January Reading Log

It was a good month for reading—and unfortunately for my to-be-read pile, book buying too. Here's a look at what was on the nightstand this past month. 

7 Articles I Like This Month

"Trump Used Her Slain Daughter to Rail Against Illegal Immigration. She Chose a Different Path." by Terrence McCoy, The Washington Post. 18 minutes.

When Mollie Tibbets was killed by an undocumented immigrant last July, the story sparked outrage over U.S. immigration policy on cable news, which President Trump fanned into a full-blown flame. What did not make headlines until now was what happened next: Mollie's mother Laura took an undocumented immigrant, a child of farm workers who had known her daughter's murderer personally, into her home. An incredible story of grief and grace.

"America's New Religions" by Andrew Sullivan, New York Magazine. 15 minutes.

For two centuries, Christianity—or at least Christendom—gave most Americans their answers for the Big Questions about the meaning of life. In the wake of Christianity's decline in America, Andrew Sullivan argues that politics has filled the void, and both the right and the left are looking to new gods—President Trump on the right, social justice on the left—to answer existential questions.

"Where Have All the Music Magazines Gone?" by Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads. 27 minutes.

The parallel declines of the music industry and print journalism have been thoroughly documented. This article takes a look at another decline that traffics in both those streams: the sad, steady fall of print music journalism. Part history, part overview, part prediction of what's to come, this article is worth a look for any music fan who misses the heydays of Rolling Stone, Spin, and Vibe.

"What's It Like for an Immigrant to Have a Glimpse of the American Dream, Then Have It Taken Away?" by Ginger Thompson, ProPublica. 16 minutes.

You know about the Trump administration's zero-tolerance family separation policy at the border. What you probably don't know is how it affected the children affected by it. Here ProPublica tells the story (in strictly-the-facts fashion, with no editorializing) of Wilder Maldonado, who was smuggled into the U.S. with his father by coyotes, detained at the border and separated from his father, fostered by an American family for months, and ultimately returned to El Salvador and reunited with his family.

"True Story" by Tish Harrison Warren, The Point Magazine. 12 minutes.

A beautiful, personal explanation of what the church is, what it does (sometimes well and sometimes poorly), and why it matters. Written by an ordained Anglican priest, but applicable for any believer.

"The Weight I Carry" by Tommy Tomlinson, The Atlantic. 20 minutes.

This book excerpt is about one man's struggle with weight. It's a struggle which I, genetically blessed with an excellent metabolism, have never dealt with—but despite the foreignness of the subject matter, this article is written so well and so personally that I read the last few paragraphs through tears.

"The Roots of American Rage" by Charles Duhigg, The Atlantic. 40 minutes.

Politically speaking, everyone is angry right now. Where did that start? What does that mean? How do we fix it? This article, which comes at the problem from psychological and sociological angles instead of from a political perspective, looks for the answers.

A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION: DISCIPLESHIP IN AN INSTANT SOCIETY by Eugene H. Peterson

When A Long Obedience in the Same Direction was published in 1980, it was unlike anything else on the shelves at the Christian bookstore: a book that offered no easy answers and no 5 step plans, just a biblical call to the slow, methodical work of discipleship. Nearly 30 years later, it remains as singular a work as ever.

In this, Peterson's first book, he sounds what would become the clarion call of his written and pastoral ministry, a call to discipleship. In a society used to getting so much quickly, if not instantaneously, he writes that becoming more like Christ is something that takes a lifetime's worth of prayer, study, and effort. It is not always glamorous, but it is worthwhile.

To illustrate what he calls the biblical model for discipleship, he uses the Song of Ascents, a.k.a. Psalms 120-134. Each shows a different facet of discipleship, from worship to service to blessing, with Peterson using both personal and pastoral anecdotes alongside his breakdown of the biblical text. Each chapter works both as an individual sermon on the topic and as a piece of the larger message on what it means to be a disciple.

In many ways, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction is the ur-text for everything Peterson would write afterwards—his call to incarnational, rooted, lifelong ministry is one he wrote about, preached about, and lived for most of his life. Whether you've never heard of Peterson or own all his books, this one is not to be missed.

LOOKING AT LIFE THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR by Paul W. Powell
THE LAST LEAF ON THE TREE by Paul W. Powell

In last month's reading log, I read and reviewed one of Paul Powell sermon collections; this month I read two more. Nothing new to say about these two collections, so look at last month's log to get an idea of what to expect from these books.

EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck

I'm always intimidated by the classics, especially lengthy epics. Thankfully, John Steinbeck had my back with East of Eden, a deep, compelling family story packed with biblical allusions that I eagerly devoured. This was the kind of classic anybody can and should read, a readable book with interesting characters that will touch you whether you're reading closely or at a surface level.

East of Eden tells the story of the Hamilton and Trask families of Salinas Valley, two clans plagued by sibling rivalries. At different turns, both families play out the story of Cain and Abel in allegorical fashion, with one son failing to please his father while the other cannot seem to help doing so, and the former son subsequently lashing out at his brother. While in a broad sense these events play out as expected in the story, Steinbeck does a brilliant job playing with his readers' expectations and sympathies, and the appeal is less in guessing what will happen next than in watching it unfurl.

Ultimately, East of Eden's questions are fundamental: are some people destined for good and others for evil? Can people change? What does it mean to be part of a family? As any great novelist does, Steinbeck answers these questions not with a philosophical treatise, but with fictional characters and a story as old as time. I loved East of Eden, which I've heard from numerous people is better and easier to read than Steinbeck's more famous The Grapes of Wrath. Don't be scared away by the length (600 pages) or its lofty reputation.

THE SOUL OF BASKETBALL: THE EPIC SHOWDOWN BETWEEN LEBRON, KOBE, DOC, AND DIRK THAT SAVED THE NBA by Ian Thomsen

The 2010-2011 season was a pivotal one for the NBA. In the offseason, LeBron James had moved from Cleveland to Miami via the infamous television special, "The Decision." Kobe Bryant's Lakers and Doc Rivers' Celtics were each gearing up for one last ride after having met in the NBA Finals in 2010. And in Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki and the veteran-laden Mavericks were quietly toiling away, with no one (including them) imagining that they were about to go on a playoff run that would change everything.

Ian Thomsen's The Soul of Basketball is a chronicle of that season and its most important characters, from LeBron and Kobe on the court to Doc and Mark Cuban off it. Thomsen's approach is what sets the book apart, for good and ill. Rather than tell the story strictly chronologically, each chapter is a character study of the key players in the story, with Thomsen often linking them to their spiritual predecessors in the NBA's 1980-1990s golden age. By making these connections and highlighting these individuals, Thomsen argues that the 2010-2011 season was a sea change in the NBA, a year that saw the league finally emerge from Michael Jordan's shadow.

The thesis is an interesting one, but the structure makes for a confusing read. Read one chapter at a time, as if they were separate magazines articles (Thomsen is a longtime writer for Sports Illustrated), the book works well, but when you read several chapters in one sitting you start to wonder if the parts are stronger than the whole. Furthermore, some of the chapters seem to be a stretch, based more on the subjects' accessibility than their importance—did we really need chapters on Isaiah Thomas or referee Joey Crawford?

Despite these flaws, The Soul of Basketball is a fun walk down memory lane for NBA fans, and Thomsen's main point about the 2010-2011 season as a turning point is well taken. Not the best basketball book I've ever read, but an interesting reflection on this Mavs' fan's favorite season.

BLACK PANTHER VOL. 1-4 by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brian Stelfreeze, Chris Sprouse, and Laura Martin

After reading the first volume of Ta-Nehisi Coates' run on Black Panther, I decided I was out—Coates, as masterful an essayist as he is, didn't seem to have this whole comics thing figured out yet, and I wasn't interested in spending money to watch him get his sea legs. But when my brother bought my the second, third, and fourth volumes, I gave him another shot. Good news: it got better!

Coates' run sees Wakanda in crisis, with T-Challa's sister Shuri in a coma-like state and the crown reluctantly resting back on his head. After a series of invasions, the people are distrustful of the monarchy and some are in open revolt. In the face of such turmoil, T'Challa must try to not only be a king, but a hero.

It's a great setup, but in Coates' hands you have to read the book carefully. My mistake in volume 1 was thinking that I could come in with fresh eyes and assume everything was going to make perfect sense. Instead, I found a Black Panther book for Black Panther fans, one that thrusts the reader into the world of Wakanda without any explanation of its customs, mythology, and characters. Having read volume 1 initially before the movie came out, I was lost. This time, with the movie serving as a primer, I fared much better.

The first three volumes are all one story arc, dealing with how Black Panther fends off enemies from within and without; the fourth volume starts a new arc that tackles Wakanda's mythology. If you liked the movie, you'll appreciate these books, and Coates adds some Game of Thrones-esque palace intrigue and complexity to keep things interesting. Glad I came back to this book—thanks, Nathan!

HAWKEYE VOL. 1-4 by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu, Javier Pulido, et al.

Ever read a virtually silent comic told from a dog's perspective? How about one told silently from the perspective of someone whose hearing was impaired? How about one where the villains say "bro" every other word? I have, because I read Matt Fraction and David Aja's run on Hawkeye. And boy am I glad I did.

The story being told in these issues is about Clint Barton, the down-on-his-luck Avenger, and Kate Bishop, his youthful friend and protege. Clint finds himself taking on some tracksuit-wearing Russian mobsters who want to buy out his apartment building and evict his neighbors; Kate finds herself repeatedly saving his bacon, getting fed up with him and moving to L.A., then returning to New York just in time to save him again. Supervillains factor into the story, but only on the fringes—this is a book about superheroes that nevertheless feels more like a buddy cop comedy.

Anyway, the plot is peripheral—this book is all about the characters, all about the writing, and all about the incredible, creative art of David Aja. I really didn't think there was new ground to break in superhero comics, but Fraction and Aja proved me wrong multiple times over the course of their run. The aforementioned issue narrated by Clint's dog is a master class in visual storytelling, one that other artists will try and fail to mimic for decades to come.

Readers wanting a conventional superhero book will need to look elsewhere, but anyone looking for a superhero book that reads like an indie comic will be thrilled. Creative, moving, clever, and fun, Hawkeye is one of the best books Marvel has put out in the last decade.