The Messy Middle

where grace and truth reside

Book, Books I've read (or want to read)

Top 10 Books of 2020

I love year end book lists! I love reading yours and creating mine. The processes of looking back over the books I read in a year brings back memories of where I read them, why I liked (or disliked) a book, and what stands out from the year.

Very surprising to me, four of my top ten books are fiction. People, there are so many gems out there! Summaries from Amazon.

Best Non-fiction of 2020:

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear

I have pages of notes and in January predicted this would be on of my best books of 2020. “Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits–whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.”

2. The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley

If ever there was a book that as I read I thought, “Dang!!! This is the book I wish I had written.” This is it. So, if you jive with the way I think and approach life, consider this to be by Amy Young who is Justin Earley. Pages of notes (duh! Since it’s the book I didn’t write). “The answer to our contemporary chaos is to practice a rule of life that aligns our habits to our beliefs. The Common Rule offers four daily and four weekly habits, designed to help us create new routines and transform frazzled days into lives of love for God and neighbor. Justin Earley provides concrete, doable practices.”

3. Didn’t see it coming by Carey Nieuwhof

Anyone in ministry (or who works with people) should read this! The author, “wants to help you avoid and overcome life’s seven hardest and most crippling challenges: cynicism, compromise, disconnectedness, irrelevance, pride, burnout, and emptiness. These are challenges that few of us expect but that we all experience at some point.”

4. Talking with strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

I love Gladwell and his style of writing so much and this did not disappoint. “Something is very wrong, Gladwell argues, with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don’t know. And because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world.”

5. Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath

Dan and his brother Chip are two of my favorite authors and I read every thing they write. This is, hands down, the best nonfiction I read this year because of the ways it has put words to thoughts I’ve had while propelling me to apply what I read. The entire Global Trellis team is reading it and I think you should too :). “Upstream delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than reacting to them. How many problems in our lives and in society are we tolerating simply because we’ve forgotten that we can fix them?”

6. This too shall last: Finding grace when suffering lingers by K. J. Ramsey

In the church too often we “amplify the stories of triumph” and we need to “hear more about sustaining grace.” To say I loved a book about suffering might sound like a note sung out of tune. But that’s the point. “Our culture treats suffering like a problem to fix, a blight to hide, or the sad start of a transformation story. We silently, secretly wither under the pressure of living as though suffering is a predicament we can avoid or annihilate by having enough faith or trying harder. When your prayers for healing haven’t been answered, the fog of depression isn’t lifting, your marriage is ending in divorce, or grief won’t go away, it’s easy to feel you’ve failed God or, worse, he’s failed you. If God loves us, why does he allow us to hurt?”

Best fiction of 2020

7. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

“I’m satisfied,” I said to myself at the end. Though one of the longer books I read this year, I didn’t want it to end! When asked about the theme, Towles said, “There is no theme but beauty.” and I can testify that it is some of the most beautiful writing out there. If you have not read A Gentleman in Moscow, get it right now. Right now :)!

Here’s the description: “In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.”

8. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel and the sequel A beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

These were recommended by a Summer Reading Challenge participant (and this is why it’s good to talk about books in community. I never would have picked these up!). For both books, the entire first half I thought, “Why am I reading this? I don’t like it.” and then WHOOSH I was sucked in and had to find out where the plot was going and how it was going to be resolved.

Here’s why you might want to try it out (and keep reading past the halfway point!): “Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring for the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye. The beginning of an exciting fiction career, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a bold and insightful novel of now.”

9. The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

My sister’s friend showed up on her doorstep with these two books. “You will love them! You must read them!” If you have not heard of this Newberry Honor book, picture me showing up on your doorstep with both books in hand and thrusting them at you. They are amazing!

Here’s the descrition of the first book: “Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
 So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie.”

10. Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen

In my notebook I wrote, “Harry’s Trees is beyond fantastic! It is a brilliant modern day fairy tale that has all the pieces—red coats, a wolf, magic, a young girl in the woods, and treasure—all while keeping its own story moving forward.” If you like a Gentleman in Moscow or Orleana is Totally Fine, you will love this too!

Here’s the description: “Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane works as an analyst for the US Forest Service. When his wife dies suddenly, Harry, despairing, retreats north to lose himself in the remote woods of the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She and her mother, Amanda, are struggling to pick up the pieces from their own tragic loss of Oriana’s father. Discovering Harry while roaming the forest, Oriana believes that he holds the key to righting her world.

“Harry reluctantly agrees to help Oriana carry out an astonishing scheme inspired by a book given to her by the town librarian, Olive Perkins. Together, Harry and Oriana embark on a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wild dream—and ultimately open Harry’s heart to new life.”

Honorable mention: Connected by moi and Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Doug Calhoun, Clare Loughrige, and Scott Loughrige My only caveat is that if you get this is a marvelous handbook, you want to get the physical copy. The digital copy, I read online, is very hard to read. “For those who have learned about the Enneagram and wonder ‘What’s next?’―this handbook is the answer.”

There you have it! My top ten books in 2020. Which have you read? What’s on your to-read in 2021?

You might also enjoy the lists from previous years:

9 Books I Loved in 2014

10 Books I Loved in 2015

My top 15 books in 2016

The 17 Best Books of 2017 

Top 10 Books of 2018

Top 10 Books of 2019

Faith

Will you hear her?

It will not surprise you to hear that I’m in a local writers group. Several months ago we had a guest presentor who talked about reimagining familiar stories. Since it’s one thing to talk about a skill and another to actually try it, he gave us homework and then came back the next month to discuss our stories.

This year I have been studying proverbs and the idea that wisdom calls out to us won’t leave me be. While I could share many verses about wisdom calling out to us, I’ll just share this one:

“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice.” Proverbs 1:20 ESV

I can picture wisdom on the dusty streets of a crowded Jerusalem market. But I wondered what “crying aloud” and “raising her voice” look like today. My dear friends Bill and Amy Lester sent their daughter Kate to her freshman year of college this fall. What does it look like for wisdom to cry out to a college freshman? That was the question I explored in one of my rare works of fiction.

dedicated to my niece
Kate Lester 
in her freshman year of college

Will you hear her?

Lucy knew it wasn’t the best way to start her day, but that didn’t stop her for reaching for her phone even before she opened her eyes. She scrolled with one eye opened and the other refusing to greet the day. Pausing at one of her favorite foodies, Lucy “loved” the picture of a gorgeous picnic basket and the caption:

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”[1]

An audible sigh escaped and she regretted staying up so late with three other freshmen from her floor. They weren’t bad kids, but if she were honest, they might fall more in the “fool” category than the “wise.” Her left eye had decided to get on board with the plan to wake up and with that, Lucy did a full body stretch and got out of bed.

Heading out for breakfast, she checked her phone and saw a text from her mom. “Morning! I hope your Spanish presentation goes well today! Remember: Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread :). You’ve ‘worked your land’ and today you will have some bread! I’m proud of you and praying for you!”[2] If anyone had been around, Lucy would have rolled her eyes at such a Mom Text, but since she was alone, she texted back “Thanks Mom” with the heart emoji.

Soon was waiting for Lucy by the elevator. It was a running joke that whoever arrived first would hold the elevator for the other one no matter how long they had to keep everyone else in the building waiting. They laughed every morning because Soon’s twenty-one-day streak of beating Lucy to the elevator was still going strong; and since Lucy was late to everything it was highly unlikely that she would ever hold their elevator hostage waiting for Soon. 

When they got to the cafeteria they both headed for the cereal bar and settled into a comfortable silence as they automatically moved towards their usual spot by the window. Before they arrived, their Resident Assistant called for them to come and join her. Why not? They shrugged at each other and vectored over to her. Allison was known for being friendly, but not normally an early riser so Lucy wondered why she was eating breakfast. “Hey ladies! Fancy meeting you at this time of the day,” Allison greeted them.

She went on to explain that she had an accounting test later in the day and was completely not ready, so she needed to cram. “I never pull all-nighters, instead, I get up early and cram, cram, cram. Sleep and coffee are my secret weapons.” 

Soon and Lucy just nodded, it was too early for any kind of clever response to coffee and cramming. Allison continued bubbling on, clearly buzzed from the caffeine, until she finished breakfast and headed off for a bit more coffee and cramming. Lucy and Soon also finished and walked back to their floor. When they stepped off the elevator Soon wished Lucy good luck on her Spanish presentation and said she’d look forward to hearing all about it at dinner. 

Lucy quickly brushed her teeth and walked across campus to her first class of the day. Thank God Spanish was first so she didn’t have to have the dreaded presentation hanging over her head for long! When the professor asked who wanted to go first, a girl Lucy didn’t know well raised her hand. The professor called on her and she stood up to go to the front of the room. The assignment had been to translate a short passage into Spanish so as Jessica walked to the front she texted a link of the original passage in English to the class. Along with others in the class Lucy opened her phone and saw:

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”[3]

Though Lucy couldn’t have said where exactly in the Bible the words came from, she was 99% sure they were from the Bible. Jessica was bold when it came to her faith; so she didn’t hesitate with the presentation which included translating the passage into Spanish, saying what it meant to her, and why she had chosen it for the assignment. Seeing that Jessica lived through the presentation, Lucy volunteered to go next and was relieved her presentation was over before she knew it. 

The rest of her morning flowed without incident and Lucy found herself back in the cafeteria picking up her lunch. Since she didn’t see anyone she knew, she got a to-go box and took her lunch outside. Leaning up against a tree she pulled out her phone while she ate an apple. Lucy clicked on a video with over 17 million views and listened to “Lady Sophia” rap about how she existed before the beginning of the earth.[4] Not quite as good as Hamilton, but not bad, Lucy thought as she finished up her lunch.

Her afternoon was uneventful. Classes, homework, and a brief call with her mom. The only annoying part was that the line “I was there” from Lady Sophia was stuck in her head and it was driving her nuts! 

“When he established the heavens, I was there.” 

“Before the I can’t remember was shaped, I was there.”

“When he assigned the blah blah its limit, I was there.” 

I was there. I was there. I was there, annoying you. I was there.

Finally, it was dinner time and Lucy seriously hoped that talking with Soon would stop the madness going on in her head! Soon asked about Lucy’s Spanish presentation and Lucy said, “It wasn’t bad” and told Soon about stumbling over a line. “But other than that, I guess it was okay.” Since it was Chinese food night, each girl took a generous helping of twice-fried green beans and Kung Pao Chicken. Lucy asked Soon about her day and unlike Lucy, Soon had had a very eventful day and proceeded to fill Lucy in on every little detail. By the end of the meal, Lucy could have hugged Soon because the rap was no longer stuck on a loop in her head. As they left the cafeteria each girl grabbed a fortune cookie. 

Lucy’s fortune read, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”[5] Soon’s said, “A friend is a present you give yourself.” They laughed at how their fortunes went together, just like they did. Though it had only been a few weeks since they met, they already thought of themselves as friends. And though it was a typical day, Lucy thought of herself as one of the luckiest people in the world as she headed back to her dorm room for an evening of homework.

Later, she climbed into bed earlier than she the night before. Lucy drifted off to sleep covered in her parents’ prayers that she find wisdom.[6] Wisdom smiled knowing that Lucy might not always hear her. But just as she had been doing since before the market days in Jerusalem, she, the original Lady Sophia, would continue calling out to Lucy all the days of her life.

[1]Proverbs 13:20

[2]Proverbs 28:19a

[3]Proverbs 15:1-4

[4]Proverbs 8:12-36

[5]Proverbs 19:11

[6]Proverbs 6:35

Book

Connected is here!!

You are my people and I love you! Many of you watched Looming Transitions be born and launched her into the world far beyond my wildest dreams. Since then you have cheered on each subsequent book. . . that sentence alone humbles me! “Each subsequent book” would not exist if you had not encouraged me as a writer, shared the books with people who could benefit from them, or the countless other ways you helped.

Can I tell you a secret?

I almost didn’t ask for your help with Connected: Starting Your Overseas Life Spiritually Fed because I didn’t want to become like a tedious guest or three-day-fish . . . or a too-much-Amy. But that makes this process about me, and not about what it should be about! It’s not about me or you . . . well, not much! It’s about the readers; and more than that, it’s about the right readers finding the right book at the right time.

A small army signed up to read a copy of this book before it was published. Why is this important?  So that today, the day she is officially presented to the world, people can read the reviews and get a sense if this is the right book for them. 

Publishing a book is a bit like having a baby: it’s a lot of work, the time frame it not always exact, and you want to share with everyone!!!

Today I have several posts sharing about this book, but here, in this space, picture me bursting into the waiting room—because though the process is like given birth, I’m more able to burst into rooms—waving my arms and shouting, “She’s here!” Knowing that you want to join in the fun. Hugs all around. Smiles and joy and wanting to know what you can do. 

1. Celebrate! Of course, I hope this book sells decently because I truly believe Connected will help cross-cultural workers start their time on the field connected to God.  

But if this book sells and I have no one to share it with, what have I gained? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What is worse than watching sports by yourself and having no one to high-five? Nothing. Okay, there are worse things, but in that moment, it’s pretty low.

I’m high-fiving you! Woot, woot! If you weren’t here, there would be no book. I did it. You encouraged me. We did it. Let’s enjoy this moment.

2. May I boldly ask, buy a copy of Connected? Purchased copies through Amazon are the only way that Amazon will start to recommend Getting Started as an “also bought.”

4. Suggest or give Connected to someone you know who is in their first year. The best way a book sells is through word of mouth. If you tell them and they know you, they are much more likely to buy it. All organization should give Connected to their first year people!

5. Leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It does not need to be five stars (though if that’s what your heart is saying, go with your heart!). Amazon is funny, she just likes to see the amount of reviews. The more reviews (even three or four star), the more she will say, “Hey, maybe I should tell other people about this book.” The goal is 50.

6. Tell someone about Connected. You know tons of people I don’t know. You know people living in Sweden or working at this church or for that organization. You know your neighbor’s cousin who is moving to Brazil or your former coworker who recently started his life on the field. You know mission committee members and pastors and counselors.

Here are photos if you want to share on social media, a blog, or in another way.

You might be a blogger who would like to interview me or write a review of Connected (I can offer a copy as a giveaway). Who could you tell about this book?

To all who read the book and wrote reviews, thank you!!! Thank you to Stacey Covell for editing and to Vanessa Mendozzi for the cover design and formatting.

To all who will help me celebrate, thank you!

To all of you, thank you for being my online, Amy-the-person people. You are my people, and I love you!

Now, let’s pop the cork on the bubbly, the fizzy apple juice, or the diet coke. Whatever is celebratory to you and let’s party!  I raise my glass to you and say, “Thank you.” Clink! It is so good to be Connected.

Leave a comment and two of you will win a copy (if mailed in the U.S.) or on Kindle (anywhere in the world). What fruit of the Spirit are you enjoying or needing these days?

With love and gratitude,

Amy

Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Reading Challenge 2020 is Finished!

Congrats for making it to the end of the Summer Reading Challenge 2020!

I admit, I needed the challenge like never before. In the past, I have needed this challenge for the fun and joy of reading. This year? I needed it to kick my behind so that I actually read books outside of my normal categories. If you’re familiar with what I tend to read, you won’t set that much that’s different.

But without this challenge? You’d see even less that I wouldn’t normally read.

Three things to know for me this summer:

1. I have been drawn to all things “The Office” recently. The podcast The Office Ladies breakdown each episode and I love hearing the back story of an episdoe and then rewatching the episode. You’ll notice my Office obsession played out in books I read.

2. Thanks to the “Penalty Book” category, for the third summer I read a book I have been meaning to read for ages! Go penalty books!

3. Reading makes me happy, even when the world may be in melt-down mode.

So, how did The Summer Reading Challenge go for you? Remember, in The Summer Reading Challenge the goal is to read seven books between June 1 and August 18th. Comment below and you are entered for one of ten $10 Amazon gift cards. Even if you didn’t read seven books, still share what you read! This isn’t really a contest so much as a chance to share and a chance to see how many books we read collectively.

I’m going to put the categories here if you want to cut and paste them into the comments. Also feel free to just list books, whatever works for you.

Four COVID-19 Special Categories:

  • A book with either something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue
  • A book with a nurse, doctor, or other medical personnel
  • A book with a teacher, student, or classroom
  • A book about a pandemic or outbreak

For the Joy of Reading:

  • A Biography
  • A book I already own
  • A book a friend recommended
  • A Young Adult book (YA)
  • A book with a great cover
  • A book of poetry
  • A memoir or autobiography
  • A graphic Novel
  • A book for professional development (loosely defined)
  • A book longer than 700 pages (counts as two books)
  • A book with a verb in the title
  • A play
  • A book about a country or culture you have never visited
  • A book about history
  • A book that won an award
  • A classic
  • A novel 
  • An audiobook
  • A book with an animal
  • A book less than 100 pages
  • A book You want to discuss with others
  • Penalty Book (subtract two books if you don’t read this book)

Amy’s books:

A book about a pandemic or outbreak: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks and God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath by NT Wright

A Biography: Abigail Adams: A Life by Woody Holton (my penalty book!)

A memoir or autobiography: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Owens

A graphic Novel: Nicolas by Pascal Girard “Girard revisits the childhood death of his little brother in his most emotional and spare work.”

A book for professional development (loosely defined): The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer (Hello “The Office” friend!)

A book with a verb in the title: Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences by Carey Nieuwhof

A book about a country or culture you have never visited: The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel by Deborah Ellis and illustrated by (“This beautiful graphic-novel adaptation of The Breadwinner animated film tells the story of eleven-year-old Parvana who must disguise herself as a boy to support her family during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan.”)

A book that won an award: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade )

An audiobook: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling (Another “The Office” friend. If you aren’t a “Office” fan, okay to skip.)

A book less than 100 pages: two novelas by Fredrick Backman And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer: A Novella and The Deal of a Lifetime

A book You want to discuss with others: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell

Penalty Book (subtract two books if you don’t read this book): Abigail Adams . . . I read it! I read it! No need to subtract. Whew AND I’m glad I read it.

You can see I didn’t read in every category and I’m drawn to non-fiction more than fiction.

I come back to this not being a contest, if you read four books and that was your goal, great! I just find that I’m more likely to accomplish my goals if I tell people what they are. I would not have read the two fantastic novellas and I’m 99% sure I would still be intending to read Abigail Adams by Woody Holton. Thanks to you, I read both of them.

I can’t wait to see what you’ve been reading. I’ll pick winners on Saturday so you have time this week to leave a comment.

Thank you for joining in!

Amy

Book, Summer Reading Challenge

What is Beautiful? (and a giveaway!)

My friend Abbie has written her first children’s book: What is beautiful? She sent me an advanced copy and asked me to write a short blurb. This is what I wrote:

“Reading What is Beautiful? I had the sense that for a few minutes I was back in the Garden of Eden, in the cool of the day on a walk with God. This small book speaks volumes with lyrical prose and engaging illustrations about how we are each made in the Image of God, beloved from the beginning, and unique in our own way. Though a book for the ages, it is a must read right now.”

Obviously I loved it. You must read this book!

I also love hearing about the process for an idea to become a book and asked Abbie if she’s be up for a few questions. She graciously said yes! Yay!

Abbie, what seeds planted the idea that grew into What Is Beautiful?

Honestly one could find plethoras in the soil of my last fifteen years of writing. Both Celibate Sex (through singleness) & Stretch Marks I Wasn’t Expecting (through early marriage & motherhood) spend many’a pages unpacking God’s beauty & “what is beautiful.”

More immediately though, two years back we were hosting friends for New Year’s Eve and decided to have everyone share something “beautiful” & “brutal” from their previous twelve months. On the way to buy food that afternoon, I was sitting at a red-light thinking about the semantics of the word beautiful, when “be-you-to-the-full” felt like it dropped in my lap. That seed has been filling-out ever since.

This is your first children’s book, I imagine it’s different writing a children’s book from your other books. I’m curious how this project was similar to and different from other projects?

Different, indeed! The red-light revelation, plus seventeen lines that came to me in a few hours (versus years) was a distinctly new experience for me. Thus far, my experience of children’s writing seems night and day from grown-up people writing. Truth be told, however, the words and message of What Is Beautiful? had been growing in me for years. 

Although I chuckle and say the children’s book took me only an afternoon to write, it’s important for me to remember that God had been birthing the lines for months and years, and many carry layers of wounds and journeys and hardship (like eating disorders & shame). In other words, I don’t want to underestimate the road that led me to that red-light, prompt thought it was in the moment. 

What is it like working with an illustrator? (Ashley did an amazing job!!) Did you know her? Did the publisher introduce you? Did you finish the words first and then she did the illustrations? So many questions :)!

Oh wow, I don’t know enough about children’s realms to know if this is often the case, but I LOVED working with Ashley. She’s a 20-something bundle of joy with utmost humility and talent, which was blissful to work alongside. Frankly that “working” and friendship were developed by us though, and not necessarily a norm for author / illustrator relationships. Once Parent Cue had my words, that was really all they needed from me; from there, they did all the work of hiring and steering illustrations with Ashley. (And I’d guess stacks of children’s books will be in her future; that girl is gold.)

Any other children’s books in your future?

Haha, not that I know of. For whatever reasons, I’ve not been writing much lately. Hard to fathom any other books on my radar right now, but I’ve been known to say that before.

What is your hope and prayer for What Is Beautiful?

What a lovely question. Unlike other writing and books I’ve done, What Is Beautiful? seems to be connecting with readers who aren’t followers of Christ. It would be my highest honor as an author to hear that someone discovered more about, or maybe even for the first time, truths of God & his beauty through these pages.

Thank you Abbie for offering us a peek behind the curtain!

Abbie’s publisher is sending me a copy to share with one of you! I’ll mail it within the US, so you could get it yourself or win as a present for someone.

Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to possibly win of What is Beautiful. Comment ideas: What stood out to you in the interview? How’s the Summer Reading Challenge going (note next Tuesday the 18th is the end!) What’s a favorite children’s book?

See you next week with the Summer Reading Challenge roundup!

Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Reading Challenge 2020 is here!

Calling all readers!

It’s a day of rejoicing because the Summer Reading Challenge 2020 is here! If you can believe it, this is the fifth summer of the challenge.

Like a kid pouring over the toy catalog in days gone by, I’ve chatted with family members, dreamed about books, and looked for ways to expand the reading challenge. Today, I  am excited today to reveal this summer’s reading challenge!

It will start on June 1  and run through August 18, 2020. To enter, read seven books from 25 categories.

What is different?

  • Pandemic, anyone? For some you’ve already been reading extra, for others, the past few months have dinged your ability to concentrate and read.
  • You may have less access to libraries.
  • So, you might need this challenge more than ever to get your reading mojo back. BUT you might have less access to libraries and may need to borrow books from friends and family.
  • In recognition of the graduations and weddings that were planned and the medical personnel impacted, students, teachers, and parents doing school different, and those in isolation who had a very different than expected first half of the year we have four “COVID-19 Special Categories.”

What is the same?

  • Many categories will be similar because reading is reading. But you will notice a few new gems
  • Counting a book of more than 700 pages as two books.
  • Choosing a penalty book within the first week of the year. A penalty book or category you declare I will read or be penalized. The last two summers I have selected a penalty book and it worked! I read books I’d been meaning to read for ages and I am all the richer for reading them. This year Abigail Adams by Woody Holton is my penalty book. Can I tell you how many years I’ve meant to read this book?! This is the summer!
  • Like last year, if you do not read your “penalty” book, you will subtract two books from your total.

What’s in it for you?

  • All who comment on August 18-21st with the names of the books they read will be entered to win one of ten $10 Amazon gift cards.

Drumroll . . . here are the categories!

In recognition of the graduations, weddings, medical personnel, and those in isolation who had a very different than expected first half of the year we have four COVID-19 Special Categories:

  • A book with either something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue
  • A book with a nurse, doctor, or other medical personnel
  • A book with a teacher, student, or classroom
  • A book about a pandemic or outbreak

In Recognition of the Joy of reading:

  • A Biography
  • A book I already own
  • A book a friend recommended
  • A Young Adult book (YA)
  • A book with a great cover
  • A book of poetry
  • A memoir or autobiography
  • A graphic Novel
  • A book for professional development (loosely defined)
  • A book longer than 700 pages (counts as two books)
  • A book with a verb in the title
  • A play
  • A book about a country or culture you have never visited
  • A book about history
  • A book that won an award
  • A classic
  • A novel 
  • An audiobook
  • A book with an animal
  • A book less than 100 pages
  • A book You want to discuss with others

My penalty book is: Abilgail Adams by Woody Holton.

Download the 2020 SUMMER READING CHALLENGE, print it off, and track your progress. But most of all, have fun and read books you might not read in other times of the year!

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In short: Read seven books from June 1 to August 18, 2020.

Are you in? What books are you looking forward to reading during the challenge?

Photo by David Lezcano on Unsplash

Books I've read (or want to read)

10 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last Decade

Jumping right in . . .

2010 — Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer

From Amazon: “With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.”

His views on the soul and coaxing it out were formative for me.

2011 — Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle

My sister Elizabeth brought a copy to China when she and two of the girls visited. I wrote, “This book makes me want to be a better person! Father Gregory (G-dog) works in L.A. with people who have either been in gangs or exposed to them, helping them with gainful employment, make better decisions, and find belonging. He consistently reminds the reader that all people are of value and that compassion needs to be offered again and again and again. My favorite chapter looked at so-called failure and success in ministry. He is funny!”

2012 — The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson

Having been in full-time ministry most of my adult life, Peterson is one of my mentors. In my notebook, in part, I wrote, “Amazing. This is the kind of life I want to lead.”

From Amazon: “Eugene Peterson tells the story of how he started Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland and his gradual discovery of what it really means to be a pastor. Steering away from abstractions, Peterson challenges conventional wisdom regarding church marketing, mega pastors, and the church’s too-cozy relationship to American glitz and consumerism to present a simple, faith-based description of what being a minister means today. In the end, Peterson discovers that being a pastor boils down to ‘paying attention and calling attention to ‘what is going on now’ between men and women, with each other and with God.'”

2013 — A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by Nassir Ghaemi

This was a hard year to choose! I listed four “best books” and can see how each made a difference in my life and still see their fingerprints on me. But the book I could not keep talking about—and talked about it so much my friend Amy’s daughter Kate even read it and used in a class project—was A First Rate Madness.

From Amazon: “This New York Time bestseller is a myth-shattering exploration of the powerful connections between mental illness and leadership. Historians have long puzzled over the apparent mental instability of great and terrible leaders alike: Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Programme at Tufts Medical Center, offers and sets forth a controversial, compelling thesis: the very qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis.”

Now I want to reread this!

2014 — Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber

I read this in my midst of my memoir binging. I admire her writing ability so much! Chatty and readable. What draws me to this book is that she shared about life in ministry in ways that I could relate to. At that time in history (2014) much written was by rah-rah men who shared such tidy stories of ministry I could not relate.

Though very different from Nadia, I can feel like a misfit in the church because I’m not married, have no children, and am a leader. But the church is for me too and books like this remind me I am not alone. (Truth be told, I think we can all feel like we don’t belong. And she cusses like a sailor, so not all will want to read this book.)

2015 — With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani

Ugh! This was another year where I had five “best” nonfiction books. But as I look back, I still find the ideas from With in my daily life. This is my go-to book with young people in ministry. My friend Hannah read it and then felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to buy me a copy. Isn’t that beautiful!

From Amazon: “Stop Living Your Life Under, Over, From and For God and Start Living in Communion With Him.” Also, if God wants you to buy a book for me? Listen, wink!

2016 — Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown 

From Amazon: “The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter. “

I am wired to seek more =), but if I’m not discerning I can end up leading a diluted life. This book is so good!

2017 — The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick Lencioni

You know when a book says something you believed but you didn’t know how much you believed it until you read or heard it? That, in a nutshell, is The Advantage for me! The subtitle says it all, we need competent people, but competence isn’t enough. Very helpful for what “health” is and how to pursue it in an organization.

2018 — The Power of Healthy Tension: Overcome Chronic Issues and Conflicting Values by Tim Arnold

I love this book so much, if I had to pick the best book of the decade, it would be this one. Do not approach everything as a problem to be solved, be discerning and if something is not “solvable” learn to manage the tension. (Also, anything that embraces “the messy middle” had me at hello!)

2019 — Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

From Amazon: “In Leadership, Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has studied most closely—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights)—to show how they recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking back to their first entries into public life, we encounter them at a time when their paths were filled with confusion, fear, and hope.”

I love reading about history because it broadens me and helps me to see my place, our place in the grand scope of the world.

Whew there you have it! If you missed it, here’s my overall thoughts on the last decade and my top 10 fiction books.

Share your nonfiction highlights of the last decade, please! Amy

Books I've read (or want to read)

10 Best Fiction Books of the Last Decade

Let’s jump right into it!

2010 — Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

My mom read this first and said, “You must read this!!!” She was right. Though I’m sure it had been done before, Olive was my first novel told in what at first seemed like unrelated short stories. Brilliant writing and Brilliant story telling. Though it has been 10 years since we met, I can’t for more Olive time and am eager to read Olive, Again which I’ve heard rave reviews.

2011 — Gilead: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson 

I wrote in my notebook, “Beautiful. Simply beautiful. As one reviewer wrote, ‘The disarmingly simple prose in the novel is filled with profound wisdom.’ What started out as a letter to his young son by his elderly father turned in a reflection and the complexities of life.”

In December I read Lila, the third book with these characters. It gives the background to his young wife. This year I plan to reread Gilead.

2012 — The Beginner’s Goodbye: A Novel by Anne Tyler

From Amazon: “Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron grew up fending off a sister who constantly wanted to manage him. So when he meets Dorothy, an outspoken, independent young woman, she’s like a breath of fresh air. He marries her without hesitation, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage. Aaron works at his family’s vanity-publishing business, turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trials of life. But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy’s unexpected appearances from the dead—in their house, on the roadway, in the market—help him to live in the moment and to find some peace. Gradually, Aaron discovers that maybe for this beginner there is indeed a way to say goodbye.”

Are you beginning to notice a theme of what I’m drawn to? People further down life’s path that want to make a difference. Good grief, this feels a bit like baring my soul and we are only to 2012. Carry on, Amy. Carry on.

2013 — Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

I’ll be honest, I have four “best” of nonfiction books for that year and no first time reads in novels that stood out. I did reread Crossing to Safety and absolutely loved it. 2013 is the year I transitioned from China to America after nearly 20 years. Nonfiction was helping me make sense of my world more than fiction was at that point. I highly recommend Crossing to Safety. And just now, in the moment, seven years later notice the title and how it is a messy interpretation of a messy wonderful season. The title is a snapshot of what I was trying to do.z

2014 — And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I wrote, “Wow! I don’t read much fiction, but maybe I should read more. Hosseini did an amazing job telling an epic story spanning three countries, five decades, and multiple story lines with grace and dexterity.
Bookended by brother and sister Abdullah and Pari, this note from Abdullah to Pari moves me. It was written after he was diagnosed with Alzheimers and before they were reunited.

“‘They tell me I must wade into waters, where I will soon drown. Before I march in, I leave this on the shore for you. I pray you find it, sister, so you will know what was in my heart as I went under.'”

I repeat, wow.

2015 — A Separate Peace by John Knowles

In truth, I read four or five novels in 2015, so A Separate Peace probably wouldn’t have made the cut in any other year. The Tuesday Night Book Group I’m in read this because one of my nieces (or another member’s kid) read this for school and many of us had not read it. It is famous and worth reading, I should have read it long before 2015!

From Amazon, “Set at a boys’ boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.”

2016 — Wonder by R. J. Palacio

One of my niece Katy’s favorite books, I chose it as a Velvet Ashes Book Club read. August has cranial abnormalities and his story confronts the deep part of ourselves where we judge those different from us and what it means to be beautiful or valuable. One of the highlights for me as we discussed the book was hear from a doctor and a parent who had a child with facial abnormalities. You can read what the doctor said here and the parent here.

2017 — A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

I wrote, “This book is amazing! It is brilliant story telling—and from a marketing perspective, to reinforce Ove’s name, brilliant! I loved watching Ove navigate life after his wife died. He was true to his grumpy self, but also open to community. His story showed how very much we all need each other.”

2018 — Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

From Amazon, “Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the ‘Indian-ness in her blood,’ travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a ‘potential lunatic,’ and whose mother disappeared. As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe’s outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold—the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.”

Also read for the Velvet Ashes Book Club and the conversation it stimulated was rich! If you’re looking for a great book to discuss, try Walk Two Moons.

2019 — Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman

I wrote, “I LOVE this book SO MUCH!!!! Eleanor is 30 and has very poor social skills, saying exactly what she thinks in a literal way. Mom described this book as Eleanor unfolding like a flower blossom. The storytelling was outstanding as Honeyman dropped clues that kept the story moving forward and the reader curious. This is a book about loneliness and the power of human connection.”

If you missed it, here are my thoughts on the last decade of books I read and tomorrow I’ll share my top nonfiction of each year of the last decade. Share some of your favorite fiction below! I can’t wait to hear. Amy

Books I've read (or want to read)

Reflections on a Decade of Reading

As the last decade drew to a close, I was curious to look back over my reading notebooks and ask myself the question: what was the best book I read each year?

In classic Amy-fashion, having opened pandora’s box—lists, books, and patterns are my catnip—this simple question morphed into three blog posts. I found myself pitting oh say, Wonder against Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less in 2016. It was like watching the worst boxing match on the planet, wincing at each blow.

I conceded I was on a fool’s errand and allowed myself two books from each year: best fiction and best nonfiction.

And then I almost added more categories because not all fiction or nonfiction are equal. Stop the madness Amy! Just pick a book!

So I did. Tomorrow I’ll share my fav fiction read from each year of the last decade and the day after that my fav nonfiction read.

Today, I want to share my thoughts reviewing a decade of reading.

Faithfulness adds up.

Would you be shocked to hear that I read 621 books last decade? I sure was! I knew that I was reading (duh!) and at the end of every year I was curious how many books I’d read that year. But, I never added up the years until now. On average, that is 62.1 books a year, 5.175 books a month, or 1.29375 books per week.

Like you, I had weeks where I did not read much, if at all. International moves, illness, traveling, my dad’s death, starting two ministries, writing four books, watching the Denver Broncos. My lowest year was 56 books in 2015, which surprised me. Nothing big happening that year, so go figure. In 2011 I made the goal to read 70 books and hit it. And nearly died in the process. Most of December was dedicated to reading the shortest books I could find, not my noblest book choices, that’s for sure.

But day in and day out, the years passed and I read 621 books.

Seasons are reflected in reading choices.

Good golly, but if anyone looks over the books by years, themes emerge. I can see when my thinking towards writing shifted and I read voraciously about the craft. The year after I relocated from China I read memoirs like a drowning fool, looking to cling to anyone else’s story in hopes of making sense of my own. Leading two organizations (Velvet Ashes and Global Trellis) has flavored my reading choices.

Reading formed me.

Seeing a title, author, or my thoughts on a book brought back memories to mind. I was reminded that much of what I know, think, or believe was formed by my reading.

Thankfully, I also saw on my lists books I disagree with or no longer would recommend and that’s good. If I’m only reading people who think like me, I’m not going to grow very much as a human!

Solitary, but not alone.

Over and over as I poured over my lists, I smiled at how often I noted, “Read for the June Velvet Ashes Book Club” or “Read this for Tuesday Night Book Group.” And over and over I noticed how reading in community broadens my reading selections, pushes me to read books I’ve been meaning to read, and helps me see what I would have missed as we discussed it.

If you are wanting to read more, it’s this simple: join a book club. If you are not sure of any in your area, join the Velvet Ashes Book Club. We are reading the novel Chasing Francis this month and I am loving it! Case in point, Chasing has been on my to-read list forever. I’m so glad to be reading it!

Stay posted for th Summers Reading Challenge! That’s also developed me as a reader.

Any chance you kept a list of the last decade? What patterns did you notice? I’d love to hear how reading the last ten years formed you.

Happy Reading!

Amy

P.S. Up tomorrow? Best fiction of the decade! Day after? Best nonfiction of the decade!

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

Messy Middle, Relationships

52 Cards, 52 Weeks, 52 Years

As the self-proclaimed “Math Fairy,” I love the playful side of math. In particular, I love patterns! So, every time a new age comes, I try to think of something fun about that number.

A deck of cards has 52 cards.

A year has 52 weeks.

And I now have 52 trips about the sun.

While the joke could be made that I am finally playing with a full deck, I decided that to let all of these 52’s come together in one fantastic year!

I took an old deck of cards—and yes, I specifically chose an old Broncos deck because if I can cram as much of what I love in one thing, then shove away! Back to my point, I took a deck of cards and have written the name of a friend or family member on each card.

My birthday happens to be on a Sunday this year, so every Sunday morning I will deal myself a card. The name on that card is going to be my “friend” or “family member” for the week. What does that mean?

Nothing and everything. We’ll see. Not every plan has to be fully formed for it to be a good plan. Hehehe!!

About halfway through making my “52 friends and family” card game, I began to fear that I would not have enough people. What if I could not name 52 people who have influenced my life?!

True confession, I ran out of cards before I ran out of people. In several cases I put married couples together — which normally, I hate it when a couple are only seen as a unit because they are both individuals. But in this case, it means I get to have more people as my “FOTW” (Friend or Family Or The Week).

As with most years, I still find it beyond weird that I am 52, remembering a time that 52 sounded so old. But here we are and as I made my card game, I am reminded that my life has been one of so much blessing.

So many people. So many experiences. So much more ahead of me.

Thank you for being here and reading these words. Thank you for being a part of a rich a wonderful life. Life is hard and disappointing and confusing and fun and exciting and hopeful. It is the messy middle.

Join me in a virtual slice of birthday cake!

With love, Amy

P.S. What’s your favorite birthday cake of choice? Mine is Angel food cake with mocha frosting!

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