Rev. Beth Dana’s 2024 Summer Reading List
The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet
When Jeff Sharlet visited Dallas in March I got an autographed copy of his new book. After spending a full day with him I’m convinced that everyone needs to hear what he has to say about our current political and religious climate. This book “explores a geography of grief and uncertainty amid rising fascism” and celebrates “the courage of those who sing a different song of community, of an America long dreamt of and yet to be born.”
The Tending Years: Understanding Your Child’s Earliest Rituals by J. L. Shattuck
Lifelong UU, teacher, religious educator, and parent J.L. Shattuck has written this book to help us understand the spiritual roots of the rituals of young children. As a lifelong UU, religious educator, minister, and parent myself I’m looking forward to seeing what insight she has to offer about creating safe and loving community – at home and at church.
Sing Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
A colleague recommended this book as a “must read,” so I’m following her lead! Published in 2016, this comedic autobiography tells the story of former Daily Show host Trevor Noah’s upbringing in South Africa by a Swiss-German father and Xhosa mother, an interracial relationship that was illegal at the time of his birth.
I’m on a memoir kick! This is a story of coming out and coming of age as a queer Muslim woman in America, and how she drew strength and hope from the stories of the Quran in the process.
Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott
I’ve read most of Anne Lamott’s books over the years. She is relatable, humorous, and wise. I look forward to reading her 20th book released in April 2024 about the transformative power of love in our lives.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
I’m not typically a sci-fi reader, but Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot Series has captured my attention. I read her book A Psalm for the Wild Built a couple years ago and this is the sequel, in which the characters are on a quest to figure out what humanity really needs, asking the question: “in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?”
