4. * Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney: I generally stay away from fiction books, because I found it hard to find myself attracted to any ones I’ve picked up or have been recommended thus far. Enough of that, and you just decide to stick to what’s known and a guaranteed enjoyable read.  I gave Sally Rooney’s works a chance as I’ve heard her two books spoken about ceaselessly from peers and from a number of different personalities from different spheres of life. 

Conversations with Friends, like Normal people is rooted in modern, worldly living.  And in both books, there’s a level of moral and ethical ambiguity in terms of interpersonal relations. The voice is almost indifferent to these considerations. I loved reading Rooney’s powerful prose. It makes the reader feel both like they’re looking in to the intimate details of others’ lives, and at the same time, a part of it.

5. **The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller (reread):This is my second time reading through The Meaning of Marriage. It would be my first time reading and leaving with heightened retention. During my first read, I was struck by Tim Keller’s wisdom about the natural state of having anyone you know become different versions of themselves, and the natural probability of having your partner become a stranger over time…and that to maintain marriage, or any relationship for that matter, life requires the constant effort of re-learning and re-knowing a person. With that thought fixed in my head, I’ve found it to be true as I examined my friendships, romantic relationships, and family relations through this lens. This year, passages speaking to the pros of having a constant partner– a relationship that sounds more of peace than excitement and thrill really resonated with me. 

6. Searching for Enough: The High-Wire Walk Between Doubt and Faith by Tyler Staton: 

I enjoyed reading this primarily for two reasons: 1)Being that Tyler Staton is my pastor at Oaks Church, I was curious to learn more about his thoughts and his mind and 2) The title and the summary of the book intrigued me as it’s definitely a topic of interest for me and other Christians. Regarding the book itself and its quality of reading, I would say the best parts were the collection of excerpts and insights Tyler has offered to us through the voices of leading industry figures and theologians of our day and in history. Tyler’s prose is very much like the way he speaks. I would personally prefer there to have been more unpacking on select themes, and this book is more a quick skip through many, many complicated topics.

7. Words Without Music by Philip Glass: I picked this book up at the Alabaster Bookshop on 4th Avenue, after a very thorough read through its reviews online. Philip Glass’s music has always been a source of entertainment and intrigue for me, along with the insane level of esteem our generation holds for him, and I was curious to learn more about how he became and what went on his mind– what experiences, forces, and values drove him.

8. *Who You Are (When No One’s Looking): Choosing Consistency, Resisting Compromise by Bill Hybels

9. Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society by Nicholas Christakis