Reading is a great way to relax. If you are looking for a way to stretch your reading horizons here are two books that I think you will find interesting to read. They both have been out for a while now, but are worth adding to your library.

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

Set amidst a deeply religious community of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, Potok’s novel challenges us to consider the nature of vocation, and the tensions that exist between an individual’s calling and his or her commitment to a particular faith community. As Asher Lev’s vocation is rooted in the visual arts, this novel is also delightful meditation on the intersection of art, faith and community.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

What does it feel like to be invisible? As one friend reminded me recently, one of the gifts of Ellison’s novel is that it teaches us empathy. By taking us inside the experience of one who is invisible to mainstream society, Ellison challenges us to be attentive to those who are invisible in our own congregations and neighborhoods, listening to their stories and gaining a window – however tiny—into their experience.