Home Tonight by Henri Nouwen

The subtitle is: "Further Reflections on The Parable of the Prodigal Son - A Guide to Finding Your Spiritual Home."

So if you haven't read Nouwen's Return of the Prodigal Son, read that book first. That book is one that I will always keep in my library. I even loan it out hesistantly because it is that precious (and it's expensive). I let my mom borrow it and she still has it after a year or so. Not because she hasn't read it or has forgotten about it, but because she is continually reading it.

This book is about finding our true home in God. This is a book that I will add to my own library and I've already given it as a gift.

Some quotes:

"We are not what we do. We are not what we have. We are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth. I am the beloved child of a loving creator. We no longer have to beg permission from the world to exist." --Henri Nouwen

"There's nothing as painful as being rejected, but if it is lived against the background of the first love, it becomes possible to survive." --Henri Nouwen

Bleachers by John Grisham

I just went to a Friends of the Library book sale, the bag sale part where you buy a brown bag for $4 and fill it with as many books as you want. Boomer and I bought two bags and got about 40 books, including one HUGE dictionary that is now sitting on my dictionary stand. It looks so official.

This is another book that made it into one of the brown bags. A fast, feel-good read by John Grisham about former high school football players gathering to pay their last respects to a beloved/hated coach. Nothing too fancy or super great. It's more like a short story.

I think I enjoyed it because I've been watching Season One of Friday Night Lights (also recommended!), so I have high school football on the brain.

The Empress of One by Faith Sullivan

In my recent review of The Cape Ann, I wrote that "this is my most favorite book so far in 2009." Which is why I was so excited to get my hands on this book which is the sequel.

What a disappointment. The story and characters were both flat. This book did not live up to the first at all. I actually wish that I hadn't read it and could keep the story in my head as it ended in the first book.

An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor

During my last library visit, I felt so lucky. Or blessed. I found a handful of new books by my favorite writers. As I've sat on my bed reading during the last week, I've been surrounded by these great books. It is a really happy feeling for me.

This was one of those books. It's about how we find the sacred in the ordinary things of life. I savored each chapter of this book and only let myself read one chapter a day.

What Taylor says about the Sabbath:

"Test the premise that you are worth more than what you can produce - that even if you spent one whole day being good for nothing you would still be precious in God's sight...Your worth has already been established, even when you are not working. The purpose of the commandment is to woo you to the same truth."

The Cape Ann by Faith Sullivan

The narrator of this book is six-year-old Lark. She describes a year of her life living during the Depression in Harvester, Minnesota. The title, The Cape Ann, refers to the name of the house that Lark and her mother plan on building once they've saved up enough money. This book is sweet, funny, and beautiful. The characters come to life, and Lark's friend, Beverly, is especially funny.

This is my most favorite book so far in 2009. It was satisfying, I savored reading it, and the ending did not disappoint.

Jesus Wept: When Faith and Depression Meet by Barbara C. Crafton

In my church experience, it seems like feeling depressed is viewed as "unChristian." If one is feeling sad, if it is even expressed at all, people respond with cheery comments like, "Look on the bright side of things" or "Why don't you pray and read your Bible more?" or the most awful "Let go, let God!"

Personally, I think these comments should be responded to with something I cannot write here since this blog already has a Content Warning. Or I guess I could write it, since the Content Warning is already there, but I think you know what I'm talking about.


This book explores what it means for followers of Jesus to experience depression. And what I like about this book is that she takes the stigma away from using antidepressants and talk therapy: "There is no reason one must choose between God and therapeutic intervention." This is a little book, but I could see how reading it would make someone suffering from depression (and those around them) feel less alone and to know that there are resources to help them without leaving out their faith.

Girl Meets God: A Memoir by Lauren Winner

This book follows the author's conversion from Judaism to Christianity. It's fairly easy to read and there's no question that the author is an excellent writer. The one unattractive element of this book is the author's pretension. It's as if she is saying, "Look at me, how smart and cute and emotional I am." It gets tiring after awhile. Still, there is some heart to the book which makes it worth reading, and this is actually the second time that I've read it.