read :: what I'm currently reading

It is no news to anyone who knows me how much I love to read, and just how much I read. I love to stretch my mind, to expand my knowledge, to think about things and lives that are new to me. I love books that are about viewpoints that are different from my own that I can learn from, and books that challenge and grow my Christian faith. I do love fiction as well, but there are no fiction titles on my current list.  Lately I have had quite a few things going at once and I thought I might share with you what I am reading right now.

Books: (yes, I am in the middle of all of these, I do tend to flit from book to book, so some I go through quite quickly and others it may take me a month or more to read)

• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. This is a beautiful book of prose about nature and about the nature of creation. It is peaceful to read and I love to read a few pages just before I go to sleep at night.
• The Mountain of Silence by Kyriacos C. Markides.  This is an interesting book I've been reading this week, about Eastern Orthodox spirituality, in the form of an ongoing conversation between Markides and a monk on Cyprus.  Definitely teaching me a great deal about what makes Eastern Orthodox unique from western protestant Christianity.
• Walking the Amazon: 860 Days, One step at a Time by Ed Stafford. I love a good travel book and adventure story. I love the chance to read about places and people that I in all likelihood will never see or meet.  This book was a follow-up for me to re-reading Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods (about the Appalachian trail) earlier this summer. Staffords "walk" along the Amazon is a completely different type of adventure.
• Beautiful in God's Eyes: The Treasures of the Proverbs 31Woman by Elizabeth George. This is one of my Bible Study texts right now, and I am always challenged by Elizabeth George to deepen my faith.

Things on my library shelf waiting to be read:

•  Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. This is a sequel to her book The Happiness Project which I read last year.
• Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll. This Christian marriage book has drawn a fair amount of controversy and I have mixed opinions on Mark Driscoll's teaching/preaching, so I am curious to see what this one is like.
• The Radical Disciple by John Stott. Stott is one of the great theologans of our age and this book was meant to be his "farewell" book, summarizing what he thinks are the most important aspects of Christian life and following Jesus. Can't wait to dig into this one, too!
• A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael  by Elisabeth Elliot. I read this once when I was in grad school (about 15 years ago) and recently it was brought to mind again as a biography of a great missionary. Curious to compare it to the recent book I read Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, who at a young age has had a huge impact on children in Uganda.

I was going to list out some of my favorite blogs to read as well, but this entry is already getting pretty long. I'm always looking for something new to read...any recommendations?