BOOKS FOR COLLEGE GRADS

I cannot believe that it is that time of year. Spring (slowly) is emerging here in the South-Central part of Pennsylvania. While most high-school grads won’t be honored until next month, colleges and universities and trade schools everywhere are releasing their graduates into the world very soon.

We’ve got young friends working hard to finish up papers and are cramming for finals this very week. Just yesterday I spoke with a staff person at a Christian Study Center at a major university who opens their doors nearly around the clock as a place for students to visit — for study or prayer. Some of our friends at the CCO (the campus ministry in Pittsburgh that hosts our beloved Jubilee conference and whom we serve as official bookseller) are doing extraordinary things to support their student leaders in this stressful, exciting time. It’s an exciting couple of weeks.

I suppose you won’t mind me reminding you of the need for church folks — congregations, pastors, former youth leaders, mentors, friends, parents, aunts and uncles — to honor those who have gone off to college. We want those students to know God’s presence in this pivotal time in their lives. We want them to know their church cares. We want to encourage them with insight and wisdom. Better than a sentimental plaque or Christian tchotchke, a gift of a well-chosen book helps young academics continue to think and ponder about the deepest things in life and sends a message that resources are available for them as they take the next steps of their life’s journey.

We enjoy replying to emails or questions at our inquiry page at the website when people tell us something about a person to whom they want to send a book. Maybe we can suggest something that would be appreciated by a science major, a future teacher, a fine arts graduate, a young adult heading into engineering or the marketplace. (Or, if you’d rather, a rising Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, evangelical, Mennonite or what have you… ) No matter who your young friends are or what identity they have or what their future plans might be, we think we can help you help them.

I’m going to list just a few books that we think are splendid to honor this time of transition; bread for their journey. I won’t review them thoroughly although each deserves more. We just want to put these before you now to see what your church or family might consider to give as gifts for college grads. Let’s do this.

TEN SUGGESTED BOOKS FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADUATES — ON SALE

After College: Navigating Transitions, Relationship and Faith EXPANDED EDITION Erica Young Reitz (IVP) $18.00 //  OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

There is a new revised and expanded edition of this classic that we have celebrated for years now. There is nothing like it in print. You can read an earlier review here but I really invite you to listen to Erica as she was a recent special guest on our bo-weekly THREE BOOKS FROM HEARTS AND MINDS PODCAST (watch on Youtube, listen on Apple podcasts, or listen on Spotify). Erica is so articulate and charming and sharp and inspiring, you simply won’t want to miss this great half-hour conversation I had with her.

Here’s the thing: the anxiety of the transition out of college has only heightened in recent years and the unique situation of Gen Z (who did some of their high school during Covid) required new research and a new edition of this book about the transitions out of college. Nobody in North America has focused as much gracious time and energy with college seniors talking about their next steps and following through as Christian students leave their college fellowship groups and idealistic discipleship programs and move to new towns or cities to take up new jobs, nurture new friendships, find a church, and, often, pay off serious amounts of financial debt. Erica has heard it all, and studied the topic, has helped many.

Trust me — there is no better book to put into the hands of a typical college grad who may really, really need some assistance in this transitional time which is harder than many realize.

I invite you to read carefully these robust endorsements by people I trust. They have put into good words why this book is so fun and wise and good.  These are worth considering.

After College is like a conversation with a wiser, older friend ― someone who knows more and therefore loves more. Drawing on years of working with university students, Erica Reitz opens her heart to the next generation of those who will soon be entering into the marketplaces of the world. She offers uncanny wisdom about what the next years could and should mean for people who long to last ― people who hope that their undergraduate commitments and loves will deepen over the years, rather than be discarded because the realpolitik of life was more than was expected. I hope this book finds its way into the lives of many young men and women who are on their way into the rest of life.  — Steven Garber, The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation Culture, author of Visions of Vocation and A Seamless Life

For nearly forty years I have watched first hand as Christian students graduate from college with high hopes, only to have those hopes dashed by the challenge of translating their education into the categories of the real world. Furthermore, most of them assume that they are alone among their peers in having this painful experience. Naming this fairly typical post-college passage is the first step in helping graduates address this transition with courage and hope. In After College, Erica Reitz has done a masterful job in calling attention to the comprehensive and complex nature of this challenge. She has brought to the task a balance of sound theology, thoughtful reflection and practical advice. I will certainly be recommending this book. — Shirley A. Mullen, former President, Houghton College, Claiming the Courageous Middle

After College offers profound insights about grappling with post-collegiate life in today’s swiftly changing world. Beautifully written by Erica Young Reitz, it seamlessly interweaves real-life stories from recent college graduates with astute quotations from famous writers, biblical paradigms with sociological studies, and practical how-to advice with inspirational hopefulness. At once both personal and professional, Reitz shares the triumphs and trials of her own experience in order to help readers discern God’s calling in both church and society.  — Crystal L. Downing, author of Changing Signs of Truth and The Wages of Cinema

Big changes and transitions often force people to ask big questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What am I doing? After College provides a helpful guide to wrestle with those questions in a way that is inspiring and hopeful. Erica is a keen listener: she listens well to God, recent research and student stories to offer a roadmap for success in today’s world.  — Derek Melleby, OneLife Institute, author, Make College Count

Serious Dreams: Bold Ideas for the Rest of Your Life edited by Byron Borger (Square Halo Books) $13.99  //  OUR SALE PRICE = $11.19

We also talk a bit about this one in the above-mentioned “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast, and while it is my baby, and I’ve written about it a lot, I still want to remind you of it here, now.

Several years back I was invited to do a commencement address at Geneva College, a Western Pennsylvania college — and I was awarded an honorary doctorate (a huge deal that I still can hardly believe.) I preached my heart out inviting these students to make a difference in their careers and callings, to live out the integrated Christian worldview they were exposed to at Geneva. Some folks wanted copies. I found some other similar graduation speeches that implore students to think Christianly, to serve their communities, to be salt and light in the world into which they are heading. It was a blast sorting through and editing some of the most inspiring talks I had heard and we put this book together designed for college graduates who want to be inspired to serve God as they transition into the post-college world.

We’ve got in here fabulous short addresses and we made reflection questions for readers to ponder. You’ll read words of inspiring guidance by Nicholas Wolterstorff, Amy Sherman, John Perkins, and more. Besides by own chapter, wrote a lengthy forward that some have said is very helpful — less breathy and idealistic than most of the big-picture commencement address, encouraging readers to live local, find some friends, dig in, even if the time after college isn’t as big and glitzy as one might wish. Lots of folks move home after college as they seek a job or whatever might come next, and that’s okay.

Also, the above-mentioned expert in the hardships and joys of the post-college years, Erica Young Reitz, wrote a lovely little afterword. She was working on After College and we invited her to sort of summarize her research and thinking to bring these dramatic talks to a practical close. I think it makes for a great little read.

I can autograph these, too, if that makes it special…just let us know.

Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do about It Bob Goff (Thomas Nelson) $26.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.59

I’ve suggested this before as a great, upbeat college grad gift (although, to be honest, it is whimsical and captivating enough to be a good high school grad gift, too.) You know Bob Goff (author of Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World and Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People) which are hard-to-put-down paperbacks about making a difference in the lives of others by, well, serving, loving, sharing, being there in creative and fun ways. I hope you know them.

Dream Big has the same incredible stories of his nearly unbelievable capers, the same outrageously gracious tone, the cheery encouragement but its focus is very much about helping readers identify their biggest dreams, helping them figure out what they want to do with their lives, and how to take steps to make that happen.

It is, without a doubt, the most fun self-help book you’ll ever read, and it is fabulous for anyone with any sort of anxiety about whether they really can pursue their dreams.

Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy Bob Goff (Thomas Nelson; $26.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.59)

By the way, the follow up title to the great Dream Big, is an equally fun read, sort of exploring how we can be more joyful when we focus on what we’re really after. Undistracted shows us — readers of any stage and age, but certainly recent grads transitioning into a world of possibility and change — just what we can do to identify the things that keep us from moving forward, “capturing our purpose” as he puts it. Some may need help overcoming those emotional and practical obstacles that distract us from being who we want to be and doing what we feel passionate about. Undistracted can help — and it’s a fabulous read. What good guidance in this age of distraction.

I’m not sure how generous you’re feeling for your loved one, but if your a Bob Goff fan and know they’d love this sort of thing, you could give them both — they are a nice pairing. And we could do a bit better of a discount that way, too! Just ask.

Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility Bob Goff (Thomas Nelson) $22.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $18.39

As you can see, I adore the hilarious, inspiring, love-fueled, faith-based, Jesus-following, positive thinking of Bob Goff. He has started schools in war-torn zones of the third world, has fought as a lawyer for imprisoned child soldiers in Africa, and has done stuff many would only shudder to even think about. And he does it with verve and joy. And without being a braggart, he loves telling the stories. And people love reading them.

This is a lovely, fabulously-enriching, upbeat daily devotional, each with a story from Goff’s life (or, sometimes, just wise counsel with a practical application) always connected to the Biblical text he reflects on. This would make a great gift for almost anybody — especially maybe those who aren’t used to reading religious devotions or don’t want their readings to be too heavy. We very highly recommend it.

44 Poems on Being With Each Other Pádraig Ó Tuama (W.W. Norton) $27.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.39

I hope you know the lively, gracious, remarkable Irish poet. peace activist, and spiritual writer Pádraig Ó Tuama. His public radio show Poetry Unbound (part of Krista Tippett’s On Being suite of podcasts) is very popular and those who care about the spoken word these days should know him. (We featured his fascinating Eerdmans book of poetic prayers in the form of collects, Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love and we have his new collection Kitchen Hymns.)

This 2024 hardback is a fabulously rich and thoughtful and lovely exploration of 44 poems about relationships and “being with” and for each other. His curation of these contemporary poems is interesting and would itself be a good gift, the poems themselves, but his reflections on the poems — what some might call an “immersive” experience — is the real gold. This is a handsomely designed and inspiration volume, a nice companion to the previous Poetry Unbound collection from 2022, 50 Poems to Open Your World. Again, the poems are offered and he discusses them, inviting us to an inspiring close reading and visionary application.

The Seamless Life: A Tapestry of Love & Learning, Worship & Work Steven Garber (IVP) $20.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $16.79

I will admit that I am biased, here, since Steve is a long-time friend, a dear friend, and I admire him very, very much. But this little book is such a wonder that I tell folks about it any time I can. If you’ve not picked it up from us, I do suggest it for almost anyone.

Garber is philosophically-minded, yet down to Earth. He tells here, in many short chapters, of his growing up out West — his grandfather worked in the cattle industry and his father, a researcher in botany, worked with farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. His interest — nurtured by these hard-working men of integrity that shaped his earliest dreams and faith —is what it means to live a “seamless” life, to inhabit this broken world with a sacramental worldview. That is, what are the connections between Sunday and Monday, between worship and work? Is there a way that we can develop the sort of lives that are coherent? Can we bear the sadnesses that come into this life and not give up?

I know of no other author who is so eloquent and literary and theologically informed yet immensely practical, at least in a manner that matters. His constant thesis — developed more fully in previous books like Fabric of Faithfulness and Visions of Vocation — is how the things we care about shape who we are. The deepest questions which all people, everywhere, ask about meaning and purpose and joy and responsibility animate these lively ruminations offered from all over the world as Steve travels speaking with folks who share these hopes and dreams. From conversations with business execs to artists to politicians, he reports on ways folks care well.

There are chapters about work. There are pieces about public service. There is stuff here about pop culture, about music, and good stuff about literature. He writes movingly about friendship. He tells some fun stories that will make readers smile and some poignant ones that might make you sigh. Each entry is short and is accompanied by a full-color photo of the places he’s been, landscapes he’s seen, or artifacts that point to the bigger lessons learned in each locale. A compact sized paperback with nice paper, it is a handsome little volume.

For those who want to dip in just a bit to one of our great public thinkers and writers, who wonder about making sense of our times and finding meaning in the stuff of life, The Seamless Life would make a fabulous little gift. Steven has a particular affinity for young adults and knows well the complexities of the post-college transition, so it’s an ideal gift. One reviewer — a CEO in the tech industry — called it “a feast.” Friend Charlie Peacock says it contains, swiping a line from Garber himself, “the truest truths.” Singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken says it “gently weaves coherence and grace from the far corners of vocation, friendship, and spirituality.” Some bookseller guy named Borger even has a little blurb on the inside calling Seamless Life “achingly beautiful.”

How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith Mariann Edgar Budde (Avery) $28.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.40

Much could be said about this book, what Steve Leder (author of For You When I Am Gone) called “the simple, important, dynamics of courageous living” but I will suggest that it would be a good gift from some of you, at least, for some of your idealistic young friends. You may recall that Mariann Budde is the Episopal Bishop of Washington and had the privilege of preaching at a service during President Trump’s inauguration. She made international history once he made a typically rude comment about her bad preaching, mostly because she implored him to show compassion to the needy. In any case, this author of two lovely previous books of spirituality became an international figure for what some saw as significant bravery (her sermon earned her death threats) but which she might say was only her doing her job; preaching gospel truth in a public setting.

Anyway, this is a book, as you can tell from the titles, about how to learn this art of being brave. Historian and journalist Jon Meacham raves, calling it a “searching account.” Rev. Budde’s Bishop (Michael Curry) says that in “sharing her story and that of others who have faced real challenges with ‘grit and grace’” we are reminded that “extraordinary courage is possible for ordinary people.”

We need faith and the tools to become the kind of people that have a deep moral compass and are willing to become leaders of integrity. Dr. Michael Hill (of the Chautauqua Institution) says it is about “humility, introspection, and selfless determination.” 

Maybe this call to virtue and courage would be helpful for others, too, no matter what age, eh?

Ordinary Saints: Living Every Day to the Glory of God edited by Ned Bustard (Square Halo Books) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

One of the things we hear time and again from church folks or others looking for a good gift to honor a graduate is their fear that students are done reading books. They are, or so it is thought, burned out on academics and don’t want another book for a gift. Some are in the very processing of selling off their boring textbooks.

Granted. I get it. But you know what? It is my sense (and our experience!) that many young adults who are sincere people of faith, don’t have many thoughtful Christian books. Maybe somebody gave them a teen Bible five years ago or they were gifted with a cheesy devotional somewhere along the line. If they were lucky they might have Mere Christianity. Maybe they’ve heard of N. T. Wright or Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Desmond Tutu. I suspect they have learned that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist preacher, but I bet they’ve never read a single book of his. So it goes.

In any case, a good way to allow younger adults to join the movement of thoughtful contemporary (Christian) reading is to give them a book that is at once theologically informed but a lot of fun. Something that grapples with some of the biggest questions in life and yet has a mostly buoyant, practical, immediately engaging sort of tone. Something, I might suggest, for ordinary saints.

Ordinary Saints is one that I’ve celebrated before — and not only because I have a chapter in the ways in which one can serve God in retail business. I’ve pitched this before because it is just such a hoot— it is fun and funny, serious and vital, surprising and refreshing. After a three page fairly intense theological piece on what it means to give glory to God, the book offers tons of short pieces, most very well written, about, well, glorifying God in the ordinary stuff of daily life. There are pieces about making playlists and napping, about building community and doing karaoke, about enjoying comic books and raising chickens. There is a fabulous piece about roller skating and a nifty one on briefcases. Some have adored the chapter on dancing. All knowingly religious, showing that such mundane stuff somehow makes God smile.

There are heavier pieces, too. There is an important contribution on coping with chronic pain. There is an essay about going to therapy which is excellent. One is on mental illness. There are a few chapters offering wise, grief-related reflections.

Naturally, there is a good, basic chapter about glorifying God in ordinary work. (And there is mine on business life which I hear is interesting.) From a theological basis for going to movies to the spirituality of knitting to stuff about traffic and homemaking and storytelling, all Coram Deo, this book makes a great gift for almost anyone.

And, by the way, there are some extraordinary writers in Ordinary Saints, some who are not well known, but a few are, which indicates the calibre of this volume. Who wouldn’t want to give a gift knowing there are contributors like poet Luci Shaw, philosopher Calvin Seerveld, art prof Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt, the global phenomenon Malcolm Guite, memoirist Margie Haack… Wow.

Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful: How Gratitude, Grief, and Grace Reflect the Christian Story Drew Hyun (Zondervan) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

We announced this new book just a few weeks ago and it dawned on me that it would make a great gift for a college grad, whether they are strong in Christian thinking or not. I mean, whose life isn’t in some measure beautiful and disappointing and hopeful, right? This book written for seekers is ideal for anyone grappling with the big questions, who wants a coherent framework for thinking about their lives, for those who need to understand that God is with them — in our good, greater world, despite the hurt and paint we face, and can be wonderfully hopeful.

We need that kind of a story, that sort of frame, that sort of lingo to make sense of the various feelings we feel and encounters we have.  Drew Hyun is by all accounts and incredible friend to many in New York City where he lives and this book he’s explain some of what he’s learned about how practices of expressing gratefulness and lament — the gratitude and grief in the subtitle, of course — can help us deepen our awareness of the grace that is at the heart of the Christian worldview.

This is a lovely book, nicely written, captivating and wise. Any young adult who is intrigued by life at all will like it, I’m sure, and many will love it, truly. It’s a great book.

I love how the author Gerry Sittser of Whitworth University (and author of the unforgettable A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss) describes a great book and how this new book captures these very characteristics. Yes!

It is no easy task to write a book, to say nothing of a book for the larger reading public. Good books have a deep root system, which includes, of course, the Bible. They show evidence of being familiar with the long and great tradition of thinkers who have gone before us. They are sensitive to the needs and longings of ordinary people. They are a pleasure to read. They are accessible but never superficial. They are vulnerable but never maudlin. Drew Hyun has written such a book. It drew me in, touched my soul, and called forth faith in me. I kept thinking of people who would benefit from reading it. I trust you will, too.

+++

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

PLEASE READ, THEN SCROLL DOWN TO CLICK ON THE “ORDER” LINK BELOW.

It is helpful if you tell us how you want us to ship your orders. We’re eager to serve you in a way that you prefer. Let us know your hopes. We’re not automated, so let’s talk!

Of course the weight and destination of your particular package varies but you can use this as a quick, general guide:

There are generally two kinds of US Mail options and, of course, UPS.  If necessary, we can do overnight and other expedited methods, too. Just ask.

• United States Postal Service has an option called “Media Mail” which is cheapest but can be a little slower. For one typical book, usually, it’s $4.83; 2 lbs would be $5.58. This is the cheapest method available and sometimes is quicker than UPS, but not always.
• United States Postal Service has another, quicker option called “Priority Mail” which is $9.00, if it fits in a flat-rate envelope. Many children’s books and some Bibles are oversized so that might take the next size up which is $9.80. “Priority Mail” gets more attention than does “Media Mail” and is often just a few days to anywhere in the US.
• UPS Ground is reliable but varies by weight and distance and may even take longer than USPS. Sometimes they are cheaper than Priority. We’re happy to figure out your options for you once we know what you want.

If you just want to say “cheapest” that is fine. If you are eager and don’t want the slowest method, do say so. It really helps us serve you well so let us know. Keep in mind the possibility of holiday supply chain issues and slower delivery… still, we’re excited to serve you.

BookNotes

SPECIAL
DISCOUNT

20% OFF