My Bookprint

I'm going to be teaching a mini-elective "Book Club" class in the next few weeks. One of the activities I plan to do is have my students think about and record their Bookprint: A list of books that leave an indelible mark on our lives, shaping who we are and who we become. 

Here is my Bookprint...leave a comment with yours!  (I LOVE book recommendations!)

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

This is one of those books that is tattered, yellowed, and always a quick reach away -- underlining and notes fill its pages. I've read and re-read some chapters so often they feel like old friends. I first discovered Traveling Mercies in college, at a time when I was trying to figure out my faith. I adore Lamott's unapologetic, raw, and irreverent approach to sharing her spiritual journey. Also endearing: it's the book my college roommates and I read aloud to each other for hours while we sat at a Chinese buffet trying to escape monsoon rains on a disastrously memorable Spring Break camping trip.

This Room is Mine by Betty Ren Wright

My grandma had this book when I was a little girl and I can remember her reading it to my cousin, sister, and I over and over. It's the story of two sisters who shared a room and just couldn't get along, so they put a jump rope down the center of the room and declared that the other couldn't cross it. We loved the story because my sister and I grew up sharing a room (and even a bed), and we had our fair share of fights and lines drawn. I so wish I had a copy of this now-antique book to keep on my bookshelf.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
I read this book in 8th grade and have never forgotten it. It's great historical fiction about a naive, independent  woman who did not fit in her new home (Puritan New England), and whose only friend was ostracized and labeled a witch. Like so many of the books I gravitate to, it features strong, female characters making decisions that are revolutionary in small ways that make a huge difference.






Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

I first read this book in A.P. English in high school and I remember it being the first classic book that affected me deeply. I loved the characters and it sparked my interest in Southern Literature, which I still love today. I'm in good company -- Alice Walker writes, "There is no book more important to me than this one."

The Courage to Start by John "The Penguin" Bingham
I remember joining the track team in 7th grade and miserably surviving through it. From that point on, I thought some people were runners and I was not one of them. Then, newly married, on a tight budget, and out of shape, I realized that running required only shoes and a nearby road - and I gave it a try. My aunt suggested I read The Courage to Start and it changed everything about how I looked at running and exercise in general. It's still the book I pull out when I need some inspiration to get moving. I now would consider myself a runner, without need to apologize for being one of the "penguins" at the back of the pack.

The Quotidian Mysteries by Kathleen Norris
Quotidian means ordinary, commonplace, and occurring every day. This tiny little book is actually a lecture that Norris gave -- it focuses on how the most mundane tasks of life (such as laundry and dishes) can actually be acts of spiritual worship and prayer, if approached with the right attitude. I love how Norris finds the spiritual in the everyday. This is another book that is filled with my underlines and worn from re-reading.





Honorable Mentions:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett...the book I wish I had written!
Cowboys are my Weakness by Pam Houston...only made better because I read it while living in Colorado.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf...re-reading it now and loving it all over again. The characters are so real and stark and wonderful.
Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life by Keri Wyatt Kent...one of the best, most useful books I've read concerning parenting and faith.