By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

I have a delicious fall/winter book stack, I must say, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to share it with you! Many of these books also serve as wonderful holiday gifts, so consider this my 2022 holiday gift guide as well.

In fiction, I have four middle grade novels to share:

In a Dry Land by sisters Sonia and Sophia Samantaroy follows a group of three youth on Sunday school trip to the monastery gone awry. I read it aloud to my children in two days, and they all loved it. My oldest said “It was very good because of the adventure mixed with the church.” My middle child says “it was very suspenseful and it’s something you have to read in one sitting.” My youngest says “it was very good and you should learn from it that whenever you’re having trouble pray to God.” In addition to the book’s gripping story and important underlying message, what set it apart for my children are the young Coptic characters they could identify with, in a world of desert monasteries, saints, and church, that they are familiar with. This book makes a great gift for older elementary aged and middle school children, and a great Sunday school gift.

In a Dry Land by Sonia Samantaroy and Sophia Samantaroy: St. Moses Abbey Press |Bookshop | Amazon

The Fullness of Joy by Georgia Briggs from Ancient Faith Publishing sets itself apart immediately as an absolutely beautiful book to hold (and gift). Illustrated by the author, it tells the story of the beloved Russian St. Seraphim of Sarov through the eyes of a beloved bear named Joy. It helps to know a little about monasticism and asceticism to understand some of what goes on in the story. At the same time, it is immersive, getting us as close to the life and struggles of St. Seraphim without actually telling the story from his point of view. The bear carries her own pain when she meets St. Seraphim, and soon becomes his daily companion, believing herself to be of help to him, sometimes proud of the way she never leaves him the way the other animals do. We don’t get a happy ending so much as we get a peaceful and victorious one, which encapsulates St. Seraphim’s life and words perfectly.

The Fullness of Joy by Georgia Briggs: Ancient Faith Publishing | Amazon

In The Antidotes: Pollution Solution by Patricia Mechael, a group of young people band together to stop a plastic-eating bacteria from spewing toxins into their drinking water and making so many people in their community sick. Don’t let the scientific plot fool you – the kids also go through the typical teenage struggles of new friendships, bullying, difficult home circumstances, and also some of the unique circumstances that have befallen young people over the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I could not put this book down, and once I was done, my mind reeled with ideas for how to use it with my homeschooled children for both science and reading.

The Antidotes: Pollution Solution by Patricia Mechael: Bookshop | Amazon 

I posted about Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier on Instagram recently. It’s tough book for sensitive readers, but such a worthy one. I admit to crying after a specific chapter (can’t tell you why without spoilers). I talked through it with my kids, explaining how many of the struggles children faced in the Victorian era led to the child labor laws that protect children today (there are two great picture books about this: Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Childrenby Jonah Winter and Nancy Carpenter, and Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel and Melissa Sweet). I also reminded them that these things still happen to children but in different ways, so we still have a role to play, like paying attention to where we buy our clothes and advocating for fair labor practices. And lest we think child labor exploitation only happens in Chinese factories, a few weeks ago news broke about a Minnesota meat-packing plant that illegally employed over 30 children cleaning dangerous equipment overnight, with one already injured with chemical burns. Yet through the difficult things, Sweep is full of wonder, warmth, humor, and hope.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier: Bookshop | Amazon

I have read so many good picture books this year. Here are a few that stood out:

Philo, Liv, Loulou and the Peace SuperHoly by Mireille Mishriky is the sixth book in the favorite SuperHolies series. Colorfully and beautifully, it provides children with the tools to have peace when they are not feeling at peace and are afraid. Repeating Psalms, singing hymns, and remembering their role models- these are the tools the children use to conquer their fears and have a peaceful night. They also empower them to do the special thing that they want to do for their grandparents. Although it’s part of a series, this book also stands alone. See the link below for how to purchase a gift set of this book and a hand-sewn stuffy!

Philo, Liv, Loulou and the Peace SuperHoly by Mireille Mishriky:  Amazon | Bulk Orders | Complete the Series | For a unique gift this season, purchase the book with a Peace SuperHoly Stuffy from We the Copts!

When my children and I finished Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer, we went right back to the beginning and read it again, and again, savoring the words and illustrations. In it the children walk through different beautifully illustrated landscapes in wonder, asking questions that turn to imaginative metaphors. This makes an excellent, quiet bedtime book, a perfect gift for children and their parents who read it to them.

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer: Bookshop | Amazon

A Twitter recommendation of The Voice that Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History by Elisa Boxer came at the exact right time: the midterm elections. After watching me spend hours watching Zoom debates to decide who to vote for in my local elections, one of my children commented that they hated politics and did not plan to vote. “It’s not like my one vote would matter anyway.” Enter this amazing true story of Febb Burn, whose letter to her son urging him to vote for women’s suffrage was the last single vote needed to pass the 19^th Amendment, guaranteeing women in the USA the right to vote. We’re still having conversations about voting, but thanks to Febb Burn, we’re all convinced that every vote counts.

The Voice that Won the Vote by Elisa Boxer: Bookshop | Amazon.

Poetry

Mummy Eaters by Sherry Shenoda is a book of poetry you don’t want to miss—even if you don’t read poetry. These are poems that make your heart catch in your throat and your blood boil. It’s through these poems that I learned that Europeans ate Ancient Egyptian remains and used mummy flesh for a paint color mixture. Yes, really. I didn’t believe it till I looked it up for myself. Sherry somehow wove these savage facts into a powerful poetry collection about life and death, the past and the present, love and longing. I don’t think it would be possible to express what she has expressed in this book in anything but poetry. You can read the rest of my review on Goodreads. This book makes a GREAT gift for both readers and Egyptophiles, even if they don’t usually read poetry.

Mummy Eaters by Sherry Shenoda: University of Nebraska Press | Bookshop | Amazon

Newer nonfiction:

Hospitality for Healing by Melissa Naasko is an excellent guide and cookbook for anyone serves others through their cooking. I love that this book is both practical and spiritual. It’s not just about how to prepare meals for patients and loved ones on convalescent diets, but also about how important it is as a spiritual practice, and how to do this kind of service while also caring for a loved one’s emotional needs. Melissa infuses all this with her extensive experiences both giving and receiving hospitality for health. While you might be able to skim through recipes that aren’t currently useful to you, be sure to read till the end for a beautiful story of her experience with Ann Sullivan of Denver. Read my full review on Goodreads here. Another physically beautiful book, this makes a great gift for anyone in your life who loves to cook for others, or for anyone who is currently cooking for someone on a medical diet.

Hospitality for Healing by Melissa Naasko: Park End Books | Amazon

Any Christian going through storms in life, even in their own faith, will find solace in Traci Rhoades’ new book, Shaky Ground: What to Do After the Bottom Drops Out. Through her trademark holy curiosity, Traci draws from the practices of many Christian faith traditions that helped her feel grounded, even while the earth shifted beneath her feet. She also draws from many different experiences and voices, some of whose she has met online. I took my time reading this book, not because it was a slow read–quite the opposite. Traci’s conversational tone draws the reader in right away. I took my time so I could think about the practices she shared and how they could work in my life. One of them, looking for the faithful, I touched on more extensively in my last blog post. You can read my full review of this book on Goodreads.

Shaky Ground by Traci Rhoades: Church Publishing | Bookshop | Amazon

Professional Christian: Being Fully Yourself in the Spotlight of Public Ministry by Sarah Bereza. Sarah interviewed me and fifty other Christians in public ministry for this excellent book that seeks to provide a roadmap for any Christian who serves as a pastor, minister, lay leader, teacher, author, or any influencing role in which their Christian faith is integral. I’m learning so much from the others she has interviewed about fully living your faith authentically while also in the spotlight. Give this book to anyone involved in ministry in the public eye.

Professional Christian by Sarah Bereza: Westminster John Knox | Bookshop | Amazon

Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam fills all my expectations for my favorite time management author. I’ve reviewed several of her other books on this blog before (Off the Clock, Juliet’s School of Possibilities, and I Know How She Does It). For Tranquility by Tuesday, Laura did a Tranquility by Tuesday challenge with over 150 participants, focusing on nine “rules” that make any ordinary day a tranquil day. In so doing she helps readers see how these rules work out for people in real life. The way this book is organized makes it a great choice for book clubs or other groups—groups can read a chapter a month and try to implement each rule, then report back on the results. Laura has some great resources for doing that downloadable on her website here.

The nine rules are: give yourself a bedtime; plan on Fridays; move by three pm, three times a week is a habit, create a back-up slot, one big adventure, one little adventure; take one night for you; batch the little things; and effortful before effortless. Right now, as I try to build in some better habits in my life, my favorite one is “three times a week is a habit.”

Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam: Bookshop | Amazon

Mama, I See You: Finding Glimmers of Hope in the Trenches of Motherhood by Mirette Abraham is the book I needed when I became a new mom. It drew me right in with its first words. Mirette doesn’t hide her struggles with post-partum depression and miscarriage in this book. Any mother who has been through these experiences will feel seen and comforted. Each of her chapters offers hope, inspiration, and an invitation to look up toward God for our comfort and fulfillment. Mirette also hosts a podcast with Marina called The MAMI Village.

Mamma, I See You by Mirette Abraham: Bookshop | Amazon

I pre-ordered Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community by Bonnie Kristian as soon as I heard about it, and purchased copies for others as well. It’s an important book for our times, accurately describing the knowledge crisis that isn’t just breaking our brains but also ruining our relationships. She names the problem – an epistemological crisis – and then explains how it has worked. In the end she shares some possible solutions, but with a sobering reminder that there are some problems only the Holy Spirit can work through. This is a must read for anyone in religious leadership and anyone in a position of influence, whether a journalist, a writer, or any content creator.

Untrustworthy by Bonnie Kristian:  Bookshop | Amazon

Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness by Bishop Suriel is on my reading stack because I’ve begun reading it again after taking a course on the Foundations of Religious Education with him at the Pope Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary. His book about Habib Girgis, the modern Coptic Orthodox religious educator who transformed religious education in the Coptic Orthodox Church is a fascinating, readable biography about one of the most important figures in modern Coptic history.

Habib Girgis by Bishop Suriel: SVS Press | Amazon

In keeping with C.S. Lewis’ wise advice to read old books, I’m reading a Christian classic: The Life of Moses by St. Gregory of Nyssa. St. Gregory is one of the Cappadocian Fathers and the brother and biographer of St. Macrina the Younger, one of my favorite saints. This isn’t just a book about the life of Moses the Archprophet, but a book about wisdom and wonder. I started reading it in search of a quote for a presentation. I couldn’t find the quote, but I got immersed in the book.

The Life of Moses by Gregory of Nyssa: Bookshop | Amazon

Are you looking for Advent reads? Check out my Orthodox Christian Advent Reading List.

Are you looking for more holiday gift ideas? Check out my holiday gift list for 2020, 2019, and a guide to socially conscious gift giving here.

My book, Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church, is a great gift and advent spiritual read: Paraclete Press | Bookshop | Amazon

Some of the links above are affiliate links to Bookshop and Amazon to purchase the books suggested here. Using these links gives me a small commission, and this helps support my blog expenses. Purchasing books on Bookshop also helps local independent bookstores. Some of these books can be found at an even lower price used. If you use my Thriftbooks referral link, you and I will get a promotional code for a free book if you spend $30 or more.

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