One of my favourite things about a summer holiday (apart from family time, swimming, and sampling all the cheese and pastries France has to offer) is getting an opportunity to read. In particular fiction, and books I struggle to get to through the rest of the year.
Here are some thoughts on the books I’ve enjoyed this Summer, including a few I’d highly recommend for your own holiday reading:
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
I made the mistake of starting the holiday with this book. I began here because at 704 pages it was the longest of the books I’d brought. Sadly, that meant I peaked early! This was not only the best book I read on holiday, but one of the best novels I’ve ever read.
Set in 17th Century Oxford against the backdrop of the Stuart Restoration, this historical whodunnit explores the murder of Dr Robert Grove, a fellow of New College. We are given four accounts from different witnesses, each with their varying perspectives and biases, and what seems at first to be a simple murder case spirals into a mixture of plots and conspiracies.
Historical fiction is rarely my bag, but I loved this. It was rich and multi-layered, including many real-life historical figures, and it kept me guessing until the very end. Don’t be put off by the length – it’s well worth a read!
The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes
This, however, was not. People tried to warn me. I ignored them, and paid the price.
I really enjoyed Hayes’ previous novel I am Pilgrim, a ridiculously far-fetched spy thriller. So when this next novel was announced, we pre-ordered it. In fact, it was due to be released around the time of my daughter’s birth in 2016 so we thought it would make a good read during our time off. Then for various unknown reasons publication kept getting pushed back until it was finally released in November 2023. And I sat and read it this Summer next to my 9-year-old.
The first 2/3 was enjoyable, in very much the same mold as Pilgrim. But then something went horribly wrong. A twist so awful, it was like a full-on genre-switch. And I almost threw my kindle in the pool.
I can only assume that the delay in publication was because the author wrote himself into a corner, had already spent the advance, so took an off-cut of an entirely different screenplay and just stuck it on the end. It was that disjointed. And it made me angry.
To make matters worse – because I’d been pre-warned that there was a ridiculous twist coming, I spotted a line in the second chapter which felt weirdly-worded and I wondered if it might be a clue about what was in store. But no, I thought – that would be too stupid.
I was wrong.
Reframing the Prophetic by Christine Westhoff
After 1300 somewhat variable pages of fiction, 170 pages on the gift of prophecy was a welcome change!
This little book is a helpful, sane reflection on the gift of prophecy. Using the well-known preaching illustration that the best way to identify counterfeit currency is not to spend time gazing at fakes, but to become deeply familiar with the authentic article, the author calls us to look with fresh eyes at prophets and prophecy in the pages of Scripture.
There were many things I really appreciated about this book. How the author sought to correct the abuses and misuses that discredit the gift; how she kept bringing us back to the person of Christ, framing prophecy as a relational gift; how she described her own process and experience of the prophetic; how she spoke about the prophetic and the artistic gifts working together; how she challenged some of the cultural idols of our day, which have distorted our perspective on the purpose of the gift. There was much to be challenged by.
Was it a groundbreaking book? No. Not for me at least. Which perhaps says less about the book itself, and more about the quality of healthy (though still imperfect) charismatic church cultures I’ve had the privilege to worship in. So as well as challenging and provoking me, this book made me profoundly grateful.
The Wayfarer by Andy Kind
If like me, you’ve never even once contemplated walking the Pennine Way, you may have zero interest in a book about someone else who did. Allow me to change your mind.
The Wayfarer is a brilliant memoir by preacher/comedian (promedian) extraordinaire Andy Kind. It charts his journey from Derbyshire to Scotland, battling gruelling weather and rough terrain in search of… well, you’ll have to read it.
Andy is a masterful storyteller, the king of the callback, and this is his magnum opus. When I was a teenager, my Gran used to give me newspaper clippings of Bill Bryson’s column. I remember the glee with which I devoured them, and then in time his books. That very same feeling returned while reading this. It’s tightly and beautifully written, with lovable characters, perfect turns of phrase, and laugh-out-loud moments in every chapter. I genuinely had fellow-bathers staring at me while I was giggling on my sunbed.
It’s also profound. One of Andy’s life messages is that of redemption – he barely goes a conversation without talking about it. And it’s a thread that runs right throughout this book. Whether he’s discussing the walk, his fellow travellers, or themes like marriage or faith, he’s able to spot the potential for redemption even in the bleakest of moments.
At £3.99 it’s a bargain on Kindle. Or for a bit more, you can get a physical copy in a nice envelope. Either way, I would definitely recommend it.
And from one author known for his extreme athletic prowess (and rumoured to drink his own urine) to another…
The Greatest Story Ever Told by Bear Grylls
In this bestselling book, adventurer and survival expert Bear Grylls retells the story of Jesus. The cover tells us it’s ‘An Eyewitness Account’ (who knew Grylls was so old!?) and it consists of five accounts from different friends and disciples, charting the whole story from Jesus’ birth to his death and (spoiler alert) his resurrection.
I had mixed feelings about it, to be honest. It’s certainly no mean feat to combine the material from four gospels into one coherent narrative, paying attention to chronology and geography, and dividing it up so that each story is told by the most compelling narrator. It was well-researched, and the choice to use the original Hebrew names for people and places had the welcome effect of challenging my overfamiliarity with the text.
But it certainly wasn’t the most beautifully-written version of the greatest story. Compared, for instance, to Francis Spufford’s Yeshua chapter in Unapologetic, which (despite its flaws) was clearly penned by a master storyteller. This kinda had the feeling of someone watching The Chosen and thinking (with no hint of irony) “this would make a great book!” And the juxtaposition of authentic placenames with modern-sounding idioms drawn from the Message translation made it a little jarring in places.
There were a few moments I disliked (such as the flirtatious depiction of the Samaritan woman at the well), but there were also plenty of things I really did appreciate. I loved the depiction of Jesus as fun, and the joy his disciples found in being around him. The description of the slaughter of the innocents was really moving, with Mary reflecting on the horror of her friends and neighbours losing their young. Also, Mary’s turmoil while waiting for Jesus to emerge from his forty days in the wilderness. These moments made me feel embedded in the story, and helped me appreciate it in a new way. And if the book can do that for those who aren’t already familiar with the Jesus story, then that would indeed be a wonderful thing indeed.
The List by Yomi Adegoke
The List tells the story of Ola and Michael, an engaged couple a month out from their wedding, whose lives are turned upside down when a Google doc is posted online containing the names of alleged abusers in the media industry. Michael’s name is on The List. The novel charts the fallout of this revelation and its wide-ranging effects on their relationship, families, and careers, as they seek to work out the truth behind the accusation, while undergoing a trial by social media.
I still don’t know how I feel about this book, to be honest. It certainly wasn’t a comfortable read – it was sad and sobering and downright depressing. The premise was bold and timely, and it raised many important social issues, some of which at least were addressed with nuance. But I can’t say I found many of the characters likeable, which made it hard to feel sympathetic or know who to root for.
There were also significant language and culture barriers, which made it challenging for this white male elder millennial to connect with the British-Nigerian, Gen-Z language and worldview. So for many reasons I’m probably not best placed to comment on how relatable or well written it was. And my ethics and experience around dating and sex is so vastly different from that of the characters here that I often felt like an outsider observing a world I’m quite grateful not to inhabit.
North! Or be Eaten by Andrew Peterson
This was my second time reading this book. Or rather, my first time listening to it on audiobook, while driving through France for hours on end. And it was a delight to introduce my daughter to the Wingfeather Saga.
The first time I read the series I struggled with book one, and in fact gave up until my wife read them all and convinced me to press on. This time round I found myself in the same position, trying to convince my daughter who disliked book one. Thankfully she agreed to continue, because there’s such a marked difference between the first book and those that follow. This instalment is creative, well-paced, and full of beautiful themes of redemption.
And I’m now plotting excuses for more long drives, so we can begin book three as soon as possible!
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Photo by Alice Kotlyarenko on Unsplash
Liam Thatcher 