Five Non-Fiction Books on my TBR List

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post called "Reading Creatively." So I thought I would share some of the books that are toward the top of my reading list on my Kindle.

I own 825 titles for my Kindle. Can you believe it? Some, of course, I picked up free, but I also buy a lot of books. Can't help myself. I'm always reading for research or to improve my craft or to strengthen my faith or to be entertained.

I keep the books on my Kindle in collections, including Biographies/Memoirs, Christian Living, Fiction, Historical Research, How to Manuals, Non-Fiction, and Writing Books. I don't have a count of how many of those 825 aforementioned books I've already read. I just know there are plenty awaiting my attention. But here are five non-fiction books at the top of my TBR list:

1) Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke

I love to read. I hate to read. I don’t have time to read. I only read Christian books. I’m not good at reading. There’s too much to read.

Chances are, you’ve thought or said one of these exact phrases before because reading is important and in many ways unavoidable. Learn how to better read, what to read, when to read, and why you should read with this helpful guide from accomplished reader Tony Reinke. Offered here is a theology for reading and practical suggestions for reading widely, reading well, and for making it all worthwhile.

2) Imagine That: Discovering Your Unique Role as a Christian Artist by Manuel Luz

Why are we artists? How does God experience art? What is the artist's calling in relation to God, the church, and the world? Drawing from his experiences performing Mozart, playing "dive bars", and leading worship and the arts in the church, author Manuel Luz seeks to answer the questions that artists often ask. Laced with humorous and sometimes poignant anecdotes, Imagine That is a thought-provoking journey through the convergence of art and faith. Luz has been a working musician, writer, pastor, and even amateur cartoonist for more than 40 years, and in Imagine That he lays out his case for a uniquely Christian approach to the vocation of artist, using theologically rich and artist-friendly language.

3) Understanding the Americans: A Handbook for Visitors to the United States by Yale Richmond

This unique handbook for fresh arrivals to the United States outlines common American practices, beliefs, and customs. Written in a colloquial style and drawing on examples from history and popular culture, the author provides priceless insights on why Americans behave as they do and answers the important questions a visitor might ask, from why Americans appear so open and optimistic to how to negotiate with Americans or act at a dinner party. Full of practical advice (how to extend your visa) as well as invaluable guidance on how to understand American society (covering topics like political parties, privacy, family, work, and money), this handy book is an ideal reference for anyone new to the United States!

4) A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport

After the untimely death of Prince Albert, the queen and her nation were plunged into a state of grief so profound that this one event would dramatically alter the shape of the British monarchy. For Britain had not just lost a prince: during his twenty year marriage to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert had increasingly performed the function of King in all but name. The outpouring of grief after Albert’s death was so extreme, that its like would not be seen again until the death of Princess Diana 136 years later. Drawing on many letters, diaries and memoirs from the Royal Archives and other neglected sources, as well as the newspapers of the day, Rappaport offers a new perspective on this compelling historical psychodrama--the crucial final months of the prince’s life and the first long, dark ten years of the Queen’s retreat from public view. She draws a portrait of a queen obsessed with her living husband and –  after his death – with his enduring place in history. Magnificent Obsession will also throw new light on the true nature of the prince’s chronic physical condition, overturning for good the 150-year old myth that he died of typhoid fever.

5) At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has fig­ured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.

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So what about you? What books are at the top of your TBR list?

~robin