PKF Staff Picks: Favorite Books of 2019
You're reading the first edition of "PKF Staff Picks." The end of a year provides us a chance to look back, and in this case, we asked our staff what their favorite books of 2019 were. It's been a long time since any of us have had to write a proper book report, so bear with us. Here are the PKF Staff's favorite books of 2019.
Brad
Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxas
I think the most impactful book I read in 2019 was the Martin Luther biography by Eric Metaxas. Martin Luther is clearly one of the heroes of the faith and is a central figure in the history of the Christian Church.
I love a good novel as well. My son David got me on a "Tolstoy kick." Although we know Tolstoy best for "War and Peace," it is only one of many significant works. "Anna Karenina" is a great read. I loved "Resurrection," which is his final novel. The impact of Jesus teaching (most notably the Sermon on the Mount) upon Tolstoy personally is at the center of this last great piece of literature.
Beth
Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation by LaTasha Morrison
I heard LaTasha Morrison, founder of Be the Bridge, speak about racial reconciliation at the IF Gathering in Austin, Texas, in February of 2016. She motivated me to learn more about Black History and Social Justice in America. I am currently in a Be the Bridge Group. The topics we discuss have been eye-opening, to say the least, for this white, middle-aged woman from the Northern suburbs of Allegheny County. I am currently reading Be the Bridge: Pursuing Gods Heart for Racial Reconciliation by LaTasha Morrison. An article that I would recommend is "Whiteness 101". A great short video on the history of race in America is Race the Power of An Illusion.
Books I have read and recommend are Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (soon to be released as a movie), The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, and Let Justice Roll Down by John M Perkins.
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Christa
The Book Theif by Markus Zusak
I love being part of a book club in my neighborhood. This month we read a historical fiction novel called The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The story revolves around a young girl, Liesel, in Germany during World War II. The power of words was one of the main themes in this novel: how words can be used to spread ideas in both a positive and negative way. Words can be used as a bond between people and can be a place of refuge, as they proved to be for many of the characters in this book. Words can also be used to destroy; in this book, that destruction is shown by Hitler as he used his words to change the course of the world.
This book was a good reminder of Proverbs 15:4, "Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim."
Erica
Unfavorable Odds by Kim Hamilton Anthony
This intriguing sports autobiography tells the story of Kim's journey from a childhood in the streets of Richmond filled with drugs, violence, and financial strain to becoming the first African-American woman to receive a scholarship to compete for UCLA's gymnastics team. She not only became a four-time national champion and six-time All-American but also is now a UCLA Hall of Fame inductee. I was inspired by this former US National Gymnastics team member and her accomplishments, but even more by her authenticity and passionate pursuit of Jesus as she anchored her identity in Him.
Jack
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Recommended to me by a friend, The Nickel Boys is based on a real school for boys that closed in Florida in 2011 after more than one hundred years in existence. Colson Whitehead's Nickel Academy is the kind of institution that purports to rebrand bad boys into good young men. So, in theory, it should be a good place for Elwood, a young black man who, although he had planned to attend a nearby college, was caught unknowingly riding in a stolen car. Whitehead's novel is equal parts intense and captivating as it reveals dark truths about America's past, present, and future.
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Rodger
Joy in the Sorrow by Matt Chandler and Friends
I picked up Joy in the Sorrow on a whim one day and didn't put it down until I finished it. It's a collection of real-life stories from members of The Village Church, including their lead pastor's account of suffering through a potentially fatal brain cancer diagnosis. These personal stories provide an honest look at the lowest lows and how, even in those moments of incredible sorrow, God draws close to us.