A Glimpse Into My Bookshelf

Back in the infant days of Hope Road, I had a “Currently Reading” page. I kept it updated with… as you might expect… everything I was reading at the time.

I have always been, as my husband puts it, a “voracious reader.” I think I read an average of 100-200 books a year when I was growing up. During college, I of course read less for leisure and entertainment, and more for academic reasons.

During my engagement and first year of marriage, I was pretty undisciplined and unsystematic with my reading. But since Christian was born, I’ve been reading intentionally again. Having less time has actually led me to read more (and blog more!) - because I have to fit it into my spare moments instead of thinking, “Oh, I have plenty of time” and never doing it.

I get books from inter-library loan (love it!), and I plan out how many chapters I need to read every day in order to return the books on time. I’ve been reading 2-4 books simultaneously – 1 or 2 chapters a day in each. That may sound like a lot, but I read quickly, and I do it between chores and taking care of Christian. (One of my favorite things to do while he is napping is to read 2 pages, do a chore, read 2 pages, do a chore, etc. I used to do that kind of thing all the time when I was growing up. It breaks up the work. I know, I’m a dork.)

Whew, that turned into a really long-winded explanation. My point is that I don’t want to keep my blog updated with what I’m reading all the time, but I did want to give you a glimpse into the books I’m reading at the moment.

Susannah Spurgeon: Free Grace and Dying Love by Susannah Spurgeon

I mentioned this book in yesterday’s post. It is a collection of devotionals written by the wife of Charles Spurgeon, along with a brief biography of her life. Before my mom gave me this book, I had no idea Susannah had any published writings, but they are gems. They are humble, prayerful meditations on God and the gospel and Susannah’s religious struggles and triumphs. They have been such an encouragement to me. (This is my devotional reading right now.)

The Home at Greylock by Elizabeth Prentiss

This novel was written in the 19th century by the author of the ever-popular Stepping Heavenward. It is a thinly veiled treatise on child-rearing. I find it amusing to read that parents in the 1800s had the same problems as parents do today. Some of Mrs. Prentiss’s ideas were quaint, some were theologically suspect (e.g., children can be regenerated before they are born?), but many of them are encouraging and challenging. I have been inspired by her emphasis on the fact that parents must be living holy lives themselves if they want to train their children rightly.

In Trouble and in Joy: Four Women Who Lived for God by Sharon James

I love Sharon James’ biography of Ann Judson, and I recently finished her biography of Elizabeth Prentiss. This book is four biographies in one. She profiles Margaret Baxter (wife of Puritan minister Richard Baxter), Sarah Edwards (wife of another Puritan minister, the well-known Jonathan Edwards), Anne Steele (author of two volumes of hymns and poems), and Frances Ridley Havergal (writer of the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be”). So far I have only read the section about Margaret Baxter. I like how Sharon James gives a clear portrait of the women she is writing about, including their admirable qualities and their failings. She gives interesting glimpses into the lives of women from the past.

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary Kassian

I wrote about this book previously, based on excerpts I read online before it was released. Mary Kassian (professor of Women’s Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) provides a compelling look at the difference between being “wise” and “wild,” by contrasting God’s wisdom with the woman profiled in Proverbs 7. She really gets to the heart of the matter, pointing out sinful attitudes and behaviors that may characterize us whether we are publicly promiscuous or not. I was given this book as a review copy, and am going to post a full review when I finish it.

So there is a brief glimpse into the books I’m reading and enjoying now! What are you reading?

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