What Are You Reading?

One of the questions I get most frequently is, "What are you reading?" (And let's be real: this is one of the questions I ask others most frequently.)

In honor of that gloriously fun question, here are some of the notable books I'm reading right now — or have recently read.

The Reason for God by Tim Keller — Keller is a master communicator. He represents his opponents fairly yet is flawless in disassembling their arguments. In this book, he looks at the most popular reasons that people don't believe in God (largely drawn from his decades of experience ministering in the heart of Manhattan) and offers a compelling response.

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp — I am not a parent. I am not married. Heck, I'm not even dating anyone! But I am taking a reading challenge this year that encourages me to read a book on parenting. And this was the one my parents recommended to me. Perhaps surprisingly, it's teaching me a lot. For one, it's preparing me for when I will parent. But it's also helping me better understand the parents I know and giving me practical tools for ministering to the kids I know. 

The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty by Amanda Filipacchi — This book is not for everyone (and not one I'd recommend to younger readers), but it is fun and ridiculous and pretty entertaining. And its message (just look at the title) nails it. It's a novel about a group of artists in New York — at its center are two women, one jaw-droppingly gorgeous, the other extremely unattractive — and the lengths we go to be loved for who we truly are.

Confessions of X by Suzanne Wolfe — This is another novel, though it's admittedly much better than the previous one. It is deep and richly moving. It's based on the life of (church father) Augustine's mistress, someone history knows almost nothing about. This novel sparked in me a deep desire to study Augustine for myself, which is why I've also recently dived into Augustine on the Christian Life by Gerald Bray.

A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin; edited by Burk Parsons and Aaron Denlinger — The title is no joke. This book is little. It's an adapted section from The Institutes but this small volume packs its own punch. Read Tim Challies' review of it, and then go buy your own copy.

Katharina and Luther by Michelle DeRusha — After reading this book, there are few people from church history I want to meet more than Katharina Luther, Martin Luther's wife. This book tells her story. I knew so little about the fiercely intelligent Katharina. The history books have overshadowed her by her husband. But she was an incredibly brave, resilient, and strong woman. I highly and happily recommend this book!

So what are you reading?