June/July 2023 Top Ten

1.

For book club we read All Quiet on the Western Front in June and Treasure Island in July. I enjoyed them both quite a bit.

2.

My favorite musician, John Van Deusen, started a band called Telephone Friends and they released their debut album in June. It’s a lot of fun. “Nostradamus” and “Find the Light” are standouts to me.

3.

I read the poetry book Sparrow Envy by J. Drew Lanham. A lot of bird poems, so that was fun.

4.

I also ready Eugene Peterson’s book of poems called Holy Luck. If you’re trying to get into reading poetry, I probably wouldn’t recommend this collection (look to Billy Collins or Mary Oliver). But, if you’re a Eugene Peterson fan, you’ll appreciate these poems.

5.

My favorite youtuber Ryan Trahan did a new penny challenge this year where he had to get from France to America starting with just one penny. It’s a lot of fun.

6.

I read the comic book Batman Adventures, Vol. 1 by Kelley Puckett, based on the 90’s Batman Animated Series show. It was okay. More violent that I was expecting from a book geared toward children.

7.

I read The Secret Place of Thunder: Trading Our Need to Be Noticed for a Hidden Life with Christ by John Starke and really enjoyed it. Will be rereading it again.

8.

I found this playlist called Bach Eternal and it just made me laugh.

9.

I reread The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis and loved it. It’s just so timely. I’m also reading Dante’s Inferno right now and the parallels are pretty interesting.

10.

Been back on a Mumford & Sons kick, and found this cover of their song “Picture You” that absolutely slaps.