Jayber Crow

This is one I had not heard of until John Ortberg referenced it on a recent podcast episode. He said it was one of the best novels he had ever read — an endorsement that piqued my curiosity. I enjoyed it very much and I believe you will too: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry.

Here’s an overview of the book via the publisher’s website:

ABOUT JAYBER CROW

“This is a book about Heaven,” says Jayber Crow, “but I must say too that . . . I have wondered sometimes if it would not finally turn out to be a book about Hell.” It is 1932 and he has returned to his native Port William to become the town’s barber.

Orphaned at age ten, Jayber Crow’s acquaintance with loneliness and want have made him a patient observer of the human animal, in both its goodness and frailty.

He began his search as a “pre–ministerial student” at Pigeonville College. There, freedom met with new burdens and a young man needed more than a mirror to find himself. But the beginning of that finding was a short conversation with “Old Grit,” his profound professor of New Testament Greek. 

“You have been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out—perhaps a little at a time.”

“And how long is that going to take?”

“I don’t know. As long as you live, perhaps.”

“That could be a long time.”

“I will tell you a further mystery,” he said. “It may take longer.”

Wendell Berry’s clear–sighted depiction of humanity’s gifts—love and loss, joy and despair—is seen though his intimate knowledge of the Port William Membership. 

BEING HENRY

The past few years I’ve added a few autobiographies, memoirs, and biographies into my reading rotation. As a fan of “Happy Days” from my younger years, I found myself drawn to this memoir. So, I got the audio version via the Libby APP and listened to it in one day on a recent road trip. I was thoroughly captivated by his story, and I believe you will be too. BEING HENRY: The Fonz…and Beyond by Henry Winkler.

Here’s an overview via the publisher’s website:

From Emmy-award winning actor, author, comedian, producer, and director Henry Winkler, a deeply thoughtful memoir of the lifelong effects of stardom and the struggle to become whole.  

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.

Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.

Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

The Dark Forest

I enjoyed this one even more than the first book in this series (probably because everything felt more familiar after watching the Netflix series called 3 Body Problem). The Dark Forest is book 2 of the Three Body Problem Series —  a science fiction trilogy also referred to as the Remembrance of Earth’s Past. FYI: I have the final book in the trilogy on hold via the Libby APP (with a 4 week wait at the moment!).

Here is a synopsis of the book via the publisher:

The Dark Forest is the second novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China’s most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.

In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries’ time. The aliens’ human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth’s defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he’s the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead.

Love Does

Bob Goff is one of my favorite people in the world! I’ve been blessed to get to know him as he’s been part of our Men’s Conference for more than a decade now. You really should dive into all of his resources here (books, courses, podcasts, etc). His first book is a great place to start: Love Does

Here’s a description from the publisher’s website:

Can a simple concept shift your entire world? Bob certainly thinks so. When it comes to loving your neighbors, rather than focusing on having the “right answers” or checking the “right boxes,” what if you decide to simply DO love? To shamelessly show love and grace to those around you? What would that look like?

It might look like spending sixteen days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. It might look like taking your kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. It might look like taking a road trip with a stressed-out college student–even though you just got married a few days before.

In Love Does, Bob shows you:

• how to live a fully engaged life
• how to stop putting things off until “next time” and instead find your place of imagination, whimsy, and wonder today
• that God usually chooses ordinary people to get things done

When love does, life gets interesting. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob’s life and attitude in this collection of stories just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too. If you love Love Does, don’t forget to check out Everybody, Always and Dream Big for more of Bob’s delightful and inspiring stories!

Learn more about Bob here: https://www.bobgoff.com

Lessons in Chemistry

After watching the Apple TV series based on this book by Bonnie Garmus (which is really good), I decided to listen to the book it was based on (I really enjoyed it too).

Here’s a description from Bonnie’s website:

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. 

In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 
 
But like science, life doesn’t always follow a straight line. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. That’s because Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.  
 
Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

Dive in and enjoy: https://www.bonniegarmus.com/lessons-in-chemistry