2018 Summer Reading List: Mine.

Yesterday I offered up ten books I think you should try reading this summer. Today, I’d like to share my own stack that I’ll be working through. But before I get to the list, let me tell you how I got to the list:

I strive to be a reader of various disciplines: guest service, leadership development, spiritual growth, history / biographies tend to be in a regular rotation. (Over the last year I’ve tried to introduce more fiction and historical literature into the diet, which has been fun.)

But a few conversations over the last few months have challenged me not only to broaden what I’m reading, but who I’m reading. As I look back over the titles I’ve read in the last several years, the authors are overwhelmingly caucasian males. And while there’s nothing wrong with caucasian males, I recognize that their voices sound a lot like my voice. So several weeks ago I asked you to give me suggestions on “non-white guys.” And wow, did you deliver. I received nearly 40 suggestions regarding authors / titles I’d heard of and those I hadn’t. You’ll see some of those titles reflected in the following list, but rest assured that all of them went onto a list I’ll be working through in the months and years to come.

So here we go…the fifteen books I hope to tackle between now and the back-to-school sales in August:

Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel (Kate Bowler) (Pro tip: this is currently available on Kindle for just $2.99.)

The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Church’s Guests to Return (Jason Young and Jonathan Malm) (Note: available for pre-order now; will be released on July 31, 2018.)

Culture Wins: The Roadmap to an Irresistible Workplace (William Vanderbloemen)

Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win (John Perkins)

The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership: The Power of Leading from Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength (Jenni Catron)

Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women (Carolyn James) (Currently available on Kindle for $6.99.)

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (Bryan Stevenson)

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (Tish Warren)

More Is More: How the Best Companies Go Farther and Work Harder to Create Knock-Your-Socks-Off Customer Experiences (Blake Morgan)

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter (Liz Wiseman)

No Little Women: Equipping All Women in the Household of God (Aimee Byrd)

None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from Us (and Why That’s a Good Thing) (Jen Wilkin)

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life (Lois Tverberg)

White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Means to be White (Daniel Hill)

Win the Customer: 70 Simple Rules for Sensational Service (Flavio Martins)

What are you reading this summer? Comment below.

The good folks over at the FTC want me to tell you the following: if you order a resource from a link on this page, I may receive a small affiliate commission from Amazon. If that bugs you, feel free to bypass my link and buy from a vendor of your choice. But still: buy it. I only promote items that have benefitted me and that I believe will benefit you.