5 Minutes for Books hosts What’s on your nightstand? on the last Tuesday of each month in which we share what we’ve been reading, and what we plan to read. I’m joining in late, but I wanted to see what the month of August had amounted to reading-wise.

Here’s what’s been on my nightstand:

The Doors of the Sea (David Bentley Hart): I’d read good reviews of this book about the problem of evil and was prompted to give it a try myself. It’s a theme I’ve explored in other sources this year, including The Problem of Pain and the biblical book of Job. It’s short and fascinating, challenging but very satisfying. My review is here.

Miracles (C.S. Lewis): another book that gets to the relationship between Creator and creation, this book examines the rational basis for belief in miracles. I chose it because my dad gave me a dvd series on the life of Lewis, and it drove me to the shelf for anything I could find there by him that I hadn’t already read. I just finished this one, and reviewed it here.

The Helper (Catherine Marshall): This devotional book is one I’ve worked through with my husband over a period of perhaps two months in the interest of cultivating a more abundant spiritual life. I reviewed it here.

America America (Ethan Canin): I chose this one because I rarely read new releases, and this one by an author I admire was an open invitation on the library shelf. I loved it, though it took me longer to get into than I usually allow a book. :-) Once the fuse lit, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a political novel about a fictional set of characters cleverly woven into actual history during the Nixon administration, and it gives much food for thought about present-day politics too. My review is here.

A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens): I pulled this off my shelf in wonder. I didn’t realize I owned it! It’s a classic that I’ve never read. It took a long time to find a stride, but once into it I found it compelling reading. My review is here.

I have two children and have read numerous picture books and stories too. Right now we’re reading some Thornton Burgess stories every night at bedtime, and some Bible stories at breakfast time. Also the kids have listened to several of the Chronicles of Narnia audiobooks while playing — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and his Boy, The Silver Chair, Prince Caspian. Sandwiched in between are read-alouds by a number of different authors, but the only ones I’ve mentioned here are Tasha Tudor (whose birthday is today) and David Wiesner.

So that’s the upshot for the month of August:

• 3 nonfiction books
• 2 novels
• Numberless children’s books

Currently I’m reading Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. The only thing I know for sure I’ll read in September is Buechner’s The Sacred Journey as part of a reading group I’m excited about joining. I’m sure my reading is going to drop off, since I’ll start second grade homeschooling for my daughter next week. But it’s fun to take stock of the last month’s worth.