Book Wish List

Oh, C.S. Lewis. I think we would have been good buddies. 

I'm kind of your classic introvert: Friday night fun is a good book, snuggled on My Mallow (our ridiculously comfortable chair) with a piping hot cup of peppermint tea. 

So here are my reading selections for the next few weeks: 

- How Artists Work by Mason Currey

   I stumbled on this book accidentally online. It showcases different creatives and well, how they worked. It has mini biographies on the nitty gritty of an artist's day to day life. An infographic that showcased some of the book's content showed when famous artists would sleep, work, exercise and have leisure time. Some of them even had "other jobs" too, which encouraged me. 

- Creative Lettering and Beyond by various authors

   This is more for inspiration than reading necessarily. I love looking at other people's work in order to deepen my own. If I'm honest, I do still struggle with comparison, so I'll make sure to go into it with an open mind, wanting to learn and not to compare. 

- Introverts in the Church by Adam McHugh

   Last month, I read Quiet by Susan Cain. It was all about being an introvert and some of the science behind introversion. Although a little technical in parts, it was rather fascinating. She references this book, Introverts in the Church, that piqued my interest. I'm a little hesitant to read it, as I'm not sure that I will agree with every point. I don't like books that bash the church or point out everything that's wrong with evangelical culture. Do we have issues? Yes. But, being cynical about them is pointless. (But that's another topic for another day.) 

   Being an introvert in a church setting can be rather overwhelming. There can be pressure to be loud, bouncy and energetic in order to survive. As an introvert, I have found that I can "turn on my extroversion" when I need to. I can be the social butterfly for a short time. Although I've struggled with the lie that my forced extroversion isn't genuine, I've realized that that just isn't true. I see it as me showing love to people by asking them how they're doing or how I can be praying for them. To smile and make new visitors feel welcomed or regulars feel safe and loved. I see it as serving people, not being untrue to myself. Anyway, clearly I have an opinion on this topic. And, all hesitant objections aside, I am looking forward to reading this book. 

- 30 Days of Prayer for the Dreamer and the Doer

   Ok, so this also isn't really a book to read. But, I'm so jazzed to get it and pray through it. I regularly struggle with being a dreamer. Is it ok to dream? Is God ok with my dreams? Is it selfish to pursue a dream? The title alone is an affirmation that God is in fact ok with my dreams. He wants me to pursue them. He wants me to make him big through them. 

What about you? Any good books you want to recommend?