First off, if you haven’t listened to Patty Griffin’s new album released yesterday, Children Running Through, what are you waiting for?

It’s been a while since I have given a rundown of my book list, so I thought I would take the opportunity to do that now.

Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne–I know that I am late in the game on reviewing this book but I typically resist books that rise to the level of phenomena. However, this work is worthy of the hype. If you haven’t read this yet then, by all means, get it today. But I must caution you: it’ll challenge the way you live your life. Claiborne has committed to living his life in a radical, uncompromising pursuit of Christ. I’ve told several people that I hated this book because his walking the walk makes those of us who just talk the talk look bad. Claiborne takes the call of Jesus seriously and challenges us in the process. Although I felt the book could have been a little tighter through some editing in the latter half it was still an excellent read. Grade–A

The Inescapable Love of God by Thomas Talbott–I hesitate reviewing these books because of the can of worms that it might open. But, if you are anything like me, then you have often wrestled with reconciling a Loving God with the prospect of eternal punishment. I’ve always rejected notions of God’s universal love because I thought it was scripturally untenable. I was wrong. And no book lays out the argument that the Inescapable Love of God is scriptural than Talbott does. It’s certainly more biblical than the heresy that is Calvinism. What sets this book apart from MacDonald’s Evangelical Universalist is the personal journey that Talbott went through to get to where he is. Ultimately, it goes on the shelf alongside Mere Christianity and Mere Discipleship as one of the most impacting books of my life. And you can buy it here in the digital form for 6 bucks. Or you can read the first 25 pages for free. Grade–A+

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis–A couple of years back Lewis wrote one of the definitive behind the scenes looks at baseball. Now he gives the same treatment to my sport of choice: football. Weaving a feel-good narrative through a look at the transformation of the game Lewis has produced a winning tale of love, compassion, social justice and good ol’ smash-mouth football. Grade–B+

The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew–Three Women Search for Understanding by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner–What happens when three women from different faiths come together in the wake of 9/11 to write a children’s book highlighting the similarities and strengths of each faith tradition? A whole lot of fireworks. The misunderstandings and tension between these women starts with the first meeting and continues throughout the book. It was an interesting tale of mutual acceptance and love. However, it left me wanting. None of these women would consider themselves versed in theology or overly involved in their faith traditions. If the book had been written by an Imam, Pastor and Rabbi it might have held me a little better. Grade–C+

Hope Beyond Hell by Gerry Beauchemin–If you are interested in re-examining our Augustinian notion of hell and eternal punishment but would like something a little more accessible to the lay person and not quite as dense as other works, this book is a great option. It’s quick and easy and the appendices are a treasure trove of information. What’s even better is that you can read it free online at the Hope Beyond Hell website. He does the Rick Warren thing of lifting scriptural excerpts a little too much but it’s a great primer. Grade–B

If you have read any of these books then what is your take? What’s on your shelf?