Before we get to the books, I want to introduce you to my new assistant, Allison! If you’ve tried to email me in the past several months and haven’t gotten a response, I’m so very sorry. I simply haven’t been able to keep up with my inbox, or speaking/interview requests, or life in general. I kept thinking things would slow down and “return to normal,” but alas, there seems to be no end in sight. (At least until November 2024, after which, who really knows?)
At a breaking point a few weeks back, I put out a plaintive cry on Facebook for an assistant. Almost immediately, Allison responded, and she looked exactly right. I’m sharing this with you because it’s Substack subscribers who have made this possible. *Thank you* to those of you who have contributed a small amount each month — that money is going directly to this end. We’re still working out the details, but she’ll help me keep my website updated, a greater percentage of emails answered, and, ideally, make it possible for me to post more frequently here. I have so many more post ideas than I have time to post, and just a little help with importing pictures and proofreading allows me to focus on the fun parts. (My youngest also noticed that she listed “baking cupcakes for birthday treats” on her service menu and wondered if she could also bake cupcakes even if it wasn’t her birthday. I told her I imagined she could, but I wouldn’t mind baking cupcakes with her either. She thought both were great ideas.)
Which is to say, thank you Allison for stepping in, and thank you to all of you for making this possible.
On to today’s post…
After a long hiatus, the Festival of Faith and Writing is back at Calvin this week. I have the privilege of introducing Jemar Tisby on Saturday and the fun of hanging out with all sorts of writer friends over the next couple of days. Speaking of writer friends, I realized I have a stack of incredible books building up that I’ve been wanting to share with you — so many that I’ll be writing a couple of different posts over the next couple of weeks. This one contains some lighter reads, perfect to bring out the hammock (I bought a hammock last summer…highly recommend) with a glass of iced tea. (By lighter, I don’t mean light in substance, just not an academic tome with 40+ pages of endnotes.)
First one up is from someone I consider a Twitter/X friend. I’ve never met Nancy in person, but I’ve always loved her social media presence. In fact, when her husband David invited me on his podcast when Jesus and John Wayne first came out, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. Knowing his history, I was pretty sure we wouldn’t see eye to eye on a number of things. But, I thought his wife was amazing so I figured he couldn’t be all that bad. (Turns out we did see eye to eye on many things!) I still think Nancy is amazing. She’s an artist, a writer, and a beautiful soul who is now waging a fierce battle against advanced cancer. All of this, while coming out with her first book published under her own name. I picked it up and was immediately drawn in—I had to force myself to put it down because I have two books I need to blurb first. But trust me, it looks like a good one:
Ghosted: An American Story by Nancy French - Available April 16
Here’s what the publisher says: “A riveting look inside a life of poverty, success, and the inner circles of political influence — from the foothills of Appalachia all the way to the White House. … Nancy's family hails from the foothills of the Appalachians, where life was dominated by coal mining, violence, abuse, and poverty. Longing for an adventure, she married a stranger, moved to New York, and dropped out of college. In spite of her lack of education, she found success as a ghostwriter for conservative political leaders. However, when she was unwilling to endorse an unsuitable president, her allies turned on her and she found herself spiritually adrift, politically confused, and occupationally unemployable.”
Where to buy it: Buy local at Schuler Books | Pre-order on Amazon
The next book is from a lovely writer, Courtney Ellis. Courtney and I have moved in the same writing circles for several years now, and she’s here in town for the festival this week. I think this may be the most amazing cover I’ve ever seen:
Looking Up: A Birder’s Guide to Hope Through Grief by Courtney Ellis - Available now
From the publisher: “Looking Up is a meditation on birding as a practice of hope. Weaving together stories from her own life, including the death of her grandfather, with reflections on birds of many kinds, Ellis invites us to open our eyes to the goodness of God both in the natural world and in our own lives. By ‘looking up’ to the birds, Ellis found the beauty and wonder of these creatures calling her out of her darkness into the light and hope of God's promises.”
Where to buy it: Buy local at Schuler Books | Buy on Amazon
People ask me what I do for “self-care,” and the answer is: not much. Any time I have for reading, I’m reading books for my own book, or books to endorse, or manuscripts for review. But I’ve heard such great things about this book from Cole Athur Riley and I’m very much feeling the need to stay human, so I’m putting this one on the top of my stack. (Also, isn’t this cover also gorgeous?)
Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human by Cole Arthur Riley
From the Publisher: “For years, Cole Arthur Riley was desperate for a spirituality she could trust. Amid ongoing national racial violence, the isolation of the pandemic, and a surge of anti-Black rhetoric in many Christian spaces, she began dreaming of a more human, more liberating expression of faith. She went on to create Black Liturgies, a digital project that connects spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black memory, and the Black body.
In this book, she brings together hundreds of new prayers, along with letters, poems, meditation questions, breath practices, scriptures, and the writings of Black literary ancestors to offer forty-three liturgies that can be practiced individually or as a community. … For anyone healing from communities that were more violent than loving; for anyone who has escaped the trauma of white Christian nationalism, religious homophobia, or transphobia; for anyone asking what it means to be human in a world of both beauty and terror, Black Liturgies is a work of healing and empowerment, and a vision for what might be.”
Where to buy it: Buy local at Schuler Books | Buy on Amazon
I’ve been holding on to this next one for a few months, because I know it will help me to see things in my research for Live Laugh Love in a new light, but I wanted to get farther into my research and writing before cracking it open. I’m working on chapters 7 and 8 right now (of 10), so I think it’s the right time. (Amanda is Rachel Held Evans’s little sister, and I’ve loved her insights and glimpses into her life I’ve been privy to on social media.)
Holy Unhappiness: God, Goodness and the Myth of the Blessed Life by Amanda Held Opelt - Available now
From the publisher: “In Holy Unhappiness, Amanda Held Opelt, author of A Hole in the World, grapples with her own experience of disillusionment when life with God didn’t always feel the way she expected it to feel. She examines some of the historic, religious, and cultural influences that led to the idolization of positive feelings and the marginalization of negative feelings. Unpacking nine elements of life that have been tainted by the message of the emotional Prosperity Gospel – including work, marriage, parenting, calling, community, and church – she points to a new path forward, one that reimagines what the ‘blessed’ life can be like if we release some of our expectations and seek God in places we never thought to look.”
Where to buy it: Buy local at Schuler Books | Buy on Amazon
Finally, I’ve been looking forward to the release of this last one for a long time. I read an early draft of the manuscript a year or two ago, and then re-read it when I endorsed it a few months back.
Here’s what I said:
In this beautifully crafted memoir, Cait West offers readers an intimate glimpse into growing up and coming of age in a world defined by Christian patriarchy. Written with unusual sensitivity and unflinching honesty, hers is a story of aching loss and gritty resilience, of brokenness, beauty, and hope.
I’ve also interviewed Cait for a future project (stay tuned for that) and am thrilled that her book will soon be out in the world! To celebrate, we’re doing an event together on May 9 here in Grand Rapids, at Schuler Books. The conversation will start at 6:30 p.m. and RSVPs are requested here.
Rift by Cait West - Available April 30
From the publisher: “Raised in the Christian patriarchy movement, Cait West was homeschooled and could only wear clothes her father deemed modest. … In Rift, Cait West tells a harrowing story of chaos and control hidden beneath the facade of a happy family. Weaving together lyrical meditations on the geology of the places her family lived with her story of spiritual and emotional manipulation as a stay-at-home daughter, Cait creates a stirring portrait of one young woman's growing awareness that she is experiencing abuse.”
Where to buy it: Buy local at Schuler Books | Pre-order on Amazon
Each of these is a beautiful book by a beautiful author. Consider picking up a copy at your local bookstore or at your local library — there is so much bad content out there, it’s always good when you can give something beautiful a little boost.
Thanks for the enticing, inciting book suggestions! Highly motivational…even for old white men like me. 😉
Hey Allison! Thanks for teaming up with Kristin. I hope I can be a white male ally for you both in getting the word out...Let me know how I can help.