What I Read in May

I’ve tried different ways of publicly keeping record of what I’m reading, and, honestly, I find them all annoying. I don’t do GoodReads because I don’t want another electronic thing to manage. I stopped putting each one in IG stories and saving them to a highlight because I didn’t always feel like writing a little blurb about them. And let’s be real, that’s a judgy space to share books sometimes, and I don’t want to complicate my reading life. (Also, I take enough breaks from IG that it’s an inaccurate reflection.) Last year, until the fall, I wrote a monthly blog post with links and short reviews and that took SO much time. Plus, I read a book that I couldn’t recommend anyone read, and I couldn’t be bothered to explain why I finished it. (Because it was good. That’s why.)

Since last year, I have been keeping lists in the back of my planner and I have enjoyed that. So no promises that I will do this every month, but here is what I read in May. More accurately, here are the books I finished in May. I’ve been slowly reading The Deeply Formed Life with a woman for months. I reviewed Raising Critical Thinkers for the email crowd on Sunday and I’ve been reading it since March. I started A Burning in my Bones in mid-April and read it slowly (again) before bed. I did start and finish the others in May. This stack does not include anything that I have read for seminary.

If you’re only going to pick one of them up, let it be On the Spectrum. My guess is that most people harbor a lot of stereotypes about autism and also that you know autistic people. This book will enrich your view of what it means to be human and enable you to better welcome people into your presence. Truth’s Table is also excellent. I learned so much from the women who wrote it and it’s a book I’ll return to again.

My biggest critique is that I didn’t read any fiction. I friend loaned me a John Grisham novel and I’m probably going to pick up this very old favorite soon too.