The Englewood Review of Books Podcast

Jen is joined by Mitali Perkins and Erin Wasinger to discuss the reading life of children. They talk about the power of stories in the lives of kids, as well as the surprising tension and conflict in the discussion concerning what literature children should have access to, as well as how to encourage a love for reading as children grow. This is a fantastic conversation for those readers who have little ones in their lives!

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

• Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins and Sara Palacios
• We We Loved Books by Mitali Perkins (forthcoming)
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Year of Small Things: Radical Faith for the Rest of Us by Sarah Arthur and Erin Wasinger
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Little House (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace
• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
• Miracles on Maple Hill by Virgina Sorenson
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
• New Kid by Jerry Craft
• When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
• Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins
• The Adventures of Tintin by Herge
• The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant by Jean De Brunhoff
• The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
• Dog Man (series) by Dav Pilkey
• Sweet Valley High (series) by Francine Pascal
• The Baby-Sitter's Club by Ann M. Martin
• The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
• The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
• The Chosen by Chaim Potok
• Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
• Mom's Sweater by Jayde Perkin

Jen is joined by writers Alex Joyner and Karen Stiller to discuss reading in the life of ministry. They talk about how reading has shaped them as ministers, as well as the people they've led. They also talk about the perils of recommending books, and Karen coins the term "book bully." Fans of Annie Dillard will particularly appreciate this thoughtful episode.

Books mentioned:

• The Minister's Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Forgiveness and More by Karen Stiller
• Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters by Annie Dillard
• Take and Read: Spiritual Reading - An Annotated List by Eugene Peterson
• Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr
• Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
• Listening for God, Volume 1: Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith
• Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
• Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steven Garber
• The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior by Steven Garber
• Sensible Shoes: A Story About the Spiritual Journey by Sharon Garlough Brown
• Can You See Anything Now?: A Novel by Katherine James
• A Prayer for Orion: A Son's Addiction and a Mother's Love by Katherine James
• Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner
• Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler
• The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New by Annie Dillard
• The Liar's Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr
• The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ by Fleming Rutledge

After a special announcement about the future of the podcast, Jen continues the conversation about "reading under quarantine," with two very special guests: John Wilson and Karen Swallow Prior. They discuss what their reading experience is like right now in this disorienting time, and what types of books and authors they're gravitating towards.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church by C. Christopher Smith
• On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior
• Spacefarers: How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars and Beyond by Christopher Wanjek
• The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha
• The Life and Death of Ancient Cities: A Natural History by Greg Woolf
• God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul by Mark Buchanan
• The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers
• Hannah Coulter: A Novel by Wendell Berry
• O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• The Chosen by Chaim Potok
• The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

In the first of a two-part conversation about reading under the Covid "quarantine," Chris and Jen have a lively discussion with writers Ashley Hales and Brandon O'Brien. They discuss what their reading experience is like right now, what types of books and authors they're gravitating to, and get pretty honest about the challenges of home life during this season.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Keeping Place: Reflections on the Meaning of Home by Jen Pollock Michel
• Finding Holy in the Suburbs: Living Faithfully in the Land of Too Much by Ashley Hales
• The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus by Zack Eswine
• Love Big, Be Well: Letters to a Small-Town Church by Winn Collier
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• A Spacious Life by Ashley Hales (forthcoming release, working title)
• Not From Around Here: What Unites Us, What Divides Us, and How We Can Move Forward by Brandon O'Brien
• Silence by Shusako Endo
• The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
• The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
• Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life by Kathleen Norris

**Note: all 4 initial episodes of the ERB Podcast were recorded before the COVID-19 outbreak in the US. This is why this important event is not mentioned.**

On this episode Chris and Jen welcome essayist and ERB contributor Meghan Florian to discuss more favorite books from 2019, their own reading habits, and what it's like to be a "professional reader." They also highlight the Redbud Writer's Guild and have a discussion about the idea of intentionally-slow reading, and, of course, they talk about a few books they are currently enjoying.

Books/Writing mentioned in this episode:

• The Middle of Things: Essays by Meghan Florian
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante
• The Recovering: Intoxication and its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison
• Middlemarch by George Eliot
• Hard to Love: Essays and Confessions by Briallen Hopper
• Notes From No Man’s Land: American Essays by Eula Biss
• The Empathy Exams: Essays by Leslie Jamison
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
• She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
• Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
• The Dutch House: A Novel by Ann Patchett
• The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
• The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah M. Broom
• The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby
• The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race by Willie James Jennings

Special thanks to Brazos Press, sponsor of this episode, and publisher of the new book, Exiles on Mission bit.ly/ExilesOnMissionERB.

Many Christians in the West sense that traditional Christian teaching is losing traction in the public square. What does faithful Christian witness look like in a post-Christian culture? 

In Exiles on Mission, Paul Williams invites readers to embrace the language of exile and imagine a hopeful mission of the church in the post-Christian West. He shows a clear pathway for fruitful missional engagement for the whole people of God, helping Christians make sense of the world in which they live, more authentically integrate faith with everyday life, and orient all of their efforts within God’s missional purpose for the world.

**Note: all 4 initial episodes of the ERB Podcast were recorded before the COVID-19 outbreak in the US. This is why this important event is not mentioned.**

On this episode Chris and Jen welcome back John Wilson, and are joined by ERB contributor Stina Kielsmeier-Cook to discuss Stina's upcoming book, their own reading habits, and readings in monastic spirituality. They also highlight the important work of the Collegeville Institute in supporting thoughtful writing, and, of course, they talk about a few books they are currently enjoying.

Books/Writing mentioned in this episode:

• Blessed Are The Agnostics by Stina Kielsmeier-Cook (upcoming release)
• Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks and a Writer's Life by Kathleen Norris
• Stalking the Divine: Contemplating Faith with the Poor Clares by Kristin Ohlson
• Give Us This Day by Liturgical Press (St. John's Abbey)
• My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir by Colleen Carroll Campbell 
• The Heart of Perfection: How the Saints Taught Me to Trade My Dream of Perfect for God's by Colleen Carroll Campbell
• A Year in Reading by John Wilson (First Things)
• Magic and Spells by Hugh Kenner
• Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
• After Adam: The Books of Moses by Laurance Wieder
• Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
• The Dearly Beloved: A Novel by Cara Wall
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
• Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins

Special thanks to Brazos Press, sponsor of this episode, and publisher of the new book, On the Road with Saint Augustine by James K.A. Smith.

In On the Road with Saint Augustine, popular speaker and award-winning author James K. A. Smith invites us to take a journey with Augustine, who he calls ‘the patron saint of restless hearts.’

Following Smith’s successful You Are What You Love, this book shows how Augustine can be a pilgrim guide to a spirituality that meets the complicated world we live in. Augustine, says Smith, is a guide who has been there, asked our questions, and knows our frustrations and failed pursuits. Augustine spent a lifetime searching for his heart’s true home and he can help us find our way.

**Note: all 4 initial episodes of the ERB Podcast were recorded before the COVID-19 outbreak in the US. This is why this important event is not mentioned.**

On this episode Chris and Jen are joined by ERB contributors Tim Hoiland and Amy Peterson to discuss their own reading habits, various media for reading, venues for reading well. The panelists have a lively discussion about Amy's new book, "Where Goodness Still Grows," the nature of virtue, and, of course, they talk about a few books they are currently enjoying.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• A New House is a Big Deal by Tim Hoiland
• Dangerous Territory: My Misguided Quest to Save the World by Amy Peterson
• Where Goodness Still Grows: Reclaiming Virtue in an Age of Hypocrisy by Amy Peterson
• A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny
• The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• The Gulf by Belle Boggs
• After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America by Jessica Goudeau
• Hagar Poems by Mohja Kahf
• Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home by Pope Francis
• Climate Leviathan: A Political Theory of Our Planetary Future by Joel Wainwright & Geoff Mann
• The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett
• Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God by Lauren Winner
• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Theology of Food: Eating and the Eucharist by Angel F. Mendez-Montoya
• Ambition and Survival: Becoming a Poet by Christian Wiman
• A Gospel for the Poor: Global Social Christianity and the Latin American Evangelical Left by David Kirkpatrick
• The Liar's Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr
• The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires our Trust More Than Our 'Correct' Beliefs by Peter Enns
• Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt and Certainty in Christian Discipleship by Lesslie Newbigin
• Keys to Bonhoeffer's Haus: Exploring the World and Wisdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Laura Fabrycky

Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Brazos Press, publisher of the new book, The Church of Us vs. Them by David Fitch.

In his book The Church of Us vs. Them, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the divisions in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to unwind the antagonisms of our day and make space for Christ’s reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.

**Note: all 4 initial episodes of the ERB Podcast were recorded before the COVID-19 outbreak in the US. This is why this important event is not mentioned.**

We are excited to bring you the first episode of the Englewood Review of Books podcast! This podcast is going to be an ongoing panel discussion about books, culture and the reading life. Chris and Jen are joined by former Books and Culture editor John Wilson to discuss their own reading habits, various media for reading, venues for reading well, and, of course, a few books they are currently enjoying.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Surprised by Paradox by Jen Pollock Michel
• Keeping Place by Jen Pollock Michel
• Teach Us to Want by Jen Pollock Michel
• Make a List by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre
• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
• The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
• John the Pupil by David Flusfeder
• The Brother Caedfel Series by Ellis Peters
• The Second Sleep by Robert Harris
• An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis
• The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Brazos Press, publisher of the new book, "How the Body of Christ Talks," by C. Christopher Smith.

In today’s highly charged environment, we often don’t know how to talk well with others—especially with people whose backgrounds differ from our own. In How the Body of Christ Talks, C. Christopher Smith addresses why conversation has become such a challenge for us and argues that it is perhaps the most-needed spiritual practice of our individualistic age.

Smith shows how church communities can be where we learn to talk with and listen to one another with kindness and compassion. In community, we learn what it means to belong to others and to a story that is bigger than ourselves.