Jen, G, and Flannery: My Blog-Worthy Reads of 2018

My goals at the beginning of each new year always seem to include some sort of resolve to read more. While I still don't read as much as I would like, I may have finished a record number of books in 2018. There are some that merit recommendation. I will highlight a few of those here.

One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler

I first heard Jennifer Fulwiler speak at a women's conference several years ago, and I was captivated by her sense of humor and story-telling abilities. I later read her first book, given to me by a friend for Christmas one year, and began listening to her podcast. When her second book was released this year, I didn't think twice about adding it to my reading list.

One Beautiful Dream was an engaging read. There were many moments of laughing out loud as I read Jen's journey of writing a book while raising a growing family. While I am not living the vocation of marriage and motherhood, I could related to the process of overcoming a false notion that we must put our passions aside as we pursue our primary vocations.

She discusses the idea of a blue flame—a passion that ignites a fire within you—and the importance of running toward, not away from, that flame. Through trial and error and the advice of a good priest, she learns that she can incorporate her family into the pursuit of her blue flame passion—which she initially thought she should delay until a later, kid-free time in life.

As a missionary, I appreciate hearing Jen's encouragement in making time for those passions which bring us joy, even if it initially seems to create more chaos. Our God-given desires can enrich our lives and the lives of those around us, so we should be discerning how and when He wants us to use them, and how our loved ones are called to add their own contributions to the pursuit.

Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle

My recent travels have provided ample time for listening to audiobooks. Tattoos on the Heart became available on my local library app just in time for the 16-hour road trip from southern Louisiana to my Ohio home. Several missionaries had been raving about this book, so I thought I'd give it a listen-read it myself.

Fr. Boyle's book is a collection of stories from his thirty-plus years of working with gang members and ex-convicts in East Los Angeles. As the founder of Homeboy Industries, he has welcomed countless homies into his office over the years, and has helped many of them discover their dignity and reorient their lives. As he recalls key moments from his years of ministry, Boyle—affectionately referred to as "G" by the homies—weaves in spiritual truths, lessons, and reflections on God. The author reads the audiobook himself, so it almost feels as if you're part of an intimate conversation with a friend.

I laughed. I cried. Some stories lifted my heart. Others made it break. Among the most difficult stories to hear recounted were those where a person who had reformed his life faced death too soon afterward. I was filled with gratitude for Fr. Boyle's ability to work with a population difficult to reach with the Gospel, and one that is often looked upon with disdain, even by Christians. His example inspires me to want to pour myself out completely for the people I serve.

All That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor

This June I had the happenstance of spending a day in Savannah, Georgia and visiting the childhood home of one of my favorite writers. I happily walked out with two new Flannery O'Connor books, embossed with the historic site's seal. I've decided to dig into this woman's stories a little more deeply.

O'Connor's stories aren't exactly light reading. Her writings are mysterious, grotesque, and critical of fallen human nature. They deal with themes such as free will, religion, sin and redemption, and racism—which O'Connor stood against in the mid-20th century South. Her stories serve as an examination of conscience of sorts. All That Rises Must Converge is one example.

In this short story we find a young man named Julian and his mother riding a bus together. Julian's mother is racist and overly proud of her wealthy heritage. Julian—college educated and full of new ideas—detests his mother's attitude. But he so awkwardly attempts to prove his liberal beliefs that the reader finds him nearly as racist as the woman who raised him. And his contradictory attitude in dealing with others on the bus demonstrates that he possesses little more virtue than the mother he so harshly criticizes. In the end, both mother and son face a rude awakening. The reader is left pondering the sad scene and wondering what lessons were learned.

O'Connor's flawed characters prompt us to reflect on our own lack of virtue and need for redemption. Have any of these attitudes, presented in an extreme degree in the story, crept their way into our way of relating with others? O'Connor, wise beyond the thirty-nine years that she lived, had a knack for pinpointing human defects and their ripple effects.

There's nothing like a good dose of Flannery O'Connor to knock you out of complacency. I'll be working through more of her short stories in the year to come.

Also on my reading list for 2019:

The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day
The Grace of Enough by Haley Stewart
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Sabbath by Wayne Muller
The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly
Abba's Heart by Neil Lozano

...and more to be added. What else should I read? (I need some more fiction and classics on the list.) What are your favorite books from the past year? What will you be reading in the year to come?