I have stacks of books around my desk right now. One stack contains books that congregations can use for faith formation programs. This pile includes children’s books, books about worship, books about grief and loss, and more. I am part of a team reviewing many resources, some of which will eventually be featured in an online resource for congregations.

A second pile of books contains resources I am using for an online class I will teach tomorrow morning. I have prepared my notes and bibliography for the class, but I like to have the actual books close enough to grab one and refer to it during class. Sometimes, I want to hold the books up to the camera so the students in the class can see a title and consider reading a particular book.

Another is a smaller group of resources influencing a writing project I’ve been working on since the beginning of the year. I hope to complete the first draft of that manuscript by mid-year. Calling it a first draft is a misnomer since I’m currently working on the fourth draft of much of the material while adding new material. It is complex. I’ve never worked on a project quite like this one, and I keep discovering more books I want to read as I work on my writing.

Over by my chair are a few books of poetry that I’ve not yet finished. I read poetry every day, but I like to go slowly with poetry, and sometimes, I switch authors depending on my mood and the ideas I am wrestling with. On top of that pile is a book by a long-time friend who couldn’t come up with a way to organize his poems, so put the titles in alphabetical order. The result is a random collection of poems, switching subjects and focusing on nearly every page. Not only do the poems surprise me, but they also invoke memories of the parallels in our lives. He is one day older than I am. We were students in college together. We both became pastors who are married to pastors. We retired in the same month. Though we both began our lives in Montana, he ended up in New England, and I ended up in the Pacific Northwest. Still, we have a lot in common, and I’m savoring his poems.

Then, there is the wishlist function on the website of my favorite local independent bookstore. I browse in the store, read their monthly newsletter, check out books online, and add titles I’d like to read one day. From time to time, I purchase one of those books. I also refer to the wish list on most of my visits to the library.

I added five books to that wish list this week, inspired by listening to the radio. Canadian Broadcast Radio hosts a four-day series of debates about popular books each year. On the first day, five people present and defend five books. One is eliminated after the debate. One more is eliminated on each successive day of debate until a single title emerges as the year’s winner. The debates are titled “Canada Reads.” The final vote was close this year, with a 3-2 vote determining the winner. Each year, all five books seem to be worth reading.

The first book eliminated this year was “Watch Out for Her” by Samantha M. Bailey. Described as a thriller about the paranoia of motherhood, the novel explores the dynamics of trusting another to care for your child and the risks of that trust. Maggie Mac Neil, who won Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in swimming at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, championed the book. It was the first thriller featured on Canada Reads.

The second was Wayne Johnston's memoir Jennie’s Boy. In it, he describes growing up as a sickly child in Newfoundland. Although he had already had his tonsils, adenoids, and appendix removed by the age of seven, doctors couldn’t find the reason for his insomnia and cough. The book is a tribute to family and community, with some Newfoundland wit thrown in. In the Canada Reads debates, bestselling author Linwood Barclay defended it.

Third was the novel “Etta and Otto and Russel and James” by Emma Hooper. In the story, 82-year-old Etta decides to walk from her home in Saskatchewan to Halifax to see the ocean. She leaves a note behind for her husband, Otto. As Etta walks, she is accompanied by a coyote named James while neighbor Russell tries to find her. The book was defended by Michelle Morgan, an actor and filmmaker.

The fourth book that almost won the competition was a novel about a woman who follows her mother’s past journey to learn who she is and where she belongs. Jamie Chai Run Liew's Dandelion won an Emerging Writers Award. Pastry chef Saïd M'Dahoma championed it.

This year's winner is Ma-Nee Chacaby’s memoir, “A Two-Spirit Journey.” Chacaby is an Ojiba-Cree lesbian and elder who suffered physical and sexual abuse, racism, an abusive marriage, and alcoholism. The memoir is the story of her resilience and how her cultural heritage gave her the strength to overcome the hardships of her life. Indigenous Canadian model and health and wellness advocate Shayla Stonechild defended the book. Stonechild undertook a four-day fast in preparation for the debates.

Inspired by the debates, I intend to read all five books. However, I also intended to read the finalists in last year’s Canada Reads debates. I put all of them on my wish list, but a year has passed, and I have read none of them. Strangely, having a long list of books I want to read is reassuring. I know I will not run out of titles to read. I have books to seek on every visit to the library.

One of my goals in the coming week is to clean up some of the piles of books. I should be able to put away the books for review and the class and organize the ones for my writing project. However, I’ll keep the wish list. I never know when I’ll want to find a new book to read.