Summer Reading Discussion!
Hello, dear readers! What’s on your to-read list this summer? I’ve jotted down a list of some of the books on my personal “to-read” list for the summer (a list that will undoubtedly change many times as my whim takes me to other books) to get us started. Light reading, heavy reading, beach reading, afternoon-coffee-with-cookies reading… let’s share our suggestions!
In no particular order, some of my ideas for the summer:
Peter Leithart – Ascent to Love
This is a guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy. I’ve been re-reading the Divine Comedy this past year. To be more accurate, I read Inferno and Purgatorio last summer, but then stalled out in Paradiso. (What does that say about me? Hm.)
I have enjoyed both John Ciardi’s translation and Allen Mandelbaum’s translation, and have benefited greatly from Dorothy Sayers’ wonderful notes and commentary (I don’t like her translation as much as that of Ciardi or Mandelbaum, but her notes are worth the purchase price of the book all by themselves.) I know the Divine Comedy is a treasure chest, but I feel that I have only partial access; I’m hoping that Leithart’s book will help me delve more deeply.
David Adams Richards – Mercy Among the Children
I haven’t read any of Richards’ books yet, but a good friend whose literary taste is extremely reliable said “You MUST read this book this summer!” and went on to sing the praises of this author. I pass that suggestion on to you.
Jasper Fforde -Shades of Gray
The newest book by an author I love. Fforde writes hilarious, silly, creative, witty, and extremely literate novels that are very difficult to describe.
The Thursday Next series features an alternate-reality England and a protagonist who discovers that she can literally “enter” a book – and becomes a Literary Detective, charged with tracking down malefactors who would change the plots of classic works from inside.
Anyone who loves great literature will find Fforde’s books a cracking good read (both the Thursday Next series and the Nursery Crime series). I can’t wait to read his newest!
OK – that’s one light, one medium, and one heavy summer reading idea from me.
What’s on your list? What should be on mine?
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- Reading Versus Television: Which Is Better?
- Reading Genesis: Order and Chaos
- What Is a Good Book?
- Developing a Taste for Good Books
- Starting Fresh Every Day
12 Responses to “Summer Reading Discussion!”
Dr Holly Ordway came to Christ through reason, in the pursuit of truth. "In your hearts honor Christ as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 15).
She writes about her journey from atheism to orthodox Christian faith in her book "Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith" (Moody Publishers).
Well, Holly, top on my list of summer reading is
NOT GOD’s TYPE by Holly Ordway – Our life experiences were so different. I am looking forward to reading about your journey to faith.
SHOP CLASS AS SOULCRAFT by Matthew B. Crawford, I saw the author interviewed on book TV and it intrigued me
ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL – E. M. Forster My next book for learning my craft.
I hope you enjoy Not God’s Type! I appreciate it being on your reading list!
What kind of writing do you do?
Oh I love this, Holly! I bought Ascent to Love a while ago in anticipation of reading the Divine Comedy, but I have not started it yet. I read The Inferno in high school, and I wanted to reread it as well as the rest of the The Divine Comedy. I have the Ciardi translation. Now I want to delve deeper into it. I want to read The Gospel in a Pluralist Society by Lesslie Newbigin. I also want to read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont so that will be my easy read. And I have heard wonderful things about The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo so Revolution so I might try that as well. And I have had The Way We Live Now by Trollope sitting on my to be read pile.
I just started Ascent to Love, and I like it so far – it starts out with a chapter that’s about medieval literature & Spenser, which helps put Dante in context. So far so good!
I added The Gospel in a Pluralist Society to my wish list
The Way We Live Now is *excellent* – it’s amazing how well it speaks to today’s issues. Whether it’s railroad speculations or dot-com ventures, human nature is the same… I definitely recommend it. The only caveat I would offer is that the Barnes & Noble Classics edition has really bad footnotes (as in, incorrect information!). It’s worth spending a little more to get a better edition, I think.
Thanks for the response, Holly. I purchased the Penguin edition of The Wat We Live Now. I tried to read Barchester Towers, and I did not like it–but I have heard better things about The Way We Live Now.
Two people mentioned The Gospel in a Pluralist Society in the past month, and I thought it sounded good. I am familiar with many of the ideas in the book, but I think it is good to hear many of these things repeated over and over again. He speaks about the truth of the Christian faith in the same way that Dallas Willard does in Knowing Christ Today.
I will look forward to your reviews of these books you read. I am quite the avid reader, but I am not the writer that you are! I was always much better at analyzing history rather than literature so I enjoy your posts about reading (as well as the faith) very much.
By the way, I skimmed over your post on John Donne. I will read it more fully when I have more time this weekend. I actually purchased some of Hopkins after your mentioned it–and I also read about his poetry in a book on theology and art. I have never been much of a poetry person, but I want to start challenging myself.
Okay this was a way too long comment, but I also want to add that I always look forward to your posts. You are a great blogger!
Ooh, I’m glad you’re trying out Hopkins! He is a poet to get to know slowly. I like to imagine him as someone you would have lunch (or tea) with, in companionable silence as well as conversation. I think he gives the reader space to think about his poetry. “Carrion Comfort” and “The Windhover” are favorites, but recently I have come to really love “When Kingfishers Catch Fire”.
I’ve just started doing reading from The Orthodox Study Bible. My priest absolutely loves it (actually, all the clergy do – we bought enough copies to put in each pew in our chapel). He actually particularly likes the OT section, because of how it brings out the foreshadowing of Christ, and how the Trinitarian nature of God is revealed throughout all His interactions with His people, even before He revealed Himself as Triune. The notes might be too basic for those who are deeply informed about Orthodoxy, but for us Anglicans it’s perfect!
Holly, love your blog (great title).
Summer Reading List:
AFTER YOU BELIEVE by N.T. Wright
THE HOT KID by Elmore Leonard
ACEDIA & ME by Kathleen Norris
THE GLASS RAINBOW by James Lee Burke
Rereading THE AENEID (Translated by Robert Fagles) and as much Walker Percy as time allows.
When were you at Chapel Hill? My son is an English/Creative Writing major (’00). And a crime fiction/thriller author to boot.
Best,
Clay
Hi Clay! I was at UNC from 1997-1999. I might have passed your son on campus sometime
Wright’s After You Believe is on my summer-reading pile as well (in the second stack). He’s one of my favorite authors, and has really helped my spiritual growth. I haven’t read Surprised by Hope, but I found his Simply Christian to be very helpful in its treatment of prayer.
I’m also about to start the Aeneid (re-reading it; I read it once in college, but it didn’t make much of an impression), but in the translation by Sarah Ruden.
Hi Holly, you probably did pass him on campus.
Wright has been a great help to this “recovering” southern evangelical in returning to my Anglican (TEC) roots – especially Surprised by Hope.
My first reading of the Aeneid was in Latin and it definitely did not make much of an impression. Put an audio version on your ipod – marvelous!
Congratulations on your book. Will add it to the pile
My summer reading is truly light stuff compared to all the titles listed so far. I’m reading “Grave Goods” by Ariana Franklin about a forensic pathologist in the 12th century (Henry II is king of England). It’s the third in this series and fun to read. I’m also reading the bio of Mother Angelica by Raymond Arroyo. Mother Angelica is a remarkable woman; she is the founding force behind EWTN, the Catholic TV network. And I’m listening to the Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke–Will Patton brings Dave Robichaux to life–along with all the other remarkably oddball characters who populate New Iberia Parish. I fear my mind is probably on sugar overload, but it’s summer!!
Hi! I recently started reading your book. As an M.A. in English who loves Hopkins, Eliot, and Herbert and was an atheist throughout my 20s and early 30s, I’m really identifying with you. I only wish I’d had a “Josh” to save me from the lazy thinking that allowed me to remain an atheist for as long as I did.
Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your book. I am still in the early stages of being a Christian (though I was “saved” at age 6 and raised in a church-going family), so I’m not as far on the path as you are. Things still feel a little (and sometimes a lot) weird and uncomfortable. So it has been a relief to read that I’m not alone in feeling this way.
All the best to you–I hope your book is very successful!
Thanks!
One of the most helpful things that my pastors have told me (and repeated many times) is that the Christian life is a journey, so I shouldn’t expect to suddenly “have it all together” right away… or, in fact, to EVER have it totally “all together” in this life
I find it a relief, as well, to recognize that I am a work in progress!
And oh! Hopkins, Eliot, and Herbert… you can’t go wrong with that group! They knew all about the difficulties as well as the joys of the Christian life, and I return to them often, as old friends who offer sympathy and wise advice.