When We Were On Fire – memoir of Addie Zierman’s church life in the 90s – which did not sound too different from my church life in the 70s. She blogs here: Addie Zierman – How to Talk Evangelical
Bread and Wine – Community, sharing a meal with friends, relationships formed, and a balanced view of feasting or restraint. With recipes. Shauna Niequist is an articulate, vulnerable writer. She blogs here: Shauna Niequist
Every Good Endeavor – Tim Keller’s (Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC) book on our job as our service to God. No matter what our job is.
Praying for Strangers – River Jordan decides to pray for a stranger each day for a year. She starts praying without letting the stranger know – and eventually begins to approach the person (stranger) to let him or her know what she’s doing. She never gets rebuffed and the stories are moving. Brave woman – who is changed through her journey.
Chasing Francis – after a brief slow start, I ended up loving this book. Fictional memoir, Italy sounded great, as does the food, and the deep contemplation of a faith crisis in a pastor’s life. (fiction but reads as memoir)
Quiet – Susan Cain’s book telling us that Introverts have value. Ted Talk – Susan Cain
The Long Good-bye – memoir – the loss of a mother who died too young. Meghan O’Rourke. Very moving and thought provoking. Thinking I’d like to be around for my daughters until they’re more ready for me to be gone. 🙂 NYTIMES review
The Rules of Inheritance – memoir of Claire Bidwell Smith on the loss of both parents when she was a teen and then young adult – chapters in a non-linear structure. Another blogger writer. Claire Bidwell Smith
Bookish RN 
Wonderful reviews! I’m reading Bread and Wine right now. It’s excellent and (unfortunately) 😉 makes me hungry while reading…
I also enjoyed the attitude towards celebration, community, feasting – along with restraint at times. (As a person who is struggling to find balance in feast/restraint.)
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Loved Every Good Endeavor and Quiet! It is so good to see how who we are can be celebrated and how what we do can most honor God.
I’ve checked several Tim Keller books out of the library, but have never gotten around to actually reading one! Thanks for the nudge. 🙂
I enjoyed Keller’s book on marriage a couple of years ago – as well as a sermon or two on his podcasts on marriage. (Love your blog, by the way, Anne.)
Great list! I also loved Bread & Wine, When We Were on Fire, and Quiet…and I’ll be adding the others on your list to my GoodReads list! So many books, so little time! 🙂
I am always excited to find book lists! These reads sound great. Have you read “Me, My Dad, and the CIA?” It’s a great, often humorous memoir. Also, “When the Hear Waits” by Sue Monk Kidd. I am only halfway through but she writes about her journey through a personal spiritual crisis.
I saw on the side that you are a fan of “Tattoos on the Heart.” Such an incredible book.