Books on Tap: Inspiration

Partly because I was lit on fire by last month's books, Fulfilled and A Million Little Ways, and partly because I was in need of some inspiration and encouragement as we transitioned to living in the United States again, all five of my books this time are focused on well-being, better living, and Christian life.

Thanks to our new O.I.A. focus, these books aren't accidental. I'm sure I'll get back on the fiction road soon, but for now, enjoy this series of Books on Tap!

xoxo,
E

The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brene Brown. I had heard lots of good things about Brown's books, and this lived up to its hype. To say I'm a perfectionist doesn't quite cover it; I come from a long line of highly strung, anxious, people-pleasing type-A folks. This book was a great look at how to cultivate courage, compassion and connection to stop thinking, "What do they think of me?" and instead think, "I am enough." At the end of every chapter, she includes practical ways to "DIG Deep": to get Deliberate, to get Inspired, and to get Going. Those practical tips were incredibly helpful for me, because I tend to get lost in theoretical/philosophical mumbo-jumbo. I borrowed this from the library's ebook selection, but I'll definitely be getting my own copy to review again.

For the Love, by Jen Hatmaker. Y'all, I just can't even. This book. Seriously. I had heard it was good so I saved it for the flight back to America when I knew I would be sad. It did not disappoint. Anyone who can, within the same book, make me choke on my sub-par airplane wine with laughter, want to cry and hug my mama, and inspire me to do a better job loving others - well, that person is a hell of a writer. You must read this book. I was trying to explain it to my mother, and the best I could come up with was, "It's like 'We're Just Like You, Only Prettier,' but with more Jesus." She was on board with that, and you should be, too. This is going to be a read, and a re-read, and a re-re-read. I cannot possibly emphasize enough: READ THIS BOOK.

 Simply Tuesday, by Emily P. Freeman. This book is so hard to explain but so necessary. Instead of following your own agenda and ambition, trying to get ahead, striving, and failing to meet and love your fellow man, she offers another way: a smaller, quieter, less flashy, Christ-centered way. And I absolutely love what she proposes. The section that especially resonated with me was the section about connection versus competition. You cannot connect with someone if you're competing with them. So choose connection. Sit on your "Tuesday bench" with them and let God's work move in you. Bonus points for Freeman because our names are similar and she's from Greensboro (which is near my hometown of High Point, N.C.). This will also be a much-loved book.

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott. I had the hardest time with this book by far. Lamott is extremely liberal, which is fine. But every other paragraph she is complaining about how upset and sad she is about Bush's presidency and choices. It sounds like it's all she thinks about, all day long. Regardless of whether you agree with her, at best her anti-conservative sentiments seem like poor writing; they distract from her overall message and at times seems downright out of left field. At worst, she sounds like a whiny, petulant child who is upset her team didn't win. She is a talented writer, and she makes some incredibly beautiful and powerful statements about grace, love and Christianity, but they get lost in her constant political diatribes. This one only got three stars out of five.

Cold Tangerines, by Shauna Niequist. This book is one of those delights that you want to drop everything you're doing and read the entire book at once, but at the same time you don't want it to be over. Cold Tangerines is a collection of short stories about Niequist's life, in which she seeks to learn, or has learned, about the ways God is present in the trenches day-to-day, and how an "awareness of Him changes everything." Her writing is concise and clear, and her voice as a writer is superb - I feel like I'm having a conversation with her, like she might be someone I know. The lessons she learns and the encouragement she offers are refreshing and honest. Like many other books on this list, this is hands-down a keeper and a re-reader.