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Reader’s Log 057: Books on Psalms

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Previously, I posted about reading “Reflections on the Psalms” by C. S. Lewis as the first book I’m reading as an addition to my daily morning devotions of the book Psalms in the Holy Bible. I’m curious about what others are saying about their studies and takeaways. The devotional I’m studying is a four-year plan but I’m wanting to shorten it in about two years tops-maybe. So far, I’m really enjoying the pace of the four-year plan as I get deeper into the context. We will see how it goes! The three books below are the ones I want to get to next and they’re not in any particular order. I did add praise for “Praise for Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends” by Carmen Joy Imes because she is among my top favorite Old Testament Biblical Scholars.

Stephanie

Psalms 1–72: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary by Federico G. Villanueva

There is a second volume of the Psalms from this author to complete the commentary on the whole book.

The Asia Bible Commentary series empowers Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. e ultimate goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible.

This commentary on Psalms 1-72 provides an exposition that the reader can engage with in their own community of faith in the Asian cultural context. Along with a commentary on each Psalm, Dr. Federico Villanueva provides cultural reflections on a wide variety of relevant topics that include the likes of lament, praise, creation, meditation, depression and natural phenomena. This commentary is an excellent resource for pastors, lay leaders and Bible students but will also be useful and relevant for any Christian committed to applying the Bible in their respective contexts.

Praying the Psalms, Second Edition: Engaging Scripture and the Life of the Spirit by Walter Brueggemann

In this thoroughly revised edition of a classic in spirituality, Walter Brueggemann guides the reader into a thoughtful and moving encounter with the Psalms. This new edition includes a revised text, new notes, and new bibliography. “The movement and meeting of God with us is indeed a speech-event in which new humanness is evoked among us. Being attentive to language means cultivating the candid imagination to bring our own experience to the Psalms and permitting it to be disciplined by the speech of the Psalms. And, conversely, it means letting the Psalms address us and having that language reshape our sensitivities and fill our minds with new pictures and images that may redirect our lives” -from Chapter 3

Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

by Carmen Joy Imes

The Psalms teach us how to pray. Many saints over the past three millennia have come near to God by praying the Psalms, and this volume introduces us to some of their greatest thoughts on them.

Covering all 150 psalms, this companion to the “Prayer book of the Bible” contains key devotional readings from the Great Tradition as well as space for journaling our own prayers. This book will help us learn to pray as Jesus prayed—after all, He quoted from the Psalms more often than any other book.

Praise for Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

“For centuries, the Psalms have been the lifeblood of the church’s worship, witness, and soul care. In this volume, Imes invites readers to engage this life-giving book alongside their fathers and mothers in the faith . . . The nuggets of wisdom here should direct readers to engage the world of early Christian theology further, where they will find faithful friends and wise guides on the road of discipleship.”

Stephen T. Pardue, PhD,

Assistant Professor of Theology,

International Graduate School of Leadership (Philippines), Asia Graduate School of Theology (Philippines)

“This book will help you to re-hear the Psalms as you pray through them with the saints of old. It is a book to carry around with your Bible, to savor slowly with your morning coffee . . . It will touch your prayer life and calm your soul.”

Donald M. Fairbairn, Jr., PhD,

Academic Dean (Charlotte Campus),

Robert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity,

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“What a delight to read the Psalms in the company of the righteous! . . . The pithy and apt extracts from these scholars give extra insights for our daily meditation. I am looking forward to using this book!”

Jill Firth, PhD,

Lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew,

Ridley College (Melbourne)

Reader’s Log 055: Current and Upcoming Reads

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I finished and reviewed, “The Lost Baker of Vienna” by Sharon Kurtzman and enjoyed the story and now I’ve started reading a couple days ago, “Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together” by Ilana Kurshan. I must confess I’m a little concern about the page length and how the theme will flow through the pages. That said, so far I’m enjoying reading about this family’s love for reading.  

I’m still reading, “The Curious Inheritance” of Blakely House and “Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis.” These two are wonderful and engaging reads and I’m taking my time with them though I’m getting close to finishing The Curious Inheritance. After I finish with Lewis’s book I’m going to start reading, “A Sacred Sorrow” by Michael Card. I have so much to say about lament and I look forward to sharing more on the subject at a later time. After I finish up with Curious Inheritance, I’m thinking about starting, “Daughter of Egypt” by Marie Benedict. I have an ARC of this book and I’m thrilled with the premise for this story. Also, I’ve been reading, “Babylon” by Paul Kriwaczek and while I don’t agree with everything he writes, I do find many aspects of the information he provides to be fascinating and I’ve learned few new details that I need for my research. Kriwaczek is a good writer and it makes his book easier to read which is refreshing and helpful!

Stephanie

Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together by Ilana Kurshan

Not yet published Expected Aug 26, 2025 by St. Martin’s Press

In Children of the Book, Ilana Kurshan explores the closeness forged when family life unfolds against a backdrop of reading together. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, at first struggles to balance her passion for literature with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of teaching independence and forging connection. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature—including the beloved classics of her childhood—helps her become both a better mother and a better reader.

Chief among the books Kurshan reads with her children is the Five Books of Moses, known as the Torah, which Jews the world over read in synchrony as part of the liturgical cycle. In the five parts of this memoir, Kurshan explores the surprising resonances between the biblical text and her experiences as a mother and a reader – from the first picture books that create the world through language for little babies, to the moment our children begin reading on their own leaving us behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands without us. A testament to the enduring power of shared texts, Children of the Book celebrates the deep pleasures of books.

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Not yet published

Publish Date: Mar 24, 2026 by St. Martin’s Press

In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle made headlines around the world with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert—daughter of Lord Carnarvon—whose daring spirit and relentless curiosity made the momentous find possible.

Nearly 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt’s lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary—and nearly erased from history.

When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut’s secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign and keep valued artifacts in Egypt, their rightful home. But as danger closes in and political tensions rise, she must make an impossible choice: protect her father’s legacy—or forge her own.

A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament by Michael Card

Published February 1, 2005 by NavPress

It’s easy to praise God when things in your life are going well, but what about the other times? What happens when mountaintop experiences cascade into seasons of struggling, suffering, and loss in the valley? God desires for us to pour out our hearts to Him, whether in joy or pain. But many Christians don’t feel right expressing anger, frustration, grief, and sadness in prayer. Our personal worship experience is not complete unless we understand the lost language of lament.

In A Sacred Sorrow, author, musician, and Bible teacher Michael Card takes you through the Scriptures to show you what your worship and prayer life has been missing. Learn new ways to honor God and deepen your relationship with Him by:

Becoming more honest in worship

Trusting in His unchanging presence

Believing in His constant loving kindness

Sharing your sorrow as an act of worship

From Job to David to Jesus, men and women of Scripture understood the importance of pouring one’s heart out to the Father. Examine their stories and expand your definition of worship as you find healing. Let your pain, questions, and sorrow resound with praise to a God who is moved by your tears.