One of life’s greatest pleasures is reading outside on a nice summer day. Soon I’ll be taking my reading indoors by a fireplace, which is another one of life’s greatest pleasures. Gosh, there are lots of pleasures in this life. Here’s what has been on the shelf this month:

• The Attentive Life, by Leighton Ford — This book is meant for slow, contemplative digesting. It asks the question, “Why is it important to pay attention?” Then the author walks through different seasons of life using the ancient “prayer hours” from morning to evening. His call to attentiveness helped me ask the questions, “Am I paying attention to what God is doing?” and “Lord, what am I missing?”
• Circuit Chautauqua, by John E. Tapia — I read this book strictly for the sake of research. PB saw me reading it one day and asked, “Do you think I would like that book?” To which I answered, “This book would bore you out of your skull.” DO NOT READ THIS BOOK, unless you had a relative who performed in the 1920s on the Chautauqua tour. If you are wondering, “What is Chautauqua?”, just never mind.
• Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive, by Howard Hendricks — I loved this. Hendricks writes with the perfect mix of humor, conviction and practical suggestions. I underlined the dickens out of this volume, which is filled with quips like, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks — which is true if you’re teaching dogs, and if you’re teaching tricks. But you and I are not in the business of either one. We’re teaching people, and we’re teaching truth.”
• A World Lost, by Wendell Berry — I’m almost done reading the Port Williams Series with only one title left now. I’m putting off reading it because I don’t want my time with these characters to end. This story is about the passing of time and the power of memory. Although it has a melancholy feel, Berry tells the story with gentleness.
• If You Want to Write, by Brenda Ueland — The big word there is “If”. After being quiet all summer, I know for sure that I do, I do, I do want to write. Some much needed inspiration was in this book to help me kick off the fall and kick me in the pants.

What’s your favorite season for reading?

Summer on the porch, or winter by the fire?