4 Mid-Summer Literary Winners 🏖️ Porch #188
Reads that will sweep you away. Plus a million & a half ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kindle deals by authors we love.
Friends, we’re back together! A good many of you have told me that you love these monthly book recommendations … so thanks for letting me know this is working for you.
Be sure to leave your two cents in the comment section. Your voice always matters here.
I can't begin to tell you how many clunkers I've put aside so far this year. Too trashy, too preachy, too silly, too yawn-inducing. It's not necessarily the books' fault, it's simply where I am right now ... maybe a preoccupied brain and shortened attention span? Whatever. I’ve definitely become more selective and if I don’t find myself completely captivated by the time I reach page 50, I’m done and on to the next thing.
That being said, all 4 of this month’s selections will end up on my 2025 Best Read Books List. No doubt. Completely different genres, absolutely brilliant reads.
And if that wasn’t enough, I’ve spent most of this Saturday morning combing through close to a thousand Kindle deals, looking for exactly the perfect titles for you. Yes, I am an Amazon Associate and so when you click any link and then do some shopping, I will receive a small percentage of your total purchase at no extra charge to you.
So … thanks for making my Saturday morning worthwhile.
And welcome to July’s Literary Chatter. There’s a good chance this long-winded edition of PORCH might be too long for your email carrier to handle. If that’s the case, look for the link at the bottom so you don’t miss a thing.
Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand
Jeff Chu
A beautifully woven memoir on culture, gender, faith, and life-changing discoveries from time spent working the soil at Princeton Theologial Seminary’s ‘Farminary.’ Wise, kind, and gentle, Chu ‘unpacks what he learned about creating “good soil,” both literally and figuratively, drawing lessons from the rhythms of growth, decay, and regeneration that define life on the land.’
‘The more time I spend at the compost pile, the more I wonder whether one thing we might need is a robust theology of compost … Isn’t the story of compost really just the story of God? Turning fear into courage, sorrow to joy, death to life … A robust theology of the compost reminds us of death and the things of death, our sin, our suffering, the ways we hurt one another, the ways we harm ourselves: These things are never the end of God’s story.’
BONUS - Jeff Chu’s enlightening, thought-provoking Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America was one of my favorite books of 2019.
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The First Gentleman: A Thriller
Bill Clinton & James Patterson
This dynamic literary duo is back with their third collaborative blockbuster. The former NFL legend husband of the President is accused of the long ago murder of his cheerleader girlfriend in this tautly penned adventure packed with political intrigue and legal maneuvering. Be prepared for more twists and turns than a roller coaster in this recently published best seller with short chapters that will keep you turning pages into the wee hours of the morning.
BONUS - Check out 2019’s The President is Missing: A Novel and 2022’s The President’s Daughter: A Thriller.
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In Our Lives First: Meditations for Counselors
Diane Langberg, PhD
An absolutely essential little companion for all counselors, chaplains, pastors, church leaders, and people helpers who walk with others through life’s deepest valleys. Born from ‘a lifetime in the counselor’s chair,’ this esteemed mother of Christian counseling invites us to invest in our own souls in these six weeks of deep yet brief readings.
‘These short meditations are about understanding the work we do and its impact on our lives and souls. I have learned through the decades that our true work is actually not care giving or counseling but rather tending to our souls in relationship to Christ. We are handling toxic things; we have toxins in our own hearts and it is not hard to either be destroyed by the work or to destroy those who come to us for help.’
BONUS - I highly recommend all of Diane Langberg’s outstanding, ground breaking work.
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The Underground Library: A Novel
Jennifer Ryan
When the London blitz of the early ‘40s destroy the public library, three women, each with their own unique stories, roll up their sleeves and relocate the community’s hub down into the underground rail station where the neighborhood finds nightly safe shelter. A fascinating work of historical fiction based on real life events.
‘Libraries aren’t only about books; they’re about people. They’re about human life, how books can mend hearts, comfort wounds, and inspire us. But most of all, books can bring people together. Their ideas and thoughts make us realize that we are not alone, that we are all connected.’
BONUS - My review of Jennifer Ryan’s heart-capturing The Kitchen Front: A Novel, again set in Britain’s WWII time frame, is here.
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GRAB ‘EM FAST ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ KINDLE DEALS!
The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, & Enjoy It Like Never Before
Kendra Adachi $5.99
Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God & My Soul
Jennie Allen $2.99
Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection
Kate Bowler $5.99
The Overcomers: God's Vision for You to Thrive in an Age of Anxiety & Outrage
Matt Chandler $1.99
Loving Your Spouse When You Feel Like Walking Away: Real Help for Desperate Hearts in Difficult Marriages
Gary Chapman $3.99
Making Small Groups Work: What Every Small Group Leader Needs to Know
Henry Cloud & John Townsend $1.99
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy & Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World
John Mark Comer $2.99
Effective Biblical Counseling: A Model for Helping Caring Christians Become Capable Counselors
Larry Crabb $1.99
Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Others Up
Larry Crabb $1.99
Thin Places: A Memoir
Mary DeMuth $2.99
Epic: The Story God Is Telling
John Eldredge $2.99
The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life You've Always Dreamed Of
John Eldredge $1.99
Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christ
Richard Foster $1.99
The One Year Praying through the Bible for Your Kids
Nancy Guthrie $3.99
The Story She Left Behind: A Novel
Patti Callahan Henry $2.99
Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City
Timothy Keller $1.99
Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy
Anne Lamott $4.99
The Small Rain: A Novel
Madeleine L’Engle $2.99
A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred
Brennan Manning $2.99
The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, & Burnt Out
Brennan Manning $1.99
Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted
Shannan Martin $1.99
The Ministry of Ordinary Places: Waking Up to God's Goodness Around You
Shannan Martin $3.99
Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America
Russell Moore $4.99
A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee
Henri Nouwen $4.99
A Letter of Consolation
Henri Nouwen $1.99
Eternity Is Now in Session: A Radical Rediscovery of What Jesus Really Taught about Salvation, Eternity, & Getting to the Good Place
John Ortberg $3.99
Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You
John Ortberg $2.99
When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box
John Ortberg $1.99
Love Is A Decision: Proven Techniques to Keep Your Marriage Alive & Lively
Gary Smalley $1.99
The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Churches & Ministries
Boz Tchividjian & Shira Berkovits $4.99
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl: Uncovering a Deeper Relationship with God & Living with Purpose After Sunday School Is Over
Lysa TerKeurst $1.99
Holy Bible (NKJV)
Thomas Nelson Publishers $2.99
The Beautiful Fight: Surrendering to the Transforming Presence of God Every Day of Your Life
Gary Thomas $2.99
Loving People: How to Love & Be Loved
John Townsend $3.99
My Daily Pursuit: Devotions for Every Day
A. W. Tozer $3.99
Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It
Paul David Tripp $1.99
The One Year Bible (NLT)
Tyndale Publishers $3.99
Jesus Over Everything: Uncomplicating the Daily Struggle to Put Jesus First
Lisa Whittle $1.99
Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis
Lauren Winner $2.99
Jesus Calling, with Scripture References: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
Sarah Young $1.99
Jesus Today, with Full Scriptures: Experience Hope Through His Presence
Sarah Young $1.99
NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition
Zondervan Publishers $4.99
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I’m chomping at the bit for a good helping of literary chatter. Let’s go! And as always, if you like what’s happening around here, be sure to tap that little 🤍 at the bottom and help me spread the word.
Linda
The Underground Library looks interesting. One of the books I'm loving right now is Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey--spiritual observations from art and artists. I don't know much about art, and this is fascinating and inspirational.
I am not a big fiction reader but that underground library one sounds interesting so order it from my library. Thanks for the suggestion. Also the In Our Lives First: Meditations for Counselors sounds so good too. Your lists are great!!