longs to find a place where they belong. I think my kids would all agree that we recommend this one!

Untangle Your Emotions: Naming You What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It by Jennie Allen

Jennie Allen has such an interesting perspective. As the founder of If:Gathering, she's uniquely positioned to know a lot about Christian women of a wide variety of ages & walks of life & denominations. However, she is not a mental health professional. So, this book isn't meant to be a thorough discussion on mental illness. It is however a great guide for those who recognize that their emotional well-being needs attention. Maybe your reactions seem overblown to a seemingly small situation. Maybe you want to create a safe place for your loved ones to come when their emotions are overwhelming them. Maybe you want to have better reactions to your children than you remember from adults in your childhood. Jennie gives a Biblical approach to emotions, recognizing that the emotions are not the enemy. What we do with them is what matters. Again, Jennie acknowledges the existence of mental illness & the possibility for professional intervention. It's a good book that points you to the God who made you & your emotions.

 

The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, & Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis by Karen Swallow Prior

This book was so educational! The author is an English professor & a dedicated Christian. Her long history in the Evangelical church & natural curiosity place her perfectly to recognize these trends in the life of the Evangelical movement. She gives an insightful account of the beginnings of the shift from Christianity as a state religion to more authentic faith in the hearts of the parishioners in England. Then, weaving together the historical, literary, & societal contexts of various themes, she also traces their place (or lack of place) in the true Gospel narrative. So many ideas that I never realized were connected or always knew were wrong but couldn't tell you exactly why--truly mind-blowing! I highly recommend this book if you (like me) have started realizing how much of the American/Western church culture has not been built on the Bible.

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan

After reading Crazy Love last month, I decided I'd like to read more of Chan's books. When I looked at GoodReads, I was surprised at some of the negative reviews of this book. People felt like Chan is arrogantly extoling his own way of doing church & unnecessarily criticizing the Western idea of church. I can see how they might be hurt at some of the chapters, especially if they are part of a healthy church. However, the presence of people in a church means that no church will be perfect. It might have better systems than most to hold leaders accountable, disciple members, reach the community, support missions, etc. But when we hold our American churches up to the underground churches around the world or the early church as recorded in the Book of Acts, we can see where Chan has quite a bit to criticize. (You can also read the book in the previous review to see some ways our church culture has some distortions of truth.) When you listen to the audiobook with the author reading his own words, you hear what he wants emphasized & the emotion behind the book. Chan has done things in unconventional ways & that has led to lots of questions about his methods or motives. I also am beginning to realize how much we could do with serious reformation in how Americans view the Church.

This is Not Forever: Hopeful Reminders That God Has Abundantly More in Store by Sara Grace Hallas

I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley and was excited to read this 90-day devotional. The author's story really struck me as it is one of redemption & God's faithful provision. She weaves this story & other details from her life into each devotional. Each day starts with a verse or 2 to read & then Hallas' insight & encouragement for the day. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. I think this book could've been a 30-day devotional because the stories started to get repetitive. Also, much of the devotional is very self-focused. There are definitely mentions of truths about God. But the overarching idea I got was that I should do these things (be patient in trials, be bold in my calling) in order to show God you're ready for Him to bless you. The motivation was never because of the faithful love of God, most fully seen in His sending of His Son to die for our sins. What if trials are always going to be part of your life? What if escape from suffering isn't the point? Ugh! I wanted to like this one, but I just didn't.

 

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff

I enjoyed The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, so I went to look for more books by him. This book was published in 2019 and its main focus is the protests on college campuses. In the last 5 years since publication, these protests continue, making the content still relevant. The authors are both left-leaning professionals, so they have a lot in common with the politics of the young people at these universities. However, they express concern over the ways that these protests have played out, with many erupting into violence. They attempt in this book to trace the causes & solutions for this problem. It's an interesting read & I tend to agree with much of their logic. However, I know these are complicated, multi-layered issues. It takes more than one book or one research study to find ways to fix them.

What books are you looking forward to this fall? Any new releases that have caught your eye?

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