Hi folks, I’m still feeling poorly - better than last week, to be sure, but still run down and congested. I thank you all for the well-wishes and patience… and I’m going to take the easy (and, I’m afraid, less snarky) way out this week and share a list of what I hope to read this year.
I generally consider myself a voracious reader, but I realize that a lot of my reading is articles and essays and poetry, and that’s less easy to pin down. (You can see who I read here on Substack by checking out my Recommendations. I also read The Atlantic and Smithsonian on the regular, and then whatever else shows up on my feed/in my searches that is of interest.)
Also, I read a lot of children’s books in the course of creating worship services with excellent religious educators, but that’s harder to plan out.
So.. as of today… here’s my list of fiction and non-fiction books I hope to read in 2024:
Justice and Social Action
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity's Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism by Vanessa Machado De Oliveira
Ritual and Liturgy
A History of Religion in 5½ Objects: Bringing the Spiritual to Its Senses by S. Brent Plate
(I WILL finish this book this year. I will. Seriously.)
A Worship Workbook: A Practical Guide for Extraordinary Liturgy by Gerald C. Liu and Khalia J. Williams
Theology
Making a Way Out of No Way: A Womanist Theology by Monica A. Coleman
(I’m finally getting to it.)
Spiritual Growth
How Not to Be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying by Gareth Higgins
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl
(I’m doing a shared read with the staff of UU Ann Arbor, and it’s been utterly delightful so far.)
Writing and Language
Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story by John Yorke
Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher
Women’s History
Toksvig's Almanac 2021 by Sandi Toksvig
Mythology
Circe by Madeline Miller
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
Troy (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #3) by Stephen Fry
Comedy
Ghosts: The Button House Archives by Mathew Baynton, et. al.
Fiction
Cat Among the Pigeons (Hercule Poirot, #36) by Agatha Christie
How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
(short story collection)
Possession by A.S. Byatt
(I have a weird feeling I read this when it came out but I haven’t any actual memory of it.)
Sleepyhead (Tom Thorne, #1) by Mark Billingham
The Distant Echo (Karen Pirie, #1) by Val McDermid
A Death in the Parish (Canon Clement, #2) byRev. Richard Coles
The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4) by Richard Osman
The Marlow Murder Club (Marlow Murder Club #1) by Robert Thorogood
The Mermaids Singing (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan, #1) by Val McDermid
The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli
That’s my list. I’ll report back in December.
Meanwhile, have you read any of these? What did you think? And what’s on your list that you’re excited about? Let’s chat!
What a list! Also I can't believe I haven't heard of Through the Language Glass -- I'm definitely picking up a copy asap!
Hope you feel better soon.