Most regular readers of this blog know how much I love to read. So far this year I’ve had the chance to read 31 books. Not many of those are brand new releases, but here is my “best of” list for the first half of the year.
1. The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield
This book blew me away. I was captured by Rosaria’s vision of hospitality. The book works best as a descriptive took, as opposed to a prescriptive one. But it is an excellent introduction to one particular approach and it has fueled lots of wonderful conversations on the subject.
2. Biblical Counseling Basics: Roots, Beliefs, and Future by Jeremy Lelek
This has become a favorite Biblical counseling primer for me. Lelek gives a balanced and yet Scripturally strong presentation of the basics of Biblical Counseling. I will be using this book for years to come.
3. A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, and Mission Around the Table by Tim Chester
This book is so beautifully written. It presents a grand vision of the discipleship, of grace, and of eating with others that is truly attractive to me. Chester’s exploration of the Gospel of Luke through the lens of Jesus’ meals is really unique and draws out fresh insights on familiar stories and principles.
4. 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience by Carolyn Costing and Gwen Schubert Grabb
As part of a study project on eating disorders I stumbled on to this book. It is really is the best book I read on the subject. It is highly practical and yet engaged in exploring deeper issues related to eating disorders. While not Biblical in orientation, there is much here that Biblical Counselors can draw from.
5. The Morals of the Story: Good News About A Good God by David and Marybeth Baggett
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It is indicative of what philosophical writing can and should be, as David and Marybeth write with wit, insight, and beauty. It is an excellent work in moral philosophy with lots of nuggets which warrant deeper thought and exploration, written in a highly accessible fashion.
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