January Reading

January Reading

by | Jan 7, 2020 | reading

Each month I publish a list and a few short reviews of what I have read. I do this to both keep myself accountable, keep a record, as well as share what might be helpful to others. Here is what I have read so far this month.

Conversations worth Having: Using Appreciative Enquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement | Jacqueline M. Stavros, Cheri Torres
Over the last year I became a certified coach using appreciate inquiry as a primary learning and development tool. This book began making the rounds in that small world as a great tool to help people learn to lead through conflict. I read this off and on for several months, but I finished it up early this month. I think it is a great, simple read for anyone who is leading others and struggles with tough conversations.

One Second After | William Forstchen
Sometimes you just need to read some fiction. This was the perfect book for the deer stand early in the year, If anyone likes post-apocalyptic stories…this is a good one.

As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God formed by the Words of God | Eugene Peterson
This collection of sermons by Eugene Peterson has been my Sunday morning read for nearly a year. I wrapped up the final sermon on the first Sunday of 2020. It was a fantastic slow and deliberate read.

Psalms : The Prayer Book of the Bible | Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I’ve decided to preach the Psalms when I have random Sundays that are out of series and need to stand alone during 2020. I have ordered heaps of resources on the Psalms and this rose to the top as my first read on the subject this year. Great short read, full of inspiration and not too much fluff.

You Need a Budget | Jesse Mecham
My wife and I really want to rethink our spending this year in order to focus it around a couple of shared goals. She found this book and we both read it. While I read inside the finance/spending world as far as organizations are concerned often, I rarely get that much into personal finance. This was a great read around the authors system.

The Song of Solomon: An Invitation to Intimacy – Douglas Sean O’Donnell
I am prepping for a series on the Song of Solomon and read this. While I think the scholarship is pretty good, it overall has a view of life and culture I struggle to really resonate with. I think it is primarily based off a series of sermons preached, and that puts it into better context. A good reference on the book, but there are better.

Thanks for paying attention to what I have been reading. I’d love to know your thoughts.