Sarah Clarkson
And now for the non-fiction…
Posted by Sarah on Apr 3, 2012 in Uncategorized | 19 comments
What a feast of story I found in your comments on the last post.
I can’t wait to get home and get these books. Summer reading on the porch, here I come. As a follow up, here is the nonfiction section of the list I made for the students at Semester. Again, this is not a comprehensive list, it’s more a list of love, of books that have companioned and cheered me in my learning and journey of soul.
And of course, if you want to, I’d love to know your favorites too.
- Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle – the best book I have read on what it means to be a Christian and creative. Also by L’Engle, The Genesis Trilogy, a creative, memoir-style exploration of the the characters and themes of Genesis. Her writing came into my life like a hand thrown to a drowning girl when I was doubting God’s love and goodness.
- The Art of the Commonplace and Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry – Berry is a KY farmer and his writing demands concentration. He gave up a brilliant literary career in NYC to return to his family’s farm because he decided that culture was falling apart at the seams due to lack of integrity in family, home, land, and community. He decided being a farmer who used land well and invested locally and was faithful to his family was the way to change the world. I find him idealistic, but his evaluation of what is needed, wrong, or necessary to a healthy culture has shaped my thinking on the subject like nothing else. He says things I’ve vaguely thought but never known how to express.
- Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale by Frederick Buechner. Sometimes we need a slim gift of a book to liven us to the joyous, fairy-tale grace that the Gospel actually is. I love this book. Also, his Speak What We Feel (Not What We Ought To Say) looks at the greatest works of four authors (Shakespeare, Chesterton, Twain, and Hopkins) and examines how the keenest truths they expressed were discovered in suffering, their deepest beauty created out of pain.
- Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster – identifies the different “streams” of Christian faith, the way that different churches/denominations focus on and honor different facets of God’s reality. Presents a picture of all the believers in the world, with different gifts and drives, presenting this holistic, beautiful Church to the world. Also by Foster, Simplicity, which is only partly about the discipline of frugality, and is really about the way in which we must learn to trust God to be the source of all good in our lives.
- Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places – by Eugene Peterson. This is a book to be a sort of foundation to your spiritual journey; how to look at the Bible, how to view the work of Christ, how to relate every area of life to the kingdom of God as it comes. A long book, traversing many topics, but with the point of showing the believer how Christ does indeed, pay in the ten thousand spheres of our lives and redeems each one.
- The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. A bus ride from hell to heaven with people who talk themselves out of grace – not to be missed.
- Celtic Daily Prayer, by the Northumbria Community. This prayer book, with the Celtic emphasis on beauty, nature, prayer, has formed my devotions daily for the past five years. Morning, noon, evening, and compline prayers, with meditations, devotionals, and special services for high days. I love the rhythm this makes in my life.
- Culture Making by Andy Crouch – changed my view on what it means to “change the world” – and affirmed the fact that you can fully serve God in every area of life. Culture is simply the choices we make, the food we eat, the things we create on a daily basis.
- Tolkien’s essay On Fairytales – a grand defense of why story is so vital to the soul.
- The Golden Book of Poetry edited by Louis Untermeyer – you need some poetry! This is the children’s version – with a good few classics, whimsy, and great illustration.
- The Best Poems of the English Language selected and with a commentary by Alan Bloom. – I may not agree with everything Bloom says about these poems, but he’s got an excellent selection and great insight. If you read this, you’ll have a decent taste of English literature too.
- The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila. Has taught me how to think of prayer.
- The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence – a humble monk who trained himself to be aware of God in every moment. Beautiful.
- The Renaissance of Wonder by Marion Lochhead – this is an exploration of children’s fantasy and fairy tale, beginning with George MacDonald. I love the exploration of children’s stories in this genre, but also the author’s insight into the faith that makes many of them come alive.
- The Evidential Power of Beauty. This is definitely a book for idealists, but I love this because it is a systematic tour of creation, beginning with the smallest elements of reality and working up to the greatest creation of a “heroically virtuous human being,” showing how beauty is an essential part of our knowing and loving God.
There are so many more, but I’ll stop for now. May your reading journey be swift and bright…
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Reading of late:
Henriette Brown, Enfant Crivant, c. 1870
Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of Christ's Head, c. 1650
Oh how excited I was when your mom’s blog directed me to this one and I saw this wonderful list!!
I have many, many books to share, but for now I will give you my current favorite non-fiction: Quiet Talks on Prayer by SD Gordon. Books on a prayer are everywhere, but this one communicates what God means for prayer to be in a such a way that it is paradigm shifting. Thanks for all the suggestions- I can’t wait to get started!! I’m heading now to the fiction post to add some books!
A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken.
Surprised by Joy and The Weight of Glory, C/ S. Lewis.
(I am curious to know how The Great Divorce made your non-fiction list…)
The Mind of the Maker and Are Women Human?, Dorothy L. Sayers.
Longfellow’s and Hopkins’ poetry.
Your list is exciting to me, so many books on it I’ve never read. I really want to pick up some Wendell Berry now.
You always speak to this avid readers heart!
One of the most influential books I have ever read was by Ravi Zacharias – Walking East to West. It is the story of his life, growing up in India and how he came to faith. The ways God worked in his life has strengthened me and my faith is countless ways.
Thank you for your list! I will be heading to the library as I try not to head to the Kindle store! Lol (to save a bit!
For poetry I recommend:
Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Book of Hours: Love Poems to God”
Wendell Berry’s “A Timbered Choir”
Mary Oliver’s “Thirst,” “Evidence,” “Red Bird”
Jane Kenyon’s “Collected Poems”
I am currently reading one right now that I am very excited about, Isaiah 53 Explained by Mitch Glaser. Thank you SO much for sharing these posts, there are SO many awesome ideas I am not sure where to start.
Sunshine
The Pleasures of Reading in and Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs. The name might put you off, but it is well worth the read. Also by Jacobs, Wandering: Essays Pleasant and Unpleasant was good as well. I also like Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl by N. D. Wilson, Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, and Preparing to be a Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. All three have helped me very much in my walk with God, and all in different ways.
“in AN,” not “in AND Age of Distraction.” Sorry.
Love your list. Actually I love everything Lewis has written. Another favorite is Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. And the classics Imitation of Christ and Life Together. Thanks for sharing!
What a great list. When I’m listing books that have meant the world to me, I always include Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris. It put words to things I knew, but had never heard anyone talk about. I look forward to reading some of these!
Beauty Will Change the World by Brian Zahnd. I hope the world is ready for the message of this book. Will you read it and let us know your thoughts? xo
Kathleen Norris’ Dakota: A Spiritual Geography… very good.
I echo Anya’s comment: Beauty Will Save the World as well as Unconditional:the Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness–both by Zahnd. Also Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy, and Philip Yancey’s The Jesus I Never Knew.
I’m just going to say it—grace please….
I didn’t have any books to list because up until recently I didn’t read books I would recommend. I am interested in a lot of these books mentioned thank you all for your recommendations–I am eager to share the love of reading with my children (6 and 4). We are reading the ‘The Gold Thread’ by Norman Macleod right now and we all love it!
I love Practice of the Presence of God — so still and quiet in my busy world. You have several wonderful sounding titles I will be adding to my list; I’m particularly interested in the titles by Foster.
My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, the old-school version with the old-fashioned language. I found a copy of it in a thrift store and I can’t begin to count how many times it has given me words to speak about what was on my heart. I don’t find the updated English version as powerful, something is lost in the updating. I have also read a few of his essays, including The Love of God collection, which is superb.
Hi Sarah, I just sent you an email and wanted to mention it in case it went to your spam. In the subject of the email is “Aptin’s Feast” and I wrote asking you a few questions.
On books, I think I will mention my favorite non-fiction: My Last Days as Roy Rogers, is about a ten year old girl, Tab, growing up in the 1950′s summer. Sheer delight. All of the Mitford books~love Jan Karon; Beauty, The Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (Robin McKinley). And hundreds of children books: Sophie’s Masterpiece, The Old Woman Who Named Things, all books by Tasha Tudor, Dandelions by Eve Bunting, Handbook of Nature Study (nonfiction) by Anna Comstock, I can read it like a novel, and The Orange Shoes by Trina Noble. I have to stop here or the list would be endless.
Thanks, Ashley
For a writer, I think one of the most important non-fiction books I’ve every read is Flannery O’Connor’s *The Habit of Being*, a collection of her letters. Not only is it deep and thoughtful, it is laugh out loud funny and gives great insight into the process of writing.
Thank you for sharing these. Have you read The Jesus I Never Knew by Phillip Yancey? Wonderful, insightful read that really aided me in my walk with Christ. God bless you.
Looks like I have some Lawrence and Foster to add to my list. The Celtic Daily Prayer is definitely going on my wish list as well!