Summer reading, 2025 edition
Photograph by Pixabay via Pexels
Rev. Margaret Marcuson
Summer, more than any other time, is a time to read whatever you want. The older I get, the more I think any time is a time to read whatever you want. Life is too short to read books you don’t like. This summer, at the beach or a cabin or in your own backyard, I recommend you read something fun.
Here are some recommendations of books I’ve enjoyed recently.
Fiction:
“Conclave,” by Robert Harris. I read this the week of the recent papal conclave. It was fascinating to read about the process of cardinals gathering and voting. I could imagine it going on right at the moment. It’s a twisty page-turner, too.
“Two Steps Forward,” by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist. A lovely novel by a married couple about two people who walk the Camino de Santiago, from France into Spain, for very different reasons. Fascinating geographic, spiritual, familial, and romantic elements.
“Künstlers in Paradise,” by Cathleen Schine. A novel about a 93-year-old Jewish woman who fled Vienna in 1939 at age 11, and ended up in Los Angeles. Her 24-year-old grandson comes for a brief visit. Then the pandemic hits. Touching and hilarious.
I love genre fiction. Here are two mystery recs:
“The Thursday Murder Club,” by Richard Osman, plus two more in the series. A fairly new mystery series featuring residents of a senior living community in England. Fun but not overly cozy. One member of the “team” is a former spy. That juices up the plots.
“The Queens of Crime,” by Marie Benedict. A delightful historical mystery featuring Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and several other Golden Age women mystery writers. (Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Orczy if you are a mystery nerd like I am…)
And a romance recommendation (don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it):
“Under Your Spell,” by Laura Wood. The estranged daughter of a rock star finds herself working for yet another famous and charismatic musician. A well-written story with complex family dynamics and romance. I was skeptical about the rock star storyline even though I like romance. But I couldn’t put it down.
Summer, more than any other time, is a time to read whatever you want. The older I get, the more I think any time is a time to read whatever you want. Here are some recommendations of books I’ve enjoyed recently.
Non-fiction:
“Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?”, by Roz Chast. A compelling graphic memoir about her parents’ aging. I don’t typically read graphic books, but I loved this one.
“Different: Gender through the Eyes of a Primatologist,” by Frans de Waal. A nuanced look at sex and gender matters in primates and in humans.
“True to You: A Therapist’s Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself,” by Kathleen Smith. I’m using this book this year in my Clergy Leadership Roundtable groups. Great book for pastors who spend too much energy pleasing others.
“Money and Possessions,” by Walter Brueggemann. I haven’t read a book of biblical criticism for years. Brueggemann looks at the recurring theme of money and possessions in the Old and New Testaments. Brilliant, compelling, timely. Brueggemann is over 90. He’s still blogging here.
“Letters to Nancy: Re-frames that Mattered,” by Mahan Siler. Short reflections on ministry by an elder progressive Baptist pastor. One of the best books on pastoral identity and ministry I’ve ever read. Great ideas and wonderful, clear prose.
Happy reading!
Rev. Margaret Marcuson is an American Baptist minister and author of several books: “Leaders Who Last,” “Money and Your Ministry,” and “Sustainable Ministry”(forthcoming). She hosts a free 30-minute drop-in book group, one Thursday a month from 3-3:30 ET. Hear from her and others what they are reading, and share your own favorites. Sign up here.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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