Dear Beloved Community,
It has become a bit of an annual tradition of mine to greet the summer with a post to you recounting some books I’ve read and love. Perhaps you’re like me and find the long, lazy days of summer to be especially conducive to reading, or perhaps you need a nudge to pick up a new book and enjoy! These books span the range – some are more theological, while others are more practical, sociological, or environmental; some novels, some nonfiction; some for now, others for later. I have been inspired and delighted by these, and hope you might be too!
Between Two Kingdoms and The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life, Suleika Jaouad
I couldn’t choose between these two books of Suleika Jaouad’s I’ve read this year! Between Two Kingdoms is a memoir, chronicling her diagnosis of stage four cancer in her 20s and its long and transformative aftermath in her life. The Book of Alchemy tells of Ms. Jaouad’s own experience as a life-long journaler, offering writing prompts and essays from a variety of writers about all sorts of themes of life’s deepest curiosities. I loved them both!
The Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver
I fell down a bit of a Barbara Kingsolver hole last summer after devouring Demon Copperhead, and loved every second of it! Somehow I’d had The Poisonwood Bible on my shelf for years but never read this epic story of the Baptist missionary’s family whose life in the Congo changed them from the inside out. I followed it up immediately with Prodigal Summer, and was captivated by these interwoven stories from people in the hills of Appalachia. Safe to say Barbara Kingsolver is among my very favorite, and her Flight Behavior is next on my list!
Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story and What are People For?, Wendell Berry
I’ve read a good bit of Wendell Berry this year – you know he’s a perennial favorite of mine – and these two were at the top of my list. Marce Catlett is the latest (and perhaps final) in the Port Royal fictional stories, where Mr. Berry explores those stories that carry and shape generations. What are People For? is an essay collection (upon which I’ll draw as I preach this summer on themes of being human) that explores consumerism, computers, and the relationship of people with the land upon which they live.
The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
This fictional read by Winston-Salem’s own Virginia Evans was simply outstanding; it’s no wonder that it won countless awards in 2025 upon its release! I loved the story told in letters written and received by Sybil Van Antwerp, and the deep encouragement for connection that unfolds within. It’s been a delight to welcome Virginia to speak at our church, and I’m among the many eager to read whatever will come next.
Joyful, Anyway, Kate Bowler
Another author who has spoken in our sanctuary this year, Kate Bowler has changed the conversation in public Christianity regarding suffering and illness following her experience with cancer. In her newest book, she writes poignantly and hilariously about how, despite it all, we can be joyful, anyway. Kate’s as wonderful in real life as she is on the page.
The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd’s Life by Helen Whybrow
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Reinkl
I paired these two as they both inspired my awareness in the natural world, though I don’t often find myself amidst the sheep or the crows. Helen Whybrow’s memoir of life as a shepherd and Margaret Reinkl’s weekly meditations on the crows and their companions amidst her backyard both speak of the ache of life itself: growing children, aging parents, sacred ground, a despairing world, and the fierce hope that settles ever deeper with each passing year. I loved them both.
Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon, Austin Carty
Now I recognize this is a bit of a niche read as one who writes sermons each week, but my word, I was deeply moved by it and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. It was as holy as it was practical and inspirational, and I have found myself drawing from it ever since.
The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality in the Biblical Story, Richard Hays and Christopher Hays
I had read a good deal about this book before actually reading it, and it exceeded my expectations. The late Richard Hays was a New Testament scholar, dean of Duke Divinity School, and author (among other books) of The Moral Imagination in the New Testament, in which he articulated what became the standard conservative Christian ethic on homosexuality, an ethic that was deeply wounding to faithful LGBTQ Christians seeking to live fully in their identity and Christianity. Throughout his life, the elder Dr. Hays’ understanding grew and changed, in part because of the scholarship and witness of his son, Christopher Hays, a scholar of the Old Testament. This book chronicles their widening hearts through the witness of scripture and was a meaningful, hopeful read.
On my “to be read” list for the summer and the months beyond include a diversity of stories and perspectives, old and new. I’m eager to read the following;
- The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World, by Christine Rosen and Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, by Nicholas Carr – both come recommended and resonant with my growing interest in what it means to be human amidst a world increasingly dominated by AI and disembodiment.
- The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America, by Raphael Warnock – I plan to observe our country’s 250th anniversary in part by reading Baptist pastor Rev. Warnock’s reflections, informed by his role as senator and pastor of Dr. King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
- The Soul of America: A Battle for Our Better Angels, by John Meacham – here’s another that will inform my observance of July 4 this year. I picked up this classic at the Shepherd’s Center book sale and will read it soon.
- Partita, by Barbara Kingsolver – her newest novel, sure to be a thrill, and coming in October.
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin, and On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King – I plan to do some writing this year, and I trust these will inspire me!
I’m sure all on our staff also have interesting recommendations – as do so many of you who have robust reading lives! Let’s discuss – and happy reading!
Together in God’s work of Love,
Pastor Emily
