Last Friday I recommended four books for you that are among my favorites of 2008. Here are four more that I’ve read for the first time this year. I think you would enjoy and benefit from these as well.Â
1. Young, Restless, Reformed, by Collin Hansen. This is a quick read that also happens to be an enlightening look at “a journalist’s journey with the new Calvinists” from the editor-at-large for Christianity Today. From John Piper’s church in Minnesota to Louisville’s Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, from Mars Hill Church in Seattle to Sovereign Grace’s Covenant Life Church in Maryland, it’s a look at a growing trend in the Church — a renewed interest in and passion for the doctrines of grace.
2. From The Mountain, From The Valley: New and Collected Poems of James Still. Former Poet Laureate of Kentucky (the first, in fact) James Still first achieved national recognition in the 1930s. Poet, author, essayist Still had a finger on the pulse of Appalachian culture like few others. I’ve been a fan of his work for years, so I’ve had fun getting reacquainted with his poetry.
3. Isaac Watts, by Edwin Paxton Hood. Isaac Watts is not only the subject of Sojourn’s new worship recording venture but is one of my literary and musical heroes. This old biography of Dr. Watts is a thorough accounting of his life and work.
4. Standing At Water’s Edge, by Anne Paris , PhD. I blogged about this one recently. Subtitled “Moving Past Fear, Blocks, and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion,” it’s a thought-provoking look at how and why we create, where “writer’s block” comes from, why we need community, and what “creative immersion” is all about.
