What We're Reading: September

School is in session! We pray that this transition into fall brings you much peace and joy. Here are what our staff is reading this month:

Christine

Dark Intercept by Andrews & Wilson

With Dark Intercept, I leapt out of my comfort zone and into a genre I’ve never read before: thriller fiction. The thematic blend of military action and spiritual warfare kept me turning pages way past bedtime, driven by a morbid curiosity to see who would survive. While this was the most violent book I’ve ever read (for context, I haven’t read anything more violent than the Lord of the Rings trilogy), it was appropriate to the genre without being excessive. There’s a lot of killing in this book as the authors deal with the hard questions of life and death, but they neither condone nor offer neat answers to this evil reality. Instead, they raise questions about the role of spiritual warfare in “everyday” violence like shootings and terrorist attacks. Few authors are brave enough to explore that in their novels (Frank Peretti and Laura Gallier also come to mind), resulting in an intense, gritty, and thought-provoking read that I won’t soon forget. While I plan to take a break from thriller fiction to give my adrenals a chance to recover, I look forward to reading the rest of The Shepherds series (Dark Angel has already been released and Dark Fall is coming soon!).

To Read: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Bethany

Surprised By Joy by C. S. Lewis

My book for this month is the famous Surprised By Joy by C. S. Lewis. Already I’m a fan of memoirs and the like, but I’m especially excited for this book because of all that I’ve heard from others about C. S. Lewis’s childhood and his little animal world of Boxen (which could be similar to how my siblings and I played with toys growing up). In addition, I look forward to reading about some of C. S. Lewis’s testimony in the man’s very own words!

To Read: The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

Charlotte

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie

Another parent read for me this month! We have been trying to create more substantial rhythms for our family recently and have fallen in love with spending time reading aloud as a family. This book by Sarah MacKenzie gives a great understanding of the importance of reading aloud to your children, not only from an educational standpoint but as a bolster to our children’s character and faith. Her Christian perspective reminds us of how the Lord can use stories to give our children a place to work out the truth of our world. I have really enjoyed her age-specific recommendations and her exhortation of us as parents to take the time to invest in our children in this way, with some seriously wonderful benefits.

To Read: Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

Elizabeth

What Is a Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander

I’m so glad to have read this book! Rachael isn’t overly graphic in her retelling of events but she shares what is necessary to tell the story of her pain as she walks through the aftereffects of abuse. And I’m not just talking about Nassar’s abuse. So many people and institutions failed her and hundreds of other girls. And in the midst of all of that loss, Rachael volunteers to be the public face of the victims, knowingly bringing more pain and hurt to her and her family. She is also unflinchingly honest in her portrayals of the long-term effects abuse has on victims and how difficult the process of forgiveness is when it’s one-sided. You’ll get to the end of this book and ask alongside Rachael, what is a little girl worth?

To Read: If I Were You by Lynn Austin