by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

I’m excited to share my Lenten reading list with you because I am so excited to read these books! My stack is HUGE this Great Lent, and deliberately so – I am hoping to spend more time reading and less time on social media (though I won’t be disappearing), and I am already behind on my GoodReads Reading Challenge, so what better way to catch up than with some wonderful spiritual reading? This collection is a mixture of books old and new, nonfiction and fiction, for children and for adults. And, I am giving away one copy of EACH of the books I mention below! To enter the giveaway, subscribe to my email list and then comment below about which book you would like to read for Lent, and why. Giveaway closes on Thursday, March 7th, 2019 at 11.59 pm. Winners will be contacted the following week via email. US and Canada addresses only, please.

Books for Adults

While Laura Vanderkam’s novella, Juliet’s School of Possibilities seems like an unusual choice for Lenten reading, the Great Lent is a great time to consider how we spend our time and how we choose our priorities. I’m excited to read this book for many reasons. First, Laura Vanderkam is my favorite author on productivity and time management because I enjoy her overall perspective – we have more time than we think, we are privileged to be thinking about how manage our time, and if we choose well, we have all the time in the world. Second, Juliet’s School of Possibilities is a business fable, and thus a really accessible way to consider the time management principles Laura has written about in her other nonfiction books (I’ve reviewed two of them on this blog: Off the Clock and I Know How She Does It). Third, I have a think for lighthouses and I just love the cover! I have already pre-ordered the book, but Laura has kindly provided me with a SIGNED giveaway copy to one of my lucky readers. Even if you enter the giveaway, consider pre-ordering the book – when you do, you get two books for one, because one of the pre-order bonuses is an ebook called “Laura’s Little Book of Life Hacks: 113 Ideas for Winning at Life and Home.” My favorite tip is #28:

Doing deep work? Put a notebook next to you to capture any fleeting thoughts that might send you elsewhere. You can look up the name of that Greek restaurant you want to try when you’re done; jotting down a note will keep you from forgetting (or getting distracted).

Once you pre-order the book, go to Laura Vanderkam’s pre-order page here to input your information and receive the “Little Book of Life Hacks” and more pre-order bonuses.

In part due to Laura’s advice, and despite the many hats I wear and the many projects I juggle, I decided to take a Patristics course this semester at the Pope Shenouda III Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary. Among the Early Church writings we have been introduced to are the Didache and the Shepherd of Hermas. These are early Christian texts written soon after the New Testament. There are many translations available from different publishers; I have chosen The Two Ways: The Early Christian Vision of Discipleship from the Didache and the Shepherd of Hermas from Plough Publishing House because it contains both and includes an introduction by Rowan Williams. The title, The Two Ways, comes from this beautiful quote in the Didache:

There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways. The way of life is this:” First, you shalt love the God who made thee, secondly, thy neighbor as thyself; and whatsoever thou wouldst not have done to thyself, do not thou to another.

You can read the book to find out more about the Way of Life and the Way of Death.

I have two books about St. Phoebe, the deaconess mentioned by St. Paul in Romans 16:1 and my name saint, that I cannot wait to start reading. The first is a new historical fiction novel by Biblical scholar Paula Gooder called Phoebe: A Story, published by IVPress.

The second is a more scholarly historical overview of her role in the Early Church called Phoebe: Patron and Emissary by Joan Cecelia Campbell in a larger series called “Paul’s Social Network: Brothers and Sisters in Faith” published by the Liturgical Press. St. Phoebe clearly had an important role in the Early Church, and I am looking forward to learning more about her.

This little book, The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers by Benedicta Ward, published by Cistercian Publications, has been on my shelf for some time, so I am going to take the opportunity this Lent to read it. I love anything written by and about the Desert Fathers and Mothers (see my 2017 Lent list for another book on this); whereas the more well-known Sayings of the Desert Fathers arranges the sayings by the father or mother to whom they are attributed, this shorter book arranges a selection of sayings by topic, such as “On the subject of discernment,” “self-control” and “long-suffering.”

Three friends have written books this past year. One, Ali Joy Whetstone, wrote a memoir called “Beauty from Ashes: A Journey of Faith, about her path to God through many struggles in life. I’ve already started it and am so inspired by her journey.

Another friend, Rany Makaryus, wrote a book on “The Scriptural Basis of the Divine Liturgy,” which focuses on the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great according to the Coptic Orthodox Church. He shares why he wrote this book on Deacon Daniel Malyon’s blog here.

Fr. Peter Farrington has written a number of books recently, and all the profits of his books go to support St. George’s Ministry in the UK. For this Great Lent I am reading The Prodigal Returns: Overcoming Habitual Sin, a book on breaking free from sinful habits.

Books for Families and Children

Great Lent and Me by the late Fr. Bishoy Kamel from St Shenouda Press is a book with Lenten meditations on each of the Gospels read on Sunday in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Fr. Bishoy Kamel is one of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s modern pillars, and this book is a great way to share his writings and sermons with a younger audience.

Ancient Faith Publishing has two wonderful books out for Lent.  The first, Tending the Garden of our Hearts by Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger, is a book of daily Lenten meditations for families based on the Eastern Orthodox Church’s liturgical readings. Since the Coptic Orthodox Church’s daily liturgical readings are different, I’ll be using this book in combination with Great Lent and Me, whenever the readings align with ours, either the actual reading or if it aligns in theme. I love this meditation on forgiveness, which uses examples in sibling life, making it very relevant to my children:

When we only focus on what the other person does wrong and we never blame ourselves, then the angry fighting just goes on and on. But we can fix it if we stop and ask ourselves, “What am I doing wrong?” In most cases, both people are doing something wrong. When we see that both of us are wrong, it is much easier to be forgiving.

Speaking of forgiveness, I am eagerly awaiting A Child’s Guide to Confession from Ancient Faith Press as well to read with my children. When my husband and I go to confession, we take our children along, so they witness us participating in this important sacrament and often join in. I am excited to read this book with them and help them learn more about why confession is so important so they continue to participate, even when we are not around to take them.

When we experience God’s forgiveness, we want everyone to experience it, too. I Am God’s Storyteller is a beautiful picture book by Catholic author Lisa Hendey and illustrator Eric Carlson from Paraclete Press, encouraging children (and adults!) to share the Gospel by using the examples of the Bible’s great storytellers, including Sarah, Moses, Deborah, Mary, and John the Baptist. Here is how Deborah told God’s story:

Deborah was a judge—a just, fair woman who helped her people make difficult decisions. The stories Deborah told with wisdom and faith in God helped God’s people live peacefully together for many years … there are so many stories God’s people have told so far!

Why isn’t my forthcoming book, Putting Joy into Practice on this list? Well, it’s not coming out till Easter! In the meantime, you can preorder a print copy here or the Kindle version here. Keep your receipt – you’ll need it to access the pre-order bonuses I’ll be announcing soon!

What are you reading this Great Lent? Share your reads in the comments below! If you would like to be entered to win a copy of any of the above books, subscribe to my email newsletter and make a comment below indicating which book you would like to be entered for, and why. Current subscribers need only comment below. Giveaway closes on Thursday, March 7th, 2019 at 11.59 pm. Winners will be contacted the following week via email. US and Canada addresses only, please.

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