samin nosrat

(I traveled to Kenya this month and since I followed Cal Newport’s advice in Digital Minimalism which I read last month, I deleted all games from my phone. I only played one anyway, but still. Gone. Also, I never had social media apps installed on my phone to begin with. So, I had loads of time to read on the plane. Plus, I skimmed Threading My Prayer Rug and It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, read more below).

Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up, by Kathy Khang (listened to the audiobook) Such an important book, Kathy raises her voice about race and more, and challenges us to raise our own voices, alongside hers. Timely, well-written.

“Race and reconciliation can no longer be framed solely as a justice issue but rather as core to the gospel, theologically grounded in the imago Dei (the image of God). As Christians, if we truly believe we are all created in God’s image, and that God the Creator had a hand in developing, creating and shaping not just our embodied souls but also the places and spaces we steward and have dominion over, then reconciliation with one another is not merely an option – it’s part of God’s mandate. It requires us to speak up and speak out.”

Running Man, by Charlie Engle, recommended by Kelly H. A drug addict turned ultra marathoner, telling a gripping story of pushing his body to all kinds of intense and exhausting extremes. He writes with humor and honesty and his descriptions of running across the Sahara are unreal. This is a book that will take you from your chair around the world and back again, urging you to push beyond what you perceive as your own limitations.

This is Marketing, by Seth Godin. Typical Godin, short and pithy and practical, a fun read. He says marketing is basically being generous.

“Marketing is the generous act of helping someone solve a problem. Their problem.”

If You Want to Write, by Brenda Ueland This book felt a bit dated, because it is, but I loved her perspective on the value of silence and solitude. She is clear about the importance of writing and about why it needs to be treated as work. Here’s my favorite quote:

“But if it is the dreamy idleness that children have, an idleness, when you walk alone for a long, long time, or take a long, dreamy time at dressing, or lie in bed at night and thoughts come and go, or dig in a garden, or drive a car for many hours alone, or play the piano or sew or paint alone or an idleness where you sit with a pencil and paper quietly putting down what you happen to be thinking, that is creative idleness. With all my heart I tell you and reassure you: at such times you are being slowly filled and re-charged with warm imagination, with wonderful, living thoughts.”

Threading My Prayer Rug: From Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim, by Sabeeha Rehman. To be honest, I skimmed this. But I’m kind of in a skimming stage of reading and life. The book is lovely and I so appreciate hearing the story of an immigrant Muslim woman.

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered, by Lysa TerKeurst. Lysa faced the near devastation of her marriage, cancer, and more and through vulnerability and courage writes a book that encourages faith in the midst of brokenness.

Born With Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman, by Daisy Khan. I really enjoyed this book, if you can only read one, between this and Threading My Prayer Rug, read Born With Wings. This is the story of a Muslim woman’s faith journey through doubt and questions and I resonated in so many ways with her story. For anyone who sometimes doubts God but also loves their spiritual heritage, this is a great book.

“But if I had lost something in America, I had gained something else – the ability to discern for myself my own path. I did not want to follow blindly.”

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. Um…LOVE. I love food and cooking and haven’t seen anyone take so much evident delight in both as I’ve seen in Samin. This is more than a cookbook, it is a cooking class. Super recommended.

What are you reading?

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