It’s the time of year when folks publish lists called “Great Beach Reads.” I’ve never quite figured out what a beach read is. But I always think, if it’s not good enough to read at home, then I don’t want to waste my time on the beach reading it!

However, I do hope that you will find some time this summer when the pace will slow enough to read more of what you love and/or what enlivens you. I’ll toss in a few suggestions:

Fiction:

The Cloister by James Carroll is the most enjoyable read of my last year. It’s well written and a page turner and laced with themes about the essence of authentic Christian spirituality.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman also captured my imagination and lingered with me long after I finished the book. Honeyman is masterful about bringing the reader in to see the world through another person’s eyes.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens seems to be on everyone’s list and I’ve only started it but have already been drawn in to care about the characters. Don’t tell me how it ends. I’m a slow reader!

Spirituality:

Boundless Compassion by Joyce Rupp is a good daily prayer guide with very brief but challenging exercises to awaken the heart to God’s reality.

On the Brink of Everything by Parker Palmer is about “grace, gravity and getting old.” He is one of my favorite authors, deeply spiritual and honest at the same time, which seems rare. I commend it if you are as old as me or older!

Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner has been on my shelf for decades. It’s a theological ABC’s but the snippets are just right for a daily read. I took this to Israel and read it aloud on the bus each morning as part of our daily devotions and folks seemed to resonate with his unique slant on the Christian life.

But if you don’t like to read, try this podcast:

Pray as You Go – If you’d like an 11 minute, daily guided prayer on a short scripture, this is a great place to turn. You can enjoy it on your morning walk, drive to work, at the gym or . . . on the beach!

If you prefer a video:

Happy, a one hour documentary is available on Netflix and other places. It looks at scientific research as well as personal stories from around the globe to search out how people seek and find that elusive thing we sometimes claim we want for ourselves and others, happiness.

Grace and peace,

Carla