My Desert Island Bookshelf
As seen in CT's "Moore to the Point: A list of books I'd want to have on hand if I were stranded on a desert island.
Every other week, Russell Moore shares a list of books that one of his readers says they’d want to have on hand if they were stranded on a deserted island. I sent mine along and it appeared in the March 14th edition. Since we’re in the habit of talking books here, I’ll share my list of well-loved favorites.
You’ll notice that some books are absent from the photo because I read them on my Kindle to save space on my overflowing shelves (I hope the battery holds out on the desert island!). Here’s the list:
Till We Have Faces—This is my favorite of C. S. Lewis’s books (and I understand that it was his favorite as well). I could probably be content on a desert island with 12 of Lewis’s books. In 2017, I hosted an online book club featuring this favorite, and you can catch the series of posts starting HERE.
Crossing to Safety—I always hear this book calling to me in the fall. It’s a story in which a friendship is so front-and-center that it seems to become one of the characters in the book. Luxuriating in Wallace Stegner’s gorgeous prose makes the rich storyline and well-developed characters all the more riveting.
Hannah Coulter—I consider myself an honorary citizen of Wendell Berry’s Port William, and Hannah Coulter is my mentor and friend. I listen to this audiobook in the car just about every year because I need to hear her quiet wisdom.
Writing the River—This was my first introduction to Luci Shaw’s poetry. Even now in her 90s, she continues to write and is a role model for living a generative life.
God in the Dark—This is Luci Shaw’s memoir that chronicles her first husband’s battle with cancer, his death, and her grieving process. She shares vulnerably from her journal and punctuates the story with poetry she wrote in that season.
Practice Resurrection—I would happily welcome any one of Eugene Peterson’s series of spiritual theology books to my Desert Island Bookshelf, but if I really were on a desert island, I’d need something to remind me that "Jesus alive and present" changes everything!
A hymnal—Right now, I’m using the 1972 version of Living Hymns, reading a hymn every day as part of my devotional practice and recording in my journal how the hymn names or refers to God.
Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?—Philip Yancey dares to ask the questions that flit through my mind. Prayer is the most challenging aspect of my following life.
Gilead—Marilynne Robinson captured the voice of her protagonist, Pastor John Ames, so beautifully that the first time I read it, I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction.
A Lamp Unto My Feet—Elisabeth Elliot has been the voice of reason in my ear since my days as a young mother. Here, though, she is simply sharing wisdom from her own reading of Scripture.
Learning to Walk in the Dark—I don’t agree with everything Barbara Brown Taylor thinks or writes. Still, she writes winsomely and imaginatively and I appreciate her comfort level with a "lunar spirituality" that admits God is still at work in the darkness.
Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? by Tim Keller is a review of the gospel, a glorious acknowledgment that sin is deadly and guilt is real, and yet God’s mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance are so rich that we will spend the rest of our lives deepening our understanding of his love for us.
How many of these have you read?
What are YOUR favorite books that you’d happily be stranded with?
Leave your recommendations in the comments…
By the time this letter slips quietly into your inbox, I will be home from vacation. We traveled to Delaware to visit a pair of favorite and long-time friends. (They’ve been married for over 60 years!)
Now that we’re back, I’m hoping to plant a few seeds and spend some time with family before we gear up for the final push to the end of the school year.
Speaking Schedule
My 2024 calendar has been so active that I’m going to start sharing my schedule here in the newsletter just in case someone is in the neighborhood. And I would deeply appreciate prayer for the women attending and the words I share!
May 4th—South Hope Community Church (“Steadfast Faith for Your Wilderness Journey”)
May 11th—Owls Head Baptist Church, Mother’s Day Brunch (“We Have this Hope”)
Connecting with Readers
I’ve loved connecting with readers from all over the place as a result of my devotionals on YouVersion. My page is easy to find (even if you don’t have the app on your phone). Just click the button to access any of the plans I’ve shared.
Holding You in the Light,
P.S. Feel free to forward this to a friend who might love the conversation and resources!
And if you’re that new friend, Hello and Welcome! Click here to subscribe so you never miss a letter.
I love hearing from you! What books are enriching your life? Do you have big plans now that spring is finally here?
As always, your book recommendations are wonderful.
Just added C S Lewis to my summer reading.
And added Peterson and Yancey to my TBR list.
A book I'd like to be stranded with: The Bible
I learn something new every time.
Oh that book study of "Till We Have Faces" was so life changing for me! Thank you for hosting and leading it so well, dear sister! I'm praying blessings for your upcoming speaking schedules now.