Linda Stoll: 2021's Best Books . . . So Far

I'm so very glad you're here!

Yes, it's mid-March {can you believe it?!} and time to unpack this edition of The Bookbag.

If you're from Anne's Quick Lit, I'm happy you chose to come hang out with us! Be sure to join us in the dialogue that follows because it's always the best part of the post. And if you like it around here, please subscribe and share with your bookish friends and fans.

How are you feeling about your reading life so far this year?

I've only read about 10 books and sifted through a couple handfuls more. I'll chalk it up to working on a whole bunch of puzzles {11 at last count} on those cold winter nights. And a lack of true, extended focus on the printed page unless it's really captivating. {Check out the enlightening conversation we had about our pandemic brains last week.}

And, oh yes, the coloring books have occupied many long evenings - this ginormous hard cover 120 page gem that I've been indulging in for years. This delightfully inspiring Psalms softcover. And these fun glitter gel pens, too.

I've also closed the covers on a few volumes that were either too trashy or too boring or far too wordy for their own good. Not worth the investment of time or energy. If I'm not loving a read after 50 pages, I'm done and back to the library it goes.

Sometimes you quickly KNOW when a book / movie / website / TV show / podcast has no value add to your life, your world view, or your spiritual growth ... and it's time to move on to greener pastures.

THIS QUARTER'S FAVORITE READS

The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story of Life, Death and Hope

- Christie Watson

compassionate . forthright . vulnerable

Walk alongside Christie as she takes you through the hospital hallways, the neo-natal unit, cancer ward, pediatric intensive care, emergency room, geriatric ward. The patients, the secrets, the stories, the day-to-day details. This one's for every soul who's interacted with kind and skilled health care workers ... or who serves as one of these heroes.

The Dearly Beloved: A Novel
- Cara Wall
quirky . relational . thought-provoking
Two men propelled by different motivations meet in seminary and energetically join forces to save a historic church. Their wives are polar opposites and light years apart from each other. An engaging story of searching for faith vs. absence of faith, turbulent relationships, skepticism, uncertainty, and forgiveness.

Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home
- Barbara Brown Taylor
soulful . insightful . refreshing
'Most of us are so distracted by our gadgets, so busy with our work, so addicted to our pleasures, and so resistant to our depths that a nice long spell in the wilderness is just what we need ... If you've been looking for some excuse to head to your own mountaintop and pray, this is it. If you've been looking for some way to trade in your old certainties for new movement in your life, look no further ... this is your chance to encounter God's contagious glory, so that a little of that shining rubs off on you' {pg. 190}.

Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep
- Tish Harrison Warren
comforting . faith-stretching . reflective
'We ask God to "soothe the suffering." We don't ask Him to placate the suffering with cliches. We don't ask that the sufferer would quiet down and get over it. We look to God as a gentle nurturer, a comforter, and healer, not as a gruff coach who tells us to stop whining and play through the pain' {pg. 135}.