My Desert Island Bookshelf

books to pack when planning to be stranded + my May ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ time capsule, a literary walk down memory lane

Linda Stoll

May 13, 2024

Article voiceover

1×

0:00

-7:11

QUESTION: If you were being hustled off to a desert island and could only bring ONE book (beside your Bible, of course!), what title would you toss in your bag?
Don't run off to check your shelves, dig out your book journal, or spend a whole lot of time racking your memory. Simply sit quietly for a minute and let God bring to mind that one special book that turned your life upside down & inside out.

Welcome back to BOOKBAG!

If it's mid-month and you're an avid reader, this is where you'll find us, gathering up our favorite reads, sharing our personal reviews and links, talking writing and bargains and anticipated titles from beloved authors. All things bookish. A special welcome to all you Modern Mrs. Darcy fans. You are kindred spirits, indeed.

Each week, Christianity Today's Russell Moore asks his readers to share 5-12 Desert Island Bookshelf titles, the books you’d want to have if you found yourself stranded. A year ago, I happily found my own picks in his next Moore to the Point Newsletter.

Here's my list, complete with reviews.

Miracles and Other Reasonable Things: A Story of Unlearning and Relearning God
Sarah Bessey
Sarah's chapters on giving birth to her final child, her wise observations on self-care vs. self-comfort, and the benediction chapter make this book an incredibly worthy read as she tells her story of re-building her life after a car accident shook up both body and faith. ($2.99 KINDLE SALE!)

Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life
Anne Bogel
Anne offers a bounty of practical thoughts on freeing ourselves from that 'analysis paralysis' that holds us hostage from making decisions and moving forward. She talks about information overload and perfectionism and gives concrete steps on 'what to do when your brain gets stuck on the bad stuff.'

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature
Peter Scazzero
When it comes to emotional health and the church, this pastor hits the nail on the head. His books have been an incredible breakthrough in how we do church life and leadership. And no surprise, these truths extend to how we function with our loved ones, too.

A Minute of Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives
Richard Swenson, MD
This is how I'm choosing to live life. Embracing meaningful pockets of solitude and rest, sanity and peace. Keeping my soul's deep well refilled to overflowing ... with plenty of nurturing sustenance left over to share.

Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence
Ruth Haley Barton
My oft' boring quiet time, my lackadaisical attitude toward intimacy with God, my uninformed thoughts about what meditating on His Word could truly look like were all transformed in the process of reading this slim guidebook. 'Be still and know that I am God' began to take on a whole new meaning in this, one of my favorite books.

Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture
Adam McHugh
If you love the Lord and His church with an introverted heart, this one's for you. In the process of inhaling each chapter, I began to fully appreciate how God had wired me for life and ministry. I stopped beating myself up, quit trying to morph into someone I wasn't, and gained a new freedom and a fresh delight in living and serving in my own skin.

Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us Out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode—and into a Life of Connection and Joy
Aundi Kolber, MA, LPC
For those who've been living in survival mode, Aundi's wise counsel is soothing and life-altering. Even the book's title will cause you to exhale just a bit deeper after living on high alert for too long. This process of finding gentle healing from anxiety and stress is a sacred work that enables us to move ahead into whatever God has for us to be and to do.

The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction
Adam McHugh
McHugh's the kind of guide you'd choose if you're taking a long, winding journey to someplace unknown. He's wise, he's got a wry sense of humor, and he's the first to admit the mistakes he's made. With the heart of a storyteller, his subject matter is deep, yet engaging and readable. One of my favorite books of all time.

📚