What I admire about these books is the pared-down simplicity and straightforward language of the storytelling. (Fiction)
All in Reading with Randy
“The Invisible Gorilla” by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons
We greatly overestimate our knowledge and we have far more confidence in ourselves than our abilities actually merit. (Nonfiction)
“Last Days” by Brian Evenson
Last Days has the form of a detective story, but really it’s a horror story. And a religious horror story at that. (Fiction)
“Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace
The title essay is about, well, eating lobster and the practice of boiling them alive. Wherever you come out on the practice, the essay is thought-provoking. (Nonfiction)
“A Box of Matches” by Nicholson Baker
Our intrepid narrator is Emmett, and there is nothing special about him at all. What makes Emmett such wonderful company is that he is delighted with the world. (Fiction)
“Far from the Tree” by Andrew Solomon
For those of us in ministry this book is a constant challenge to seek the image and likeness of God in those places and people where it may not be so evident on the surface. (Nonfiction)
“Beartown” by Fredrik Backman
This book is actually about many things and it is a good old-fashioned plot-driven, character-rich novel. (Fiction)
“Vietnam” by Max Hastings
I never really understood the war then or later, so reading this book was, for me, a way to reckon with a history that never made sense to me. (Nonfiction)
“Everything Is Illuminated” by Jonathan Safran Foer
Ultimately, I think the book is about memory, language, and what Alex calls “common decencies.” (Fiction)
“Reading the OED” by Ammon Shea
You know you must be really hard up for reading material when you resort to reading the dictionary. (Nonfiction)
“A Mercy” by Toni Morrison
Morrison writes so brilliantly and compellingly that we might not immediately notice how often she is describing very sordid actions. (Fiction)
“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely
I know it’s hard to believe, but here’s a book on basic economic behavior that is amazingly entertaining. (Nonfiction)
“Lunch at the Piccadilly” by Clyde Edgerton
This novel is deeply relational, and I assure you the residents of this nursing home are hilarious. Don't be surprised if there's a breakout in a stolen car. (Fiction)
“The Last Boy” by Jane Leavy
The real story here is not Mickey Mantle’s health but his character. (Nonfiction)
“Waiting for Eden” by Elliot Ackerman
Efficiency is one of the most underrated characteristics of truly great preaching. How much can I say in very few words? (Fiction)
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
If you are going to read two post-civil rights books on race, there are two short classics that I would recommend. (Nonfiction)
“The Plot against America” by Philip Roth
Roth takes seriously how nationalism, nativism, race hatred, and fear of the other can turn dangerous and then deadly. (Fiction)
“Traffic” by Tom Vanderbilt
Any book about traffic will certainly wind up being a book about human nature. A mere scan of the chapter titles would have you scrambling to buy this book. (Nonfiction)
“The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen
It is a long, sprawling family drama, which is actually a straightforward accounting of a dysfunctional family coming together for one last Christmas. (Fiction)
“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
This is a book about how people actually think. It helps us to understand how we make decisions in the real world. (Nonfiction)