September 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

September 22, 2025

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month of September…

BOOKS

NOVEL: Orbital by Samantha Harvey

I read Orbital, by Samantha Harvey, alongside two of our kids for their school’s summer reading. It’s a short, beautiful novel about six astronauts aboard the International Space Station over the course of one day as they spin around our globe. I loved learning the science and technology bits even as it also prompted so much reflection on what it means to be human in relationship with each other and the earth.

MEMOIR: Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

I just reread Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, and I loved it even more the second time through. It’s a story that works with readers young and old, and it deals with pretty much all the themes. It’s an immigrant story, a coming-of-age story, a story about stories, a religious story, and, of course, a very human story about the power of stories to shape who we are becoming.

Novel: The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri

I read this novel over the course of three nights, perhaps because I was traveling and it takes a while to settle my brain, or perhaps because it is written for 8-12 year olds. Still, for this 48-year-old, this story of a brother and sister making their way through the mountains of Iran during World War Two was tender and riveting and also opened my eyes to a piece of world history I’ve never known much about in the past. This book was just longlisted for the National Book Award, and I could tell why.

Book: Belonging by Owen Eastwood

I’m reading Belonging by Owen Eastwood. Eastwood has worked with teams and corporations from all over to help them understand their history and form an identity and sense of purpose based on who they already are and who they want to become. I’m particularly struck by his insistence on understanding and owning where we come from—the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly—in order for us to claim an identity that allows us to move forward with purpose.

MOVIES/SHOWS

SHOW: Stick

It is exceedingly rare that we find anything that every member of our family enjoys, so I have to recommend the new Apple TV show Stick. It’s funny and has some depth to it in telling the story of a young golf prodigy trying to compete at the highest level. My favorite episode was the final one. Without spoiling anything, if you get that far, pay attention to the two different voices/stories coming at Santi in his last round on the course. I told our kids as they go into this school year my prayer is that the voice inside their heads is the one that tells them they are beautiful and beloved and this show gave a glimpse of what that could sound like and what a difference it could make.

ESSAYS

ESSAY: “Here’s what science considers a path to a good life”

I loved this essay (with a shoutout to Heather Trammell for sharing this with me) in the Washington Post about the different ways social scientists are defining “the good life.” The first is happy. The second is meaningful. And the third is psychologically rich. I guess I’m a glutton, because I’m going for all three, and probably with a priority on meaningful. How about you?

Substack: If You Are Elevating Charlie Kirk, Consider Who You Are Crushing Underfoot

As I mentioned last week, I have friends on both sides of the cultural divide when it comes to Christianity, politics, and, more specifically, the legacy of Charlie Kirk. I appreciated Professor Nijay Gupta’s reflections on why it is important to differentiate between mourning and decrying this horrific act of violence and wholesale endorsement of Kirk and his beliefs.

PODCASTS

Podcast Episode: Jonathan Haidt’s Newest Thoughts on Technology, Anxiety, and the War for Our Attention

I’m always up for listening to Jonathan Haidt and Russell Moore talk about the differences between social media use and phone use in general, and this conversation doesn’t disappoint.

Sermon: Wholehearted Love

Corey Widmer preached this sermon about the nature of love and what it looks like to love God and love one another. The whole sermon is great—both practical and thought-provoking and a guide to spiritual formation. But even if you don’t listen to the whole thing, I will commend the final 6 and a half minutes about what love looks like in a time of political violence.

NEWS

To Build Better Playgrounds, Company Turns to Kids With Disabilities

I love that inviting kids with disabilities into playground design allows their voices and needs to be heard while also benefitting the whole community:

“It turns out, company leaders say, that finding out what kids with disabilities want in a playground helps build a better playground for everybody.”

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