Adam

Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull

I first read this book last year with a book group and I felt it deserved a second read. The author, Ed Catmull, is one of the heads of Pixar so right away I was interested in this book. Ed does a great job of mixing interesting anecdotes about working on movies, with great tips on creativity and leadership. During my second read I focused on keeping track of big takeaways that I can apply to my life and my work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who works in a creative environment, or just loves Pixar movies.

To read: Deep Undercover by Jack Barsky, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Joy

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. As I read, I’m reminded that our lives are merely letters (no, not words) in eternity’s story. We are here for a blink and then we are gone. So many of us reminisce about the past or run away with the future and completely miss the present. What if we consciously noticed the micro moments of our day? What if we decided to be present in the beauty of God, ourselves, and others? We must pay attention, be alert, and gratefully accept whatever comes…today.

To Read: He Shines in All that is Fair by Richard J. Mouw

Chloe

Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus by Mary DeMuth

I have been reading this book over the past few months with my small group and I am so thankful for Demuth’s thoughtful reflections and the important conversations they have prompted among friends. The book’s three sections cover the areas of our lives we must learn to surrender to the Lord: first our head, the way that we think; second our heart, the core of who we are; and last our hands, the way that we live. Demuth is humble in her admission of her own failings and uses her experience to point readers to a higher way of living. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to deepen their walk with Jesus, and especially to groups of women wanting to navigate that walk together.

To-Read: Miracles by C.S. Lewis, The Polygamist’s Daughter by Anna Lebaron

Tell us, what are you currently reading? What’s on your To-Read Pile?